A knock on the front door, interrupted Michael’s deep, meditative state. He carefully snuffed the lit candle before him, before he stood up to answer his front door.
-“Who goes there this late at night?” Michael asked in the darkened living room. The new full moon blanketed the earth with her light, which partially illuminated the room.
A sensuous female voice answered: -“Oh kind sir, won’t you please let me in from the glacial cold? I have a flat tire, and I have never-ever changed one in my entire life! Please let me in so that I may thaw from the cold, and wait for my help to arrive.”
Usually, Michael would not have hesitated to aid someone in need, yet his penetrating discernment impeded that he open the door. Instead of helping with a selfless, and open heart, his heart rate accelerated with the premonition of danger present behind his door.
-“I’m sorry dear lady; I cannot help you at this time. Please go back to your car, and wait for your help to arrive.” Michael said in a dismissive tone.
-“But…but, you just can’t leave me outside in the cold! I have a four month old baby asleep on the car seat. I must get the tire changed immediately, to get my baby back to his warm crib! You can’t be so cruel and heartless dear sir!” Pleaded the female voice, which resorted to crying for maximum effect.
True remorse tugged at Michael’s heart. How could a newborn babe die of hypothermia, if he could help to avoid it? Besides, if he didn’t intervene in any way, there was the remote chance that if this was the bad wolf, that he would appease his ravenous hunger by moving to his neighbor (an elderly lady), or even run the three miles to Brian’s house. No, he had to confront this danger himself. He could not live with his conscience, if the babe was for real and in real danger, just walking distance from his own, warm home.
Michael did not say anything, as he walked stealthily to his bedroom to change into warm clothing, and to get prepared for this confrontation. He was almost done dressing, when he felt the walls of his modest home, rattle and shake as if in the epicenter of a massive earthquake.
Irritated by the wait, and impatient due to his ravenous hunger, and by the defiance of the little pig, the wolf decided to force his way in.
-“Fine! Have it your way little pig, since you won’t open the door to me, I will demolish your little house made of sticks!” The wolf shed his disguise and slammed his powerful body against the little house. He howled in pain when he was met with more resistance.
The little house was tightly woven and held together, by intricate knots of bamboo strips. The sticks themselves were not made of regular, pliant sticks, rather of sturdy bamboo, which defiantly refused to be broken, or give way.
Michael shielded his head from tumbling objects, as the considerable force which the wolf used, rattled and shook his home, causing furniture and objects to fall. If he did not stop the wolf, he would shatter all his dishes, and pictures, and he ran the danger that the wolf would uproot his little house off the ground, and send it tumbling down. He could not break through the bamboo, but he could break everything inside by the sheer magnitude of the shaking.
-“All right! I will open the door, but you must stop this shaking at once!” Michael negotiated with the wolf.
Foaming at the mouth from hunger, anger, and sheer exhaustion, the wolf perked its ears and smiled. –“Go ahead then - open the door.” The wolf said in a velvety voice.
Michael braced himself for the face to face confrontation. He was about to meet the legendary grey wolf which was the stuff of legends. Since he was a little piglet, they had heard scary stories of the fabled wolf, who many said had a pact with Satan.
Michael controlled his breathing, and with resolution, opened the door. A pig had to live in peace, or it was no life at all. He had to confront the thing he feared the most; he could not live all his life, in the shadow of fear.
The front door slowly opened, to allow the moonlight in. It sparkled when it caressed the silver barrel of a gun; this pointed directly at the wolf.
-“If you put one paw inside my home, I will shoot you through the heart.” Michael said in a steady voice.
To be continued…
