Meaning of Dreams

"I suppose that if you read my journal you might think I was crazy or dreaming. Life went back to normal once Mona Lisa was gone, as if all these things didn't happen. The day she disappeared, so did the Scream, and the Thinker. I don't know exactly how they disappeared, and if Will or Gina saw it happen. I know, even though I wanted them to go back, I really missed them when they were gone. They were fun and I had a deeper appreciation of those pieces of art after spending time with them. I could never tell if my friends felt the same about what happened. They never mentioned it, and I was shy about bringing it up. There were days I doubted that it even happened. Yet, there were days where Will or Gina would make a joke or say something and we would share a knowing smile. Gina once confided in me about a dream she had about walking with Scream on a road in Norway. She had the dream the night before they left. Gina dismissed it, with a laugh, saying how we both had silly dreams at the same time, and nothing more was said. It was like a secret too good for words. "I went through my days at school, like normal. But, I could never forget all these things. Mostly, it inspired me to paint. So, I did. I went to art class and never complained what the assignment was, whether it was imitating another artist, or creating my own masterpiece. When I missed my old home, I painted the woods of my childhood, and they came alive in my work. When I was in a funny mood, I made cartoon images of my friends. I never painted another Mona Lisa. Mine was perfect to me, anyway. "I did go to the museum a few weeks after the grand opening. I had only one painting I needed to see. I made my way through the crowd. My parents had been surprised at my interest in an art museum where I used to tell them only old people went. I had been wrong. There were people of all ages there. And, there was Mona Lisa, caged in layers of protective glass. She hadn't aged a bit. I stood there. I had been starting to doubt what had happened. Did she really come to life and come into my classroom? Was it just a long dream? It seemed so long ago to me. It made me feel sad for a moment. She still felt real to me, and I missed her. She was my friend. "But, then, standing there looking at my friend from the past, I know I saw her wink. 'Did you see it?' I asked my Dad, excited. 'She winked!' Dad smiled and nodded. I knew he was just trying to humor me. He didn't see her wink and I know he didn't believe me. He didn't want to hurt my feelings. But, I was sure of it. Mona Lisa winked at me!" Kate closed her journal and smiled. There would be a day when her memories would start to fade. She could open her journal and remember that there was still magic in life. She had experienced it those few days.