Joseph Writes on the Wall
Joseph Anderson Donetti heard each rung of the ladder creak softly as Mac climbed up. At least he assumed it was Mac. So far she was the only one who had climbed in his bedroom window. “Hi!” he said without looking around, concentrating on the project he had started after finishing his letter to Danny.
“What in the world are you doing?” Mac exclaimed.
Joseph heard the bed springs protest as Mac bounced across them.
“Are you really writing on the wall?” Mac asked incredulously. “People don’t write on walls! What is G.M. going to say?”
Joseph sighed. He put the lid back on the black marker he had been using and looked at Mac. “You don’t think I didn’t ask her, do you?” he said. “I’m not a baby! I don’t run around writing on the walls without permission!”
“G.M. said you could write on the wall?” Mac could hardly believe it. “That is so cool! I always wanted to draw on my bedroom walls, but my mom won’t let me. I don’t know why not. A friend of hers who’s an artist painted little designs all around the top of her dining room walls. It’s called stenciling. She painted the same design over and over. And then she stenciled a Bible verse underneath it. Sort of like what you are doing, only more artistic.”
“Thanks a lot,” Joseph said. He stepped back and looked at his handiwork. “I like it,” he said. “But now that you mention it, I should probably have started a lot higher up on the wall. Right up next to the ceiling. But it’s not too late. I can just add verses up there later.”
“Have you written down every one of the verses Pastor Chuck gave us?” Mac asked.
“Yup.” Joseph nodded. “Every one. And I learned another one by heart, too. This one.” He pointed. “John 14:1-3.” He shut his eyes. “‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in Me. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you to be with me so that you may be where I am.'” Joseph grinned. “I really like that verse!”
Mac sat down cross-legged on the floor. “It’s not fair,” she protested. “You are going to be looking at all those verses all the time, and pretty soon you’ll have all of them memorized. Maybe I could get some really big paper and tape it up on my wall and write verses on it.
“I know what I’m going to do!” she exclaimed. “Our friend Patti knows how to print in calligraphy. You know—really fancy letters. I’m going to ask her if she’ll teach me how to do it, and then I’ll make my verses really artistic. Maybe I’ll use lots of different colored markers and draw designs, too. They’ll be like posters!” She thought for a minute. “I’ll have to get heavy paper, though. Something that won’t get all wrinkly or crinkly.”
Joseph looked at his wall again. He kind of liked the plain black letters on the plain white wall. It reminded him of a giant newspaper. Maybe he would write next week’s verses in columns.
Mac unfastened the two safety pins at the top of her overall pocket. “I brought Harvey the Third out for a little walk,” she said. “Actually, Mom says it’s time I let him go, and then I can find another lizard in a few days. He’ll be Harvey the Fourth. Wouldn’t it be funny if I caught Harvey the First or Harvey the Second again and then named him Harvey the Fourth? Here.” Mac handed Harvey to Joseph and closed the pins.
Joseph held Harvey the Third carefully. He could feel his little heart beating. Harvey looked Joseph in the eye. “I think he’s excited,” Joseph said. “I think he knows he’s going to be set free.”
“Of course he does,” Mac said. “I told him so. Do you want to go with me? We could climb down the ladder and do it right now.” She looked at Joseph and grinned.
“I don’t think so,” Joseph said. He watched Harvey flick his tail. “I mean I’ll go with you to let him go. But I’m not going to climb down that ladder.”
“I already know that,” Mac said. “I’m just teasing.” Even though Joseph had never said so, Mac knew that he was a little afraid of heights. She didn’t understand that herself, but she could accept it. Almost everybody was afraid of something or other.
Joseph and Mac and Harvey clumped down the stairs. Actually, Joseph and Mac did the clumping. Harvey sort of floated down.
“Do I hear two sets of feet descending my stairs?” G.M.’s voice came from the living room. “Have you been climbing ladders again, Mac?”
Mac giggled. “Hi, Mrs. Anderson,” she said. “Joseph and I are going to let Harvey the Third go.”
“Not in my house, I hope!” G.M. said, peering over the top of her glasses. “Well, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” she reconsidered. “There always seem to be crickets in here. He’d have plenty to eat.”
“I promised Mom I’d let him go outside,” Mac said. “Do you want to tell him good-bye?”
G.M. softly stroked Harvey the Third’s head with her index finger. “I guess outside is the best place for him.” She smiled at Mac. “Be sure to bring over Harvey the Fourth so I can meet him.”
“That is so cool that you let Joseph write on the wall!” Mac exclaimed. “I wish my mom would let me do that!”
G.M.’s eyes twinkled. “I think it’s a good idea, too,” she said. “You can learn a lot by using your hands. After you let Harvey go, come back and I’ll show you what I mean.”
