Winter of Grace by Kate Constable

Author:Kate Constable
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: JUV000000
ISBN: 9781742697680
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2011-06-01T04:00:00+00:00

Saturday morning was cold and clear as glass. The river reflected the trees and the empty sky. Stella hurled a stick for Tim and he bounded after it, barking joyfully, almost tripping over his own stumpy legs in his excitement.

‘Stell,’ I said. ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’

‘Yeah?’

‘It’s about Mum.’ And I told her the story of the Children of Jesus, and Grandpa and Gran and Mum and me.

‘Wow,’ said Stella. ‘That’s hardcore.’ She squeezed my arm. ‘I hate to say it, but what else would you expect from God-botherers.’

I said, ‘Mmm.’ Tim brought back the stick and I flung it away again.

‘You’re not going back to that church, are you? Bridie, you’re kidding me. Even now you know what they’re like?’

‘They’re not the same people. That was Brisbane. That was sixteen years ago. Northside’s not like that.’ I almost said, God’s not like that.

Stella flicked back her hair. ‘Just tell me one thing. Are you after Jay, or not?’

‘Not. I told you already.’

‘It’s okay if you are. I’m not interested any more.’

‘Gee, thanks. So I can have your rejects, can I?’

‘That’s not what I meant!’

Then I remembered. ‘Elliot said the other night that Jay might lose his eye.’

Stella stopped in her tracks. ‘Oh no, seriously? God, that’s awful. Poor Jay.’

‘I thought you didn’t care about him any more?’

‘I can still be sorry about him going blind without wanting to be his girlfriend,’ snapped Stella.

‘Yeah, okay,’ I said after a second. ‘Sorry.’

Stella shot me a sidelong glance. ‘So if you’re not in love with Jay … you’re not in love with Jesus, are you?’

‘I hardly know Jesus,’ I said uncomfortably. Though it was true, I wanted to get to know Him better. Jay talked about Jesus as if He was a real person, as if He was still around, someone he could to talk to any time. I didn’t feel like that yet, but I was starting to wish I did. It sounded so comforting – and exciting too, to have a direct connection with this amazing, loving person.

Stella’s voice broke in on my thoughts. ‘I don’t get it.’

‘Get what?’

‘How people can just believe whatever the priest or whoever tells them. It’s all about being told what to think, not thinking for yourself. It’s in the Bible – well then, it must be true.’ She gave a sarcastic snort. ‘Have they actually read the Bible? Have you?’

‘Bits of it,’ I said.

‘Yeah? Have you found the part where it says you should be put to death for working on the Sabbath, or being rude to your parents? Or the part that forbids you to wear clothes made out of two different kinds of cloth? It’s all in there. These people just pick out the bits that suit them and ignore the bits that don’t. When it’s about condemning gay people, then it’s God’s word and we have to obey. But I bet Pastor Matt never preaches about giving all his money away, or throwing the shopkeepers out of the temple, does he?’

‘How would you know?’ I said, my temper rising.

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