Narrative Gap

Today I am walking with my master, Pozzo. He does not know how to pack lightly. I feel as though my arms are going to fall of due to the immense weight of his bags. My neck is raw from Pozzo tugging on my leash. I must put these bags down. I collapse. Pozzo stops and turns only to sneer at me. "Get up, Lucky. I will not ask you again." The hair on my neck stands on end and immediately I am bitten by the ice in Pozzo's voice. With clenched teeth, I pick myself up, and carefully position Pozzo's bags on my body so that my arms will not get so tired. Pozzo humphs impatiently. I nod, and we walk again.

Pozzo walks very quickly. I ache to know when we are going to stop, so that I may rest. Pozzo does not speak, only walks forward through the field. We have been walking for almost six hours, and my aged bones groan under the weight of his luggage. The dried wheat around us cracks under my weight, crunching with each step. Pozzo never seems to tire.

The watch in Pozzo's hand ticks mechanically. His grip on the tiny time-teller is so tight his knuckles lose their color.
"Lucky, I am feeling tired. I am going to stop at that tree in the next field over. Come now."
At last, we are going to rest. Or rather, he is going to rest and I will get to catch my breath. I am content as I walk, walking exactly in my master's footsteps. I recall of the the places I have followed Pozzo, and I am dumbfounded. The memories to not come to my mind. I must be old.

A great tree enters into my view, but Pozzo does not seem to notice. Does he see the tree? Did he mean to stop at this tree or the next? I must speak. We must stop. Overwhelmed, I freeze. Pozzo yanks on the leash. "Come, we are almost there." I begin to smile, but stop myself. Pozzo prefers that I do not smile.

The wheat ends and the tree is in full view. Two men sit at the base, one unlacing his boots and the other saying puzzling things. They do not seem to be friends, but why else would they be together?

Pozzo drags me to them, and he demands to know why they are on his land. The conversation does not last long, and ends abruptly.