Appointment in Samarra

Somerset Maugham wrote about a fable entitiled Appointment in Samarra, in which an Arab servant, in a market in Baghdad, encounters the shrouded figure of Death. Death beckons to the servant, and he, terror-stricken, begs his master to lend him a fast horse so that he can ride to Samarra in order to escape his fate (death). The master agrees, the servant flees, and the master then goes down to the market himself. Encountering Death there, he asks, "My servant is young and healthy - why did you beckon him?" Death replies: "I did not beckon. Mine was a gesture of surprise. I did not expect to see him this afternoon in Baghdad, because he and I have an appointment tonight in Samarra."

*

Perhaps our days are measured; perhaps not. I have had a number of occasions in which I have dreamed of events that were to happen - usually this occurs when the event is traumatic. Shortly before my mother died I dreamed that a doctor put a stethoscope to (perhaps) my chest and said, "Oh my god, listen to this," as the heart beat erratically and was in danger of failing. My sister at the same time dreamed that a voice said to her, "Time is of the essence, cometh now." My nephew dreamed that he was standing at the graveside that he ended up standing at a week later.

*

I dreamed once that a terrible illness was to befall someone in my family and shortly thereafter it happened just as I dreamed. I also dreamed that two blonde headed boys dressed in long white sweaters came and took a man I knew by the hand to lead him somewhere. Shortly thereafter, the man died.

*

As Shakespeare reminded us, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."