“Yeeeeee haw!” A call from above gets me to look up. Justin, standing next to me on the deck, also looks up. Joy, who had almost entered our apartment back on the island, also looks up. 

It’s a kid, Joy’s age, with a jetpack on his back. He is wearing a blue t-shirt with a picture of a condor on it, pants, and sneakers. 

“Charlie!” Joy yells from below and runs up to the deck. 

“Joy’s dad! I don’t know how to land this! Help!” 

“Just release slowly and it will ease up on the gas!” Justin shouts up. He’s not surprised at all. I’m guessing he’s used to this. 

“I’ll try!” Charlie says, with a lot of doubt in his voice. 

The fire behind him sputters as he gets closer and closer to the deck. And suddenly there’s no fire in his jetpack, and he falls on top of Justin. 

“Sorry about that,” he says. 

“Nooooo problem,” Justin stands up, brushing himself off. “Next time, maybe just summon up a mattress or something underneath you or…” 

But Joy takes all the focus running up to Charlie and hugging him. “Charlie! Yai, you’re back!” 

“Yai, you’re here!” he’s just as excited. “I was so afraid it was just a dream!” 

I try to keep my distance from the interactions until I know what’s happening. I whisper at Justin, “Who is that?” 

Joy overhears me and says, “Ooh, Charlie! Did you know? I have grandparents now! This is my Grampa Walt! And in the house is Grandma Suzy, she’s helping me fix Master Mind.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Charlie looks at my feet. “I’m Charlie. Charlie Blacksnake.” 

“I’m Walt, Charlie. Walt Shelley, I’m Justin’s father. Wait, ‘Blacksnake’. That’s new to me. That’s…?” 

“Hopi,” Charlie says. 

“Indian?” 

“Indians are from India. I’m Native.” 

I nod. “Right. I stand corrected. You… were with Joy yesterday, right? I heard that you were with her in Sandra’s dream?”

Justin coughs and looks away. “Yeah, Dad, let’s not talk about that. Charlie here is our next door neighbor. He’s right in the dream next door. He’s a very nice kid.” 

“You want to help me sew up Master Mind?” Joy says, all excited. 

“Yes!” They begin running down the ramp, Joy leading the way. “You want to hear what I did today?” 

“Yes!” They’re already on the island. “It’s so strange that you have a whole other life when I sleep!” 

Justin shakes his head. “My god,” he says so that only I can hear. “Everything’s changed.” 

Joy is just about to enter my apartment when she yells. “I haven’t forgotten to tell you off, Dad!” and she and Charlie disappear into mine and Suzy’s apartment. 

Justin hangs his head. With a sad voice he says, “Nothing’s changed.”

—Told by Grampa Walt