A Rock of the Ages-Finding Purpose

Prompt: Write from the POV of a pet or inanimate object. What do they observe that other characters don’t?

A Rock of the Ages-Finding Purpose

Hey you! Yeah, I’m talking to you! Stop swiveling your head right and left. Look down toward your feet. Now you get the picture. No, stop looking at the bugs. They sure are not talking to you. I am the palm-sized rock with the coarse exterior. If I were human, I guess I’d have a serious acne problem.

Please pick me up and take me home with you. It’s lonely out here with no one to talk to. Plus, I am tired of the bugs crawling all over me. It makes me ticklish but after a while I start to itch. That is a real problem because I am unable to scratch the itch. Just think of the times you humans have an itch on your lower back. No fun right. I think you get the schist of it. Ha, ha! I love puns! Yeah, they are outdated. I had my heyday back in the Stone Age. Get it? Ha, ha. I crack myself up. Whoops! I should be careful what I say. Cracking up causes me to turn into pea gravel. Not a pleasant thought.

So, you must have heard me. Ooh I feel your warm hands around me. Yes, take me home with you. I feel your breath as you blow the dust off me. Hey, wait a minute. I feel like am sliding down into a dark cave… oh, it’s just your pocket. I guess I am not alone. Something hard and round presses against me. Now as you move, I feel a sticky wad of goo adhering to me. I can’t wait to get out of here.

Moments later I hear a voice saying, “Suzy, empty your pockets. I need to wash your pants for church tomorrow. More of your treasures you found by the lake?”

A second voice, which I assumed was Suzy’s, said, “Yes mama. I found three quarters, a piece of chewing gum, and this really pretty rock. I think I am going to decorate it.

Mama, are rocks alive? Because I think this one can talk to me.”

The mama replied, “Oh Suzy, you have a vivid imagination for a five-year-old. Rocks don’t talk. They can’t even breathe. They are not alive. And please don’t eat the gum!”

Well, what does Suzy’s mama even know? I am a special rock and Suzy knows it. I think she is the only one that can hear me.

“Mama, I think I am going to decorate it and give my rock a name. But first I have to get this sticky gum off it. Can you help me?”

“Let’s use this old scrubbing brush and some rubbing alcohol,” her mama said.

Yes, yes, I never felt better with the brush dipped in the rubbing alcohol. It felt so good on my surface I didn’t feel a thing. In fact, I was feeling a bit woozy and punchy. After some time, however, I had a splitting headache. I thought I was going to heave up a fissure. Thankfully, I hit my “rock” bottom with only one bath in rubbing alcohol. Ha, ha.

Once the cleaning had finished, she scooped me up along with her pocket change. Ker plunk. I was deposited on her desk. Then I heard Suzy say, “I need to give you a name. Then I shall make you the most handsome rock in all the world. How about Pete! If I had eyes I’d look straight into hers saying “Really Suzy, Pete?”

Suzy looked dazed when I said that. “You really can talk and even see me!”

I responded, “Yes Babygirl, but only you can hear me. So let this be our secret; otherwise, grownups will think you are crazy. Who knows what they would end up doing to me. Maybe they would cut me up or crush me to pieces.”

Suzy in a fit of outrage, said “Pete, I would never let them hurt you.”

So much for negotiating on other names. I guess I was stuck with the name of Pete. She never told me the reason why and I never asked. I was more interested in our friendship growing.

“Pete, I have the perfect decorations for your face. I have a pair of googly eyes, some pipe cleaners for your eyebrows, Cotton balls for your hair and hard macaroni for your lips.”

“Suzy, what is all that stuff especially this macaroni? In fact, what are giggly eyes?”

Suzy said “No silly, googly eyes. You’ll see them when I put you in front of the mirror.” I could tell by her gentle touch she was carefully constructing my face. She was happy.

Being a rock, I basically had all the time in the world, but I couldn’t wait for Suzy to finish so I could see my new look. She stopped. She picked me up and placed me in front of what she called her vanity mirror.

“Wow, just wow,” I said. “I don’t recognize myself. You are quite the artist.” My cotton ball hair was colored orange; the pipe cleaners were blue, and the macaroni painted a bright red. My googly eyes were moving all over in a circular fashion. Truthfully, I guess this is what any five-year-old would do. It didn’t matter because now I had a true friend in Suzy and a happy face to go with it. She was happy.

Time doesn’t matter to me but for Suzy it was important. Occasionally she would have to leave me to go to dinner, to go on outings or as Suzy put it to do “other stuff” like going to church. I didn’t mind because she always came back to me. We would have what she called tea parties. It was cool because she would always be looking directly at me. She would place a cup of pretend tea off to the side. There would be other inanimate characters around the table, but they were mute and unresponsive. Not me! Yours truly was fully engaged! My googly eyes fixated on her and I would voice my responses to her. If a rock could be funny, I was because I would make her laugh. I made her happy. I could tell because she was always putting words together with a lilting voice…which humans call singing. I never understood though what she was singing about. I am not so sure she could explain it to me either.

Once in a while her mother would check in on us. “Suzy, I hear a gravelly male voice. Is there someone in here I should know about?

She replied “No Mama. It’s just me and Pete. We are having tea while the others pretend to listen to us.” Suzy told me her mama shook her head as she left the room. I was a bit concerned because I thought Suzy was the only one who could hear me. It made me think I had to be careful around other humans. I mentioned my concern to her. We agreed to talk, as she called it, in an inside voice or we would whisper. So many of her secrets and dreams she would share with me at her tea parties.

Like I said before I had no sense of time. I could see its effect on Suzy, however. As the days turned into nights, I could see her changing. Suzy was getting taller. The tea parties had become a thing of the past. Now she had at her side two figures, one called Barbie and the other called Ken. Like all of her other “friends” they never said anything. Like me, however, they could only move under Suzy’s power.

I was starting to see less and less of her. Suzy celebrated her twelfth birthday with me. She even rubbed some icing from her cake on me. I couldn’t taste it. I am sure it was good because it made her happy and she was singing her heart out. Well, not literally, but with passion. She told me school was really keeping her busy. She had extra activities after school like dancing and field hockey. Not sure what those things were but I could see she was happy. Far be it for a rock to come between her and a hard place (pun intended) when voicing my opinion. The time between her birthdays passed so quickly. Now she was eighteen.

For a rock it was only yesterday that a five-year-old named Suzy picked me up off the ground. What is so amazing she never once asked me how I was able to speak, hear, see and feel. And why did she name me Pete? If a rock can talk, then why can’t a rock be curious? I had to know why she never asked. Nowadays I rested by her alarm clock. The buzzing and vibrations would get to me but I was there with my crazy face to give her a smile. Today would be the day I would ask her. Her alarm buzzed and she drowsily turned off the noise maker. “Hey Suzy, it’s Pete. “That statement just erupted like lava from me. Once I got her attention I asked my rock-hard question. I caught her by surprise. She was quiet and then thoughtfully answered me.

“Pete, I never asked you because I believe I already knew my answers. When I was four, I started going to Sunday school. Perhaps, you may remember that. Anyway, I learned that all living and non-living things were made by God. He created everything including you, Pete. He is present everywhere in the world around us. He had a special book called the Bible which shares His creation story and so much more. In the book it shares a few descriptions about God, such as:

“The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation!”(1)

“For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?”(2)

And this one: … “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;” (3)

Suzy further added, “When I first heard you talk to me, I knew this was a special moment. A rock speaking to me! Even though I was five when I got you, I knew you were not God, but I knew this was very special. How many people can say that they have a talking, seeing, feeling rock on their nightstand? God knew I was lonely since I had no brothers and sisters and no close friends. So, He gave me a companion of sorts, a pet rock.”

I knew it was not impossible for God because He says so: “For with God nothing will be impossible.” (4a)

I learned that rocks are important to God because a very holy man named Peter was given the responsibility by God to build His Church on earth. Peter means rock. I named you Pete because you are a rock.

And I (Jesus/God) say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (4b)

Evey time I see you, Pete, you remind me of how special my God, my Lord and Savior is. God declares His love and His protection for me in His Bible by saying:

“But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge.”(5)

I loved to sing hymns and songs in Sunday school and at church as well. This one hymn rang true to my heart for my God as I thought of you Pete. My Lord and God, Jesus, gave up His life for all my wrong doings I have done, past, present and into the future.

In time I will pass from this earth and will leave you behind to be with my heavenly Rock in Christ the Lord. I will miss you, but you always made me feel happy. Hear me as I sing:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands can fulfill Thy law's demands;

Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling;

Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace;

Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die. While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death, When I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.

Then Pete said, “Suzy, if a rock could cry, tears would be flowing from me. I knew it was important to make you happy. I believe that God made me for that purpose. I think being a rock helped you to focus on the God who made heaven and earth. I hear from your hymn that God in His suffering freely gives you His grace and love to you now and into eternity. I can truly see how happy you are.

-END-

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.”(7)

“But He (Jesus) answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” (8)

Author: Pete Gautchier

Acknowledgement: Reedsy.com prompts

NKJV=New King James Version Scriptures

1) II Samuel 22:47 NKJV

2) Psalms 18:31 NKJV

3) II Samuel 22:2 NKJV

4a) Luke 1:37, NKJV

4b) Matthew 16:18, NKJV

5) Psalms 94:22 NKJV

6) Words: Augustus Montague Toplady, 1776. Music: 'Toplady' Thomas Hastings, 1830. copyright: public domain. part of the Open Hymnal Project, 2010 Revision

7) Psalms 95:1 NKJV

8) Luke 19:40 NKJV