BEGINNING
Somehow he’d slipped away but I caught her as she came down the steps from the meeting place.
I pushed the Mic towards her. “So what’s the deal? Did you and Jesus set that up as a promotional stunt?”
MIDDLE
She looked through me. She seemed dazed. She said, “What are you looking for?”
“The truth! Was that a scam?”
People were trying to touch her as if magic dust might rub off on to them. She didn’t resist. She grinned. “Is that what you saw?”
I had a story to write so I pressed close to her with my interviewing stuff. “Tell me what happened?”
“Do I know you?”
“You’ve maybe read my byline.”
“As usual I came to the meeting bent over. I noticed him across the room and he noticed me,” she said.
“Okay.” Now I was getting somewhere. I decided it was best to let her ramble. Later I could sort out her jumbled words. With an engaging smile I encouraged her to keep talking.
“He motioned for me to come to him.” Her timid eyes met my insistent eyes.
“Alright.”
“He said, ‘You are now well’ and I was.”
“Right.”
“I’ve been bent over for eighteen years and today I’m straight.”
“So what’d you feel … anything?”
“He laid his hands on me and I could stand straight.”
“And?”
“And I’ll never be the same. He changed me. He gave me back my life.”
END
This was useless. What could I do with this drivel? I mean really, who believes these days that evil spirits cause someone trouble? Furthermore, who believes healing is actually possible? Certainly, there is no caring God. This had to be a gimmick. Yet, I could sense her joy.
She said, “I once was bent, now I’m straight.”
P.S.
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