SMASHWORDS EDITION
PUBLISHED BY
O. Lindstrom on Smashwords
Written & Illustrated by O. Lindstrom
Where Are Your Hearts, Americans?
Copyright © 2009 by O. Lindstrom
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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Where Are Your Hearts, Americans?
A glowing ball was approaching Earth, one the most beautiful planets of the Universe. Only a few hours left… “How did it happen that I’ll be on this planet in such a strange form? Am I a dog?! How can I accomplish my mission being this creature and feeling so weird?” Captain Crystal from Universal Army of Light thought again and again. All powers of the Universe have been sent to Earth in different forms of creation: new loving souls have been embodied in animals, plants and new born babies, in elements of fire, water, wind, and soil. Their purpose was to analyze human behave thru the eyes of nature and the universal heart. And, in case of danger from humanity for the sake of this planet and all universes, they had to create conditions for change to help people become kind. These soldiers of loving force needed to use all their creativity to find out how to do it. There were no ready ways, no recipes. No one from their kind had ever been on this planet. Captain Crystal thought about his friend, Captain Brilliant: “O, Brilly, what will you do here as a frog? Well, as we always say “there is only one instruction for action – love”. “If you do not know what to do – ask your heart. We will find the ways” - Captain Crystal was a being of perfection: kind and brave.
Captain Crystal and captain Brilliant had been sent to the most difficult part of the planet, where the sheer mass of material life had reached the critical point, and something wrong was going on with the human heart. Their objective: the country of the United States of America.
2
Daniele was very tired today, “So hard day!” With the day off of her assistant there was so much cleaning to be done in the kennels! “The yorkie puppy does not look well, maybe he is sick?” Danielle turned off the light: “Have nice dreams, my dear friends, maybe tomorrow will be happier for you!” - Danielle was a kind girl; she loved all the puppies in the store where she worked. She was sorry for the puppies. The store was not doing well placing pets, in spite of other sales. It meant that all these funny little animals were not receiving the necessary portion of love and comfort that all babies should have. “Why am I not rich?” Daniele sighed. She locked the store and looked at the star lit sky. She sighed again: her boyfriend did not love animals. Sometimes she was not sure if he loved her. Her mom and her sister moved to another state, as far away as possible in this country. Danielle already had not seen them in a few years, and life for her now had the constant slight taste of bitterness. She was young, around twenty, but she felt so much older than her years, as did many other young people in this country. As these puppies in the store, stood on their paws to gaze into human eyes searching for the reflection of love, these young people desperately looked into the face of life through their family members, teachers and friends to see love also. Unconditional love, which would establish their being in this life: their necessity in this life and right to be happy. This love gives power, security and support. But they could not find it. They decided that money would give them the power, security, and support they sought. After that, they thought only about money. Life with an empty heart never let them feel happy, life devolved into routines, they were tired, and they became old at twenty; but…what about love? Oh, these words still existed in their life. They were trying “to show love”, “to pretend love”, “to make love”, “to play in love”, but they did not feel love. They did not see it anywhere. Deep inside, their hearts have been silently crying, waiting for wonders.
Daniele looked again at the star filled sky. Suddenly, she saw a ball of blue light floating towards her. Her heart started to race and beat loudly. This ball was radiating love, and Daniele was afraid even to breathe, in case she might scare away this new amazing feeling of calmness, security, and happiness. The ball flew above her head, and strong waves of love called her to follow it. The ball slowly floated into a jasmine bush and disappeared. Daniele rushed to the bushes, moved branches, looked at the ground, and saw a puppy! It was a beagle puppy, little, funny, helpless. Unusual bright feelings of absolute love lightened all her life in a second, and she understood that she had the same loneliness as this tiny puppy in the jasmine bushes, and how many people really are lonely in spite of being together. Daniele lifted the puppy to her heart and started to cry so bitterly and inconsolably, as if she wished to sob out all her sadness and loneliness at once. She was sorry about herself, her mom, sister, all the people that she knew. She understood how unhappy they all were. She could not stop crying, as the little child inside her was crying loudly and hopelessly. And Daniele wanted to cry with the same loudness, but her tears were silent – to cry loudly was forbidden in this country. Only the moon was sorry about this big unhappy child. The moon often saw many of them at night and yearned to help them! But it was too far for her to reach them. The moon has done all that she could – just to brighten a little girl’s way from the bushes.
3
It was a lazy sunrise. The sun, covered by cloud, did not want to awake. Rabbit Andru jumped out of his burrow and started to wash his face with the morning dew. He did not know what snow was. But he heard from his grandfather that it is white and cold. “When snow covers the ground, you have to change your grey coat to white”, his grandpa told him. And Andru always pretended how cool he would look in a white coat. He was a young rabbit. He was not married yet and lived in a burrow with his mother. Morning dew painted the grass a glistening white. And Andru imagined that it is snow. And he is dressed in his white coat, and he is a cool guy. It was his favorite time of the day. He looked around at the porches of people’s houses – no people. He tried to stand on his paws and walk like a human. He even has put one of his paws on his ear, with his other paw holding a straw of grass in his mouth – he saw people doing it on their porches – smoking and talking on a phone. He mimicked people by making angry faces and even shouted: “I don’t care, it’s your problem! “– He did not like people really. They did too many weird things. But he was sorry about them, and had a special show for them on Easter, passing in front of their porches. It made people very happy, especially, children. Suddenly he heard laughter,
and a pinecone fell near. “Good morning, mister Andru!” – Squirrel Madeline was running around doing her morning exercises. She was not Madeline. She was Orange Tail. Actually, he was not Andru either. His name was Lucky. But they lived near people, and they liked to imitate them.
“Hey, Andru, how was your night? Did you see the strange blue shower of glowing balls?”
“No, I hadn’t even heard about it”.
“O, it was amazing!”– Madeline disappeared to tell everybody the night news.“Interesting…” – thought rabbit.
The sound of an opening porch door interrupted his thinking. A little girl, near ten years old, appeared. It was Mary. All the animals around liked her. She was always kind. With her friend, Anna, they’ve been putting carrots near the rabbits’ burrows, and they have even tried to make houses for squirrels. Madeline was laughing, but when the children left the backyard, she enjoyed the comfort of her grassy nest, filled with nuts and fruits. When a storm approached and lightning began to strike the ground, Mary would run out onto the porch and shout in the air, “Birds, rabbits, squirrels, have you a place to hide?! Be safe!” – Animals loved her. But they’ve noticed that she was sad sometimes.
The porch door opened again. Mary’s mother came out onto the porch. Andru hid in the grass.
“Mom, can we go look at puppies today?” Mary asked.
“Of, course, we can. But promise me, that you will not cry after. We do not have money now to buy a puppy”.
“I promise, promise!” – Answered Mary. They went inside the house.
“I do not like dogs, but it will be fun to tease one”, – Andru smiled.
4
Captain Crystal was sitting in a cage in the kennel area, trying honestly to play his role of a beagle puppy. The planet was in a great danger; with the “Dead line” in 2012 there was not much time left. He did not want to waste a moment creating the right conditions for his work. “I have to find the right people … with a true heart” – thought Captain Crystal.
The door chimed, and Mary with her mom appeared in the store. Captain Crystal has risen on his paws, trying to look at the eyes of the little girl.
“Mom, it’s a beagle, she is so cute!” - Suddenly, the poodle in his cage pushed him, the beagle fell, trying to stand up. But the poodle was stronger and pushed him over and over again, moving towards his bowl of food. Crystal did not use his super abilities right now, he had to behave like a little beagle puppy.“Mom, this poodle doesn’t let her eat, he took her food!” - Tears appeared in Mary’s eyes. “Mary, you promised me not to cry”, her mom said pretending that she was angry and irritated. But she was sad and already crying too. “I found the right people”, decided Captain Crystal. Envoys of the universe were allowed to change the circumstances of people’s lives, but not people’s hearts. This needed to be done naturally. So, soon the technical part of Crystal’s plan was done: puppy-beagle was on sale. One day a worried man came, paid money, talked about the beagle puppy. Daniele found that it was the father of the little girl that came there almost every day with her mom. Now she could be calm and happy about the puppy that she loved so much. She was sure that her little friend, that awakened her heart, would be in good hands.
5
The first task, arriving on the Earth, was accomplished. Brave Captain from the Army of Light had received a nice name “Lilly”, and he was a female beagle puppy. He tried very much to do everything that puppies are suppose to do: to mark its own property all around the house, to refuse to eat dog food, to make funny cute expressions on his face, to not understand commands, to play, making everybody laugh, to be shy and scared in a new place. He enjoyed being on the porch, overseeing the big backyard. He noticed a rude rabbit that walked by a few times, pulling faces and showing him his tongue. A squirrel was jumping on the screen, teasing him. Captain Crystal showed everybody that the dog Lilly was very angry with the impudent behavior of her little neighbors. She started howling and chased Andru all around the neighborhood. Mary with her parents chased Lilly. It was fun. Lilly was trying to awake the sleepy neighbors. The old jeep was screaming. Mary called it a “Run away party” where everybody was invited. But Mary’s mom did not like these parties; she was upset, because of “property.” What it was, Captain Crystal did not know. But Madeline was laughing when he asked her about this.
“What is she talking about? – Property? What does it mean?
“The land that you have bought,” she said.
“People have to buy that, which was given to them for free by nature, which was given them by right of birth in the land of this country? “Isn’t there enough space for everyone? It is a big planet…”
“Funny little dog!” Madeline was laughing. “In people’s world nothing is free! “
“Hey, why can you go to other’s properties, and I can’t?”
“I am part of the nature!”
“And I am not?”
“You are a thing, people have bought you”.
“And what is about people? Who are they here?”
“Nothing, without money they are nothing!” shouted Madeline.
Mary saw Lilly sitting like a monument, motionless and staring at one point of nowhere. “Lilly, are you okay?” Captain Crystal was stunned. Only now he realized how difficult their task would be on this planet.
6
Captain Crystal was happy with his family. He loved these people. They were not perfect, of course. But they were on the right track: everything that they did, they did with love and for love. They were not rich, but sometimes they spent their last bit of money to “make someone happy”. They did not know how they would live thru the next week, but they hoped for the best. They were of a positive nature. People loved very much to come to their house. Whenever they’ve come, they were pleased, amazed, and grateful. Unfortunately, their hearts were not changed, and my dear family felt empty and tired – they hoped to see a spark of love in people’s eyes. If they saw it in at least one person, they were happy. “We did it for Oscar”, – they were laughing after the party on beach where their “friends” were invited. Oscar was in this company, he said; “ I never had such fun in my life”. And he told them what his life was. It was full of problems and mistakes; he told about it honestly, he was opening his heart, he was shifting his heart in the right direction, he was choosing the right way. That day he understood this way, he saw it. It was the way of love: bring your love to other people, help them, lighten their hearts, and go crazy for it – it does not matter what the cost is. Think more of other people and do not think too much about yourself which will fix your personal life: you will not have time for foolish things. And this family was happy, in spite of the coldness of other “friends”. Captain Crystal was happy that one more human was closer to understanding the meaning of their own appearance on this planet: not to buy a new car, not to take credit in the bank and pay it back the rest of their life. They appeared on this planet to raise their soul by the constant choice of love in all situations. Sadly, people in this country chose things, and many devoted their entire lives to them.They did not learn their lessons and have been sent again and again on this planet, repeating a circle of torture. Captain Crystal loved this family. If you start your way on the path of love, you will receive universal knowledge by a natural way. These people have been practicing to “increase their heart energy field”, though they did not read about this in books. They called it “piggy hug”. First, it was a usual “good night hug”. But when they realized that they are not in the best shape and may look as three pigs hugging each other, they were laughing, and called it “piggy hug”. And Captain Crystal tried to stand on his paws to take part in this hug which gave their hearts more power. They did it at any time of the day when they felt the need for a fresh burst of energy.
Captain Crystal loved Mary. He had learned all her commands and he knew many tricks. And people around were amazed at how smart Lilly was. She would stick her head out a car window, her ears, flying in the rush of air, reminded Mary of the super beagle from the movie “Underdog” that she liked so much. He could not disappoint these people. Captain Crystal was happy with his success in dogs being: “I am intelligent, I have good manners, and I am even photogenic. No wonder Mary put a dress on me with the word “Royalty” and the image of a crown. And they are proud of me! “
7
“But the main thing is that their level of heart energy is high enough to not be dissonant with mine”, thought Crystal. All together they have created a protective field of love. If everything is full of love, there is nothing to be afraid of, nobody will harm you. All animals: turtles, lizards, birds, frogs, rabbits, gathered closer to this protective shield of love. The little garden near the house was alive it had soul. It was different in comparison to the other houses in the neighborhood whose landscaping seemed so formal. People felt a radiation of love, and their cars would slow down, and their eyes tried to be more attentive looking at this strange property. But it was only one property…
“Can we go to have a walk? – Captain Crystal asked Mary. “Only around the house”, sighed Mary. “You know, Lilly, I do not understand something. They always say “free country”, they are always talking about freedom; they even are trying “to bring it” to other countries. But how may it be a free country, if children can’t walk down the street in their own town, in their own country? Too many bad people hunting children… It looks as if we are surrounded by enemies in our own land, so for me, there is no freedom, only the illusion of it. I think, freedom is when you can go everywhere, and nobody will hurt you. But for this, people should love each other. Freedom here is like a ghost: you hear it, but nobody sees it”.
“Yes, freedom is love. You can’t bring or take freedom – it is not a thing. You can’t declare freedom – it is not a law or a rule. You can only raise freedom by raising people’s hearts. Freedom is a feeling. We measure freedom of any nation by the level of the nation’s heart”, Crystal was trying telepathically to continue this conversation. But he did not have to explain it to Mary. She was born in another land where children can go outside without adults. She missed this country. She was sad enough. Yes, the biggest country on the planet many years ago was one nation with one heart. People of this country were free, but they did not notice this freedom. It was never discussed because it was as natural as breathing. However, after they tried the taste of money and things, they began to lose their love, and then they noticed, they are no longer free and happy as they were before. And people of this country wanted to be united again.