The Greatest Challenge Part 1

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He walked miles. Sometimes he took a right. Sometimes a left. He even tried going straight but you can't do that when there is a fork in the road. Throughout his journey, he dug ditches and climbed out of them. He also swung from the tip of the moon and crawled at the bottom of the sea where it was too deep for light to penetrate.

He held his breath when he ran through the poisonous haze that made seeing ahead a blur and tip-toed gingerly among the buttercups so as not to crush them beneath his feet. And he walked.

He came to rely on the Bluebird that either perched on his shoulder or accompanied him in the air, the strong and sturdy walking stick that he always kept at his side, and the leather pouch that hung from his neck. Even when he was tired from walking, he was always aided and never alone.

One day he met his greatest challenge. Ahead of him was the biggest chasm he had ever seen. He wanted to turn around and go back, but when he looked for the road behind him, it was just overgrown vegetation.  His only option was to walk forward. He bristled and screamed and raised his fists in the air, one hand still holding the walking stick. "Why?!" Sweat burst from his pores making the leather pouch chafe against his chest and the bluebird took to the air. "I don't want to do this. I don't want to do THIS!"

He hung his head and just stood there. Looking up, he whispered to the bluebird, "I don't want to do this."  She cocked her head and answered him. He looked at her. She puffed up her feathers and sung her answer again. Sighing, he stepped forward and immediately lost his footing on the loose dirt and rocks. He rolled down the side of the chasm, his back hitting a large rock, his legs trying to make gravity stop its pull, and his hands looking for anything he could grab onto.

With a thump, he landed on his butt. He tried to catch his breath but he had had the air knocked out of him so he panicked. He pounded the earth with his fists, his eyes wide with fear. It got quiet and he passed out.

He jolted awake when his walking stick slammed into his ribs, having made the downhill journey at a much slower pace than he. Damaged but alive, he sat up. Bluebird had been waiting for him to open his eyes and when he did she sang her greeting. He waved at her and then felt for the pouch, making sure it had survived the fall, which it had.

He took stock of himself and his surroundings. The sky looked much further away and this was the deepest in the ground he had ever been. It was a scary place. Too dark. Too damp. And too many spiders! He hated spiders. Creepy. "What the hell am I supposed to do now," he asked himself. His back hurt from hitting the rock and the palms of his hands were scraped up.

Bluebird didn't answer his question. Instead, she perched on his shoulder. Movement ahead caught his eye and he squinted, trying to make the form come into focus. It moved slowly, each step a process. Finally, he realized it was a very large turtle. It craned its neck and regarded him. "You are here."

The man hesitated in answering. "Should I know you?" He studied the turtles eyes and beak. Its carapace was a work of art.

"No. It is a form of welcome."

The man nodded. Curious, he asked, "Do you get many visitors?"

"Enough. But they are unimportant. You are here."

Looking around he replied, "I sure am." The turtle was quiet and an uncomfortable silence blanketed the place. "So...why am I here?"

"It's your path."

"My path, huh? I didn't want to come here. I had no choice. I was forced into coming here. I am hurt, damaged, and angry about being here. This was not my choice. There was no other direction available to me." He stood up, his staff in his right hand. Bluebird flew from his shoulder to a leafless tree branch to watch from a safe distance.

"But it was your choice. No one makes your path but you."

A spark of anger flashed inside the man at the turtle's logic. "Being here...Was. Not. My. Choice. Why would I want this experience? It's dark, gloomy, far from the sky. There are creepy crawly things skittering about. I'm hurt." He put one hand on his back and massaged it. "I can't imagine learning anything good from this place."

The turtle slowly and steadily stepped closer to the man. He could now see the details of the turtle's neck skin and nostrils. The shell was even more amazing. The design so intricate.

Looking the man square in the eyes, the turtle said, "You will find your way out of here only when you have learned your truths. It is up to you. It is all up to you. This was your choice."

With that, the turtle made his slow march back into the shadows. The man watched in silence until he no longer could see it. Defeated and not knowing what else to do, he presented his pointer finger to Bluebird. She flew over and perched on it and let the man absentmindedly pet her beautiful blue feathers.

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It Was Worth the Effort

Pain filled the rooms of my mind

Like a tidal wave of sin.

I couldn't make it stop.

The water crushed my soul

With a thousand pounds of pressure.

But I couldn't make it stop.

I crashed from the forces

Of evil as they marched in.

Please, I can't make it stop.

My lungs burned from the pain

My heart beat out of rhythm.

Will this ever stop?

As I lie on the floor, unable to move

From the pressure of the blows

I was.

Quiet waited with me

and after the storm had passed

I was still.

The wreckage surrounded me

And all was in pieces but

I was still me.

On my hands and knees

Soaked to the bone but alive

I was still me but

Forcing myself to rise

I let the new sun dry my clothes

I was still me but now

The strong warm breezes

cleared the water from my soul

I was still me but now wiser.

I picked up the pieces, determined to reassemble them only to find, in the end, a more beautiful picture than what was before. It was not easy looking at each piece and deciding where it should go. It was hard, in fact. But the picture, the new beautiful picture, was worth the effort.

Hard Stick Candy

The moon, perched in the sky on a cloud said, "I will protect you. My brightness makes the night like day." The stars, twinkling in the dark blanket of night said, "We will guide you just like we have guided the sailors and all of the others that use us to find their way."

She kicked at a stone with her sneaker and looked down the dirt road. Her black hair, plastered to her forehead and clinging to the back of her neck, was sticky with sweat. She was getting mad at how uncomfortable she was. "Damned heat," she mumbled to herself. Her mamma had sent her out for a pack of cigarettes. Being 13 and the oldest of 5, she got stuck doing this kind of crap. It was the middle of summer and there was no escaping the sun's torture.

As she neared the general store, she felt self conscious because she knew her shirt was wet in places she didn't want it to be. It's not like anyone would tease her but Buddy, an older classmate, worked there during the breaks from school and she didn't want him to see her like this.

The moon and stars, unseen during the day, watched the girl. They always did.

She pulled open the front door and walked in. The air conditioning felt wonderful, even with all of the goosebumps it produced. She pulled her shirt away from her skin. The feeling was gross and only produced more goosebumps in places she didn't want.

"Good afternoon, Susie. Now why did your mamma send you here on an errand when it's so darned hot?"

Frank owned the store. If you needed something in the middle of the night like medicine to take down a fever, all you had to do was knock on his door and he would greet you with you a smile and concern.

"She needs cigarettes," Susie replied as she looked around the store trying to scope out Buddy's location.

Frank reached over and grabbed a pack of Chesterfields. "He's in the back."

In horror, Susie looked wide-eyed at Frank. "What?"

"Buddy's in the back. Did you need him for something?"

Now Susie couldn't look Frank in the eye so she stared at the wooden floor. In response to his question all she could manage was a bunch of incoherent mumbling.

Frank, not born yesterday and certainly not a mean man, opened the glass lid to the jar that held a drool inducing variety of hard candy sticks. "I think you deserve a treat for running an errand in this heat. Pick one. No charge."

Susie's mouth watered with anticipation. How would she decide the best flavor when they were all so delicious? She concentrated so hard on picking the right one that she smelled him before she realized he was standing next to her, smiling. Susie could never figure out why he smelled so good all of the time. It sure wasn't cologne.

"Well, Miss Susie. Tough decision?"

Straightening her back to make herself taller, she replied gruffly, "None of your business, Buddy." Unable to think or see clearly, she grabbed whatever stick was closest to her fingers, thanked Frank, and walked quickly to the door. Holding up the pack of Chesterfields, Frank said, "Don't forget your mamma's cigarettes."

Susie turned around and both men were smiling. Running back, she grabbed the pack, thanked Frank again, and made it out the door.

The stars twinkled brightly and the moon smiled.

Susie felt pain in her chest as she tried to find her legs. She held the now sweat covered pack of cigarettes in one hand and the stick of candy in the other. Even with both hands full, she covered her eyes. Buddy was 3 years older and he spoke to her. Gaining back her composure, she felt excited as she looked up at the sky and smiled so big!