I never understood why my mum had a fireplace set, when we never had a fireplace.  This set came complete with brush, scoop, tongs, and a poker.  Only there were no ashes to brush, neither were there logs to lift, move or poke.  Year after year, the fireplace set was displayed in a strategic spot in the various houses we called home.  My mum would place it somewhere noticeable, so guests would ask why she had a fireplace set when there was no fireplace in the house.  She would answer, “Not yet, anyways.” 

Once I gave in to curiousity (I was a very stubborn child) and asked where my mum had acquired this piece.  She told me she’d brought it back from  my grandparent’s farm in England.  The set was extremely old and made of brass.  This meant that once a month I had to polish it to a shine, with all the rest of the brass in the house, so I could earn my allowance and buy candy at the corner store.

I didn’t think much of the fireplace set, it was always just hanging around, waiting for a dream to come true.  Then one day, many years later, as I sat beside the glow of a fireplace in my parent’s newly acquired home, the fire sparked a forgotten chidhood memory, and I realized dreams can come true, if only we believe.

– Written in 1999