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

 Rick slept soundly in the serenity of the enclosed fortress.  As he figured, all through the night he was unaware of whining and roaring cars speeding along the streets, the rage in voices shouting out for a lack of this or that, and the indistinguishable sounds of short siren bursts screaming at the campers cluttered along the sidewalks and parking lots and doorways.  It had been a long while since he enjoyed such solitude, but as with all things he knew an end to it was just over the horizon.

A soft light intruded onto the solitude.  The sound of footsteps aroused the gentle slumber and peace.  The warehouse came alive with lights from above.  He looked up to see Jack and two other individuals walking through the warehouse door.  They paused for a moment and the two men scampered over to the cargo bay doors while Jack went for the stack of papers that Rick left in place on one of the tables.  Jack fanned through the pages.  He looked to the pallets and with a finger in the air, jabbing at them at a distance, appeared to do a quick count of the total.  After jotting something down, he immediately came to Rick.

“Good morning,” Jack offered, “Time to rise and shine.”

“Good morning.  It’s that time already?”

All of a sudden a burst of thunder filled the warehouse.  The warehouse burst with beams of natural light as the sun stormed in and overtook the darkness in secluded corners.  Not having seen sunlight for the past four days, his eyes felt the sting of the penetrating beams.  Thoughts demanded coffee, a cigarette, but the tragic memory of the last cup consumed came to mind.  He thought about lighting up but figured it could wait till later.   Rick noticed, however, how good he still felt.  His body was abuzz with energy.  His mind was ready to take on whatever laborious task Jack might ask him to do.

“I want to talk with you about something you may be interested in.  Come with me.”

Rick wanted to point out how the floor sparkled, but Jack did not seem to notice, let alone hint at any interest of the glistening surface.  He led Rick to the office.  Quickly thoughts about the end of his stay entered the mind and that he would be asked to leave the safe confines of the makeshift shelter and ordered back to the street.   However, Rick quickly gathered his wayward thoughts and came back to reality.  It did not matter.  He had been through this time and time again in the past, and whether he was in or out, in a shelter or on the street, in an apartment or house, in a hotel or motel or on the street, the transition became easier and easier.  But this time, sadly he thought, it would’ve been so nice to stay awhile.

“From the card,” Jack said, “you know the name of this place, ‘World Care Solutions.’  Do you have any idea what we do here?”

“Send out emergency food somewhere?”

“Yes,” acknowledged Jack, “Do you have any idea where and why?”

Rick thought about it.  He had only seen instructions describing the individual items to be included in the boxed contents; he had not seen anything concerning the destination.  However, Rick had noticed the stack of papers on a table but figured he had better not mess about with them.  He shook his head no.

“What you see here is just one of our regional distribution centers.  We have many across the country and in select locations around the world.  In times of emergency we get requests and go from there.”

Rick nodded.

“We’re a Christian based organization that is funded by a group of philanthropists.  Other than that we receive no other financial assistance or donations from any individual or from any government institution.  It’s all done privately and discretely.”

To Rick it all sounded like an advertisement, fundraising pitch, and wondered why Jack was feeding him the information?

“What do you know about God?” asked Jack.

Instantly Rick adjusted his posture in the chair and began to fidget a little.  “What was that again?”

“I asked you what you know about God?”

“Well,” Rick mumbled, “I…I was raised Catholic, went to church and stuff.”

“I didn’t ask you about church Rick.  I’m asking you what do you know about God?”

Rick’s head lowered.  The thoughts in his mind searched for an appropriate response, but he could not find one.  He thought about lying to Jack, come out like a preacher during a lively Sunday sermon, throwing out praise to the great God, but he could not.  Honesty flooded the thoughts.  He was ashamed to say the truth, but he had to say it.  Rick raised his head and stared straight into Jack’s eyes, “God is a word; Jesus is a man hanging on a cross.”

Jack smiled.  “I want to offer you something, something that just may lead you to a deeper understanding of that man hanging on a cross.  Tomorrow my wife and I will be flying down to South America.”  He paused, looked Rick straight in the eyes, “Do you remember when I asked you about that letter that I found?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, it turns out it was a request for aid.  We’re going there to help distribute food, medical care, and the Word.  Do you want to come along?”

Rick again lowered his head and thought about the offer.  He didn’t know what to say.  He knew he was no man of God, but at the same time felt he was no son of Satan either.  He considered his past and how everything that he had ever tried, no matter how enthusiastic he had been, ended in utter failure.  He didn’t trust himself or his ability to handle his emotions in a way that was acceptable to society.  He just kept on picturing the inevitable end of self-destruction and misery.  It is not that he longed for his road to nowhere, for he had made attempts in the past to reach out for help from a higher power.  But for the most part, the opportunity for a new beginning came out of logic, a sense of duty, something he should do and not because it was felt.  And like everything else in life, he knew such thinking always failed in the attempt to become spiritual.

“Well?”  Jack asked.

“I don’t know.  I mean I know nothing.  Nothing at all.”

“It’s okay Rick.  The Lord knows you.”  Jack reached out and handed him a book, “Here you go.  Get to know him.”

Rick looked at the book and was at least familiar with what it represented, but he felt it would do no good.  The same old feeling of just do this and this will happen came creeping in his thoughts.  That same old familiar voice of reason urging him to forget about it was clearly heard.   The thoughts of why even bother sounded an alarm in his mind, prompting him to abandon the effort before it had a chance to come to fruition.

“Rick,” whispered Jack, “it’s okay.  You come with us and you will see for yourself his Glory.  This is just a beginning for you.  The Truth for you starts with a step.  Take that step.”

“Alright,” he whispered.  His eyes came into view, “I’ll go along.”

“Good.”  Jack reached into a drawer and pulled out a piece of paper.  “Here,” he said handing it over to Rick, “fill this out.  We’ll expedite a passport for you.  Take your time.  I’ll come back in an hour or two.”

Rick could not believe what was happening.  He thought about how just wanting to offer a simple thank you suddenly and unexpectedly turned into an opportunity for an adventure he truly felt he was unprepared for.  But he figured what else was there to do.  I may as well take advantage of the opportunity.

Jack left him in the office alone.  Rick quickly filled out the passport application with somewhat accurate information.  He wrote as an address of one of the shelters where he only received mail.  He wrote down the phone number of another shelter though he only received phone messages there.  Remembering his birth date and Social Security number was no problem since he had to cite it many times to the police running a background check or to a social agency offering services.  The rest of the information was filled in by writing down anything but the truth.  He put the application down on Jack’s desk and turned his attention to the book that sat in his lap.

What am I supposed to do, he thought.  What am I supposed to get out of it?  He just stared at the book as it lay in his hands.  Thoughts came in and out of his mind over what to do, but he had no idea.

As in the past he skimmed through the pages to see just a bunch of miracles performed by Jesus.   Over and over again that is all he saw.  Never much of a reader, Rick found it rather boring.  Other parts he found to be more dramatic, worthy of a great and epic Hollywood production.  Nonetheless, thoughts of an old adage resonated in the mind: ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ And tagging along with Jack, he figured, meant at least making an effort to be something more than what he truly was or felt he could ever be.

 Rick paced back and forth, lit up the remaining cigarette, and waited for the arrival of Jack in the cool of the morning.  In a way he looked forward to the trip, but in his mind he was trying to figure out how he was going to mess it up. 

With the exception of visits to towns south of the border and the vacation to Europe some time ago, it would be the first excursion outside of the states in quite awhile.  It had been so long since he had flown in an airplane anywhere, let alone drive a car.  He flicked the cigarette butt to the gutter and scanned the curb for snipes and a half cup of cold coffee abandoned on the curbside, but none could be found.

 The sun was just clearing the horizon.  He was not sure about the time of his arrival since Jack just vaguely mentioned ‘at some time’ in the morning.  Yet he knew it had to be about time for Jack to show up.  “But where is he,” he grumbled.

In the distance a car heading down the road in his direction came into view.  Come on, he thought, let it be you.  The car drew closer but whizzed on by.  “Come on already,” he whispered.  Another car appeared in the distance but it too hurried by.  Car after car came into view but did not stop.  The sun was well clear of the horizon.  The warm rays lessened the sting