Tell Him He’s Dreaming

An engineer has an environmental epiphany but things don't work out as planned.

Traditional Street, Shangri-la (Zhongdian), Yunnan, China (Photo: M. Griffiths)

This story gained 5th place in the New Zealand Writers College short story competition. 
You can read the top 5 stories here:
 http://www.nzwriterscollege.co.nz/2014+NZ+Writers+College+Short+Story+Competition.html
The judges comments are interesting. Getting all five judges to agree on any of the stories seems nearly impossible!
Enjoy.

Tell Him He’s Dreaming

 

By Matthew Griffiths

 

 

When you look back on events in your life, sometimes they seem like parts of a dream…

 

********

 

Brian stood on the vacant lot, overlooking the sea.

“…and you could have a polished concrete floor or tiles for passive solar gain with double glazing to retain the heat. You can put some of your nice Middle Eastern mats and stuff inside away from the windows. Put in a log fire for winter. Energy’s only getting more and more expensive. If you really want to be green you could use mud bricks or something.”

We should get double glazing for our place too, he thought.

“Ok. I’ll think about it.” Steve looked out over the cliff to the beach and the surf rolling in. “This is what I’ve always dreamed off Brian, and now we have the money to do it. Those years working in Saudi are finally going to pay off.”

Brian turned his gaze to the beach. A lone surfer was paddling out to the break.

Steve pointed, “That will be me soon, every single day. Just like university, remember?”

Steve’s new job was building and asset manager at a large technical training institute fifteen minutes drive from the beach. Easy work for an engineer with his experience, perfect location and an ideal lifestyle for a middle aged surf junkie. And the kids could go to a local school and have a normal life again.
“Every single day.”

 

********

 

I should have been an architect! I should be an architect. Green is the way of the future. It has to be. I’ve got the civil and structural engineering background. I just need a bit of the design stuff, and some practical experience on real projects and I can become a sustainable building consultant. Have my own business. Really do something to help the planet. Yes!

 

Brian woke up with a start.

He stared at the ceiling in the dark and thought it through. Maybe he could do a diploma in one year, do some volunteer projects to learn the ropes of alternative building techniques, and then set up on his own. 

It was feasible. The mortgage was under control, they had some savings. That and Sue’s job at the bank was enough to pay the bills for a year or two.

She rolled over next to him and adjusted the duvet.

Brian whispered “Sue, are you awake? I’ve got something I want to talk about.”

 

********

 

“China?!”

“Yeah, just for three weeks. There’s a volunteer sustainable building project in Yunnan province. Tibetan style stone and mud wall houses, but modern style. Remember Sue, how we both always wanted to go there?”

“We were young then, it’s totally different now.”

“The kids can come too, you can all go sightseeing, trekking, souvenier shopping, whatever you want.”

“We can’t afford it Brian. I’m a loans officer, not branch manager. My salary isn’t enough to support the kids, your study and family holidays overseas.”

 

********

 

“Tibetan Mac Mansions. Hard to believe.” The traditional Tibetan building methods in Yunnan were interesting, but even more interesting were the changes being introduced by modernisation and affluence. Some of the houses were twice the size of traditional house with extensive outbuildings. A sign of growing wealth, at least near the tourist centres.

“At least they have double glazing.” said Justin, one of the other volunteers. The collection of people from around the world included several from back home who invited him to join them on some more projects.

“Sounds great, I’ll be there.” said Brian.

He also investigated the typical Chinese double glazing, not the fancy double panes of glass mounted with a vacuum in between, hard to manufacture and expensive. The Chinese style was two separate windows 15cm apart, each sliding open or shut as required.

He wondered about the efficiency of that and tried to apply his newly learned heat loss formulas until his head hurt.

 

********

           

“Living the dream buddy, living the dream.” said Steve.

Brian looked around the lounge of the newly completed house. Steve had gone for floor to ceiling windows, and half the lounge roof was glass too.

“The trees and the view come right in,” Steve said waving his arms toward the beach.

No double glazing though.

“Too expensive man, and we can afford the power bill. Great sun shades though, look at this.” Steve pushed button on a remote control and dark shades slid down covering the roof glass.

He pushed another button. As the shades receded again Brian saw leaves accumulating on the roof. Steve saw what he was looking at.

“I get a gardener in every week to clean them off,” Steve said smiling. “I’m too busy surfing in my spare time.”

He turned to Brian “How’s Sue and the kids?”

“Good, good. Well mostly. Sue and I are going through a bit of rough patch.”

Steve raised his eyebrows.

“She’s not so keen on my change of career. I’m half through my study now and after a few more volunteer stints I’ll be ready to start up my own consultancy. Hopefully she’ll mellow out then.”

 

********

 

“It’s totally irresponsible!” screamed Sue.

“How can you say that?” said Brian. “You understand the environmental issues. We’ve got solar hot water and a compost bin and there’s so much more we could do…”

“We’re doing our bit. Sustainability is all very well, but your hippie friends can’t pay for consultants. Can’t you see that? How are they going to pay our mortgage and buy clothes for the kids?”

He looked past her at the kids in the car.

“If you wanted to have a mid-life crisis you could have hired a racing car and driven around the track, or bought me some fishnets or something. But no, you have to chuck your job, spend all our savings and leave us all behind while you go gallivanting around being Mr Save the World.”

“Sue, please. Let’s talk about this. I only just got back.”

“I’m past talking. You have ten days. The tenants move in then. It’ll stay rented until you come to your senses or I lose patience. I’m taking the kids to Mum and Dad’s until I find a cheaper rental close to the school.”

She got into the car and slammed the door. Danny and Jeanne waved glumly out the back window as she pulled away.

Brian watched and waved until the car was out of sight.

 

He walked into the near empty house and sat down on the carpet in the lounge.

His chest felt tight, and tears began to run down his cheeks.

 

********

 

“Great work everyone.” called out the head of the building team. “Let’s call it a day.”

Brian stood on the scaffolding in the late afternoon sun and wiped his brow. The rammed earth wall was now two metres high. It was the future food hall of a commune about an hour from the city.

“Intentional community.” he was corrected. “Commune is so 1960’s. We’re not a bunch of hippies you know.”

He surveyed the day’s work feeling a deep feeling of satisfaction. Working together with others on something meaningful was becoming addictive. This was his fourth volunteer building stint and he enjoyed it more than the study and, he thought a little worriedly, more than sitting in an office designing things as well.

 “Fancy a swim?” asked Adriana looking up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “We’re all going in.”

“Ok, I’ll be right there.” Brian climbed down and placed his tools under a corrugated iron lean-to next to the new building.

At the swimming hole a dozen bodies splashed and swam in the river. Adriana pulled off her t-shirt and bra, pushed her shorts down her legs and waded in.

Brian looked down, blushing.

“Bashful are we?” Adriana laughed and splashed him.

He took off his shirt and followed her in, keeping his shorts on.

She dived over backwards into the water showing off her tanned body as she disappeared under the water.

 

Later on the porch of the old farm house which was the original building of the community, the group sat singing, drinking beer and passing around a joint. Brian took a couple of puffs and coughed uncontrollably prompting laughs from the rest.

When the joint came round again he waved it away.

“I’m way too out of practice guys.” He felt light headed, unsure whether it was the grass, the beer or the day working in the sun.

He mumbled goodnights and headed back to his room to sleep. He crawled into the bed and laid his head down on the lumpy old pillow.

The door creaked open and a shadowy figure stood in the doorway.

“Feel like some company?”

Adriana slipped off her clothes and climbed in beside him.

 

********

 

Steve paced around a different lounge, much smaller than the previous one. “Less is the new more buddy!”

“How’s the new job?” Brian asked

“Same old, same old. Managing a shopping mall building is pretty much the same all over. A lot less money to play with but fewer headaches than in Saudi I suppose, that’s one advantage. And I still get to surf on the weekends. It’s not too far to drive. Petrol prices suck though.”

The technical institute had closed down, a victim of government budget cuts and ‘consolidation’. Steve’s Saudi savings had gone up in smoke in the global financial crisis too.

“Times are strange buddy. A finance company worth hundreds of millions just disappeared into thin air.”

“Strange alright. Family doing ok?”

“Yeah, we thought about going back to Saudi, you know, to make back some of the money, but the kids are settled now and Carol likes being close to her family again.”

“Sorry it’s all gone pear shaped mate. This financial crisis is making life difficult for everyone. Doesn’t look like getting much better either.”

“Yeah. That’s life. But hey, there’s still surfing!”

 

********

 

 “Ok. I’ll talk to you again soon.” Brian turned off the phone. Kids seem to be doing ok. At least they are still talking to me.

He walked out of the old farm house and looked over the grassed area where several children were playing to the cluster of new rammed earth buildings, compost pits, rainwater tanks, and vegetable gardens in the distance. He’d come back several times to help out and was starting to feel part of the place. Except he knew Sue would never want to bring the kids to live here.

“Looks great doesn’t it?” Adriana said. She stood beside him and draped an arm around his shoulders.

“It does.” He nodded slowly.

“I was thinking….” she said softly, casually, “you could do your consulting from here. It’s close enough to the city to go there for meetings or site visits when you need to. Join us in the community.”

“Join you? It’s a great place but I’m not sure I completely fit in.”

“Of course you do, we would love to have you here….I would love to have you here.”

She leaned closer and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Maybe one day we could add to the soccer team down there.” She nodded toward the kids.

Brian looked at her and then looked away.

“Sorry, is this a bit too much?”

“No… Well, maybe.” he said slowly. “There’s something you should know.”

She raised a finger to his lips. “I know about your family Brian, that’s ok. You can bring your kids down here too sometimes. I’d like to meet them. They’d love it. It’s a great place for kids. And I’m sure they wouldn’t mind a little brother or sister.”

“That’s not it.” He shook his head. “You’re young and having a couple of little soccer players…it’s only natural for you to want that…”

“You’re not saying you’re too old?” she blurted out. “Because you’re not.” 

“No, no the problem is…” he took a deep breath and exhaled, “I can’t give you what you want.”

She tensed and her voice rose, “What do you mean?”

“I can’t have any more kids Adriana. I had the ‘snip’ years ago.”

Then he thought to himself. And I’m not sure I want to anyway.

 

********

 

“I got the prize dad! The tech class competition. I got first.” Danny yelled over the phone.

“That’s great Danny. Well done.” Brian said.

“Thanks for your help, the solar oven idea was great. Mum’s even using it for cooking dinner and stuff.”

“It was all your work mate. Hey, how about we make some more for your cousins and grandparents for Christmas?”

“Yeah, ok, cool. Umm, here’s Jeanne.”

“Ok. See you.”

“Dad?”

“Hi sweetie. How are you?”

“Good.”

“How’s school going?”

“Good.”

He finally remembered to ask an open question. “What else is happening?”

“Nothing much.”

“Oh.”

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“We both think what you’re doing is cool. We just wish you were here with us.”

“Me too. Hey, umm, who was that who answered the phone?”

“Ahh…Mum’s friend Mike.”

“Oh.”

 

After she hang up he opened up his laptop and started scanning job ads.

Structural engineer, CBD location, only if I really have to,

Architectural draughting, Inner suburbs, maybe,

Roading engineer, central location, no way,

Technology tutor, part time, hey…

 

 

********

 

“Happy Birthday Dad.” Danny and Jeanne said down the line.

“Thanks guys.” Brian said smiling.

“Happy birthday Brian.”

“Thanks Sue.”

“Actually the kids were wondering if you’d like to come to dinner tonight.”

“Yes.” he said instantly. “I’d like that.”

“I’ll cook one of your favourites and the kids are going to bake a cake in the solar oven. It’s turned out to be rather useful.  How’s your new job going?”

“Jobs you mean.” Brian said. “Busy but good. The tech teaching is only two days a week but it’s great, lots of practical sustainability stuff just like I wanted. And the rest of the time I’m at an architect’s office doing structural stuff again, and a bit of green building design.”

“I’m glad.”

“Hey, umm, is Mike going to be there? I don’t want to make things awkward.”

“Oh no. Don’t worry about that. Things have changed. How about we talk more tonight?”

“Oh. Ok, that would be good.”

“Hang on.” she said. “What?”

The phone went silent for a few moments.

Sue’s voice returned. “Danny says to tell you he’s going to make a solar space rocket next.”

Brian laughed. “Ha! Tell him he’s dreaming.”

 

********

 

 

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Tell him he's dreaming - An engineer has an environmental epiphany but things don't work out as planned.  GAINED 5th PLACE in the New Zealand Writers College Short Story competition. See the list of finalists here. 

 

Entries in the post-industrial / peak oil short story competition:
My story 'Promised Land' has been selected for the forthcoming anthology "After Oil 2: The Years of Crisis".  You can read the other entries here.

A previous set of stories was published in 2012 in a book entitled After Oil: SF Visions of a Post-Petroleum World, available from Amazon (Amazon) or in Australia from Fishpond (Fishpond).

Stories set in China:

Winds of Change –  In 2022 a migrant worker struggles to realise his dreams and fulfil his family obligations.

Outside In – It's 2050, the country and economy have changed. A recycler studies for an exam to improve his prospects, and an indentured servant plans her escape.

Seeds of Time – (Sequel to Outside In). In 2055 rural China prospers again after a period of dramatic changes, then things are complicated by a strange visitor and a hidden object.

Stories set in Australia: A North Queensland Trilogy

Robots on Mars – 2025. A space-mad city boy adjusts to life in the country and tries to solve a mystery.    (Note: no actual robots or Martians involved)

Promised Land – (Sequel to Robots on Mars). It’s 2050 and development threatens the rural district. Is it what they really need and if not, how can they stop it?

Heart of Glass - (Sequel to Promised Land). The year is 2099, high school graduates prepare to step into adulthood and the community prepares to celebrate the turn of a new century. 

Tell me what you think.  Constructive comments welcome.

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