Shoulders

Shoulders

By Heather Ann Martinez

 Voices could be heard crying out from the tallest mountain to the deepest cavern. Doubt spread like a merciless virus no one could control or contain. The Master heard the pleas of each one. The Master cried alongside them. The Master sent them a comforter and yet the Master’s children could find no peace. The children struggled. They feared. The children thought they were abandoned from time to time. They could no longer feel the presence of their Master. They eventually stopped trying and if anyone asked if they had, they would pretend to be like everyone else. They thought the Master did not care for them as promised. The children wanted the Master to do something for them, but they did not know what exactly. The children knew they could not go on only experiencing the agony of defeat. They blamed the Master for not doing enough. They fought against each other hoping the Master would see which one amongst them loved the Master most. Although the Master tried to teach the children that they were all loved and cared for, the Masters words were not received.

It was not always like this. There was a time when the children looked for their Master. They invited their Master for dinner and talked with their Master at the start of daybreak. They shared their jokes, their joys and their struggles with their Master. He knew them and they trusted him for the most part. The children who had children of their own knew how difficult it was to keep their babies safe. As time went by, each generation went further away from the Master’s ways. They wanted their independence and freedom to do whatever they pleased whenever it pleased them. The Master sent messengers the children quickly rejected. When the messengers started talking about rules or how their ancestors once looked up to the Master, they turned away. There was no one left who remembered sitting at the Master’s feet.

For years, the Master looked at the children from a distance. The Master knew they would continue to reject any of the Master’s representatives. The children had become angry and fearful. They did not trust anyone that looked like them or talked like them. The Master thought about this for many days. The Master decided to write a letter to the children. The Master chronicled memories of their ancestors, of telling jokes, and sharing bread and fish by a campfire. The Master expressed how much the children were missed and how much he loved them. They were his pride and joy even if they had forgotten him. The Master knew they were in pain now and wanted them to know they did not have to go through that pain by themselves. He ended the letter by inviting them to a banquet.  All they had to do was accept the invitation. All they had to do was leave the bickering and fear behind. Their warring and boasting were not welcome at this table. This was a banquet of peace and safety.

After the Master wrote this letter, he thought about what or who should deliver it. The Master looked all over his workshop for something or someone that would grab the children’s attention and make certain his invitation was delivered. He heard a moan come from underneath his stool and stood up. When the Master stood and looked down, he laughed. How did you get under there? The Master picked up the small hound puppy in the palm of his hand. The puppy was shaking violently. He couldn’t believe the Master was holding him.

“Where did you come from?” The Master asked.

“I’ve been here a while, Master. What was it you were writing?” The puppy asked.

“I wrote a letter to the children. I wanted them to know how much I miss them and love them. I invited them to come to a banquet. I’ve missed laughing and eating with them. The land used to be full of laughter and dancing. The children used to trust me and look up to me. We used to look forward to seeing one another. We were happy.” The Master continued.

“What happened?” The puppy nestled more firmly into the Master’s palm.

The Master told the puppy that the children turned away from the Master, that they chose a path of fear and anger. The Master said that many of them hung on to hurt and offense as if they were badges of honor. Many of them could not leave the past alone. The forsook the Master and opted to find their own way in the world even though their way was more difficult. The Master promised the first children he would be there for every generation after. The Master remained faithful to that promise even though the children rejected his messengers and comforter.

“How are you going to deliver the letter Master? I’m sure the children will want to come to the banquet.” The puppy sat up attentively.

“I was looking for a way to do just that when I saw you. Do you want to deliver my letter, little one?”

“Yes, and I would be happy to.” The puppy barked and jumped.

“I wish it were a simple task. There will be a lot of things that will distract you from delivering my message. You will have to stay on the course I lay before you. You will be tempted. The children can spend days, months and years finding things that entertain them. They lose track of time. I want you to know that you are not carrying this burden on your shoulders alone. I will there whenever you need me to be.” The Master said.

The Master rolled the letter and placed it in a capsule bound to a collar around the puppy’s neck.  The puppy complained that the capsule itched as it periodically scratched against his fur.

“Have you a name?” The Master asked pretending that he did not already know it.

“Shoulders, my name is Shoulders.” The puppy barked with excitement.

The Master set Shoulders on the path to the city where the children lived. The Master reminded Shoulders that it was a far distance and he would have to stay on the path to reach everyone who needed to receive the invitation. The Master told him he would have to go through the forest, across the bridge and over a mountain range to reach those he loved most. The Master also reminded Shoulders he did not have to carry this burden by himself. He could cry out for help and the Master would come at his beckoning.

So Shoulders set out for the city. He did not realize how far the city was from the Master’s dwelling. He did not know there were children that lived in the forest and along the mountains. As Shoulders entered the damp dark forest, he was greeted by deer and several pairs of human eyes. They did not know what to make of him.

“Who are you?” One of them asked.

“What are you doing here?” Another one asked.

The puppy began barking but no one understood him. Instead, they became frightened. They ran away deeper into the forest. Shoulders tried to chase after them but the weight of the capsule exhausted him. When Shoulders realized he was no where near the path he was set on, he began trying to turn back. Then, he saw a neon lit sign: 24-hour drive thru.

Even though he could not read the words of the sign, he followed the arrow in the direction it was pointing to. He thought it must mean something important since it was in the forest. As Shoulders got a little closer, he realized the forest was no longer full of trees, ponds and grassy nooks. There were houses, stores, restaurants and lots of the Master’s children. Instead of barking, Shoulders decided to rub against someone’s leg. He faked a paw injury and began moaning.

The child, a woman, picked Shoulders up and began petting him. She opened the capsule and read the letter. She thought it was a joke. She put Shoulders on the ground and pushed him away. She didn’t want anyone to think she had fallen for the prank. Shoulders moved on from her and eventually from the forest. He was tired and hungry. Eventually, he laid down. He tried removing his collar and the capsule. He didn’t want to do this anymore. He thought delivering the message would be easy and now realized that this was going to be harder than he could have imagined.

Shoulders began rolling as he struggled to loosen his collar. He landed in the mud at the edge of the river. He began crossing the bridge. Some children walked passed him and did not notice him. Shoulders stood in the middle of the bridge. He looked at the moon and hoped the Master would hear him say he needed help.

The Master heard Shoulders and sent three messengers to meet him on the bridge. The messengers were tall heavenly creatures that looked like the Master’s children but they were peaceful and dressed in long while robes. The reminded Shoulders this burden was not his alone to carry and one of them picked Shoulders up in the palm of his hand. As they walked, another messenger had food for Shoulders and the third had water. The four of them made their way through the mountains and finally to the city where most of the Master’s children resided. The messengers left Shoulders there.

Unlike the children in the forest, the children in the city did not run away from Shoulders. In fact, they suspected that the Master would be sending someone or something their way. They had been crying out for mercy. One of the men of the city opened the capsule from Shoulder’s collar. A crowd of people had begun forming around him and the small puppy. The man read the Master’s letter out loud. After the man read the invitation, one said:

“Well, if Ranger is going to be at the banquet, I’m definitely not going.”

Another said:

“I will only go if I sit at the head of the table.”

Another said:

“I’ll only go if I can post photos of me talking with the Master on social media.”

Five others said they would go to the banquet after their gaming tournament. Ten others asked if the banquet food could be delivered. They said they didn’t have time to spend with the Master.

One young boy announced that he would go to the Master’s banquet and he would bring his sister with him. Shoulders guided them back to the Master’s dwelling. They took their places at the banquet. The food and the companionship of the Master was more than they could have hoped it would be. They remained with the Master and others followed after them. The Master kept his promise. He never left them or forsook them. Shoulders stayed with them ushering each generation to the banquet. Shoulders reminded everyone that even though the journey is long the love at the end of it makes the journey worth it.