Chapter1TheDream-Maker

        Nightfallslowlydescended.Dimitricouldn’tconcealhisexhilaration．Nightwasthehappiesttimeofthedayforhim，becausethenhecouldmakedreams．Dimitriwasahomelesspersonandusedtosleepingwhereverhecould．Butnowhewasgettingolderandfelttheneedofashelter.,soheputtogethersomediscardedoldboardsandtinsheetsandbuilthimselfamakeshifthomeinanarrowalley．WithcoldwindwhippingathisraggedovercoathepushedashoppingcartwhichcontainedallhisworldlypossessionsinfrontofhimandheadedtowardsafancyItalianrestaurantwherethecookMariannaoftengavehimleftovers.Mariannathrustapaperbagathim,containinghalfasteakandsomeprawnsandpasta．Dimitriwaselatedandrushedhome，lookingforwardtoaluxuriousmealandsweetdreams.Joethebartenderlookedonwithjealousy．AfterDimitrihadleft,hesaidsarcastically，

        "Whyareyousogoodtohim，Marianna?Heisonlyahumanscum，burrowingthroughthegarbagecanslookingforfoodandclothes.Heisabum,sittingtherealldayfeedingpigeonsbythelake.Hemaynotevenlikeyou.Heprobablythinksyou’retoofat！""Howdoyouknow?"snappedMarianna."Dimitrimaynotknowhowtoexpresshimself，butheisapoetatheart.He’samilliontimesbetterthanagood-for-nothingdrunkardlikeyou!"

        MariannafirstmetDimitribesideagarbagecan.ThatdayDimitrifoundawoman’spursewhilehewasgoingthroughthegarbage.Itcontainedatwo-karatdiamondringand

        $3,000incash.Poorashewas,Dimitrididnotcovetwhatwasnothis.Hewaitedtherebythegarbagecanformanyhourshopingtheownerwouldshowup.MeanwhileMariannahadfinishedherday’sworkandwasfranticallylookingforherpurse.Whenshecouldn’tfinditanywhereinthekitchen，sheintuitivelyknewthatJoe,whowasusuallyhalf-drunk，musthavethrownitintothegarbagebagtogetherwiththegarbage.Sherushedoutsideandbeganrummagingthroughthegarbagebagsfromtherestaurant.

        "Whatareyouupto?"askedDimitrilaconically.

        "Iamlookingformypurse”repledMariannawithoutlookingup.“Joemusthavetosseditoutwiththegarbage."

        "What’sthepurselikeandwhat’sinit?"Mariannastoppedshort,arayofhopegleamedinhereyesasshegavehimadetaileddescription.Dimitrihandedherthepurseandturnedtogo.Mariannaranafterhimandtriedtopersuadehiminvaintotakesomethingasareward.ToDimitri,worldlywealthdidnotmeananythingsohereplied,

        "WhyshouldItakethissinceIdonotevenwantyourringandmoney?"Thustheybecamefriendsandshealwayskeptchoicebitsofleftoversforhim.

        Dimitriwasacuriousexampleofararespeciesofhumanbeing:absent-minded，carefree，notknowingwhathewasabout，andsatisfiedwiththemerefactthathecouldstillthinkandbreathe.Hewasahalfbreed，withsomesortofAsianbloodbutdidnotknowwhohisparentswere.Heseemedtorememberbeinginschoolforafewyears，butwasnotreallyliterate.Heworkedforawhilebutdidnotdomuchofanything．Hethoughthewasmarriedonce，butthenmaybeheonlylivedwithawomanforawhile．Hewasnotsure．Hehadasocialsecuritynumberormaybehedidn’t．Hehadawidecircleofacquaintances,noddingandsmilingtopeoplewhereverhewent，evenexchangingjocularreMarks，buthedidn’thaveasinglefriend．

        Hewasonlyawakeinhisdreams．OnsunnydayshewouldgoovertothelongabandonedwoodendockatLakeMerritt,filthyandsmellywithbirdexcrement.Buthedidn’tmind．Birdstohimwereflyingmessengersfromheavenwhereallhishopeswere.Hewouldsitonthebenchandfeedthem，lettingthemflyaroundhimandevensettleonhishead，shouldersandlap．Hewouldstareatthemulti-coloredcloudsintheskythroughthecracksofwhichleakedoutthelaughterofparadise.Whenduskwasnearhewouldgetupandgobacktohisnest,pushinghisshoppingcartinfrontofhim.

        Thefirstthinghedidwhenhegothomewastotakehisdirtyoldsleepingbagfromtheshoppingcartandspreaditoutatitsusualcorner．Then，hecountedhis"spoils"fromthegarbagecan．Apairofhalf-worntennisshoes，hissizeandstillserviceable．Whydopeoplethrowthesethingsaway?Hecouldn’tunderstand．Then，therewasashirt，quiteclean．Yes，hecouldthrowhisdilapidatedoneaway,andtomorrowhewouldputonhisnewshirtandshoesandfeelquitedebonair．Hewasashappyasarichmanwhohadjustmadeamilliondollars．HelighteduphiskerosenecookingstovetoheatupMarianna’sleftovers，andafterthissumptuousmealwouldgotobed．Hislifewassosimple．Toputitintoaformula，itwouldbe：limitedmaterialsneeds＝unlimitedsatisfaction．Thatwasbecausethefocusofhislifewasnotwhenhewasawake，butwhenhewasasleep．Hewashappytodaybecausehehadgatheredalotofmaterialtobewovenintohisdreams．Forhim，thiswasjustlikefeedinginformationintothecomputertobeorganizedandreplayedonthescreen．

        Whilehavinghisdinner，hewentovertheeventsoftheday：Thatmorninghepassedanimposingofficebuilding．AblackRolls-Roycestoppedsmoothlybeforeitandaliveriedchauffeurgotouttoopenthedoorforamanwithanexpensivehatandapipeinhismouth——obviouslyanold-fashionedtycoon．HewasallegedtobethepresidentofWorldBank．"Sowhat?"thoughtDimitri，"Icanbeonetooinmydreams”．Thenhepassedahigh-classshoestoreforwomen,sellingshoesandotherleathergoods．Apairofglitteringtoelesssilverhigh-heeledshoesdisplayedinthewindowcaughthiseye．"Whatclotheswouldgowiththem？"hemused．"Astraplessroyalblueeveninggownperhaps，oraclingingblackmini-skirt?Bothwoulddo”hedecided．Justthen，thesalesgirl’sarmreachedoutandtooktheshoesawayfromthewindowdisplaytotrythemonacustomer．Dimitriwascurioustoknowwhothewomanwas，sohewalkedtotheentranceoftheshopandpeeredin．Thebrilliantredtoenailspeekingfromthesilvershoesmesmerizedhimandkindledflamesofprimitivelustfromwithinhimlikelightedmatchesthrownintoabarrelofgasoline．

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