***The story written for Arlene begins at chapter #4***

Chapters 2 & 3 are the rough thoughts to how A Dream Had became a story.

Chapter # 2 - Lingering Thoughts

Half a century of living and I end up thinking about the teenage years. Though I didn't get to know the friends I made, as well as I could've. I can, for the most part, say they were decent people, worth spending time with. For all there are in life, there are a few select members we get closest too. For me there was Len, great fun loving guy but sometimes too much fun lovin' eh. In our forties our paths separated. Chad, who I grew up with, became really strange in our late teens, didn't like hanging out with people Len knew and wanted to get away from intoxicants. We didn't and enjoyed the company of real people so left him alone with his own thoughts. Our Syd Barrett haha and enter Brian I guess. Most will remember for his sheer size of 6'8" 320lbs. Brian and I still occasionally associate together and we still like to prank another old friend Steve.

On the side of female friends there are still a few I can break bread with, but this early morning my thoughts were drawn to our EOA dream team. Four distinct girls, issues thrust upon them us males had no clue about. Barb, thinnest and destined to be a little old lady, made a couple lives for herself in Sarnia. Michelle was similar in basic appearance to Barb but very out going. Len and her had a cute history that made me say they were each others' destiny. The story told to me was, as kids; she 'accidentally' rode her tricycle into Len's leg. They were both out-going people so they kind of made sense when they started dating. The two others we and all the other males in the area wanted were Tammy, a down to earth blonde, and Arlene the tomboy of their group.

Arlene, sometimes I can't help but sigh deeply when I think about you and possibilities. When Queensryche's Silent Lucidity is played I hear your voice calling "Help me." Many times myself have come close to ending it all. My son, Steven is who keeps me stable these years. Making sure he has an active, open and honest father in his life. Losing Steven to alter time doesn't appeal to me. Before him I never thought it'd matter if I had children of my own.

Under the 'if I only knew then what I know now', my mind began to really wander from that miniscule dream and lingered months going back to the dream had.

While dating Tammy, in our early twenties, found out she and Arlene, both kept their distance from me. Being teen girls, they had already fought over guys. By twenty Tammy had two sons. First with Chad came Tim, a surprise to all. Chad wouldn't stand up to his mother and admit the child was his, so Tammy forever hated him. He wrote off his writes to fatherhood by the time Tim was four. Her second boy, Ricky had a father named Rob, when Chad heard that, figured it was me, until I corrected him a dozen years later. Michelle with two children too, was also having single parent difficulties. Tammy told me, knowing the difficulties she and Michelle had with having children, aided Arlene in making a final decision to have a hysterectomy.