"Fire Infernal," fractal art by the author, Deeann D. Mathews
“Listen, LaTricia, if you knew she was going to be the friend from hell you wouldn't have let her call herself a friend, but the devil is a deceiver and you are supposed to read and study the Bible and ask the Spirit to show you because the devil has some women followers too!”
“See, this is what we call quality eavesdropping,” eight-year-old Gracie Trent said to her friends seven-year-old Amanda and eight-year-old Edwina Ludlow from next door. “You can learn more from my big sister Vanna about how to live in the world than anybody but Dad and Grandma Jubilee!”
“Yeah, because I'm so good on boys right now – laying down with them and picking up bugs is an absolute no, because I am way too cute to have spiders webbing up my hair on a nap!” Edwina said.
“It's the roaches I can't deal with,” Amanda said. “All that is just a no – if Papa and Cousin Harry haven't checked him out, that's just no.”
“Like I said, quality eavesdropping really can help in life,” Gracie said. “Don't get me wrong. Vertran eavesdrops on Pop-Pop because he's a thousandaire becoming a billionaire and trying to skip the millionaire step. It does depend on what you want out of life, but you gotta be safe first!”
“Yeah,” Amanda said. “Gotta be safe, and with boys carrying roaches and spiders and girls being friends from hell – I'm so glad I have y'all and live here because no. I'm not doing this!”
“I'm not either because y'all know I will break bad and I don't need reasons in my life!” Edwina said. "Y'all seen that movie Arachnophobia and how it ends for that big spider? I will Arachnophobia a boy's entire life for getting cobwebs in my hair!”
“Yep, seen it,” Gracie said. “More quality eavesdropping. Melvin and Vanna stay up and watch all these great movies, and that's a real good one because Vanna also says that Spider-man is not cute with people trying to suck other people dry, so, you kinda need to watch Arachnophobia to get your self-defense stuff ready. I mean, we hope it doesn't come to that, which is why you gotta read your Bible and pray, because if we have to go there, it gets messy.”
“How messy?” Amanda said.
“Way too messy for us to tell you at just seven,” Gracie said. “Just know that it is not cute, fun, or safe and nobody needs to go through all that when you can avoid it.”
“Yeah, I'mma need an extra Bible story before I go to bed,” Amanda said.
“Yeah, I'm going to pray some more,” Edwina said. “It's like Papa sometimes does: 'Lord, I pray for all the fools out here who would have me kill them if You were not with me – steer us all the way around each other so that You may bless all of us with continued life and freedom.'”
“Now that's how you get ahead of problems,” Gracie said.
“I feel like getting in front is better,” Amanda said, “because even though this is quality eavesdropping, I don't think Miss LaTricia is enjoying it.”
“Oh, she's not,” Gracie said. “By the time they call Vanna, mess around and find out is in full effect, and then they gotta listen to Vanna's mouth close up, with nobody on their side of the phone making sure are comfortable while they get the tough love.”
“Well, sometimes people gotta give it to you straight!” Edwina said. “Sometimes you need all the smoke!”
“No, Eddie, no,” Gracie said. “Miss LaTricia already has a friend from Hell – she does not need any more smoke! But do y'all want some water or anything?”
“Yeah, that's good and thank you!” Edwina said.
“Thank you!” Amanda said.
Gracie went into the pantry and got three little eight-ounce bottles of water, and stopped to pray over all of these while her other grandmother, Mrs. Velma Stepforth, did quality eavesdropping.
“Father in Heaven, I think you for letting me do quality eavesdropping on Melvin and Vanna so that I could see The Exorcism and understand what to do with holy water, so I need You to bless these water bottles because Edwina is listening to someone talking about a friend from hell and talking about people needing more smoke and she doesn't even know that she's in danger of becoming that friend if she doesn't heal, and Amanda is just trying to be safe and they have been through so much in foster care. Thank You that Vanna talks loud and helps us – oh, and could you bless this third bottle because I'm their friend and they need a good friend? I'm trying to love on them like You do, and it's hot and we all need hydration, so thank You – in Jesus's name, amen!”
Gracie went on with her bottles, leaving Mrs. Stepforth to get a bottle and wipe a tear.
“Father, I thank You that my baby Trent granddaughter already understands, although while misunderstanding, that even offering a cup of water to Your children in need is something You will count as though it was given to You. Help me at my big age to be willing to be used by You, and bless this water to hydrate my aging body so that I may go on and do Your will! In Jesus's name, amen!”
