Reunion

(Wow, this got long! It was the first even vaguely coherently narrative dream I'd had in a long time, probably because I accidentally slept for about 11 hours last night.)

I was back at my high school reunion, but in the dream we seemed to alternate between being teenagers and our current ages. At one point, we were on a bus, and our class sponsor (the physics teacher) was explaining to us something about being able to ride back on the bus, or to take our own transportation and go out. He seemed to be strongly encouraging a drink called "Burma," because it would fit nicely into the theme of what we'd been studying. I did some research, and found a book with really cool old labels from various brands of Burma, and recipes for exotic snacks that made nice accompaniments to it. I never got to taste Burma, although we did go out later; all I remember is that the waitress brought me what was supposed to be a beer, but there were only about two inches in the tall glass, and it tasted like apple juice.

The next day(?) there was some sort of vespers-thing, of which I don't remember much, except that the girls and boys were separated and that at the end, the RAs were the first out. These included people I'd seen at the reunion, in their current state, and at least one who wasn't an RA in school.

From there, we headed to the cafeteria. It was raining, and I was walking by myself. As I turned a corner, I saw a boy from high school, who had liked me a lot then and whom I'm afraid I didn't treat as well as I should have. He hadn't been at our actual reunion. I started crying when I saw him, and we walked toward each other as though everything was going to be okay (I've had the everything-is-going-to-be-okay dream about him before, actually). But then he turned into another (girl) friend from high school, who had been at the reunion, and who was also crying. I was disappointed, but we hugged and went inside the cafeteria together.

My mom still worked there, as did the rest of the foodservice staff from my senior year. I said hi to them in the kitchen, and then we went to find tables in the dining room, which had been set up for some sort of banquet.

The next day was graduation, and it was sunny. A friend and I were walking to the gym for the ceremony, and realizing that I was dressed quite conservatively. I was even wearing nylons, with a dress I recognized as one I'd purchased 10 years ago. I got out my phone to make a call, and when I opened it, my uncle was on the line--he had been trying to call me just as I was trying to call (him?). He was trying to tell me where I should meet him in the gym ("Adam Tennessee"?). I was really excited to see him, but something seemed vaguely wrong and/or sad at the same time that it seemed completely natural. I think I knew there was some reason I hadn't been able to, and wouldn't be able to see him, although I'm not sure I realized in the dream that it was because he was killed almost four years ago.

We got to the gym and were looking for him and my dad, who had also called, but couldn't find them. At some point, one of the security/organization people was walking by with a walkie-talkie, and I could hear my uncle on the other end, trying to either explain or figure out this AdamTenessee business. I tried to make another call with my phone, but realized that it had somehow been smashed and misshapen, although the new shape did end up being rather rounded and ergonomic. I was mostly disappointed that it wasn't all little and compact and as easy to slip into a back pocket as it had been. I never got to see my dad, or my uncle.