Chapter 4 - Faith
She flattened her dress with her thin fingers and got her smile back. "You know, we can offer a little bit more and help you move whatever furniture you wish to take with you." the old man snorted rudely through his nose. He was detailing her with sick eyes. The kind of eyes that smelled like sin. Faith was young but she could perfectly well identify people that were sick in their minds. It was like a soaking, smelly towel, left in a bag. Everything would end up rotting if you did not take care of the wet towel. She tried to bury her contempt and find something she liked about this man. Just like Joseph had told her to love every single one of the sinners on that planet. But she found it hard sometimes. Especially when they had that tainted look on their face. And the harder she looked at him, the more difficult she found to keep her smile. "I need to study other offers…" "What other offers?" asked Jeremiah in a defiant way. He had already been warned about his big mouth and tendency to speak at the worst possible moment. But he was loyal and protective, the kind of person Joseph liked around his family. The old man looked taken aback by the young man. Jeremiah had the look of somebody who was incredibly smart and quick. His big smile would break through his face and his black skin like a sun and his eyes reflected every single emotion that was going through his mind.
They were a small group. Faith, Jeremiah and a couple more folks, all wearing clothes branded one way or another with Eden's Gate signs. From afar, they could be mistaken for normal young people. Faith glanced at Jeremiah, her cold dark eyes, a signal to calm down. She got her smile back when she turned to face the man once again. "Mister Blackwood. We know this area is known to have very low real estate value… We are offering you the full price you've put on this house and a bonus to pay for moving anything you might want to keep. It is a generous and honest offer…". She tilted her head and cultivated the most innocent look on her face. Sometimes she had the feeling Joseph was only seeing that… Her pretty face. Sometimes she'd have enough of it. Sometimes she was glad. This time, the farmer seemed to doubt. Money. What a powerful weapon, just like the Father told them. Just like they all knew. That desecrated paper with sinner faces on them… "I'll think about it, kids." he said before backing out into his house. On the other side of the street, a neighbour pulled up. Was it shame that he was feeling? The will to not be seen dealing with the foreigners? They probably saw themselves as locals, but the small group knew one thing for sure: they were home.