"Angels- 02 - The Trouble With Angels" - читать интересную книгу автора (Macomber Debbie)

УWhen I was a girl I sometimes had nightmares,Ф Beverly told her.

Karen twisted around so she could see her grandmotherТs kind face. Even when she was only a little kid, she had liked her grandma Shields better than anyone.

УI dreamed a man with an ax was running after me, and no matter how fast I ran, he ran faster,Ф Beverly Shields said, Уand when he finally caught up with me, the ax would be rubber, and the murderer was my older brother. Then heТd laugh and laugh and laugh because it had been so easy to frighten me. ThatТs when IТd wake up, shaking and afraid, and really mad.Ф

УDidЕdid you go back to sleep?Ф

УSometimes. I learned that if I closed my eyes and talked to God, I felt a whole lot better. I found talking to God works in a lot of situations.Ф

УDo you do it often?Ф Karen asked.

УOh, sure, all the time. Any time of the day or night I feel like it.Ф

Karen studied her motherТs mother once more. УNo one suggested you see a counselor or anything like that?Ф

Her grandmother laughed outright. УWhy would they suggest that?Ф

УGrandma, think about it. People donТt exactly go around conversing with God, you know.Ф

УSure they do, but generally itТs called prayer.Ф

УOh.Ф Karen had pictured her grandmother carrying on a one-sided conversation with people listening in and thinking weird things about her. It was bad enough that Beverly put that fake hairpiece in her hair sometimes and stuck it there with bobby pins.

УI was thinking we might say a prayer together now, just the two of us,Ф Beverly said softly.

УMom and me used to go to church,Ф Karen said, her voice dropping a bit, Уbut that was before the divorce and for a little while afterward. Then one Sunday Mom said she didnТt want to go anymore.Ф

УYes, I know, but donТt fret about thatЧyou donТt need to be a regular church attendee to pray.Ф

Karen felt a little better knowing that. УWill you say the words, Grandma?Ф

УSome of them,Ф Beverly Shields agreed. УBut then you should say some of your own, too.Ф

УDo we have to speak them out loud?Ф

УNo, you can whisper them in your heart, too.Ф

Karen closed her eyes and bowed her head. Then, remembering the pictures sheТd seen in religious books, she gravely folded her hands. She wasnТt entirely sure why people laced their fingers together when they prayed, probably so they wouldnТt get distracted and wind their hair around their fingers or that kind of thing.

Her grandmother whispered a prayer, but Karen couldnТt understand all the words. She did hear the part about asking God to Уcomfort KarenФ and Уcalm KarenТs fears.Ф Grandma Shields went on for what seemed like a long time. After a while, Karen opened one eye and peeked and noticed her grandmotherТs lips were still moving.

Karen closed her eye again and waited. When the time seemed right she decided to pray, but she didnТt trust God to hear her if she said the words inside her heart.

УDear God,Ф she prayed, whispering like her grandma had done, only louder. УItТs me, Karen Woods. How are you? IТm fine. Well, sort of. I have bad dreams. Actually I donТt mind the dreams so much, Тcause if youТre listening, IТd rather ask for my mom. You see, she and my dad got a divorce. It was a messy one. But that was over two years ago, and my mother still hates my dad. And now my dad hates my mom. SheТs mad because, well, because my dad left us. Could you help Mom not hate my dad so much? And God,Ф she said, speaking faster now, thinking sheТd better cram in everything she could while she had his attention, УIТd really, really, really love it if you could see fit to give me a horse.Ф

УA horse?Ф her grandmother echoed, sounding surprised.

Karen opened her eyes and nodded enthusiastically.