Solutions: The Dilemma for Men - James Gerard (read out loud books .txt) 📗

distance.  At the onset he could barely contain the excitement of such a sight, but now the journey was made somber by the preceding events.

 

The driver pointed to a building ahead and indicated that was his destination.  The truck, however, continued on to the next street and made a series of right turns that led them to the building.  Louis thought that odd, but figured it was the way of the city.

 

The driver maneuvered around the building and backed into the loading dock.  Before exiting the cab of the truck, the driver asked Louis if he wanted to hang around awhile and help with the unloading of the cargo, but Louis declined.  His thoughts were directed at the activity amongst the streets that were in near proximity to the building.

 

He thanked the driver and walked onto a tree lined path.  The driver shouted some advice that rang of Hector’s warning, but Louis chose to ignore the advice he was trying to give.  However, just to be cautious, he walked with trepidation.  He remained somewhat skeptical about what and who would be encountered in the city holding the seat of the Center Council.

Friends in High Places

 The ghastly event of the highway carnage was juxtaposed by the serenity of the view before Louis’ eyes.  The sides and center of the street was smartly lined with trees whose lush, green canopies offered plenty of shade to those strolling about the sidewalks and pedaling their bikes along the avenues in the warm afternoon.  From the green of lawns to the yellow and purple and red and white blossoms clustered together amidst the well manicured fields, the vibrant colors contrasted with the black asphalt streets and spruced up the sight of the cityscape.

 

Louis sensed tranquility in faces of those out and about.  Everyone appeared at peace with complacent smiles.  People walked with leisurely strides, as if they were in no hurry to get to any particular destination.  Besides the soft murmurs of laughter and idle chat no obtrusive noise polluted the calmness, and there were no motorized vehicles present to disturb the scene with mechanized rumbles.  The setting appeared idyllic, as if its construction was taken from some fantasy that existed in one man’s mind and came to past by mere imagination.

 

Everyone he saw seemed to be relaxed.  The peacefulness of their wanderings transferred over to his heart.  The feeling that had gripped him with doom now gave way to unlimited hope.  Before he realized it, Louis was freely exchanging greetings with all he encountered, but the responses were that of smirking and whispered mutterings.   Considering the driver’s talk of unrest, and Hector’s warning to exercise vigilance, Louis started to understand that they may have been talking about the lack of civility.

 

A new found hope filled his thoughts as a question no one could refuse to answer came to mind.  He looked to two young men strolling from the opposite direction.  They appeared to be in good cheer and certainly happy to help a man lost in an adventure.

 

“Excuse me my friends.  Could you tell me where the nearest house of worship is?”

 

The young men looked at each other and smiled.  They seemed hesitant to offer an answer to the question and unexpectedly continued to stroll down the sidewalk.  Louis was taken aback by the action.  The only logical conclusion he considered for their lack of a response was that the question itself was posed in the first place.  After all, he concluded, in the Village no one needed to ask such a question because everyone knew exactly where the house of worship was.  "That’s it," he laughed.  "It was just a misunderstanding.  They must’ve considered me a citizen of the city and therefore viewed the question as the rants of a lunatic." Then again, he entertained the reality of the situation that the warnings might have been voiced for something worse than uncivil behavior.  Nonetheless, he maintained the hope that someone would finally help.  Louis was committed to finding an answer to the question.

 

A woman fast approached.  Donning a dress adorned by a colorful floral print, the woman seemed pleasant enough, approachable and agreeable to answer any question he had.

 

“Good afternoon.  My name is Louis and if you could please tell me where the nearest house of worship is?”

 

“Are you insane?” the woman responded while looking him up and down.  “You should know better than to ask a question like that out in public.”

 

“I….”

 

“And why are you walking around like that?”

 

Louis was puzzled at first but then noticed that the woman’s eyes were transfixed on his upper torso.  He fixed his eyes on himself and noticed the torn and tattered shirt he was wearing.  Looking further down the torn and tattered pants and dirty shoes came into view.  He rubbed a hand on the cheek and observed the transference of ashy grime and a hint of blood as a small cut was opened anew by the rubbing.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Louis muttered.  “I forgot.  Please accept my apology.”

 

The woman scanned all about the area.  “I need to find a place to hide you.”

 

“Hide me?”

 

“If security sees you in this condition they will forget about any repatriation camp and lock you away for good.”

 

Louis was more than willing to follow the directions of the woman as the vivid memory of the one security officer’s angry demeanor, the ensuing interrogation, and the intended beating he almost received came to mind.

 

The woman ushered Louis over to a side of a building that sat just to the back of a tree lined promenade.  Her eyes darted about as if to detect any suspicious minds that may have been observing the situation.  As the woman voiced her intentions, Louis could hear the concern and compassion in the hushed tone and the whispers that evoked a feeling of comfort within his heart.  He was not sure what was going on or why the woman insisted to assist in the manner she chose, but he felt a positive relationship had been built.  The woman quietly whispered for him to just sit there and wait, that someone would be by real quick for further help.  She turned and walked away.  Louis noticed that she kept turning her head from side to side before stepping out in the open promenade.

 

While waiting, Louis could now clearly see the state of filth that covered him from head to toe.  Never before had he been allowed to get this soiled.  The leaders back at the Village always made sure after a full day’s laboring at the various processing plants, a shower for all was to follow to eliminate the sweat and grime, to maintain a sanitary and uniform environment within the confines of the worker’s living compartments.  He could feel all the small cuts about his face and neck, and could see them all about his arms and hands, but there was no pain associated with the inflicted wounds.

 

A siren alerted Louis to potential trouble.  He jumped up to consider which way to run for safety, but it was too late.  A cruiser much like the one encountered on the highway came fast around the corner of the building and came to a screeching stop.  Two men stepped out from the car.  The siren was silent but the lights continued to flash.  He observed the instruments dangling from the waist of each officer.  They slowly approached while appearing to stare him down from behind glasses with dark lenses.  They then shook their heads.

 

“You have to be Louis?” one of the officers asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“How in the world did you get looking like that?”

 

“I was in an accident.”

 

“Accident?  What, maybe you had a bit too much to drink?  Did you face plant into a rose bush, then had trouble getting up and rolled around the dirt?”

 

“No really….”

 

“Any suggestions?” one of the officers asked the other.

 

“Emily.”

 

Louis saw one of the officers roll his eyes and moan deeply.           

 

“Don’t turn around, but here comes you know who.”

 

Louis shook at the knees as another car, its lights flashing in the same rhythm and sequence of colors as the first, emerged from around the other corner of the building.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Well sir, we received a tip from a citizen about this suspicious character.”

 

The man motioned the officer over closer.  Louis watched as the officer approached the one sitting behind the wheel of the car, his eyes too hid by dark lenses, and seemed to talk over the situation.  At this point the urgency to run, to go home, rattled Louis’ sense of reasoning.  The hopelessness of no further help weighed heavy on the mind and complicated the situation with utter fear.  But just as he was about to flee, the man behind the wheel rolled away.  The two officers sighed as if relieved of his presence.

 

One of the officers opened the back door of the car and asked Louis to get in.  Although still rattled from the potential punishment he had just escaped, he abided by the request and entered into the cage.

 

Louis remained silent as the car cruised past the bicyclists and pedestrians out and about.  They headed towards the setting sun. The only chatter to be heard was from the speaker of a radio that cackled with official jargon.  The officers stared straight ahead as if oblivious to his presence.  The car made a series of right turns and entered a street they had crossed moments before.

 

Up ahead, Louis spotted the vague form of a building sitting atop a hill.  Most of the building was hidden behind a wall of trees and bushes.  They were all neatly lined, arranged, and trimmed neatly.  Their lanky and lowly features were set amidst the vibrant and contrasting colors of flowers and grass lying at their feet.  Thick, blackish smoke was billowing out of a large chimney.  Glimpses of asphalt could be seen as a road snaked its way from bottom to top.  It was nothing he had ever seen before.  Even the voyage through the mountains did not offer such a splendid view.

 

As the car neared the bottom of the road, it suddenly veered to the left and made its way around to the backside of the hill.  The engine was cut off and the car coasted silently to a secluded spot. The officers got out.  The back door opened and Louis was asked to step out.

 

“Listen carefully,” an officer stated, “just stay calm and relax and shortly you’ll be in a safe place.  For now, just wait here until it’s completely dark.”  The officer pointed to a ravine that cut its way up to the top of the hill.  “When it’s dark, very carefully and quietly make your way up to that wall and sit quietly.  Do you understand everything so far?”

 

“Yeah, go up to the wall and sit quietly.”

 

“Don’t poke your head over it and don’t say a word.  When you hear some clinking that sounds like glasses or dishes hitting one another, I want you to whisper ‘Emily.’  Whisper just loud enough for her to hear and keep on doing it until she answers.  Do you understand?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Listen to whatever she tells you.  Again, whatever she says you do.  You understand?”

 

“Sure, whatever she says I do.”

 

“Good.”

 

Louis was a bit confused after the officers left without explaining the purpose for all the secret maneuvers.  It was just about dark, however, and Louis having nowhere to go had