dream dream dream

I remember this one from the ten minutes between hitting snooze and the next time my alarm went off this morning...

I am watching a movie from within the scene, as it unfolds around me. A large crowd is inside a courtroom which is very grand in an antiquated way. All the surroundings are dark wood, but have a weathered look that suggests the room is well used. The configuration of the room is less like a courtroom and more like an old bank, in that there seems to be no judge's stand, and all the people seem to be very close to each other among the various dividers and tables in the room. There is a line of people standing behind a low wooden divider and I have the sense that disappointing verdict is being read – the crowd murmurs in recognition of an upset of some sort. At this point, a well dressed, young looking person who stands out in the crowd makes an announcement. I have the sense that I know what is unfolding at this point, as if I have seen it before, or perhaps know what to expect from a preview, and what unfolds before me is not as clear as my recognition of what it all means. The man has announced that he has chosen to defend the person that has been delivered the upset verdict. Ignorant of what procedures are taking place, and the technical legalities of the proceedings, the net of it is that this person, once in opposition to the defendant, was now switching his loyalties to help him.

The next scene is some kind of ad hoc ceremony that takes place in the courtroom, that serves as a closing scene, and appears to be either to close the proceedings that took place, or to swear in somehow, the young lawyer as the defendant’s council. What is clear is that this closing scene also signifies a ‘new beginning’ and represents a happy ending for the protagonist character (the defendant). This scene was actually remarkably touching for something that happened in my brain. The ceremony involves the reading of the Lord’s Prayer, and the officiate of the ceremony (who is an old, southern, African American man with poor teeth and simple farmers clothes) initiates it while sitting at a desk reading from a book. The defendant is standing a meter in front of the officiate and is now revealed to be a very large, African American man with the mind of a child. His face wears an expression of abject happiness as if he has hope and excitement for the first time in a long time. As the prayer is started the room falls silent as the defendant mouths the words in sync with the officiate speaking them. A feeling that the right thing was done washes over everyone in the room.