"That was fun!" Lili said to Hope Brown as the two girls, along with Hope's parents and older sisters Faith and Grace, rode home from the harvest festival at New Hope Assembly of God Church.
"It was," Hope agreed. "My church does it every year, instead of Halloween."
Hope was Lili's friend from school. The two girls had been in the same class for first grade, and now again for second grade.
"Remember, tomorrow we have a special guest in church, Joel Bernstein," Mrs. Brown said from the front seat.
"You've never been to my church before, have you?" Hope asked Lili.
"No, we just go to Grace Lutheran Church every Sunday," said Lili.
"You're in for a treat!" Mrs. Brown told her.
At the Brown home, everyone got out of the station wagon and went inside the house. Lili had straw in her hair, and her face was sticky with cotton candy. She'd already left her suitcase in the bedroom Hope shared with Grace.
"You can take your bath first, since you're our guest," Hope told Lili.
"Thanks," said Lili. She took her pajamas and panties out of her suitcase, then took them into the bathroom. She didn't know anything else to do but to stuff her dirty clothing into the suitcase for her mother to wash after she got home. She took her Sunday dress out of the suitcase and hung it up so it wouldn't get wrinkled and dirty.
"We go to bed earlier on Saturday nights, because we have to get up early on Sunday morning for church," Hope told Lili, after they'd both bathed.
"Doesn't your Mom read you a bedtime story first?" asked Lili.
"Yes. She'll be in in a few minutes."
Sure enough, Mrs. Brown arrived to read the story about the miracle of the five loaves and two fish.
"Now we say our bedtime prayer," Hope told Lili. Both girls knelt by the side of the bed.
"God bless Mom and Dad, and Grandma and Grandpa, and Faith and Grace, and Miss Reeves and all the children, and President Nixon, and everybody!" said Hope.
Lili gulped, unsure of what to say. Bedtime prayer wasn't part of her own family's nightly ritual.
"God bless - Mom and Dad, and Paula and Benny, and Uncle Paul and his family, and the President and - everybody!" she stammered, watching out of the corner of her eye for Hope's reaction.
"Very good, girls," Mrs. Brown said with a smile. She tucked both girls in, kissed their cheeks, and left the room. Grace was allowed to sit up half an hour later because she was older.
Lili was awakened the next morning by Grace's shaking her shoulder. "Come on! We have to eat breakfast now. We can't be late for church."
Lili rubbed her eyes and followed Grace and Hope into the dining room, where Mrs. Brown had prepared a feast of grits, eggs, toast, and bacon, with orange juice to drink.
Hungrily, Lili snatched up her fork, then paused when she realized no one else had moved.
"We always turn thanks first," Hope explained.
"Will you, Faith?" asked Mrs. Brown. Faith was thirteen and in eighth grade. Without hesitation, she bowed her head and close her eyes, and everyone else did the same.
"Dear Lord, please bless this food and keep us all in your tender loving care, in Jesus' name, amen," she recited.
At last Lili could eat. She devoured her food and asked for seconds. After breakfast, everyone hurried to get dressed, and then they were on their way to church.
In the enormous parking lot, Mr. Brown had a little trouble finding a parking spot. Lili could hear singing and clapping as soon as she opened the car door to step out, and the sound was magnified many times as she entered the church along with the others.
The Browns found a seat and joined in the singing and clapping. Lili tried to join in as well, but she didn't know the words to the song. After that song, everyone sang another, and then a third.
The third song was near the end when suddenly a woman began to speak loudly in a language Lili had never heard before. Everyone fell silent so that only her voice was heard. When she finished, the silence continued for a few more seconds.
"If you have the interpretation, obey God," said the pastor, Brother Lincoln. Nobody responded. The singing and clapping resumed, and Lili wondered whether there would ever be anything else, when after about the eighth song, it finally stopped.
"I'd like to introduce a special guest now," said Brother Lincoln. "His name is Joel Bernstein, and he's been used mightily by God. Let's all give him a warm welcome, shall we?"
Thunderous applause erupted as a slight, dark-haired young man came to the front. When he reached it, Lili saw that at the ends of his suit sleeves were, not hands, but shiny metal hooks!
Horrified, she could only gasp and stare as Joel took a microphone in his right hook and began to sing a song called 'Through It All.' When the song was over, he began to tell his life story of having been born without hands and the challenges he'd faced growing up and learning to write and perform other tasks with his feet.
Lili was so upset at the sight of the hooks, she hardly heard anything he said. She was indescribably relieved when Joel was finally gone.
The service concluded, and everyone began to leave. Lili remained frozen in place, until Hope finally nudged her.
"He had hooks instead of hands!" she gasped.