“You know, I kinda think that if we could go to Heaven for a minute and stroll around the grounds like it says in that book, I think it would be real safe because you figure angels gotta be good guards and stuff.”
Seven-year-old Amanda Ludlow was thinking after her eleven-year-old sister Eleanor had read to her a children's book about visiting Buckingham Palace and seeing the famous changing of the guards.
“Oh, definitely,” Eleanor said. “So, if Andrew is right, and Cousin Harry is in fact the Angel of Death on guard duty here until Papa and Grandma get back on Sunday, just think about the fact that God has millions of angels.”
“Oh, well, try stuff on one Cousin Harry and you learn real quick that ain't what you want,” Amanda said. “Remember that guy who came over here all mad and Cousin Harry told him that if he didn't stop cussing while we were in hearing he was going to wash out his mouth with soap – and the guy didn't believe?”
“He didn't believe until five minutes later when he was hogtied and his mouth was full of Cousin Harry's mountain-made soap,” Eleanor said, “but see, in the Bible, it never ends well when an angel or prophet tells you that you need to get your life together, but you decide not to believe. Cousin Harry can't contradict that, so, he has to follow through.”
“I mean, that was a lesson for us all,” Amanda said. “I don't even want to learn to talk to people in a way God doesn't like because I'm not into drama and stuff.”
“Me neither,” Eleanor said. “You and me have had enough drama over people just acting a fool for a lifetime already.”
“Yep, I was kinda done with that after Papa rescued us from foster care,” Amanda said. “I mean, I'm not as into this as Edwina is, but Papa is probably the best drama boomerang there is. If you bring drama over here, you're going to get that back long before we are bothered.”
“Yeah, Papa is definitely the 'Drama Return to Sender' archangel, complete with a double bass trumpet in his voice,” Eleanor said, “but don't sleep on Grandma either, though. Remember how she shut your foster mother down in just three sentences?”
“Grandma is big-time too,” Amanda said. “She said all the things I didn't know I wanted to say, and was real nice about it, too, so nice that Bad Foster Mom couldn't even think of anything to say back. She still may not be talking.”
“Oh, she probably has to speak with her cellmates and the prison guards,” Eleanor said, “but, since she never had anything good to say to you, we don't really care if we hear from her again anyway.”
“Not really,” Amanda said. “Like I said, Grandma handled it. We may not be in Heaven yet, but I feel safe here!”
“Wanna stroll around the grounds, sis?” Eleanor said.
“Yeah!” Amanda said, and out they went to walk around the yard until they found siblings and friends to do other fun stuff with.
