Behind the Badge in My Dreams

Based on my experience and interaction with most of my male friends and acquaintances, a typical guy's dream would revolve around sex. From dating the hottest girl in their class to sleeping with the girl of their dreams are the common stories I hear from them when they describe their best dreams of their lives they had so far during their sleep or nap. Of course like them, I do have my best dream as it occured just recently; however, if I would to tell my guy friends that my best dream did not revolved around sex, they would most likely to remind me how lame and pathetic am I. Worst come to worst, they might think that I am impotent. Unlike most of my guy friends, the best dream I had so far revolved around my dream life in the dark blue uniform tagged with shoulder patches on both sides that read "Vancouver Police". It wasn't the only best dream I had so far in my life but also one of the longest one.

The dream started off on the beginning of a weekday. I couldn't clearly remember which day was it but I remembered the time of the day very well; it was the dawn of the day. I was still tucked comfortably in my cozy queen size bed that early morning and it wasn't long before my eyes were wide opened. The time on my digital alarm clock located on a table lamp next to my bed was the first sight to welcome me on that early morning; it was 5 in the morning and I noticed that I had an hour more before I was suppose to get myself out from my bed. Seeing that I was already wide awake, I decided to throw myself out from my bed before switching of the alarm of my clock. After a brief stretching, I looked at the poster calender hanging on the wall which was highlighted in a florescent light yellow to remind me the first day of my job; something that I was looking very forward to. Not far away from my calender was a framed graduate certificate in International Business from Thompson Rivers University; the fact that I graduated in business but decided to do something completely different in my career humored me for a few seconds. Knowing that I was excited to begin my first day of my job, I immediately grabbed onto my towel and headed for my washroom before I brushed my teeth and took a nice hot shower.

After cleaning myself up, I dried myself up before putting on my dark blue police uniform that I have dreamed of wearing all my life. As I stood in front of a wall mirror buttoning my shirt feeling very proud of myself, my dad entered my room before he smiled proudly at me complimenting how handsome and smart I looked in the police uniform. Despite I was just a police constable, I somehow sensed that my dad was proud of me regardless of what position I held in the force. He then told me that breakfast was ready and he kindly volunteered to drive me to work at that morning after breakfast. After a light breakfast with my mum and dad, it was time for me to leave for work. My mum who handed me my police hat reminded me to give my best and try to get along with my seniors and my co workers; furthermore, she told me to be very careful at work. Shortly after I wished my mum goodbye, my dad and I left home for the Vancouver Police Department in downtown. After a 20 minutes drive, we were there and before I got out from my dad's car, my dad told me to take care of myself at work and reminded me to be careful, just like what my mum reminded me earlier. I reassured my dad that everything would be alright as the new comers won't get any "action" on the 1st day, before I wished my dad goodbye and exited his car.

On the 1st day of my job, I was introduced to my training officer who was a Korean Canadian; Officer Park was her name and she has been in the force for 5 years. She was 7 years older than me and according to my colleagues, she is as tough as nails. Rumors has it that she eats cornflakes out of her trainees' skull; the typical metaphor for tough police trainers. Officer Park was reluctant to have me assigned as her partner but I couldn't really blame her as I wouldn't like "babysitting" if I was in her shoes. Nevertheless, I was determine to show her that I was different from most "rookies". On the first day in the police department, my training officer and I roamed the streets of Vancouver in a squad car; she gave me a tour of our area of responsibility and in the middle of our patrolling she would slot in some personal questions to me in order to know more about the person she is working with. At times my training officer can be nice and approachable. On the other hand, most of the time she can be very strict or even a "bitch", yet I do not bear any grudges or resentment against her for the working environment here in the force mostly revolves around discipline.

During my days as a police constable in the force, I would always do my best. From volunteering to take on a colleague's shift and working overtime to sweating myself in the gym with my partner instead of joining the rest of my fellow brothers in blue at a pub on a Friday night; I was always seeking ways and opportunity to improve myself. Life as a patrol officer has its up and down. Of course moments where you give talks about crime prevention and personal safety at elementary schools can be very glamorous. Furthermore, getting the admiration from the public people especially the young ones during my routine patrol can pump lots of air into my head. However at times, my fellow colleagues and I are assigned to participate in a "treasure hunt" for evidences and clues that takes place in the most foul and filthy place one could ever imagine. The most dreadful part of the job is when we are called to secure a gruesome homicide scene until the police detectives arrive to take over. The less dreadful side of the job revolves around the domestic disturbance calls which usually comprise noise complaints, domestic violence and lewd conduct. At times, we'll get some "action" from chasing down a crook to assisting narcotics officers in a sting operation armed with pistols and shotguns; as dangerous and risky as it may sound, but the fact that I was at the thick of the action gives me an edge with interesting stories to share with my friends and my family over the dinner table compared to my other friends and family members whose job mainly revolves around the confinement of their office.

The climatic and the most memorable part of my dream was when I pursuit a snatch thief during my daily patrol in downtown Vancouver. It was just like every other day during my foot patrol with my partner in downtown until we heard an old lady screaming after a fleeing individual. Immediately I chased the fleeing suspect after I told my partner to take care of the old lady who was in grief. The thief dashed his way trying his best to outrun me but given the fact I was determined to apprehend him, he had a difficult time losing me. He started toppling trash cans and card boxes while he fled hoping that it would slow me down; fortunately for me, I managed to manuever my way around the obstacles he made and it wasn't long before he entered an old residential apartment. I lost my sights on him initially as some of the mess he made earlier on managed to slow me down a little; however with the occupants informing me that the thief headed for the rooftops, I knew the chase was still on. As I reached the rooftops via the elevator, I withdrew my pistol from my gun holster and I radioed in for additional units to seal the exits and the entrance of the residential apartment. With my gun raised, I carefully scout the roof tops for the suspect until I was ambushed. The thief struck my arm with an iron pipe thus knocking my gun off from my grip; my gun flew over the railings of the rooftop like a base ball and I had nothing left to arm myself. The thief then crashed the iron pipe into the side of my head forcing me to hit the ground hard; I lost my glasses as a result of my fall. An excruciating headache then followed before a cut on my head poured some blood out; I grabbed onto my wound as I picked myself up only to be struck with a kick from someone behind. As I turned around, I was shocked to see that there were another 3 more ruffians. The thief's accomplices showed up and I was corned getting ready to be ambushed; I then realized that the thief led me into his trap. One of them threw a glass bottle at my head which forced open another cut; they laughed sinisterly at my pain and demise eager to indulge themselves in the sadism they prepared for me. Feeling abused and manipulated, it wasn't long before anger struck me; I then unbuttoned my shirt slowly. Curious and perplexed, the ruffians were wondering what had gotten into me; as I finally unbuttoned my final button of my uniform's shirt, I removed it and tossed it angrily to the ground. Humored by my behavior, the ruffians continued laughing; they withdrew their weapons ranging from switch blades to iron pipes and base ball bats. I then threw my right arm behind my back and reached for my nun chucks which was tucked tightly all the while behind me. Instantly, I started swinging my secret weapon while giving out a war cry similar to Bruce Lee's one; ironically, it didn't intimidate the ruffians but only humored them further. As they charged for me with their weapons, I started swinging my nun chucks violently crashing it into their heads and face. Unleashing everything I had, I hammered them with my nun chucks as hard as I could forcing it to break after several times. Although my nun chucks were no longer available for use, I sprang into my Jeet Kune Do in a Bruce Lee manner and finished the remaining of them. After an intense duel with the ruffians, I finally survived as I crippled every one of them hard to the ground. My partner then joined me at the rooftops with more police officers before we placed those ruffians with cuffs. As I suffered from several cuts, my partner immediately called in the paramedics; I was shortly escorted to the hospital for medical assistance. That was all I could remember in my dreams behind the badge.

It wasn't the only best dream I had so far in my life but also one of the longest one. When I got up from my bed this morning, I was thrown into utmost disappointment as it was just a dream only. However, the dream was so real that I had difficulties differentiating it from what is real; it was just like getting plugged into the Matrix. I was once told by a friend of mine that whatever happens in your dream would unlikely happen in reality; if that's the case, I should be deeply worried as there could be a possibility that I will unlikely achieve my dream job. I pray my friend and I are wrong about this dream theory for if we were right, I shall be damned.