Divine Intervention

“What should we play now Abby?”, Marley said as she drew lines in the dirt with a stick she had found in the backyard.

“I don't know Mar, it’s too hot out here to even think. And don’t call me Abby, I already told you about that.”

“Well why not, that’s your name ain’t it.”

“No, my name is Abileen. That’s what I’m gonna be called.”


“But I was calling you Abby a week ago. Why’s it gotta be different now?”

“Because Mar, I’m different now.”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am.”

“How your figure that?”

“Cause last week I was six, but now I’m seven.”

“Whas that gotta do with anything?”

“It means I’m a grown up now”

“No it don’t. You just made that up!”

“No I didn’t! My mama even says so. She says that seven is the age of decision. Grown-ups make decisions, that means I’m a grown up. That’s why you have to say my full name, cause nic-names is for kids.”


“Fine, then you have to call me Marely then.”

“No I don’t.”

“Do to!”

“Do not!”

“Why not! If you get to be a grown up, then so do I!”

“I already told you. You can’t be a grown up until you’re seven like me. Your still six, so that means you still just a kid. Sorry Mar, rules is rules. You’ll understand when you’re a bit older.”

“Oh yea, well you know what I think? I think turning seven didn't make you into a grown up, I think it made you into a BITCH.”

“…Bitch?”

“Yea, a BITCH.”

“Whas that word?”

“It’s a word for grown up girls who aint got no respect for people’s feelings. And that’s you, Abileen the bitch.”

“I can't wait till you turn seven so I can call you a bitch. A disrespectful bitch.”


“Yea well, Imma call you a bitch a day till my birthday.”

“Well Imma call you a bitch a day till you die.”

“So, I don't care. Do it. Your older, you gonna die first. And when you do, Imma write stupid bitch on your grave so everyone knows how you was in life.”

Abileen furrowed her brow as her jaw clenched and her cheeks turned a bright red. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead onto her cheek and her hands bawled up into fists. Marley heard the huffing noises coming from Abileen’s nose as they stood in the backyard of Abileen’s house. The heat bore down on them as they glared at each other in the dry humid air, no words exchanging. A gust of wind took up the silence between them, causing Abileen to recoiled her wadded hands . She felt the cooling sensation of the wind on her sweaty palms and forehead. Abileen seemed to have regained some sort of composure with the passing of the wind.

“You know what Mar, I don't have to sit here and listen to you. You’re just a dumb kid, what do you know.”

“I know lots, thank you very much.”

“I’m sure you do. Point is I forgive you.”

“Forgive me for what. I aint done nothing to you.”

“You slandered me. You called me names. And instead of pop’n you in the mouth I turned the other cheek like Jesus.”

“What mess are you talk’n now? You ain’t like Jesus.”


“Sure I am, I could have struck you down for that smart mouth of yers, but I chose to forgive instead. That’s what you do when you become holy.”

“Oh brother.” Marley said, and she exaggeratedly rolls her eyes before playing with the stick again.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me Marley Mae! Didn't anyone teach you to respect your elders!”

“Only elder I have to respect is my grandma, and if she was here she’d set you straight. You ain’t nothin holy. Matter of fact I think you is possessed. You’s possessed by a bullshit demon.”


“A what demon?”

“A bullshit demon. My grandma says that sometimes people get possessed by a bullshit demon. And when the demon gets a good hold on em, he starts talking out their necks saying all sorts of nonsense. Like people calling themselves grown up when they’s a kid, and calling themselves holy when they're anything but.”

“I am too a grown up now, and you just gonna have to accept that. And I am holy now. Seven is a holy number.”

“Just cause it’s a holy number don't mean it makes you a holy person.”

“Sure it does.”

“NOOOO it doesn’t.”

“Fine, I’ll just prove it to you then.”

Abileen took Marley by the hand and started dragging her down the street. She didn't let go until they got to the middle house in the cul-de-sac in their neighborhood. They were in front of Tommy’s house, another six-year-old they knew, but had never talked to, though not for lack of trying. Tommy hadn't said a word since he was born. This defect earned him the affectionate name of Tommy dipshit amongst the neighborhood kids. Everybody tried to get him to say something, anything, and he never did. No one had so much as heard him sneeze. Marley and Abileen stopped in front of the driveway of Tommy’s house. They were listening for the splashing sound in the backyard. Tommy didn't leave his backyard much, cause of all the kids in the neighborhood used to mess with him a lot, do mean things to him, mainly the boys. Now he just plays behind his house in a wade pool randomly splashing around.

“Come on Mar. Tommy’s back there, I can hear him.”

“Why are we here?”

“I’m gonna prove to you I’m holy. I’m gonna heal Tommy of his silent affliction.”

The girls walked up to Tommy in his pool. He was wearing a ninja turtle shirt with cargo shorts on, sloshing along in the water. The water coming all the way up to his calves, the only part of him submerged.

“Tommy, do you want to be healed?” There was no answer. Tommy just kept sloshing his feet around in the water, hands in his pockets, head bowed as if he were in prayer. He eyes fully focused on the small tidal waves he was making with his feet. Abileen walked up beside the pool

“Tommy, you got a demon wrapped around your throat and he's got a a hold of your voice. I’m gonna rid you of that neck demon.”

Abileen took her shoes off and stepped in the pool standing right in front of Tommy. Marley slowly inched closer to the two of them, her eyes glued to the unfolding scene. Abileen waved her hand in front of Tommy’s still bowed head.

“Demon, I know you’re in there, but you won’t be for long. With the help of my Jesus to the seventh power, I rebuke you!”

In one fluid motion the palm of Abileen’s hand came colliding with Tommy’s head, throwing him off balance and causing him for fall onto the grown with his feet still in the pool, dangling in the water.

“What are you doing?! You said you was gonna heal him not hurt him!”

“I am healing him. Go ahead and ask him for yourself. I bet you anything he’ll answer this time.” Marley knelt down beside Tommy on the ground. Tommy sat there still, not looking at either of them.

“Tommy, are you okay? I mean, are ya healed?” Tommy slowly sat up and moved his hands to his lap. He looks at his palms which were scrapped up from the pointed rocks and pebbles surrounding the pool. He slid his hands against each other to remove the dirt. Afterward he just looked at Marely with his big brown eyes, but still said nothing.

“See Ablieen? Just a quiet as he ever was.”

“These things take time. It probably hasn't kicked in yet.”

“Give it up already would ya. It didn't work. Let just go back to your house.”

“Is he baptized?”

“What?”

“Is Tommy been baptized?”

“How am I supposed to know something like that?”

“He must not be, seeing how the healing didn't work. He’s gotta be baptized.”

“Abileen please, let’s just go, he's fine as is. I mean you don't even know if he wants to be healed.”

“Don’t be stupid Mar. Everyone wants to get healed. Now help me get him back in the pool, we can do it in here.”

Tommy was standing upright in the pool again, hands back in his pockets. Head once again bowed. His feet were still as the water began to settle. Abileen put three fingers in the air. One for the father, one for the son, one for the holy ghost. With her fingers bound together she made the motion of a cross over the water in the pool in an attempt to bless it. She then crouched down and cupped the water with both hands. Slowly she stood back up and brought the water over Tommy’s head, and let it trickle down.

“Ok Tommy, now that your baptized we can get the throat demon out of you.”

Abileen began to wave her hand in front of Tommy’s head again when she felt Tommy’s hand swat at her wrist. Tommy wasn't looking down anymore, he was now looking directly into Abileen’s eyes, and without breaking eye contact, he sternly shook his head no. Abileen brought her hand back up again and again Tommy swatted it away from his head.

“Just leave him alone Abileen. He don’t want to be bothered. Or hit again.”

“I’m not hitting him; I’m trying to heal him.”

“He don't want it.”

“That’s not him talking, It the demon that making him reject Jesus. Maybe we should baptize him again.”


“But he already got saved, why baptize him again?”

“You can never be to saved Mar. Come on Tommy sit down in the water, you need more savin’ than I thought.”

Tommy stood there for a second, then lifted a foot out of the pool and shook the water off and started to step out to go back in the house. “Where do you think you’re going?” Tommy was lifting his other foot to shake off when Abileen grabbed a hold of him. “I said SIT DOWN!”

Abileen had gotten him by the collar and abruptly pulled back causing Tommy to lose him balance and fall on his back into the pool, making a big splash. As soon as Tommy was down Abileen fell to her knees besides him in the pool, and began holding him down so he couldn’t get back up. With one hand on his chest and the other over his face, she began shouting and dunking his head under wear.

“IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER!” she pushed his head down, fully submerging him. Tommy struggled to fight her and for air. He came up for a second with a huge gasp before being pushed back under. “AND OF THE SON!” Bubbles started to surface as the rest of his body thrashed, making waves of panic. He managed to sneak another gasp of air before being shoved back down. “STOP IT ABILEEN! YOU’RE HURTING HIM!”, Marley screamed as she watched in terror. But it didn't help, her screaming didn't seem to faze Abileen. She was determined to finish was she has started.

“AND OF THE HOLY GHOST!” She, after another gasp of air, held him under longer. “DEMON, LET TOMMY GO RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” Before Abileen knew what was going on, she felt a hard yank on her wet ponytail and she was being dragged out of the pool by Marley. When Abileen became more oriented a moment later, she sat up to find Marley in the pool holding Tommy in her arms patting his back as he coughed up water.

“ I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry.” The words came motoring out of Marley’s mouth like a freight train going a hundred miles an hour. She helped him out of the pool and lead him over to a lawn chair with a beach towel hanging on it. She draped the towel over his shoulders and hugged him still reciting her many apologies. Very much to her surprised he firmly hugged her back, coughing a little bit into her shoulder. When the embrace was broken, Tommy continued coughing into his towel and started to make wheezing sounds but appeared to be okay. Or at least for the time being. Marley turned around to face Abileen but didn't see her. She was no longer in Tommy’s backyard and Tommy and Marley hadn't so much as heard her leave. Marley turned back to Tommy, looking at his soaked frame, trembling and cold.

“Tommy, do me a favor and count to ten Mississippi and then go in the house and find your mom.” Tommy nodded in agreement. “Thanks. And sorry again.” With that Marley kissed his head and started running back to Abileens house. When she got there she saw Abileen under the big tree in her back yard, face buried in her knees. When Marley got closer she could see the red eyes and splotchy cheeks. Abileen had been crying. Marley just stood in front her not quite sure what to do. A moment passed before Abileen spoke.

“…Is he going to be okay?”

“I don’t know…I think so. He went and got his mom after I left. She’ll probably know what to do.”

“I didn't mean to hurt him….do you believe me? I didn't mean it.”

“I know. You just…got caught up I guess…” A long silence fell between the two girls, neither of them looking at each other. Just the two of them sitting there, staring at their feet and yanking blades of grass up from the dirt. After a while, Abileen spoke again.

“Wha...what do you thinks gonna happen now?”

“I’m not sure Abileen, but I do know one thing. You better thank God that Tommy can’t talk, cause if he could, you would have been in a world of hurt right about now.”

“…Call me Abby.”