building? And where’s the good reason for so many people in third-world countries living in poverty while we sit here on our fat asses wasting water and food and our lives?”
I was impressed by how deeply the guy seemed to feel—and how seriously he seemed to take—everything. “Okay, now that we’ve established what you don’t believe in—that everything happens for a reason. Maybe you could tell me what you do believe with all your heart.”
He paused, then said, “I guess that love will find a way.”
“Me, too,” I whispered, my heart beating so loud I was positive he could hear it.
I was pretty interested in finding out what else I had in common with this guy, but then Aunt Sarah announced we should all stop talking. Though there had been quite a bit of buzzing conversation and laughter before, now silence broke in. Eventually, she took me by the hand and led me back to my original place on the carpet.
“You can take off your blindfolds now,” she announced.
A second later, we were all blinking and staring around the room, looking a little disheveled and a lot confused. And the hot guy was nowhere to be found. I was way more disappointed by this fact than I had any right to be.
“So can any of you tell who you’ve been talking to just by looking around this room?” Aunt Sarah asked.
For me, at least, the answer to Aunt Sarah’s question was no. I had no clue who I’d just had such an intimate conversation with—just a supreme hope that it was my disappearing Travis look-alike. Almost everyone shook their heads along with me.
“And did any of you feel close to the person you were paired with, even though you couldn’t see them?”
Nods yes, all around. Especially for me.
“I want you to remember that feeling the next time you’re praying, whether that’s to God or Jesus or Mother Earth or whomever. Just because you can’t physically see the presence of love and goodness doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Everything you need is out there in the universe—but it’s up to you to believe in it, to find it, and to let it in. Even if it’s from an unlikely source,” she told us. “Next session, we’ll probe further into this little mystery. Until then, be good—and be open to all the goodness in the world!”
Kids started piling out the door, all wondering out loud who their partner might have been. I grabbed Dec. “I think I’m in lust.”
“Well, hallelujah,” he said. “I’ve been waiting all year to hear you say that!”
I punched him in the arm. “Goofball.”
He pretended to wipe away a fake tear. “You mean, not with me?”
I gave him a look.
“So I’m guessing the lust is for the guy Aunt Sarah paired you with then?”
“Well, maybe,” I said, “ if he was the hottie standing against the wall at the beginning of group. He totally disappeared after the game—poof! like magic—before I could find out whether he was my partner or not.”
“I think that was Criss Angel on the flat screen in the rec room, Colonel Mustard.”
“It was not,” I protested. “He was real.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Well, what about you?” I asked. “Did you wow all the chicks by telling them you wielded a big broom or something?”
“Nah,” he said. “The only girl I talked to other than you was my partner for the cheesy get-to-know-you game. And then I was feeling more subtle, what with the blindfold.”
“Was she metal enough for a guy like you?”
“Nope,” he said, “but she’s still sizzling.”
I gave him a squinty-eyed, suspicious look. “How would you know?”
“Because I peeked.”
“You sneaky bastard!” I said, impressed that Dec had blown off all the rules of his aunt’s church game. “You wouldn’t have possibly peeked at my guy while you were at it …?”
Dec shrugged. “I might’ve caught a tiny glimpse.”
“ Please tell me he looked like Travis from We the Kings,” I begged.
“He just looked like a regular guy. Not like
I was impressed by how deeply the guy seemed to feel—and how seriously he seemed to take—everything. “Okay, now that we’ve established what you don’t believe in—that everything happens for a reason. Maybe you could tell me what you do believe with all your heart.”
He paused, then said, “I guess that love will find a way.”
“Me, too,” I whispered, my heart beating so loud I was positive he could hear it.
I was pretty interested in finding out what else I had in common with this guy, but then Aunt Sarah announced we should all stop talking. Though there had been quite a bit of buzzing conversation and laughter before, now silence broke in. Eventually, she took me by the hand and led me back to my original place on the carpet.
“You can take off your blindfolds now,” she announced.
A second later, we were all blinking and staring around the room, looking a little disheveled and a lot confused. And the hot guy was nowhere to be found. I was way more disappointed by this fact than I had any right to be.
“So can any of you tell who you’ve been talking to just by looking around this room?” Aunt Sarah asked.
For me, at least, the answer to Aunt Sarah’s question was no. I had no clue who I’d just had such an intimate conversation with—just a supreme hope that it was my disappearing Travis look-alike. Almost everyone shook their heads along with me.
“And did any of you feel close to the person you were paired with, even though you couldn’t see them?”
Nods yes, all around. Especially for me.
“I want you to remember that feeling the next time you’re praying, whether that’s to God or Jesus or Mother Earth or whomever. Just because you can’t physically see the presence of love and goodness doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Everything you need is out there in the universe—but it’s up to you to believe in it, to find it, and to let it in. Even if it’s from an unlikely source,” she told us. “Next session, we’ll probe further into this little mystery. Until then, be good—and be open to all the goodness in the world!”
Kids started piling out the door, all wondering out loud who their partner might have been. I grabbed Dec. “I think I’m in lust.”
“Well, hallelujah,” he said. “I’ve been waiting all year to hear you say that!”
I punched him in the arm. “Goofball.”
He pretended to wipe away a fake tear. “You mean, not with me?”
I gave him a look.
“So I’m guessing the lust is for the guy Aunt Sarah paired you with then?”
“Well, maybe,” I said, “ if he was the hottie standing against the wall at the beginning of group. He totally disappeared after the game—poof! like magic—before I could find out whether he was my partner or not.”
“I think that was Criss Angel on the flat screen in the rec room, Colonel Mustard.”
“It was not,” I protested. “He was real.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Well, what about you?” I asked. “Did you wow all the chicks by telling them you wielded a big broom or something?”
“Nah,” he said. “The only girl I talked to other than you was my partner for the cheesy get-to-know-you game. And then I was feeling more subtle, what with the blindfold.”
“Was she metal enough for a guy like you?”
“Nope,” he said, “but she’s still sizzling.”
I gave him a squinty-eyed, suspicious look. “How would you know?”
“Because I peeked.”
“You sneaky bastard!” I said, impressed that Dec had blown off all the rules of his aunt’s church game. “You wouldn’t have possibly peeked at my guy while you were at it …?”
Dec shrugged. “I might’ve caught a tiny glimpse.”
“ Please tell me he looked like Travis from We the Kings,” I begged.
“He just looked like a regular guy. Not like
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