Solutions: A Dog's Dilemma by James Gerard (book suggestions .TXT) 📕

“Okay, everyone,” Jack yelled, “we’re leaving.”

Rick, though awake, still felt the effects of the deep slumber.  A deeper explanation for the command was needed.  “What was that?”

“We are leaving.”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain later.  Look, we’ll be leaving in about an hour, make sure you are here.”

Rick could not understand the call for a quick exit.  It appeared to him that the armed force sent out to hunt the men down could provide safety amidst the danger, but apparently not enough.  He walked past the one remaining trailer still filled with food and wandered out to the outcrop in the field.

He stared at the dark façade of the mountains.  They stared back.  Ever so slowly the darkness, as if painted by gentle strokes of a brush, by the creeping glow of rays of light, transformed the dark face into hues of red.

Too many things were happening too fast.  The thoughts of the adventure had just started to sink in regardless of the situation.  He realized he had actually travelled to another country and had a chance to take in the experiences of the customs and ways of life of the locals, but now that opportunity, as quickly as it started, was taken away.

“Why did you come Rick?” a voice asked from behind.

Rick stayed silent for a moment then turned around.  “Apparently now not to do whatever it was I had to do.”  He sighed, buried his head into his hands.  “I thought maybe Jack had something special in plan for me after we finished all the trucks, but now I’ll never know.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“Have no choice.  I ain’t no leader Sebastian.  I have to do what Jack says.”

“I see.”  Sebastian smiled.  “I will certainly miss you.  I was hoping for more time to get to know you, but I suppose that will have to wait for another day.”

Rick laughed.  “You have yet to see the best part of me.  Trust me.  I would have turned this all into one big mess before long.  So you see it’s a good thing I’m leaving now.”

“Once again, my friend, you underestimate your strength.”

“That’s the second time you’ve told me that.  What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I am sure you will find out someday.”

Before Rick could say another word Sebastian walked back to the hectic activity that now rang out in the village.  He turned his attention back to the mountains.   In an instance, despite the chaos all about, their natural state stared back at him.  His eyes were transfixed by the erosion, the deep wounds from running water.   The sun revealed itself slowly, alit the sides of the mountains.   As the minutes passed the wholeness of their façade, stretching from one end of the horizon to another, were illuminated in rays of light. Mighty beams of light brought into view foothills that had been swallowed up by the bases of the tall mountains.  The foothills stood before him and the peaks.  A steady wind, rustling and whistling through all the dry brush and stalks passed on by.   But the mountains seemed unmoved by the morning light.  They stood there as if they were angry, too stubborn to get out of the way of any who only looked to pass by safely.  They were tall and strong, unbreakable, unmovable, seemingly unimpressed by those living on and about them.  But he sensed they were watching, waiting, and inviting anyone looking for sustenance to rely on their strength.

“Rick,” a voice shouted, “we have to go now, right now.”

Rick sprinted to the jeep with the uniformed man.  “Can you give me a moment?  Just one moment?  I have to….” 

“We’ve got to go now.”

“But….”

“Now!”

Jack and Amanda hopped into the back seats of the jeep.  Without another seat to secure himself in he found he had no choice but to hop onto the edge and hold on for dear life.  The jeep peeled forward.  Dirt splattered his legs, kicking up a huge cloud of dust for the medical team’s trucks following to maneuver around.  Rick turned back but could not see a thing.  He desperately looked for his little friend, but if she were there he figured she was lost within the towering bodies.  His heart pounded.  He wanted so desperately to wave goodbye to her, to see her smile one last time, but the cloud of dust that trailed the jeep, all the other vehicles, was too thick for any eyes to penetrate.  The thick cloud of dust hid everyone from his view. 

The road bumped and tossed him all about.  Hands clenched as tight as they could, managed to prevent the jeep from throwing him off like so much excess baggage.  The whole way back to the airport his thoughts were primarily occupied with not becoming an accident statistic, yet intense emotions and images made their way into his mind.

As they approached the airport, Rick scanned the tarmac, spotted the same old piece of junk that safely brought them to the destination.  He unclenched the grip from the sides of the jeep and hopped off.  Amanda and Jack jumped out, waved towards the trucks with the medical team as they ran up to the door and boarded the plane.  Rick darted towards the stairs, barely avoided a collision with a small cart loaded with boxes heading for the cargo hold.

Once aboard he could see Jack and Amanda sitting at the back.  He glared at them momentarily and plopped himself down into the first seat he came to.   The rickety serving tray attached to the back of the seat ahead slammed down.  He removed the wad of cash from his pockets and threw it down onto the tray and just stared at it.   He knew if someone had given that much money to him back home amidst the blight he flourished in, he would be as joyous as could be.  Under the circumstances, however, any joy that might have arisen out of the money turned to contempt.

I was nothing more than a working hand to them, he thought.  Just a nobody to do the hard work while they basked in the glory of their good deed.  His heart beat fast, pumping blood to popped out veins.  Do this boy.  Do that boy.  Earn your five dollars boy.  The food tray snapped with a striking fist.  He jumped up and marched over to Jack.

“Why are we leaving?”

“Because….”

“Why are we leaving?”

“Are lives were in danger.  We had no choice.”

“You’re nothing but a coward.  A stinkin’ lousy no good coward.”

Amanda jumped to her feet.  “How dare you talk to my husband that way!”

Jack grabbed her arm and guided her back down into the seat.  “I should have known better,” he scoffed.  “This affiliation ends here.  When we get home we depart ways.”

Rick saw the anger in Jack’s eyes.  He heard it in the tone of his voice.  It did not matter.  But as much as he wanted to just lay into Jack with piercing words, he did not have time.   The flight attendant was closing the door.  Rick bolted towards the exit as he screamed for her to stop.

“And where do you think you are going,” she said with a smile.

“I’m getting off this damn plane right now.”

“Stop that right now,” she said as Rick shoved the door.

“I’m getting off now.  Call them back.”

“I don’t think so,” the flight attendant said with a smile.  “You see, this was an unscheduled flight.  We were not supposed to be here today.  That meant they had to work overtime rolling up the stairs and rolling the stairs back.  They are simply exhausted.”

She started to close the door again but Rick’s foot impeded the path.  “Get them back now.”

“Okay, okay.  You want them back?”

“Yes!”

“Then just stand right here in the opening and I will call them back.  Now, don’t move or else they won’t see you.”

Rick stood on the edge waving his arms and shouting.

“What the….”   He slammed onto the tarmac.  He looked up to see the smiling face and waved a fist in the air at her.  “You no good….”

“Yes.  Thank you for flying Air Republic.  I hope you had a pleasant landing.”  She blew Rick a kiss and started to close the door.

“Oh yeah,” Rick looked up in pain, “what about my peanuts?  I got no peanuts.”

The door opened.  A shower of bags rained down.

Rick raised his fist and shouted, “Oh yeah.  What about my little can of soda?  Ooh, cashews.”

A can hit the tarmac, spewed out soda and sprayed the sticky substance all over the place.

“Why you!”

Pain throbbed in an ankle.  Stickiness covered his face and arms and hands and clothes.  In all the madness he just laughed.  He just laughed.

The propellers came to life.  Dust swirled all about and pelted him in the face.  He sprang up and hobbled his way to safety.  Now, he wondered, how to get back.

A couple of men were standing around a jeep.

“Excuse me.  Either one of you speak English?”

“Of course my friend.  How may I help you?”

“I need to get to Santa Rosa.  I have money.”

“Santa Rosa.  Of course my friend.”  The man looked up and down at Rick.  “For you, one hundred dollars.”

Rick smiled.  He reached into his pocket.  “Oh no I didn’t,” he mumbled.

“Is there a problem my friend?”

“Umm, it seems I left my money on the plane.”

“That is okay sir.  I can wait while you go back and get it.”

He threw up his arms, pointed towards the plane soaring above the runway.  “Well, there it goes.”  He looked to the man, “Do you think out of the kindness of your heart you could give me a ride anyway?”

“I am so sorry my friend,” the man said as he turned away.

“Oh, come on.  Please help me.”

The man remained unmoved and continued to talk to the other man.

“Could you at least tell me which road to take then?”

The man did not respond.

“Just great,” whispered Rick.

He scanned the area and noticed a bus sitting off the road.  A few people were boarding.  He ran over hoping it would be his solution, but just as he neared the bus it drove away.  All around him carts and workers and trucks buzzed about busy with receiving and shipping the various goods and services, yet he felt so alone, helpless.

He looked at the road ahead and saw the paths that split off to the left and to the right.  His mind went through the steps when he had arrived.  He could remember the water truck parked just off the road to the right of him.  Let’s see, he thought, we went straight but did we continue straight or veer off?  He kept playing the scene over and over again but could not remember.  He walked up the road thinking it might jog the memory of the way to Santa Rosa, but the more he walked the more confusion reigned.

“Okay God,” he shouted at the bright blue sky, “come on now.  Please show me.”

No answer came to mind, no sign mysteriously appeared.  He stared ahead to the road that continued straight but also broke off to the left and to the right.

Startled by a honking horn, legs sent him hurdling face down into the dirt off the side of the road.  “Can you at least tell me how to get to Santa Rosa?” he screamed at the passing bus.  He stared at the end of the bus, a list of destinations through the light cloud of dust drifting about came into view.  Eyes popped open, jaw dropped in a stunning show of disbelief.   The bus went straight and suddenly turned its way on the road to Santa Rosa.

“Thank you God!” he shouted as he flailed around, hopped and danced and jumped about.