KEYWORDS: table, oil, maria, conference, first

Belly Dancer Dream

David Berg

DFO 1687London, 1/2/74

1. (MARIA: I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU SAID WHILE WE WERE LISTENING TO THE NEWS LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE OIL CONFERENCE. … You said, "We've got to get [there] before the 14th!" I guess so we could help them or something. I said, "We do?" And you said, "Yes, of course!" I said‚ "Just us two, you & me?" And you said, "Yes!" So I just wanted to tell you that.) Well, I want to tell you something! I didn't want to wake you up after I had the dream, but I got a real bad stomachache & I had to sit up & lie down & sit up & I guess the Lord wanted me to wake you up.

2. I WAS ALL DRESSED LIKE AN ARAB & I was sitting at this table in the Arab cafe, & you were dressed like a belly dancer sitting beside me! I was shaking my finger at you & talking to you & trying to teach you & tell you what I wanted you to do. It was like I was coaching you, see?

3. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS SITTING UNDER THE TABLE & you were sitting where I'd been sitting on the bench. And then there was this handsome American–looking man sitting beside you who was trying to play up to you, & I was sitting under the table shaking my finger at you & telling you what to say & coaching you how to do it, just like I was using you to do something with him, like FFing.

4. IT'S A FUNNY THING, YOU WERE SORT OF DARK & OILY! It was just like you were the oil! You were the oil & he was the customer. He was the "john." You know what I mean by "john"?—Sucker! You were the girl, the bait, the oil, & I was telling you how to manoeuvre him, using you to catch him! I was sitting cross-legged under the table like an Arab, shaking my finger at you & telling you what to do! It was as plain as day! And as I was thinking about whether to wake you up or not‚ boom, you woke up!

5. YOU WERE LIKE A PRETTY BELLY DANCER, SO PRETTY! You really were!—Like Scheherazade. But you're lots cuter & smaller! It was just like we were going to catch him! Tomorrow I'll tell you more. (Maria: Please tell me the rest!) That's all! (Maria: What's more?)

6. YOU WERE HAVING A CONFERENCE ABOUT YOUR OIL & I was telling you what to say to catch him! I was using you to catch him. I was sitting cross-legged under the table shaking my finger at you & whispering to you & telling you what to say & what to do, just like I was coaching you! It was the cutest thing!

7. TABLES, YOU KNOW, SYMBOLISE CONFERENCES. At first I was sitting at the table with you telling you what we were going to do, then I was sitting under the table telling you what to do. (Maria: Why were you under the table?) It was like I was hidden, in a way, out of sight! It seemed like he didn't know I was there. He didn't know he was being caught.

8. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, HONEY! I don't want to think about it tonight. I'll think about it tomorrow, okay? (Maria: Yes, but you said we need to get there before the 14th!) Well, it's up to Jesus, Honey. I'm not going to force my way or kick the door in. If I don't get there, it's their loss. Maybe I'll have to write him a letter. xxxxx! Okay? Go to sleep, Sweet Baby, please.

9. THAT WAS SO FUNNY! First I was sitting beside you at the table before he came, telling you what to say, like this preliminary conference they're going to have with the Arabs. Then they're going to have a conference with the United States & all the oil customers. First they're going to decide what to say, & then they're going to have a conference with the oil customers. I was sitting under the table & telling the oil what to say. (Maria: Oh, like maybe you're supposed to be there to coach the Arabs at their conference from behind the scenes to help them.) Uh-huh.

10. YOU'RE MY LITTLE OIL, MY LITTLE "OLIVE OIL"! I use you to catch big fat customers! XXX! First I'm at the table, then I'm under the table. First I can be seen, then I can't be seen. First I'm inside, then outside.

11. THESE THREE ARABS CAME & SAT DOWN, I smiled at them, they smiled back‚ & then I remembered I made an appointment to have my hair cut so I got up & walked out & I went into the barber shop to get my hair cut. Then pretty soon one came in & wanted his hair cut too. (Maria: Did you talk to him?) No‚ I was busy. I had to go back to the coffee shop to meet you, & the barber was busy cutting his hair.

12. (1983: THIS WAS ABOUT THE TIME OF THE FORMATION OF OPEC …‚ & we did go to [an Arab country] shortly after that & counselled [the leader] about the oil as a weapon against the West!—How about that! PTL! The Lord works in a mysterious way His wonders to perform! TYJ! God showed me, I told [this person] & they all followed us to the barbershop where the West served us & made us look better! Hallelujah! TYJ! God can do anything! TYL!—And don't underestimate the power of a woman! Amen?)