Old Enough

To be frank, my circumstances leading to my first sleepover, EVER!, were not great news with Paw-Paw having a procedure in the hospital and all, but like my friend Hobo Hank says, "when the opportunity comes, ya gotta jump." And jumping is what Clara and I did when we heard the news.

Clara and her cousins had already rummaged through my "just-in-case bag" so my stuff was all over tarnation. I spotted my smiley face pillow peeking out from behind her toy basket and grabbed it. Pearl brought us a big bowl of popcorn dripping in butter and we dug in, licking our lips and fingers.

Clara had about as much problems with blabbing away as I did but when she told me she knew my biggest secret to this day I was jinxed for sure.

"I know you been down to the train tracks." She ran her index finger around the bottom of the popcorn bowl and sucked up the last of the butter. I sat and waited for her mouth to move again; one long day together had already taught me her lips would make a few funny twitches left and right then out would spew either hilarity or some need to know information I would be grateful for down the road.

"Aunt Pearl was all up in the air 'bout it; she was talking to herself and pacing back and forth wondering if she should tell your Paw-Paw. Ya'll got few rules over in yonderville 'parently, but this one is like a major NO. I asked my aunt what she was fussin' bout yesterday and she threw me outside to "go play" as always. So, now whatcha gonna do Missy?" Clara stood and did her hand on her hips thing and I smirked. What could I do?

Clara kept on, "Here's what I have gathered, whatever your Paw-Paw has that needs fixin' pra-blah-bee, yes, pra-blah-bee, stopped Aunt Pearl from telling on your newly whooped butt. God finds ways out even for us sinners."

"Wait what"? I knew little about sinning."Whatcha mean by sinners?"

"Oh now you got to be kiddin' with me. Seriously? Are you a heathen?"

I thought quickly and before I could answer Pearl opened the door with her big, warm smile and said, "Come to the kitchen for your jello chatter boxes." I loved how Pearl kept her promises but I did not feel at all deserving of her good nature.

Both of us made sounds trying to squirt the orange blobs between our teeth, showed each other our open mouths with whipped cream and almost choked laughing. I don't know how Clara can make me laugh so hard when I am on the brink of serious bad times and may be a heathen.

While Aunt Pearl was shutting the doors and putting Great Somebody so-n-so to sleep on the sofa I asked Clara what a heathen was. Her answer was quite matter of fact for her wise cracking self, she simply replied, "People who don't go to church and fear God the Almighty King." She then said we had to wash up after ourselves, "Aunt Pearl has had enough for one day child, Lord knows." I was truly worried now as Paw-Paw and I had never been to church that I knew about. Here he was lyin' in the hospital a blatant heathen just like me.

While brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed I got that ole sinking feeling again that made my brain tired and my heart get soft. Clara spit then looked right at me. "Oh no, don't you start up with them sad girl eyes again May; calm down. I will make sure you are saved, I promise. First thing tomorrow morning I will save you from your sins. For tonight, I will show you how to pray right. You will need to do extra prayers on your own tomorrow however cause I got stuff to do, called "chores!" Lemme guess, you don't know what that means either." I followed her to bed.

Clara climbed up to the top bunk and I lay on the bottom and held my smiley face pillow tight. Clara called down, "Are your eyes closed?" I answered, "they are now." and waited for further instructions.

"Repeat after me, Dear God, say it like you mean it now. "My name is May and I am raging heathen, please save me from my own stupidity. Amen."

I did so and then I opened my eyes and there hung Clara upside down, her braids dangling in the moon light laughing so hard she farted. She got me again!

*Photo above by Carl Jorgensen on Unsplash*