The Teacher's Sons

In Omaha, Nebraska, 49-year-old Arthur Baker is preparing to leave for work. He works at a local accounting firm, where he has built a solid reputation over the years. Arthur is a man of average height and weight, with light brown hair that is gradually turning gray, brown eyes, and a medium fair complexion. He is impeccably dressed in his light gray suit, crisp white shirt, brown tie, matching socks, and polished brown shoes. As he steps out of his two-story, seven-bedroom house, he takes a moment to admire the well-manicured lawn and the blooming flowers in the garden. He gets into his 2019 Mercedes Benz, the leather seats cool against his back, and drives away, unaware that his life is on the brink of a monumental change.

In Chicago, Illinois, 21-year-old Ricardo Torres is heading home after working the late shift at a warehouse. Ricardo is a strikingly handsome Afro-Latino with long black hair that he keeps pulled back, dark brown eyes that seem to hold a world of stories, and a deep bronze complexion. He is tall and muscular, his physique a testament to the physical demands of his job. Dressed in a white tee-shirt, jeans, a heavy denim jacket, and dark brown work boots, he gets into his truck. Before starting the engine, he takes a moment to let his thoughts drift, the hum of the city night providing a soothing backdrop. As he drives towards his modest apartment, he has no inkling that his life is about to take an unexpected turn.

In Manhattan, New York, 33-year-old Decker Cao, a stockbroker, is on his way to work. Decker is tall with neatly styled black hair, sharp brown eyes, a slim physique, and a light natural complexion. He is dressed in a tailored black suit, a pristine white button-down shirt, a light gray tie, black socks, and polished black shoes. As he walks briskly towards the subway, he stops at his favorite local coffee shop. The barista greets him with a smile, already preparing his usual order: a medium espresso and a cinnamon roll. After paying, Decker takes a moment to savor the rich aroma of his coffee before continuing his journey. Little does he know, the routine he has come to rely on is about to be disrupted in ways he could never have imagined.


The Calling

As Arthur arrived at the accounting firm where he worked, he was immediately called into his boss’s office. The atmosphere was tense, and Arthur could sense that something was wrong. His boss, Mr. Thompson, looked at him with a heavy heart and delivered the bad news: the firm had been struggling financially for the past six months and needed to let go of some employees. Arthur Baker was one of them.

Feeling a mix of shock and despair, Arthur packed up his office, placing his personal items into his briefcase. He walked out of the building, his steps heavy with the weight of uncertainty. Once he reached his car, he sat inside and let the tears flow freely. The reality of losing his job hit him hard.

When Arthur returned home, the house was eerily quiet. His wife, Fiona, was not there, and the kids were at school. He looked at a picture of his family on the mantelpiece and broke down. The photo showed his four children: the eldest in college, two in high school, and the youngest just starting junior high.

“How do I explain this to them? How am I going to explain all of this?” he muttered to himself, his voice choked with emotion.

Soon, he heard the garage door open, and his heart froze in fear. The door to the garage opened, and in stepped his wife, Fiona. She was a lovely woman, slightly taller than Arthur, with a creamy fair complexion, green eyes, a slim figure, and short red-brown hair.

“Arthur, what are you doing home?” Fiona asked, her voice filled with concern.

“I’ve been laid off,” Arthur replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

“What do you mean you’ve been ‘laid off’?” she asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“Just what it means, Fiona dear,” Arthur said, trying to keep his composure.

Fiona crossed her arms and looked at Arthur sternly. “Well, what are you going to do about it?” she demanded.

“Look for another job. It’s the only thing I can do,” he said, trying to sound optimistic.

“No! No! You will march back to that firm and demand your job back. They cannot just lay you off,” Fiona insisted.

“The firm is having financial difficulties. Others have been laid off, not just me,” Arthur explained.

“Arthur William Baker, march your rear end back to that firm and demand your job back,” Fiona commanded, her voice rising.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. Fiona was known to be demanding and usually got what she wanted, but this was one time where her demanding ways were not going to work.

“Fiona, it’s okay. I will look for another job. I have twenty years of experience. Someone will hire me,” he said with a bit of enthusiasm.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Fiona said, her voice tinged with frustration. “Arthur, you are 49 years old, pretty much near retirement age. No firm will hire an old man like you. They will want someone young with fresh ideas.”

Arthur sighed, “I have confidence in my abilities, Honey.”

Fiona rolled her eyes, “Arthur, I love you. However, you are so old-fashioned and very much out of touch,” she said. “Go back and demand your job back!” she yelled.

Arthur’s eyes widened. “Don’t yell at me,” he said strongly.

“Then stop being a wuss and get your rear end back to that firm and demand your job back. Get a backbone!” she said angrily.

Arthur had enough. He picked up his briefcase and marched out of the house and into the garage. He got into his car and drove off. As he drove, he thought about what Fiona had said and wondered if she was right. He started heading back to the accounting firm that had laid him off. However, he soon heard a voice in his mind:

“Follow me, learn from me.”

At those words, Arthur decided to turn away from the accounting firm and headed off to parts unknown, feeling a strange sense of hope and purpose guiding him.

In the heart of Chicago, Ricardo arrived at the apartment complex where he lived. It wasn’t the best place; the front gate was broken, the walkways were cracked, and the building itself looked old and worn. As he got out of his truck and made his way to his unit, he noticed a notice on the door: Rent Past Due.

Ricardo sighed deeply. This was the last thing he needed. He pulled out his keys to unlock the door, but to his dismay, he found that the locks had been changed. He swore in Spanish, frustration boiling over, and marched towards the leasing office. Inside, he saw only one leasing agent sitting at her desk.

“Yes, can I help you?” she asked, looking up from her computer.

“Yes, I am Ricardo Torres. There’s a notice on my door that my rent is past due,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“What is your unit number?” the leasing agent asked.

“501,” Ricardo replied.

The leasing agent typed the unit number into the computer. “501, correct?” she confirmed.

“Yes,” Ricardo said, nodding.

“According to this, your name is not on the lease,” she said, glancing up at him.

“Well, the lease is in my girlfriend’s name, Ursula Arroyo,” he explained.

The leasing agent looked back at the computer screen. “Who has been paying the rent?” she asked.

“She has, but I’ve been giving her money. She took off last week to visit a family member in New Mexico. She told me she had paid the rent,” Ricardo said, his frustration growing.

The leasing agent sighed. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she didn’t pay the rent, and she was six weeks late with last month’s rent,” she said.

Ricardo swore again in Spanish, louder this time. He stormed out of the leasing office and got back into his truck. “That woman! I should have known she was up to something,” he muttered angrily, punching the passenger seat. Suddenly, the weight of the situation hit him, and he broke down, resting his head on the steering wheel.

“Ricardo, learn from me. Follow me.”

Ricardo sat up, startled by the voice that seemed to come from nowhere. He started up his truck and drove out of the apartment complex, not knowing where he was headed, but feeling a strange sense of purpose guiding him away from his troubles.

In Manhattan, Decker had just stepped off the subway, the cool autumn air brushing against his face as he made his way to the brokerage firm where he worked. The city was alive with its usual hustle and bustle, but soon, the blaring sirens of firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars pierced through the noise. Decker’s curiosity was piqued, and a sense of unease began to settle in his stomach as he continued walking.

As he neared the building where the brokerage firm was located, a sinking feeling gripped him. His heart pounded in his chest as he saw thick, black smoke billowing into the sky. The building was on fire. Firefighters were already on the scene, battling the flames and trying to rescue those trapped inside. The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning materials and the frantic shouts of emergency personnel.

From the corner of his eye, Decker noticed a figure at a sixteenth-story window. The person was teetering on the edge, clearly in a state of panic. Firefighters below were scrambling to set up the Safety Air Cushion, but before they could inflate it, the figure jumped. Time seemed to slow as the person plummeted to the ground, and a collective gasp echoed through the crowd. The impact was devastating, and the scene was chaotic with screams and cries filling the air.

Decker pushed through the crowd to get a closer look at the fallen man. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized the lifeless body. It was Richard Doyle, his boss and best friend. Blood pooled around Richard’s broken form, and Decker felt a wave of nausea wash over him.

Police officers quickly surrounded the body, searching for identification. One of them found a folded piece of paper in Richard’s jacket pocket. As they unfolded it and read the contents, their expressions grew grim. Decker, desperate for answers, called out, “Hello, hey!”

A police officer looked up and approached him. “Can I help you?” the officer asked.

“Yes, I am Decker Cao. I know that man; he is my boss,” Decker said, his voice trembling.

The officer sighed, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems that your boss killed himself.”

Decker’s mind raced. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“The letter we found in his jacket pocket,” the officer explained. “In it, he confessed to committing a series of fraud schemes. If what he wrote is true, you might want to prepare yourself for visits from the FBI and IRS.”

Decker felt the ground shift beneath him. The weight of the revelation was almost too much to bear. Realizing that he wouldn’t be working today, he turned and began the long walk home, his mind a whirlwind of shock and disbelief.

Decker arrived at his upscale Manhattan loft, the weight of the day’s events pressing heavily on his shoulders. The loft, usually a sanctuary of calm and order, felt oppressive and cold. He sat down at his sleek, modern desk and powered up his computer. As he navigated to his email, a new message from Richard caught his eye. With a trembling hand, he opened it. It was a video letter. He clicked play.

"Decker, my best friend… If you’re watching this video, it’s time you know the truth about Excellence Financial Brokerage. It’s a fraud… nothing about it has ever been legit. The services we offered were schemes to separate people from their money. There was no reward in it for them. Decker, we’ve been friends for three years. I took you under my wing and taught you everything.

Yet, there were some things I didn’t teach you because I didn’t want you involved. You have my assurance that you will not be prosecuted as you were not aware of any of the schemes, nor did I have you partake in them. Every cent I paid you was out of my own pocket. You are just too honest to bring into the messy business that I was doing.

I hope that in time you will forgive me for what I have done. I love you like a brother. Honestly, I wish I had a brother like you. Maybe it would have made me honest.

Nothing but love and respect for you, Decker. I know that you will be okay.

Again, forgive me."

The video ended, leaving Decker in stunned silence. Tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. He would have never thought in a million years that Richard Doyle was a crook. Overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions, Decker stood up and walked over to the wall adorned with countless financial degrees and certificates in glass frames. Each one represented years of hard work and dedication, but now they felt like cruel mockeries.

As he stared at them, the degrees and certificates seemed to blur through his tears. They meant nothing. His sadness quickly turned to rage. With a guttural cry, he began ripping the frames off the wall, one by one, and hurling them to the floor. The sound of shattering glass echoed through the loft, mirroring the shattering of his own illusions.

When the last degree lay in pieces on the floor, Decker walked over to the window. He looked out at the city, contemplating the same desperate act that Richard had committed. But then, a voice, soft yet commanding, broke through his despair.

“Decker, don’t! Come follow me. Learn from me.”

Decker spun around, searching for the source of the voice, but found no one. The words, however, resonated deeply within him. He turned away from the window, grabbed his organizer, and walked out of his loft. Once on the street, he hailed a taxi, which pulled up to the curb.

“Where are you going?” the taxi driver asked.

“Bus station,” Decker replied, his voice steady with newfound resolve.

The taxi driver nodded and drove off towards the bus station. When they arrived, Decker paid the fare and stepped out. Inside the bus station, he scanned the departure board, looking at all the destinations. One location caught his eye: Fredonia, Arizona.

Two

Arthur arrived in Fredonia, Arizona, after a long, grueling drive from Omaha, Nebraska. As he stopped his car, he realized he was at the gateway to the Grand Canyon. The vast, rugged landscape stretched out before him, bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. He got out of his car and took a deep breath, the crisp desert air filling his lungs.

“What in the world possessed me to drive all the way out here?” he asked himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I did, Arthur,” came a calm, soothing voice from behind him.

Arthur turned to see a man who was tall, with long, flowing hair and a beard. He was dressed in a simple long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and no shoes. His eyes radiated a peacefulness that seemed to calm Arthur instantly. The way he spoke was equally serene.

“Who are you?” Arthur asked, curiosity piqued.

“I am one who is here to show you a better way of life,” the man replied, his voice gentle and reassuring.

“Can you tell me your name?” Arthur asked, still trying to make sense of the situation.

“You can simply call me Teacher,” the man said with a warm smile.

Arthur smiled back, feeling an unexpected sense of comfort. “I am Arthur Baker,” he said, extending his hand.

“I know. Welcome, Arthur,” said the man, shaking his hand firmly.

“Is it just you and I?” Arthur asked, glancing around the deserted landscape.

“No, two more will be joining us. The second is arriving now,” said the man, nodding towards the road.

Soon, a dark gray truck pulled up, and out stepped Ricardo. He looked around, bewildered, until he saw a sign that read, “This way to the Grand Canyon.”

“The Grand Canyon, what the….” Ricardo started to say, but stopped when he saw Arthur and the man walking towards him.

“Hello, Ricardo Torres,” said the man, his voice as calm as ever.

“Who are you?” Ricardo asked, clearly confused.

“You may call me Teacher. This man next to me is Arthur Baker,” said the man, introducing Arthur with a nod.

“What is this about?” Ricardo asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Teacher smiled, his eyes twinkling with a mysterious light. “About a better way of life that I will show to the three of you”.

“There’s only two of us, dude. Unless you are counting yourself,” said Ricardo, his voice tinged with skepticism.

“No, there is one more, and he will arrive soon. Come, I have made camp for us,” the man replied, his tone calm and assured. He turned and began walking towards a large tent that stood solitary in the vast expanse of the desert, its canvas flapping gently in the evening breeze.

Ricardo exchanged a puzzled glance with Arthur. “What is going on?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“I don’t know,” Arthur admitted, his brow furrowed in thought. “However, I get the feeling that it is something that you, I, and whoever the third person is must learn.”

“Do you know what that is?” Ricardo pressed, hoping for some clarity.

“No, but I want to know,” Arthur said with determination, and he started towards the camp.

“Esto es loco,” Ricardo muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He followed Arthur and the mysterious man to the camp.

Underneath the huge tent, the scene was unexpectedly inviting. Four mattresses were laid out, each with a pillow and blanket. A campfire crackled warmly in the center, casting flickering shadows on the tent walls. Nearby, a large ice chest brimmed with food and drink. On each mattress lay a book and a pen. Arthur chose a mattress and sat down. He opened the book and read an inscription on the first page: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding.”

The rest of the book was filled with blank pages. Arthur picked up the pen and began to write, his expression one of deep concentration. The man watched him with a serene smile, which Ricardo found unsettling.

“Why are you smiling at him writing?” Ricardo asked, unable to hide his confusion.

“Take a mattress and open the book. You will soon understand,” the man replied enigmatically.

Ricardo shrugged and took a mattress. He opened the book and read the same inscription. Flipping through the blank pages, he felt a strange compulsion to write. He picked up the pen and began to jot down his thoughts.

As Ricardo wrote, the sound of an approaching vehicle broke the silence. A rental car pulled up behind Ricardo’s truck. The man looked up, his smile widening.

“He is here,” the man announced.

Decker stepped out of the car, his silhouette framed by the setting sun. He walked towards the camp with purposeful strides. Once under the tent, he looked at the man, his eyes filled with questions.

“Why am I here?” Decker demanded, his voice edged with frustration.

“You are here to learn,” the man replied calmly.

“Learn what?” Decker asked, his curiosity mingled with suspicion.

“All in time, Decker Cao,” the man said, turning away to take a seat in a camping chair.

Decker’s eyes widened in surprise. “How do you know my name?” he asked, a hint of unease creeping into his voice.

“Take a mattress, read what is in the book. All will be revealed,” the man instructed.

“Who are you?” Decker pressed.

“You may call me Teacher,” the man replied with a serene smile.

“Teacher?” Decker echoed, incredulous.

The man offered no further explanation as he began preparing food for dinner. Decker glanced around and saw Arthur and Ricardo each sitting on a mattress, engrossed in writing in their books. With a resigned shrug, Decker chose a mattress and opened the book. He read the same inscription and snickered.

“My mother used to swear by this bit of nonsense. What am I saying, she still does,” Decker muttered.

“To trust is never nonsense,” the man said without looking up.

“Trust is overrated,” Decker retorted.

“Yet, you trusted someone, didn’t you?” the man countered gently.

Decker’s face darkened. He stood up abruptly and threw the book down. “How dare you!” he yelled, his voice shaking with anger.

Ricardo and Arthur looked up, startled.

“Why are you angry?” the man asked, his tone calm and unruffled.

“Who are you? How do you know what happened to Richard?” Decker demanded, his voice breaking.

“I know pain, and you, Decker Cao, are in pain,” the man said softly.

“This is bogus!” Decker shouted, storming off towards his rental car.

“If any of you want to go, you are free to do so. I will not stop you,” the man said, his voice carrying a note of finality.

Ricardo considered leaving but his curiosity held him back. Arthur continued writing, seemingly unfazed. Decker reached his car and was about to get inside when he broke down, tears streaming down his face.

“Why, Richard! Why!” Decker screamed into the night.

Ricardo got up from his mattress and walked over to Decker. “I’m Ricardo Torres. My girlfriend… she left me high and dry. I also asked why. Why did she do me dirty? I even wrote that in the book. The answer I got… ‘Why are you even concerned about her?’” he said, his voice filled with empathy.

Decker looked up at Ricardo, his eyes red and swollen. “I don’t understand,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Neither do I, and yet for some reason, it makes sense. I guess in time, I’ll find out,” Ricardo said, offering a small, reassuring smile before walking back to the tent.

Decker stood there for a moment, then slowly walked back to the tent and sat down on the mattress. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I understand what’s going on. However, I have a feeling that here I will get answers to questions that I have,” he said, his voice steadier.

The man nodded and smiled. “It is why you are all here. To seek answers and to learn.”


Three

It was a quiet, moonlit night when the man, Decker, Ricardo, and Arthur finished their dinner. The air was cool as the sounds of the desert provided a backdrop to their conversation.

“I grew up in the Midwest, in an upper-middle-class family,” Arthur began, his voice tinged with nostalgia. “I was the middle child of a banker and a housewife. My brothers and I were given everything we wanted, but our parents were unyielding. They demanded the best grades, impeccable behavior, top schools, and wives from the best families.”

Arthur paused, his eyes reflecting the flickering candlelight. “Oddly enough, I was the only one who married according to their expectations. My eldest brother married a woman from a working-class family. They believed in hard work and love. Despite my parents’ objections, they are still happily married with five children and eleven grandchildren. My youngest brother, the silent rebel, always defied our parents quietly. He met a free-spirited woman from the Caribbean while in college. She was brilliant, smarter than anyone he had ever met. He fell in love, dropped out of college, and moved to the Caribbean to be with her. He became a successful house builder, with a business stretching from the Caribbean to the Florida Keys. My parents disowned him, but he didn’t care. He told me, ‘I cannot be what our parents want me to be. I can only be as God made me to be, and I am happy with what He has made me to be.’ I never understood that,” Arthur admitted.

“Do you understand it now?” the man asked gently.

“Yes, Teacher,” Arthur replied, his voice softening. “I am beginning to understand. I became an accountant, married a woman from an upper-middle-class family. She was divorced with three children, and we had one together. It didn’t matter as long as she fit the criteria.”

“Are you happy?” the man inquired.

“No, I am not,” Arthur confessed. “I love her and our children, but our life feels empty. She is very much like my mother, tolerating nothing less than perfection. She criticizes me for things beyond my control, like being laid off. I tried to explain that I could find another job, but she demanded I go back and demand my old job back. She doesn’t understand that I can’t just fix things the way she wants.”

“Arthur, it is not her that you need to fix. It is yourself. That is why you are here,” the man said with a calm authority.

Arthur broke down, tears streaming down his face. “I realize that now,” he said, wiping his eyes

“I can’t blame Ursula for abandoning me,” Ricardo began, his voice heavy with regret. “All this time, I had been angry at her for the smallest things, especially things she had no control over, like losing her job and having to take on odd jobs just to get by. She was barely managing when I begged her to let me stay with her after I got evicted. Well, actually, my mom kicked me out because she was fed up with my partying and drug use.”

Ricardo sighed deeply, his eyes reflecting the pain of his memories. “Sure, I bought her things and gave her money for what she needed or wanted, but she rarely asked for anything. I didn’t make things easy for her. I kept partying, doing drugs, and completely disregarding her feelings. I knew she didn’t make much from her odd jobs, and even though I contributed, I realize now she was always afraid to ask me for anything. I took a job that didn’t pay much, and she never complained too much. When she did, it was usually about something I did or didn’t do.”

He paused, looking down at his hands. “There was a time when we had this ‘us against the world’ attitude. We were both angry at everything. But I think she stopped being angry at some point. She couldn’t live with me because I was still angry. Angry at my mother for not protecting me from my brothers who bullied me. Angry at my brothers for being bullies. Angry at everything that didn’t go right in my life.”

“Are you still angry now?” the man asked gently.

“Yes,” Ricardo admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I think with time, and maybe some time to myself, I will let go of that anger.”

“It is why you are here” said the man.

Decker was quiet. He didn’t want to share his feelings. He didn’t believe in sharing his feelings.

“I will tell the three of you a story. A story about a man who wanted the world to be at his feet. This man, he wanted to rule the world. So, he married the daughter of a king whose wealth was unsurpassed. After the king died, he became king. This king went about conquering different lands and forced the people of those lands to acknowledge him as their king and they did, but out of fear. Land after land, he conquered and took many wives and had many children.

“Then one day, the king came across a woman whose beauty was unlike his current wives. He walked over to her and demanded her name. She told him her name. The king then said to her, ‘you will be my wife because I command it. I will rule the world and you will be by side’. The woman looked at him and said, ‘I know who you are and you cannot have me or the world. The world is too big for a mere man to rule. As for myself, you know nothing of me. Of what I am capable of. Leave me be’ she said and she walked away.

“This king was arrogant. He would not be told that he could not have want he wanted. He wanted this woman and thus he would have her. He found out where she lived and thus sent her a letter. In this letter he said to her that he would have her thrown out of her house, she would be stripped of her clothes and thrown into the ocean if she did not come to him and marry him. The woman came and she agreed to marry him.

“After the wedding ceremony, the king and the woman were in the king’s chambers. She was already in bed, waiting for him. The king smiled at her and said ‘This will be a night that you will not forget’. The woman said nothing as the king drank his cup of wine and then got into bed with her. He climbed on top of her and as they begin to have intercourse, the king started to feel weak. He could not finish, thus he removed himself from on top of her. He laid down and he looked at her. She looked at him with disdainful eyes. She said to him ‘I warned you….I told you that you knew not what I am capable of’.

“It was then that the man realized what she had done. She had poisoned his drink. As he laid there dying, all he could think about is how did he let this woman get the better of him. After all, she was a woman. As she got dressed, she looked at him and said, ‘Let these words linger in your mind as you die. It is you who allowed your arrogance to get the better of you. You thought that you could bully me into becoming your wife and I would be happy. You felt that if you conquered the world that everyone in it would fall at your feet. Your arrogance made you blind and it made you weak’ and with that the woman left the bed chamber and snuck out of the palace.

“As the arrogant king lay dying. The woman’s words lingered in his mind and he realized that what she said was true. He weakly turned his head to the night sky and said ‘God forgive me for my arrogance’ and then he died. The king’s current wives and children divided up the wealth and went their separate ways. The lands that were conquered were now free. The lesson of this story is do not let your arrogance get the better of you. For it will make blind you and weak. No matter what you accomplish in life, always remain humble and thankful even when you are given great blessings” said the man.

“Are you saying that the three of us are arrogant?” Decker asked, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and defensiveness.

The man looked at him calmly. “Do you think that you are arrogant?”

Arthur sighed, breaking the tense silence. “I will admit that I was,” he said, his voice softening. “I was arrogant in thinking that being raised to only accept the best meant nothing bad would ever happen to me. Clearly, I have been proven wrong, and I humbly accept that.”

Ricardo remained silent, his eyes downcast. The man seemed to understand Ricardo’s silence and chose not to press him further.

“There was nothing that I was arrogant about,” Decker insisted, his tone growing more defensive.

The man’s gaze was steady. “What about the people that you knew?”

Decker paused, his mind racing through memories. Anger flared up again, and he clenched his fists. “You can be angry with me if you like,” the man said gently. “If you were to strike me, I will not strike back. For what would it prove?”

Decker’s anger dissolved into tears. He stumbled over to his mattress and collapsed onto it, crying himself to sleep.

“That is the lesson for now. Get some rest,” the man said, his voice soothing as he went to put out the fire.

Ricardo and Arthur exchanged glances before heading to their own mattresses, the weight of the night’s revelations heavy on their minds. They drifted off to sleep, the crackling of the dying fire the last sound they heard.

Morning light filtered through the tent. The man lay asleep, unaware of Decker standing over him, a knife clutched in his hand. Ricardo stood beside him, eyes wide with concern.

“What are you doing?” Ricardo whispered urgently.

Decker’s eyes were wild. “Who is this man and why are we here?” he demanded.

“Are you going to kill him?” Ricardo asked, his voice trembling.

“Of course, I am going to kill him,” Decker replied, his grip tightening on the knife.

“Why would you want to kill our Teacher?” Arthur’s voice came from behind them, calm and steady.

Decker whirled around, anger blazing in his eyes. “Maybe I should kill you first,” he snarled.

Arthur didn’t flinch. “Go ahead, but before you do, ask yourself what would be the point? I have not done anything to you, and neither has Teacher. You are not bound here; you are free to leave. No one is keeping you here. No one but you.”

“He is right,” came the man’s voice, startling Decker and Ricardo.

They turned to see the man sitting up, his eyes clear and calm. “No one is keeping you here, Decker. No one but you.”

Decker threw down the knife, the clatter echoing ominously in the quiet morning. Without a word, he stormed over to his rental car, his footsteps heavy with frustration. This time, he got into it and sped off, the tires kicking up dust as he disappeared down the road.

The man watched him go, then turned to Ricardo. “You were going to let him kill me,” he said, his voice calm but probing.

“No, I wasn’t,” Ricardo replied, his voice steady.

“Would you have stopped him?” the man asked, his eyes searching Ricardo’s face.

“Yes, I would have. I would not have allowed him to take your life so senselessly,” Ricardo said firmly.

The man nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Then know this… your life is your own. What you choose to do with it is your choice alone.”

Ricardo nodded, absorbing the weight of the man’s words. As the man stood up, Ricardo felt a surge of determination.

“Teacher,” Ricardo called out.

“Yes, Ricardo?” the man responded, turning to face him.

“Teach me your ways,” Ricardo said, his voice filled with resolve.

The man’s smile widened, and he placed a hand on Ricardo’s shoulder. “Very well. Let us begin.”

Four

Decker drove along the endless desert roads, the barren landscape stretching out in all directions. Unbeknownst to him, he was driving in circles, the monotony of the scenery mirroring the turmoil in his mind. Finally, he came to a stop, his frustration boiling over. He rested his head on the steering wheel and burst into tears, screaming at the top of his lungs. The car felt like a cage, so he stumbled out, the desert wind whipping at his face as he screamed again.

“Why! Why is it that everyone I have looked up to is always so damn flawed!” Decker’s voice echoed across the empty expanse.

He fell to his knees, his cries of anguish piercing the stillness. He looked up at the sky, contemplating the unthinkable, but something held him back. An image of his mother filled his mind, her voice as clear as if she were standing beside him.

“You want to know why I believe in God?” her voice echoed in his memory. “It is because, as I was growing up, my life was not easy. I was pushed around, belittled, and not taken seriously. I became angry and wanted to take out my hurts on those who hurt me. Then I met a kind missionary. She taught me the ways of love and forgiveness, and it led me to God. It is through God that I managed to leave China and make my way here to the States. It is through God that I met your father, became an attorney, and managed to get through the death of your father, the loss of my job, and our home.

“I have nothing to complain about because God brought me through it all. Yes, there were ups and downs, doubts and fears sometimes crept in. But God is always there. He often reminded me through the little things that He is there and that He will always be there. I just continued to trust Him. So, yes, I do love and trust God.”

Decker took a deep breath, the memory of his mother’s words calming his stormy emotions. He got back into the rental car and drove back to the camp, his mind clearer, though his heart still heavy.

When he arrived, the man, Ricardo, and Arthur were in the middle of eating breakfast. Decker approached them, his steps slow and deliberate. He fell to his knees before the man.

“Teacher, forgive me,” he sobbed, his voice choked with emotion.

“You are forgiven,” the man said gently, his eyes full of understanding.

Decker joined them for breakfast, the warmth of the food and the company soothing his frayed nerves. After a moment of silence, he began to speak.

“My boss, Richard Doyle… he was a crook. I didn’t know it, though. Before I came here, he threw himself from a sixteen-story window. He did it because he couldn’t go on being a crook. I thought he was some great financial broker since he owned his own financial brokerage firm. I learned on the way here that he was nothing more than a fraud. The news of his death was all over the radio and internet. I cried because I looked up to him. He was my best friend,” Decker said, his voice breaking.

“It sounds like your friend was flawed,” the man observed.

Decker nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. “I have a habit of looking up to people who are flawed. People who I think are so great because of their wealth, and then I learn something about them that isn’t so great,” he admitted.

“Then perhaps you should ask yourself what is so flawed about you that you are looking up to people who seem to have it all together, yet they are greatly flawed themselves,” the man suggested.

Decker hung his head, the weight of the man’s words sinking in. “Maybe because I wanted to be like them… successful. My mother, she came from China from humble beginnings. She had nothing, and no one respected her. She found God, and it was through Him that she found herself here, married my father, gained a successful career, and had me,” he said, his voice filled with a mix of pride and sorrow.

“What happened?” Arthur asked gently.

“My father passed away from cancer. My mother was laid off from the law firm where she worked, and we ended up losing our home. Yet, she never gave up her faith. She held tightly to it as she raised me, worked two part-time jobs until another law firm hired her, and eventually, we moved into a nice house. I never quite understood her… until now,” Decker said, his voice softening as he finally began to understand the strength and faith his mother had shown.

“It is why you are here, Decker. To learn and to understand” said the man.

Decker nodded, “Teach me your ways, Teacher. I want to learn”

For 40 days and nights, Decker, Ricardo, Arthur, and their Teacher engaged in deep conversations about life. The Teacher imparted wisdom on love, understanding, forgiveness, hope, kindness, unity, and most importantly, faith. As the 40th night drew to a close, the Teacher gathered them together.

“I have no more to teach you. Now go, return to your lives with the lessons that I have taught you,” the man said, his voice filled with a serene finality.

“Will we not ever see you again?” Ricardo asked, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“You will again… one day,” the man replied with a gentle smile before turning and walking away.

Decker, Ricardo, and Arthur watched in silence as their Teacher walked into the distance, eventually disappearing from their sight. For a moment, none of them spoke, each lost in their thoughts.

“I’ll say it. We all knew who Teacher was, or rather is,” Ricardo finally broke the silence.

“Yes,” Decker agreed, his voice soft.

“Yes,” Arthur echoed.

Silence fell over them once more, a shared understanding passing between them.

Arthur was the first to speak again. “I’m going back to Omaha, but not to my old life. I’m going to take a job at a local bank and start attending church with my twelve-year-old daughter. She often goes to church with a friend of hers from school. She’s always been asking me and her mother to go with her. I feel that I would like to do that,” he said, a smile spreading across his face.

Decker nodded thoughtfully. “I’m going back to New York, and like you, I won’t be returning to my old life. I realized that I was never really happy being a stockbroker. My passion has always been in cooking. I think I’ll take cooking classes, maybe open up a food truck with my mother. She’s always loved to cook and has wanted to do that,” he said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Ricardo looked at them both, a contemplative expression on his face. “I won’t be heading back to Chicago,” he said quietly.

“Where will you go?” Decker asked, curiosity in his voice.

Ricardo took a deep breath. “Wherever God leads me. I’ll take the tent and everything that is here. I feel that my calling is to do as our Teacher did with us. Maybe I’ll volunteer, help build communities, and teach others the lessons we’ve learned here. I want to live a life of purpose, one that honors the teachings of our Teacher,” he said, his voice filled with determination.

As the three of them stood together, a sense of camaraderie and newfound purpose binding them. They knew their paths would diverge, but the lessons they had learned and the bond they had formed would stay with them forever and they soon hugged.

“Let us stay in touch,” said Decker, his voice filled with hope and determination.

“We will… God will not let us lose touch with each other,” Ricardo replied confidently.

“Amen to that,” Arthur agreed. “We should call ourselves something,” he added thoughtfully.

“Yes, but let God give us that name,” Decker suggested, a serene smile on his face.

“Amen,” the three of them said in unison. They shared a moment of silent understanding before getting into their cars and heading towards their new destinations, each carrying the lessons and bonds they had formed.

As the dust settled from their departure, the Teacher continued his solitary walk along the desert. The vast expanse of sand and sky seemed to whisper to him.

What will you name them?

The Teacher smiled, a sense of peace washing over him. “Since I treated them as my sons… They will be called ‘The Teacher’s Sons’.

Very well, my son… The Teacher’s Sons they will be.