A silent and calm night is sheltered by the blanket of a thick fog, a mysterious curtain that only in the distance allows to see the silhouette of a strange character of whom many have heard and few have been able to see. The squeaking of an old and heavy wheel reveals a load that he carries calmly and quietly in his cart, while the crying and barking of some puppies echoes in the shadows of that long road.
-Don't be afraid, dear Max! I promise that no one can ever hurt you.
Those were the words of a little boy, who hugged his pet while he listened from his room to the nearby presence of that strange man.
Toby was a boy who has always needed special attention due to a strange disease he has suffered from since he was born. Among his therapies, his parents were advised to buy him a pet, and from that first day he went to the pet store, the boy became deeply attached to a little dog whom he named Max.
What Toby heard that night, was what until then was to him a silly legend. It is said that on the darkest of all nights, a night watchman takes pets found wandering the streets. Many say that he takes them to a cave near a mountain where few inhabitants usually go, because they hear cries and moans that allude to a terrible end.
The next day in the schoolyard, the children began to ask Toby many questions when they found out what had happened.
-So, were you able to see the man with the wheelbarrow? asked one of the children.
-I have been told that no one has been able to see his face," added another child with more astonishment.
And so Toby continued to hear various versions from his friends.
-They say that every pet that is taken away never lives again," was the last idea that a girl mentioned with great fear.
That put Toby in total fear and anxiety, something that was not good for his health. There were many nights in which the boy practically could not sleep, due to the fact of being aware of his beloved pet. Max was a very affectionate and playful dog, so Toby feared even more, since his little character would make him easy prey for the mysterious watchman.
Due to his constant sleeplessness, one night Toby fell fast asleep, and right in the middle of the night he woke up with a certain desperation, one that would become even greater when he did not see Max in his sleeping box. Quickly the boy began to search the house stealthily so as not to attract the attention of his parents, until suddenly a disturbing but familiar sound broke the silence of that home. Toby ran to the door that was ajar, and when he looked outside he found the worst scenario: the night watchman was carrying Max in his wheelbarrow, and every second he was getting farther and farther away from the place.
Toby was very afraid of everything he had heard about that mysterious man, but his love for his little dog gave him the courage to run after him. He ran and ran, not knowing what he would do when he caught up with him, but already the man with the wheelbarrow had entered the mountain cave. Toby tried to enter, but a shuddering sound chased him away: it was a lot of crying and barking in pain from many dogs, something very frightening that didn't seem to end. The boy couldn't take it, so he went home in tears, heartbroken at the loss of his beloved Max.
After a week Toby felt very bad about Max's absence, so his parents wanted to buy him another pet so he could recover. But to no avail, as Toby only wanted Max's companionship. Then one night a child's innocence and love for his pet concocted the most unexpected plan: Toby disguised himself as a dog to see if the watchman would also come for him.
Toby had a pair of doggie pajamas in honor of his friendship with Max, so with a few adjustments he made himself, he began to wear them night after night. Toby waited for many days without any result, until after a couple of weeks, the darkest of all nights came, and the man with the wheelbarrow made his presence known.
Toby heard the squeak of the wheel getting closer and closer, so he decided to lie down on the edge of the sidewalk for the night watchman to take. The boy kept his eyes closed remembering what his companions had mentioned, and in a matter of seconds the mysterious character stood in front of him. Those were the longest 10 seconds of Toby's life, until the night watchman sighed and mounted the boy in his cart.
For a long ride there was only the sound of the rusty old wheel, until someone asked:
-Since when did you become a little dog?
Toby's astonishment was abysmal as he listened to what the watchman was asking him. The boy was trembling with fear, and almost on the verge of crying the watchman asked him:
-Are you coming to visit your friend Max?
And so the boy felt confident enough to answer: "I just want to see my friend Max.
-I just want to see my little dog and know that he is well - and now the silence was a little more pleasant.
So they arrived at the cave, and Toby was still with his eyes closed. Suddenly the screams and cries of many dogs and cats began to be heard, a frightening scandal for an absurd reality.
-Why don't you open your eyes? the watchman asked Toby.
-I'm so scared! answered the boy.
-You must look with your eyes and with your heart to be able to continue," said the man gently.
And just as he opened his eyes Toby did not seem to comprehend that reality, because there was absolutely nothing in the cave. Only a curtain of shiny silk that looked somewhere else.
-Where are the pets that were suffering? Toby asked.
-There are no animals here suffering any pain or sorrow. What you hear is what they have left behind in order to cross that curtain you see at the end.
And in full astonishment of the little one, the night watchman added:
-You have already left your discomfort anchored at the entrance. You can go in now. This is my gift.
And so the silk curtain was lifted, revealing a huge mountain of colors that spilled out like an immense spring. And there a huge number of cats, dogs and birds ran, flew and played with total happiness. There was no suffering, pain or injury to punish them, they all lived in peace and harmony.
-There's Max!" shouted the boy. And running towards him, he hugged him with great joy. Toby felt a different beat in his heart for having Max by his side again. But just as he looked into his eyes, he realized that his little dog wasn't coming back, not because he didn't want to, but because he already belonged there.
The night watchman suggested Toby to go back, as dawn was about to break. The boy said goodbye to his pet and great friend, promising that he would never forget him. And it was then that Toby understood the work of the strange man with the wheelbarrow, who offered the home of a paradise to all the lost pets.
Some time passed and now Toby, with all that had happened, was waiting for the worst of the diagnoses related to his illness. Being in the hospital, the boy smiled because he imagined that in the place where Max now lived there was no need for a hospital, because there no one got sick or suffered any discomfort. But his greatest surprise was to hear the doctor say that "miraculously" his illness had disappeared.
-It's as if you had left him somewhere- said the doctor, thrilled with such a result.
All became a party, and Toby's parents wept with joy, as they hugged and kissed an innocent child who, in his love and bravery remembered the words of that night watchman regarding his gift:
"You have already left your discomfort anchored to the entrance. You can come in now. This is my gift".
THE END