Woofles: The Question

As she walked to Miss Sestor's history class, Natasha saw Kelsey giggling with another girl. She didn't seem to notice Natasha as she walked past. Tears sprang to Natasha's eyes as Kelsey walked by. I wonder when she started walking out on her new friends' lives, she thought. She pondered this, then thought, As least I have Gloria now. It was true. For two weeks she played, talked, and laughed with Gloria. "John, he be a pest most times," she said. "I know exactly how you feel. Lucy is a TOTAL pest, and I have another sibling coming, too." Natasha groaned. "Oh, wow!" Gloria's delighted expression soon changed; she looked extremely perplexed. "And you no is happy? John and me have great times 'agether, even though he be a pest. " she said. That made Natasha think hard. She thought about all the fun things she had done with Lucy. "I don't really know yet," she told Gloria. That night as she lay in bed thinking, Natasha thought, I wonder if Gloria is a Christian. Oh, no! What if she's not?! She woke up the next morning and wondered, How on earth am I going to ask Gloria if she's a Christian or not? I know! I'll ask Momma. So she did. After she had talked with Momma over toast and eggs, she had a plan. She would simply talk to Gloria when they got off the bus. When she got on the bus and sat down beside Gloria, Natasha's heart was pounding. I think all the people on the bus can hear my heart pounding, she thought. It was a funny thing to think, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. Natasha said basically nothing the whole way there, while Gloria was jabbering so much Natasha couldn't get a word in anyway. When they jumped off the bus, Natasha's heart leaped. She took a deep breath and blurted out, "Gloria, are you a Christian?"