"I was hoping they were with you," Rebecca said. "They left before the storm."
"They did? Why would they go sneaking around at night? Especially, Prudence. I thought she was much more responsible than that."
Rebecca took Annie from Miss Brigham and then explained what had happened with Samantha, followed by Prudence going after her. "Then the storm began tearing the roof off the dormitories, so David and I brought the children here."
"That is very good thinking, dear," Miss Brigham said. "We should be safe here in God's house. He would never do anything to us here. Not unless we've offended Him in some way. I can't imagine how we might have made Him so angry as to send such a terrible storm."
"I don't know either," Rebecca said. "What about Samantha and Prudence?"
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for them, dear. Not in this storm, in the dark. We'd only wind up getting ourselves lost and hurt. We will have to trust in the Lord to protect them." Miss Brigham raised her voice to add, "Children, let's all bow our heads to pray for the Lord's forgiveness and for His protection of Samantha and Prudence."
Rebecca knelt on the floor with Annie next to her. They bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Please don't let anything bad happen to Samantha and Prudence, she thought. Let them come back safely to us. I don't think I can go on without them. Amen.
She looked up to see Miss Brigham still knelt in prayer. Rebecca drifted over to where David sat, his arms crossed. "Didn't you pray for them?"
"Why? If God wants them dead or not is up to him. Nothing we can do about it."
"That's not a nice thing to say."
"It's the truth. You really think God listens to you, Tubby?"
"Yes."
"Then why haven't you prayed to him to make you skinnier?"
"I have."
"There you go."
"Just because He hasn't made me skinny doesn't mean He doesn't hear me."
"So he just wants you to be fat then?"
"Why do you have to be so cruel?" Tears came to Rebecca's eyes. She ran into a far corner of the church so that mean boy wouldn't see her cry. The worst part was that she had thought the same things herself sometimes. Why did God make her this way? Why couldn't He have made her pretty and skinny like Helena. It wasn't fair.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She assumed it would be Miss Brigham, but then she heard David say, "I'm sorry."
She wiped her eyes and then turned to face him. "You are?"