After a life of erratic dreams, I'm on my way to my own university tribunal.
The tram ride to school feels endless, the wheels groaning under the weight of the uncertainty and the possible judgement that awaited me.
At the University, nervously, I fiddle with the bits of equipment I've brought for my defence, a reminder of my dedication and work.
I've often walked these halls with confidence, but today I'm uncertain, almost lost in the labyrinth of academia. Suddenly, Professor Hartley, the man who always seemed to rescue me in my dreams, appears at my side.
"Walk with me, Jenkins," he instructs, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"You seem troubled, Jenkins," Hartley remarks, looking at the equipment in my hands. "Remember, the board game map is a tree, branching out in different directions. It's about strategy and flexibility. Life is no different."
Suddenly, his words took me back to my childhood, my mom, tirelessly working, juggling her profession, two toddlers, and the struggles of adapting to a new country. She was a beacon of resilience. "I say I am worthy, I am enough, I suffice," she would often say to herself, words I found strength in.
"Confidence, Professor Hartley, not cockiness," I replied, echoing her words. "Respect yourself, or wreck yourself. I suppose, I'm learning to start slowly, so I can finish quickly."
He chuckled at that. "Well said, Jenkins. Remember, even neurosis has its silver lining. It's the very force that pushes us to build better castles, even when the first few sink in the swamp."
"Like tracts of land?" I quip, grinning.
"Exactly, Jenkins," he says, a proud smile illuminating his face. "Outbursts of synthetic hormones leading to societal collapse, or so they say. You've proven to be more than capable of handling that."
As we disembark the tram and approach the university, I can't help but think about how far I've come from being the neurotic child who built sand castles in the swamp. There's no Babalaba-ding-dong today, no chaos, no panic. Just me, ready to face whatever comes my way, like the two fish in my dream that swam away fearlessly. I've become my own keystone, ready to keep my world from collapsing.
