Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Page A

all night before they were rescued?”
    “Yes. Well, not everybody was alive.”
    Catherine’s eyes grew wide.
    “We just knew there was a cave-in. We didn’t know if rock had fallen on anybody, whether the miners were trapped or dead. We waited and waited to hear if the rescuers had found anybody, and finally they sent up word that at least some of the men were still alive. But they wouldn’t give out any names.”
    “That must have been awful!” said Catherine.
    Ivy June nodded and steeled herself to continue: “This was last year, only a month after I’d gone to live with Mammaw and Papaw, and I was really liking it there. We all had the worry about the mine and what could happen—that’s just the way we live in Thunder Creek—but this time, for me, the worry was something fierce. I prayed to God that if anybody had to die, it wouldn’t be Papaw. I knew there were other men in there who were loved by their families, though, same as I loved my grandfather. So then I figured Luke Weller’s daddy would be missed the least, because I knew he got ugly when he was drinking, and Luke told me he drank a lot on Saturday nights. So I prayed to God that if he had to take somebody, he’d take George Weller.”
    Catherine said nothing, so Ivy June barreled on.
    “And then—when the missing men were found and only one was dead—Mr. Weller—I didn’t know whether to thank Jesus or ask him to forgive me. And now that I’ve seen what a misery it’s been for Luke’s big family—they can hardly get by—the worry’s been worse. One of Luke’s sisters is on drugs and a brother’s in jail. It might be that because of my selfishness, God’s going to teach me a lesson, and the next person he takes will be Papaw.”
    “No!” Catherine said. “You can’t believe God would do that, Ivy June!”
    “He made it be George Weller, didn’t he?”
    “Luke’s father could have died before you ever prayed that prayer!”
    “We don’t know that. Maybe it happened after I prayed,” Ivy June argued, hoping all the while that Catherine was right.
    “You’re not that powerful, Ivy June! Just because you pray for something doesn’t make it happen!”
    “When Grandmommy was sick with the flu last year and I prayed for her, she got better!” Ivy June insisted. “Don’t you believe in God, Cat?”
    “Yes, but I don’t believe he does every little thing people ask him to do. That’s like … like magical thinking. That even though God already knew who was going to die, you could make him change his mind. And I certainly don’t believe he kills people just to teach somebody a lesson!”
    Ivy June didn’t know whether to be relieved or skeptical. She nervously traced one finger over the weave in the bedspread. “After Papaw was rescued and Mammaw told him how much I’d cried, the next time he went in the mine he brought me out a little rock. Told me to hold it in my hand next time I worried, see how hard it was. Said to remember that he’s as strong and solid as that rock.”
    Ivy June hunched her shoulders and was quiet for a minute. Then, “I keep praying for Papaw to live so he can retire from the mine and breathe mountain air, not coal dust. But other people have prayed for their fathers and grandfathers too, and some of those men didn’t make it. Papaw’s been in the mine now longer than anybody else, so chances are—”
    Catherine interrupted. “Chances are he’s careful and he’s going to come out just fine!”
    “Unless God wants to make me pay …”
    “If God wants to make you pay, he’ll let you fall off a ladder and break your neck, Ivy June, but he won’t kill your grandfather!” Catherine said firmly. Then she added, “But in case you’re worrying about me telling your secret, I’m not going to tell anyone else what you told me.”
    “Then you’re a better friend than I’ve been to you,” said Ivy June.
    “Hey, we’re only halfway through the exchange program,” Catherine said.