CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Tom Tells about his Amazing Dream

So that was the plan Tom had told his two friends about on the island. They would go back to their village and secretly listen to everyone talk about them. They had left the island last night and arrived at the village a couple of hours before the prayer service began, so they found a place to sleep in the old empty building where Tom and Huck had made their agreement.

For breakfast the next day, Aunt Polly and Mary cooked a lot of food in their excitement to have Tom back. They were all very talkative.

"We're lucky to be able to laugh about it now, but I wish you had come and told me sooner where you were. I was crying all day, everyday. Why didn't you try to make your Aunt feel better sooner, Tom?"

"I think that Tom just didn't think about it. He was probably having too much fun. I'm sure he would have come if he'd thought about it," replied Mary.

"Is that true, Tom? Or did you just decide it would be nice to frighten your aunt a little?"

"You know Tom. He's always forgetting to think about people other than himself."

"Well, I'm sure that Sid wouldn't have made me suffer like that. He would have told me where he was. I think that in the future, after I've been dead a while, you'll wish you'd been nicer to me, Tom."

Tom now felt guilty and said: "Don't say that, Auntie. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you were in my dreams."

"Well, that doesn't exactly make me feel better."

"In my dream you, Sid, Mary and Joe's mother were all sitting in that room over there. You were all talking about us."

"Well, actually, we did all meet in there one night! Tell me more, Tom."

"Well, it's hard for me to remember it clearly."

"Try, Tom. Think very carefully."

"I remember that you felt a little cold and sent Sid to close the front door, because you thought someone had left it open."

"That's true! Go on!"

"Well, you continued talking about us, and I seem to remember you saying that I had really been a good boy before. You said that I just had a lot of energy to use up."

"This is just amazing! How can people say that it's impossible for dreams to really happen, when I've just heard it with my own ears?"

"Then you started crying."

"You're right again!"

"And when Mrs Harper began to cry, you told her the story about what had happened with me and the cat the other day. Then you started talking about how our bodies had been found and you said something about there being a prayer session at the church on Sunday."

"Well, I don't know what to say, Tom! You have a very special ability!"

"And after everyone had gone to bed and Mrs Harper had gone home, you started praying and I remember it felt like I had been right there in the room with you. Then you fell asleep and I watched you there for a while, wishing I could do something to make you feel better. I had a note ready to give you. It said: 'We're still alive. Don't worry; we've just become pirates.' Then just before leaving I gave you a kiss."

"Is that true, Tom? Did you really kiss me in your dream?" Aunt Polly asked while giving Tom a big hug.

"It was just a dream, Aunt Polly," said Sid.

"Shut your mouth, Sid! Here's a nice big apple for you, Tom. Thank you for being such a sweet boy. Now go on to school."

On his way to school, Tom could see that everyone was looking at him. Some children started to follow him, hoping they might get a chance to talk with him. Other children were jealous of Tom's popularity, and they tried to pretend they hadn't seen him.

Tom no longer needed Becky Thatcher as his girlfriend. He was famous now, so he could have many other girls if he wanted them. He pretended not to see Becky when he got to the school. Several times he noticed that she would come over near where he was playing to look at him, and then quickly run back to play with other boys.

Tom started talking with Amy Lawrence again, hoping Becky would see this and become jealous. This worked well, because Becky became angry, but she didn't tell anyone. And no matter how badly she wanted to get away from Tom, she found that she couldn't. She ran over to one of the other girls and said: "Hey, Mary! I couldn't find you yesterday; I wanted to let you know that I am having a picnic."

"Really?"

"Yes, my mother said it was OK."

"Can I come?"

"Of course you can. All of my friends will be there." Becky then looked to see if Tom had heard her saying this, but he was still talking with Amy Lawrence.

Soon all the children started asking to be invited to the picnic. Well, almost all of them. Tom and Amy were still talking. This made Becky even angrier than before. She could feel tears coming to her eyes. She ran away now, to try and hide her sadness.

Later that day, Tom saw Becky sitting with Alfred Temple. They were reading a book and laughing about something. Tom suddenly no longer wanted Amy Lawrence. He had to have Becky again. Becky now pretended not to see him watching them. She was happy to see him so jealous. Tom stood there watching them, thinking of how he would beat Alfred Temple the next chance he got. He hated everything about him, his clothes, his face, his name, everything. He made two fists and started swinging them around, pretending he was hitting Alfred.

At lunchtime, Becky sat with Alfred again, hoping Tom would see them, but he never appeared. She quickly became angry and told Alfred, who sat there surprised by this sudden change in her attitude, that she never wanted to see him again.

Now Alfred realized that Becky had been using him to make Tom jealous. He decided that he had to do something to hurt Tom. He went into the classroom, picked up one of Tom's books and tore the pages out of it. Then he put it back on Tom's desk, so that it would look like Tom had destroyed it. At that same moment, Becky had been watching Alfred through the window. She decided not to tell Tom what had happened, because she wanted to see him get into trouble.

(end of section)