THE WANDERING ANT.

Once upon a time in a village called Timeless there lived a family named the Samuelsons. Every morning they would begin their day with a moment of meditation. Then, they'd take a walk to scout out the land and pick up needed items - such as different type of debris along the road to do their daily routine.

As they were scouting out the land, Mr. Samuelson would look for roads that were not travelled upon very often - or paths that were very secluded or partially isolated.

This was quite a tedious task because every family in the village was seeking for the same thing - their very own parcel of land. Timeless and the surrounding villages were very peaceful communities - except for residents that lived on the outskirts of the plains called Red-rock - yet, many heard about the peace in Timeless and came from miles around to settle there.

So, because of this the Samuelsons would have to set family shifts to go through the hillside to find new territory.

One morning at 7 a.m his grandson Rick rose up to go and relieve his brother Herman. He put on his gear and checked on the others before he went out. Everyone was fast asleep. Rick eased out the door and started on his way. He passed a Mexican traveler along the way. Rick decided he would try out his Latino speech - so he waved and bellowed "Hola, Espero que tengas un buen dia," but the traveler looked the other way and kept walking - as if Rick had not said, Hello, I hope you have a good day.

Rick glanced back with a frown on his face and said, "Well, that was very rude. "He put a straw in his mouth to chew on and kept walking. The roadside was more crowded than usual. He wandered off the path that he was traveling to see what was going on. The closer Rick came to the crowd he noticed big smoldering balls of smoke. He stood there for a few minutes to observe because this was a very unusual occurrence.

Suddenly, a thought bombarded him, that he had forgot to go and relieve his brother Herman. "Oh, no!" Rick yelped. He then started to turn around, but he began to hear vibrating sounds. Hmmm, where was the noise coming from - He peered out over the area but the more he looked the less he saw because of the smoke.

As Rick gaped around he noticed a nearby tree trunk that he could step on to get a better view. He stood on the tree trunk but all he saw was more smoke. Immediately, Rick noticed a tall tree nearby - he decided to go up the tree to get a better view.

Once he made it up to the first branch, he stopped and rested. Rick began to peer out over the hillside and now he could see clearer because of the higher altitude. The smoke wasn't as thick - this enabled him to see strangers wearing gas masks.

They had red containers all over the ground and an object that looked like black balls in their hands. Rick continued to view the area and saw the strangers stomping the ground as if they were angry. Now, he knew where the vibrating sound was coming from.

Rick had saw and heard enough. So he decided to wander back to relieve Herman. He came down from the tree and started running as fast as he could to tell his family what he had saw. All of a sudden there was a sign straight ahead that said quick sand.

"Quick sand, oh, no"! He stopped and saw shrubbery, twigs, limbs and sticks all being sucked into the sand. "Ah man"! We could have took some of that debris back to our village to do our daily task. He turned to find another path but all the shortcuts were blocked, but one. Rick leaped onto the narrow terrain and ran twice as fast to go and relieve his brother.

As he arrived to the place where Herman had gone, his brother was no where to be found. He sent out signals that he and his family had practiced in case anyone became lost - but Herman didn't respond.

Rick began to panic. He decided to wander a little further to look for Herman. "Come on Rick, think - think where would Herman be?", he said out loud. He thought a little more and then he said "In honor of Timeless village, I must do something and I must do it now"!

All of a sudden, the bushes began to move and Rick became paralyzed with fear. The bushes shook more. He began to inhale and exhale to relax. "Ok, calm down and loosen up Rick," he said - while quickly reaching into his gear, pulling out a bandana and knotting it around his midsection.

He then looked frantically for some mud. The location seemed dry but suddenly a puddle of water became noticeable a few feet a way.

He ran over, reached down by it, took mud and smeared streaks of it on his cheeks, feet and under his eyelids. This was a camouflage tactic from the village's code of combat preparedness manual -and 1 of many strategies that his Grandpa Samuelsons had taught him and the family - in case of an enemy attack.

Rick hurriedly hid behind a nearby bush and began to talk low boldly . "I will not be afraid because I am God's fearless wanderer"! The other bushes begin to made a louder rustle. Rick flexed his body for combat - he pressed his foot down harder to get a firmer stance in the dirt,  Suddenly, Herman walked out from behind the bushes. When Rick saw that it was his brother, he leaped from behind the bush, and said surprisingly, "Herman"?

His brother was startled and then replied, "Rick"! "Where have you been? The rest of the family has been worried sick about you." Rick eyes stretched wide and he retorted. "Where have I been? You mean where were you? I left home this morning at 7 a.m to come and relieve you".

Herman sighed and replied in a discouraging tone, "Rick, you were supposed to be here by 5. So, I stayed here an extra hour because everyone knows how you like to" - Herman made quotes in the air and said, "wander off."

Herman paused, and noticed that Rick was preoccupied looking back at the hillside. He was wondering what those strangers was up to.

"Rick"!, Herman yelped. "Yeah, I'm okay, It's been a long day". He gaped at his brother and Herman begin to speak again. "Soooo, when I arrived home Grandpa, mom and the rest of the family were worried sick about you."

"What time did you get home"? Rick asked, in a concerned tone. Herman gazed at him with a tiresome look and then sarcastically bellowed, Oh, only a little past 10 -after dodging quick sand and travelling rocky terrain!

"But, when I did get home you was gone. Mother was weeping and I immediately came to find you." Herman rubbed his head and said, "hmmm, I'm not sure how I missed you - unless you had already deviated off this path".

Rick picked up some twigs and began to twiddle them. Herman looked at him and said, "So, where were you"? Rick felt the pressure of trying to avoid Herman's question - so he decided to tell the truth.

"Well, as I was on my way to relieve you I noticed the roadside was more busier than usual. I heard a lot of vibration so I decided to"...

Herman chimed in, "Wait, don't tell me!, Oh Ricky boy decided to wander off the path to see what was the matter."

Rick became angry at Herman's words and he retorted back, "Yea, so what if I wandered off. Maybe this time it was right to do because I saw what the vibrating sound was.

Herman snickered, and said, "oh, do tell"!

Rick ignored Herman's scoffing and said, "the vibration were strangers that had on gas masks and they were stomping their feet. There was smoke for at least 200 ft - and I was on my way back home to tell Grandpa, mom and the family but"....

"You were coming home to tell us what Rick", Mr. Samuelsons said. Herman and Rick turned quickly. "Grandpa"! Rick said, as he rushed up to him. "I have so much to tell you". Mr. Samuelsons looked at Rick intently, and said, "let's go home."

All of a sudden, Mr. Samuelsons looked off toward the hillside, pointed and said, "Boys, there are strangers over where the Stinger -fields live, pouring gas, setting off repellant bombs and stomping fire-ant mounds." "What"! Rick yelped. "Grandpa, you know about that?" Herman eyes begin to bulge. "Hey, calm down guys. "The men are no danger to our village Timeless."

"They're only after the Stinger-fields over in Red-rock hillside. You see, the Stinger-fields had began harassing other villagers again and this time they went too far. Every day for the last week there has be an invasion in the area where some of our neighbors, the Smiths have settled. They're from the colony of black ants. Since coming here, they've mobilize and set up their mounds near Timeless village.

When the Stinger-fields heard the Smiths had moved here, the battle began. It would be hundreds of fire ants from Red-rock hillside scurrying around the Smith's mound daily- and no matter how determined the black ants were to keep peace - the Stinger-fields would always start a fight.

Well, I'm sure the black ants were a praying family because it wasn't long before a guy camper came"! Herman looked wide eyed and replied, "a camper?" Yes grandson, a camper"!

"You see, one day a camper was scouting out a spot to park his pop-up camper at. He decided to park it in a wooded area near Timeless. Once he parked, he opened the door, stepped out and noticed a mound of black ants being invaded by fire ants. It was a battle between the Smith's and the Stinger -fields. Immediately, the camper reported it to the proper authorities. That was the only way that the he could enjoy his 2 week camping trip without being harassed too."

Rick replied, "Grandpa, couldn't the dude move his camper to another spot?" Mr. Samuelson sighed and responded, "Well, yes son, but the point is - he picked that particular spot for his own personal reasons. Maybe, it was such a beautiful area and he decided to camp there, or he was famished because of a long trip - and he decided to park and eat. Whatever his reasoning, it was his prerogative to stop there."

Herman chimed in, "Yeah, the dude stood his ground! He was ready for combat"! Rick replied in a resilient tone, "Yep, and like you always told us Grandpa - never compromise a choice because someone else doesn't like your decision. "Mr. Samuelson grinned big and replied, "True." Then Rick asked curiously, "So, Grandpa, when did you find out about all this confusion with the camper and the villagers in the wooded lot"?

Mr. Samuelson continued, ""Well, it was Friday of last week when Timeless got wind of it and joined together with our neighbors the black ants to sign a petition for the Stinger - fields to be flared until they reprieved their attacks. We put an addendum on the petition for them that stated: Unless all fire ants agree to be peaceful - you must stay on the path that leads to your personal mound day and night - and no short cuts! Once they read the addendum, the Stinger -fields wouldn't agree.

So today, the ant crashers came out to demolish the Stinger-fields's underground huts until they concede." Herman looked over at the smoke again, and said, "But, what if they don't, Grandpa"? Rick kept gazing the hillside with a sadden face. "Well, Herman, I hope they'll agree but if not, there will be plenty of land for the rest of us to enjoy - and all the villagers will once again be able to unite together as 1."

"Grandpa, how did all this happen?" Herman asked as he was still peering at the hillside. Mr. Samuelsons sighed. "Well, you see, the Stinger-fields use to be a part of Timeless over 50 years ago - but one day before y'all were born they decided to go out on their own to expand and conquer all of the villages.

When they saw that Timeless and surrounding areas banded together against them, they began to reprieve back from us but started harassing new residents that moved into the community - thinking they would become afraid and leave.

Some of the residents did like the black ants, stayed and fought but many left. Mr. Samuelson glanced at the hillside for a moment, then turned and looked at his grandsons and said, I tell you boys, selfishness is an evil thing. It has many devices that leads to the destruction of ones that befriends it. I'm just glad that we aren't a part of that unrighteous thinking." Rick and Herman looked at their Grandpa and replied at the same time, "Amen"!

Then they both ran up to Mr. Samuelsons and gave him a big hug. He cleared his throat from being emotional, gazed at Rick and said gently, "Hey, look, your mother sent me to get you and Herman and to bring you back to Timeless." He patted them both on the shoulder and said, "I'm proud of you."

He then rubbed his antennas on both their heads and said, "Hey, let's wander back home. The family brought in a lot of crumbs today - and it's enough for us to nibble on the entire summer"!

Yes reader, the Samuelsons are ants, and as the bible says in Proverbs 6:6 - Consider her ways. (the ant).

The takeaway - As we observe the above scripture, we can always -

"Stay ready for combat" against life's challenges.

This is did through by unconditional love! Be resourceful and diligent to handle life every day; in a meaningful way.

The End!

If you enjoyed my short story - Please, click on the heart and consider leaving a tip!