Almond Al's Dream

As Almond Al settles into his chair, the evening breeze weaving through the leaves of the almond trees, he feels the grip of the day slowly loosen. The sun dips below the horizon, a tangerine haze fading into the twilight. His eyelids grow heavy, and as his head nods, the world around him dissolves into the blurred edges of a dream.

In this hazy realm, Almond Al floats above his grove, the neat rows of trees unfurling beneath him like veins of a living, breathing organism. He glides through the branches, his hands brushing against leaves that transform into delicate, fluttering butterflies. A gentle hum fills the air, and he realizes that the sound comes from the trees themselves, singing a song of gratitude.

The dream shifts, and Al finds himself standing on the edge of an immense canyon. The walls of the chasm are lined with almond trees, their roots entwined and stretching deep into the earth. He senses a connection between the trees and himself, as if they share the same heartbeat, pulsing in harmony with the world around them. He reaches out to touch a nearby branch and feels the thrum of life within.

Suddenly, he is pulled into the earth, traveling through layers of soil, rock, and time itself. He witnesses the birth of the almond tree, the first seed sprouting and reaching for the sun. Ages pass, and he sees generations of his ancestors tending to the groves, their love for the land woven into every tree.

The dream morphs again, and Almond Al stands before a vast ocean, the waves lapping at his feet. The water shimmers with a million shades of blue, and as he gazes into its depths, he sees the reflection of the red moon he'd glimpsed earlier. He feels a stirring within, a longing for connection not just with the earth, but with the cosmos. The celestial body draws closer, its crimson hue painting the sky and sea.

As the red moon's reflection touches the shoreline, the waves transform into swarms of hummingbirds, their wings a blur of motion. They swoop and dive around him, their tiny beaks sipping nectar from the flowers that now sprout from his very skin. In this moment, Almond Al becomes one with the hummingbirds, the trees, the earth, and the universe beyond.

But just as the feeling of oneness reaches its peak, the dream begins to unravel. The hummingbirds, the trees, the red moon, and the ocean recede, leaving Almond Al gently swaying in his chair on the deck. As his eyes flutter open, the soft whispers of the almond trees serenade him back to reality, he knows his time is short. He wishes Betty was home, every moment matters now and he hates when she is not beside him.