Chapter 5

During the morning ritual of telling dreams, Lily talks about a scary dream she had in which she had been caught riding Mother's bicycle. Mother then talks about a dream in which she had been scolded for something she could not understand. After each dream telling, the family thanks the person for sharing and discusses the importance of the dream. Jonas usually does not dream often, so he does not have much to tell, but this morning is different. After Father says that he has not had any dreams, it is Jonas's turn. Jonas slowly begins to share the strange dream he has had. In the dream, he is naked in the bathing room at the House of the Old with Fiona. He wants to take off Fiona's clothes so he can bathe her in the tub, but she laughingly refuses. He says that the strongest feeling in his dream had been "the wanting." Jonas is strangely embarrassed as he shares his dream with his family, but must abide by the rule of telling all of a dream. After he finishes, Father deliberately leaves with Lily, and Mother is left alone to talk to him. Mother tells Jonas that the wanting he felt in the dream was his first Stirring. As something that happens to everyone, it begins with a dream, and Mother and Father had been expecting it to happen to Jonas. Handing Jonas a small pill, Mother tells him that Stirrings are treated by taking the pill every morning. Both his parents take it, and Jonas knows that some of his friends including Asher have already started. He never mentions it to Asher because it is impolite to bring attention to what is different about someone. Mother tells him that he must take the pill every morning because the Stirrings can return if he forgets. He is to take them everyday of his adulthood.