Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Fire-fighter (10/05/06)
-
TITLE: The Good Ones | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ed VanDeMark
10/05/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“I remember Mrs. Sweeney saying that Danny was goanna grow up awful good or awful bad.”
“Yeah it seems to work that way with some kids.”
“Look at him now - the best preacher this town’s ever had.”
“It reminds me of Paulie. He was either goanna be a cop or a crook”
“What about Hank?”
“Our local hero?”
“I knew from the start. He would start fires or put ‘em out.”
“You got that right. The good ones needed lots a prayer.”
Hank Devlin has a checkered history when it comes to fires. When he was ten, he torched a hedgerow so that we could celebrate the Fourth of July- as he put it “the right way.” At fourteen, he wouldn’t let any of us call in the shack fire. He said “There aint’ no way that fire could get goin lest ol’ George wanted it to burn. We be best letting it get a good head start before we go calling it in.” That same fall when Collier’s house burned, he stood guard on the propane tank so he could warn folks in case the flames started getting too close.
“I don’t think he was twenty yet when he led four cows outa Goodwin’s burnin barn.”
“Did he ever show ya the burns on his back from that one?”
“I don’t think so, but it’s not like him to talk about his self much.”
“Hot tar dripped off the roof, went down the back of his shirt. A couple big ones too, but he kept going back in there as long as he could.”
“Heard that the Methodist church is honoring him for saving that little girl back in the spring.”
“I think his wife had something to do with that.”
“How so?”
“Come on- Hank in church?”
“I’m not following you.”
“Hank is one of those guys that would go to Hell because there’s a fire to fight down there.”
“Now that you mention it, I do think that Gloria may have had something to do with it.”
“I’ll bet she set this thing up just to get him inside the place.”
“Actually he’s been in church every Sunday for over a year now.”
“No way.”
“Yes sir, he’s got real religion.”
“That’s not the Hank I know.”
“Sunday school, too.”
“Now your makin’ me cry. Hank in Sunday school?”
“You said it yourself. The good ones need lots of prayer.”
“But Hank…”
“Gloria and her momma prayed ol’ Hank right into the kingdom.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Last I heard they was praying for you.”
“Me?”
“Yep. Gloria’s the real fire fighter in that family.”
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
