#foodlife

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Easter Sunday Daymare

In this dream it was also Easter Sunday. I dont like church, don’t like nothing to do with it except the singing I don’t go unless I’m forced, so this dream is already off to a weird start. Instead of being bored and sitting around I get the desire to go to church. Not my home church or a small church I want to see the happenings on Easter hats, suits, and dresses. First one but it was too small and filled, plus their entrance was in the front. So I dipped before anyone could see me.

The next church it’s bigger I’ve been there before. It’s an amalgamation of church’s I’ve been to. It’s a small mega church. They have open seats in the back on the side I come in on but it’s too empty so I walk to the other side and take up the small last bench still not close enough to the churchgoers to be anonymous so I move up and an maybe one semi-empty pew behind the major crowd. I’m late the pastor (Bishop Eddie Long, with the Jheri curl) is in the middle of his sermon. I just sit listening, when I’m approached by someone smiling offering me all kinds of stuff, food, books, pamphlets, etc. in grocery bags as a welcome. I try to refuse but they won’t go so I keep it. They go away. I begin a light panic as I’m trying to follow along with the scripture, but I’ve forgotten the order of books, so soon as I find the verse he’s on to the next and I’m back surfing. I get bored of the sermon (like in real life) so I pull out my phone, not to use but just in case I want to surf Twitter, setting it beside me the screen is on playing a video. Instead of cutting if off I just let it play but I cut the volume to nil so I can just look at it occasionally. As I’m doing this they stand. I’m still sitting. I look up to see a guy with a very creepy smile smiling at me he then begins shaking his head, slowly, smile still on. He can see my phone over the pew, he was like 2 rows ahead. They sit back down and the Bishop continues, a smiling mid 40-50s aged woman comes over and asks me to cut off my phone. I’m trying to tell her I am when she reaches for it a minor tustle ensues, smile never fades eye contact unbroken. I get her off me. The churchgoers around me are unphased. A smiling Mother approaches and she too tries to take my phone. I fight her off. Nothing dramatic just pulliing and whisperd arguing. After that I’m ready to go but I don’t.

A short time later, someone smiling comes to me offering new member forms I refuse them. They say, “Okay, here comes [name forgotten] you’ll like their papers more.” I nod uncomfortably with a closed mouth smile. So and so is coming from the front I can see her walking across from the choirstand. She has a sort of Sammy Davis Jr, my back hurts kind of jaunty walk. She gets to me hands me two lottery ticket like flyers to fill out. I begin to fill one out and realize it’s a choir job. I laugh and tell her I don’t need that. She creepily laugh agrees and takes it. The other, a job application for something not to do with church. It’s very weird, I fill it out anyway. She does the scratch off portion before handing me back the form with the bottom missing. Nothing ever come of it.

Finally, it’s benediction time! I stand. For some reason there are a couple false starts. A guy I can’t tell if he came from the pulpit or the pews, begins realizes he messed up, pulls his collar clears his throat say, “Whoops, that’s not it”. He starts again, this time the bishop interrupts going to his lectern he gives the man a look, the man nervously leaves the pulpit. Bishop does the benediction but it’s not a prayer. The church just harmonizes “Amen” (iykyk).

Ready to leave, grocery bags in hand I head for the door. Now located at the front (dream architecture). As I’m leaving I see a bishop from my churches sister church. We say hello. But he’s different, smiling creepily, he is also a bishop at his own church and has a reputation for wanting to be the only one in charge so why is he here and during an Easter morning service, no less? He invites me to dine with them. Uneasy, I lie telling him I can’t because I must meet my family for Easter dinner. Before I pass him he says. “They’re buffet style. We’re table and plate style people” (I kinda of know what he’s implying, but also what the hell does that mean?) During the service I could see white tableclothed tables with small vases with a singular red flower. I get past him and am heading toward the exit when again dream architecture takes over and it’s through a cafeteria. Imagine a darker kitschy foodlife in Chicago’s Water Tower Place. As I’m going trying not to get distracted by the abundance of choice and people getting their Easter dinners or chefs much too happy behind wallof of streaming glass. I spot my mother. What’s weird is she told me she was going to church, definitely not this one, so I take a picture of her and text her, ‘I thought you were going to [church name]“, with the photo attached. I’m concerned because she looks like her normal self, but is wearing one of those creepy smiles, I can see it reflected in the glass window as she’s "buying” her food. I make it out I put the bags in my car. For some reason I decide to check out the cafeteria. I re-enter and stop by a dessert stand closest to the door. It’s “closed” all the lights are on but dim, desserts are on display but no one’s behind the counter or in line. I continue to look at the beautiful sweets on display when I decide to by some to take home. As I’m eyeing the case I bump into one of those life-size French chef statues, I finally perk up to see I entered at the exit side and the start of the line is roped off with a chalk board sign not reading closed but a list of desserts. I turn to leave but there behind the once barren counter is the real French chef standing silent watching me creepy smile on display. I begin to apologize for my intrusion. He begins speaking but I never hear what he says or find out if my mother’s been converted to this creepy cult. I tried to stay asleep but I had to pee.

It’s one of those dreams I hope to have again to discover more about.

Happy Easter!