FM Flash Friday # 4: Church Day

Church Day

By

Lazette Gifford

Copyright 2012, Lazette Gifford

Michael kept his hands folded and his head bowed.  He wanted to shake hair back from his face, but grandma never liked when he fidgeted in church.  He looked at his shoes -- as black and shiny as he could make them to please her.  Neat clothes, too.  He hadn't gone out and thrown rocks and played in his good suit before church today.  He wanted to please her.

His sister sniffed next to him.  He didn't jab her with his elbow. Grandma didn't like that kind of behavior.

He would miss sitting here with grandma on Sunday, and the big meals afterwards.  By next Sunday they'd be living with Aunt Hattie and Uncle Ben and their kids.  New home, new school, new rules.

When the preacher said to bow their heads in prayer, he did so with all the attention he could manage. Please, God, don't let the new fourth grade teacher be as bad as the last one.

But that wasn't the right kind of thing to wish for today.  So he asked for God to keep watch over Grandma. She'd like that.

And when the preacher signaled, Mike and his sister walked up and laid their hands on grandma's coffin and said good-bye to her.

The End 

212 Words

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