Akeem and the Monsters

The year Akeem turned three, he began dreaming of monsters.



He woke up one morning and ran into the bathroom looking for his mama.

"I'm here, Mom!" he said. "I'm here!"

"I see!" said Mama. "Good morning, baby. Where did you go?"

"The monster came and took me away and I woke up and I was looking for you, Mama."

"Ohhhhhhhh," said Mama, nodding. "That was just a dream."

"Yes," he said. "That was my dream."

"You know," said Mama, leaning in real close, "anytime you have a bad dream about a monster, you can just wake up and come in my room. I will always be there."

Akeem snuggled her. "Can I have a popsicle?"



Sometimes, Akeem woke up at night because of the monsters. He went to see his mama, just like she said he should. She snuggled him until he fell asleep again. The monsters stayed away when his mama was around. Mostly.

When the monsters didn't stay away, Akeem's mama said, "You can tell me about the monsters if you want. What happened in your dream? What did those monsters do?"

Akeem told his mama that the monsters tried to take him away from her.

He didn't want to go. but they made him go.

He would run and hide, but they found him.

One night at bedtime, Akeem had enough. "Mom," he said, "I am gonna dream and see that monster and if that monster tries to get me I am gonna find you and I am gonna KILL that monster!!!"

Akeem's mama was not pleased by this.

"No, Akeem. We don't want to kill the monster, honey," she began.

"Yes! We are gonna beat him up!" he insisted.

Well! Mama thought for a minute.

"You know what, Keem?" she said. "You don't have to worry about those monsters. Do you know why? Because you are strong and tough!"

"Now if you see a monster," said Mama, "you just say, 'I'm not afraid of you because I am tough!' And that monster will say. "Uh-oh, you are tough? Then I had better run away!' And off he'll go."

Akeem did not have to think twice about his mama's words. He knew she was right.

"That's right," said Akeem. "I am gonna see that monster and say 'I am tough!' And that monster will run away!"

"Mmm hmm!" said Mama. "And if you see another monster, you say, 'I am tough and my mama is tough!' And that monster will say, 'Uh-oh! You are tough AND your mama is tough?! I better run away!' And off he will go."

Akeem giggled. "And if I see another monster, I will say, 'I am tough and my mama is tough and my sister is tough!' And that monster will say, 'Uh-oh! I better run away!'"

"That's right!" said Mama.

"And Mama," said Akeem excitedly, "if my friend sees a monster in his dream, if my friend from school sees a monster, I will tell him, he he will tell the monster....!"

"Ok, Akeem, no more monsters," said Mama.

Akeem flopped around for a minute in his covers.

"But, Mama," he said, "If a monster comes in my dream, can I come in your room?"

"Mmm hmm," said Mama. "Because we are tough and strong."