Today Joy decides to play in Charlie’s dream. Justin is off to his secret dream that we’re not supposed to visit but that everyone has figured out he has his dream girlfriend in.

So he left Joy in Master Mind’s care. Master Mind is always ready to leap into action and save Joy from the unexpected dangers of a dream. I join because I want to see as much as possible of my granddaughter for the two of me. 

The one back in Canada, the ‘real’ me, who doesn’t even know he has a third grandchild, who has no idea this dream me exists - he will never get to experience Joy and how amazing she is. So I do it for the both of us, because I enjoy almost every minute that I see her.

Charlie and Joy are playing with the sand on the beach. Charlie produced colorful buckets, sand rakes, and so many sand toys in the shape of animals. 

I keep my distance. I can still hear what they’re saying, but I’m giving them privacy, and I stare at the waves and think about computing the chaotic forces of sea waves. 

“You know what they ask me a lot in the new school that they didn’t ask me a lot back in the Rez?” Charlie asks. 

Joy shakes her head. “What?”

“All the adults always ask me, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up’.”

“Why do they ask that?” 

Charlie shakes his head. 

“So what do you say?”

“What I tell them is not what I really want.”

“What do you really want?”

“I really want to be a hero like you, Joy. But I can’t. I’m not brave like you. I’m not brave at all. So I think I’ll be a hero of words. I’ll use my words to show people how bad the Hopi have been treated. I’ll save my people with my words.” 

“How do you save people with words?” 

“People learn how to write and then they write books and articles. And they talk in front of people. And the words convince people. I’ll convince everyone.”

“I don’t know anybody so I can’t convince anybody with words.”

“I’m good with words.” Yes, he is. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

“I want to be free,” she says immediately. 

My head snaps to look at her. What did she mean?!

“Free from what?” Charlie asks.

“I don’t know. Just free. To do what I want. All the time.” 

“Aren’t you free now? In the Dream you can do anything you want all the time. Your father creates worlds for you. So do I.” 

She shrugs. “I want to be free. Really free.” 

“Okay,” he says. 

And they continue to play and talk. I store this piece of information, remembering to ask Justin about it later. But then something happens that makes me forget this.

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt