This is Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)
Enjoy!
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been very stressed with school lately.
Nora Walker paced the room.
"What do you propose we do?" she asked. "I will not leave my poor son in the hands of another babysitter. Are you sure you saw my brother (or brother-in-law; I'm not sure) molesting my son?"
"As sure as there are stars and planets out there," answered Frank, her lover.
"And I am sure my nephew has abused Tommy in some way. Drat; I shouldn't have given him that cricket bat! No matter; he'll not see him again anytime soon."
She paced some more.
"He needs to be healed."
"I know the place. He will be replenished there."
The next day, Mrs. Walker brought her son to the Church of Marilyn Monroe. A pastor stood up at the front as she rushed Tommy in. They sat down.
"…you talk about your woman," the pastor was saying, "I wish you could see mine. Every time she starts a-lovin' she brings Eyesight to the Blind."
"Amen," replied the church. The women lifted their skirts and curtsied, whilst the men took hold of the hems and bowed. Mrs. Walker stood rigid, staring ahead. What sort of establishment was this?
Rows and rows exited their aisles and lined up in the middle of the pews to receive what Nora Walker believed to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, like most churches do. But as she jumped in line, she realized these people were receiving neither bread nor wine; they were receiving blue tablets and whiskey. Disgusted, Mrs. Walker steered her son back to their pew and sat down angrily. A band emerged from a back room and played as the pastor finished his lines, singing them instead of talking, like the first one.
"Her daddy gave her magic; I can tell by the way she walks. Her daddy gave her magic; I can tell by the way she walks. Every time she started a-shakin' the dumb begin to talk."
The church bowed their heads as they walked up and down the aisle receiving the drugs and alcohol. They did not reply "Amen" like they did the first line.
"She has got the power to heal you. Never fear. She has got the power to heal you. Never fear. Just a word from her lips and the deaf begin to hear."
Now, as everyone settled in their pews, they bowed their heads and muttered, "Amen."
The pastor lifted his hands, and the church responded by standing up. A large porcelain sculpture of Marilyn Monroe was pushed down the aisle by three white-clad deacons. When the sculpture was settled in at the front of the room near the pastor, the audience filed down the pews and touched the sculpture. Mrs. Walker noticed only those who were lame or who bore seeing sticks approached the porcelain figure.
This is it. My son will be healed.
Mrs. Walker strode to the back of the long line, and gazed at the large figure. In the sculpture, Marilyn Monroe was bent over and pushing her skirt in place, suspended in animation as fake wind blew it up.
Finally, it was Tommy's turn. Mrs. Walker took his hand and placed it on the hem of the sculpture's skirt. Upon feeling the texture of the porcelain, and his mother's cool touch, Tommy pushed the sculpture. Mrs. Walker gazed in horror as the sculpture teetered precariously on the edge of the altar. Before she could do anything, however, Mrs. Walker's last hopes of Tommy's normal life shattered to the ground in thousands of tiny pieces. Her mouth opened in an O of surprise. Before the pastor could come back, Mrs. Walker hurriedly led her son out of the church and rushed home.
That was a tad short… but it was definitely longer than the first few chapters!
Oh well
Bye
~dasi