53
Sandra Harper ruffled her daughter’s hair. ‘What do you want to eat, honey?’ Bella was sitting in front of the television wearing her favourite Barbie pyjamas. The doctors had discharged her first thing in the morning and as soon as they’d got home she had retreated to the sofa. Bella shrugged and kept her eyes on the television. ‘I’m okay.’
‘Are you sure? Pizza Hut? KFC? Burger King? Your dad can drive and get you whatever you want.’
‘I’m not hungry, Mum.’
‘Tomorrow’s Saturday, do you want to go to the pictures? It’s been ages since we saw a film together. We could go with Grandma and Granddad. Make it a family day out?’
Bella shrugged but didn’t say anything.
Sandra sat down next to her daughter. ‘Are you okay?’
‘Don’t worry. I’m fine.’ She continued to stare at the television.
‘What are you watching?’
‘A documentary on the Holocaust.’
‘The Holocaust? Why on earth are you watching that?’
‘It’s interesting.’
‘I’m not sure you should be watching that.’
‘Why not?’
Sandra picked up the remote and flicked through the channels until she found a cartoon show. ‘That’s better.’
‘I hate cartoons,’ said Bella.
‘You love cartoons.’ She brushed Bella’s hair away from her eyes. ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’
Bella sighed. ‘Really, I’m fine.’
‘The doctors said you might be in shock for a while.’
‘I’m not in shock.’
‘You don’t have to go to school next week if you don’t want to.’
‘No, I’ll go. Really, I’m fine.’
Sandra smelled something unpleasant and she frowned. ‘Did you clean your teeth this morning?’
‘Sure.’
Sandra leant forward to smell her daughter’s breath but Bella turned her head away. ‘Mum, please …’
‘Do you feel okay? Is your stomach bad?’
‘My stomach’s fine.’
‘So why aren’t you hungry?’
‘I’m just not,’ said Bella.
Again Sandra caught the smell of something bitter and acrid yet also sickly sweet. Like very old cheese. But before she could say anything, the doorbell rang. She frowned. ‘Now who’s that at this time of night?’ She went over to the window and pulled back the curtain. ‘Bloody Jehovah’s Witnesses.’
Will appeared at the sitting room door. ‘Who is it?’
‘The God squad,’ she said. ‘Alisha said they were around yesterday.’
The doorbell rang again. ‘I’ll get rid of them,’ said Will.
Bella turned to look at her father. ‘What are Jehovah’s Witnesses?’ she asked.
‘Nutters,’ said Will. ‘They want to come in and talk about God.’
‘Can I talk to them?’
Will frowned. ‘What? Why?’
‘I’d like to talk to someone about Jesus.’
‘Honey, like Daddy says, they’re nutters. They’re a cult. If you want to talk to someone about Jesus we can go to a church, but these people are just a nuisance and they won’t take no for an answer.’
‘Please, Daddy. I want to.’
Will looked over at Sandra and she shrugged. ‘If that’s what she wants …’
‘Please, Daddy.’
‘Okay, but once we let them in we’ll never be able to get rid of them.’
Will went off to open the front door. A few seconds later he returned with a young man in a dark raincoat and a blonde woman on her thirties with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. Both were carrying black briefcases.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Will said to his wife. ‘I’ve got to do some work on the car.’ He disappeared down the hallway before Sandra could say anything.
The woman held out her hand. ‘I’m Tina,’ she said. ‘Your husband said you’d be happy to talk to us. Have you heard the word of God?’
Sandra shook the woman’s hand. ‘We go to church, yes,’ she said. ‘But it was my daughter who wanted to talk to you.’
Bella smiled up at the two Jehovah’s Witnesses. ‘I’m Bella,’ she said.
‘Hello, Bella.’ She introduced her colleague. ‘This is David.’
David was in his thirties, slightly tubby with thick-lensed spectacles. He shook hands with Sandra and flashed Bella a beaming smile.
‘Look, I have to say that I’m a little uncomfortable about this,’ said Sandra. ‘As I said, we go to church. I don’t want you to start putting ideas into my daughter’s head.’
‘I just want to talk to them, Mummy. It’ll be fine.’ She patted the sofa next to her. ‘They can sit here.’
The two Jehovah’s Witnesses took off their coats and looked expectantly at Sandra. She took the coats from them and they sat down on the sofa, either side of Bella. ‘Why don’t you get them some tea, Mummy?’ asked Bella.
‘Oh, I don’t think they’ll be here that long, honey,’ said Sandra.
‘Actually a cup of tea would be lovely,’ said Tina, and David nodded.
Sandra sighed. ‘Right then, tea it is,’ she said. She walked out of the room, carrying the coats. Bella was looking at her, so Sandra mouthed ‘Ten minutes’ and flashed her a warning look.
‘So you are interested in God and how he can be a part of your life?’ asked Tina.
Bella nodded. ‘Of course. God loves us and we are his children.’
‘That’s right,’ said David. ‘But what is important is that we demonstrate our love for God. We must show that we are worthy of his love.’ He opened his briefcase and took out a handful of leaflets. He sorted through them and handed two to her. ‘These are especially for children,’ he said. ‘They will help you to understand what you must do to ensure your place in Heaven.’
Bella smiled. ‘Oh, I don’t think I’ll be going to Heaven.’
‘Of course you will, if you do what God wants,’ said Tina. ‘Now, have you ever heard of a man called Charles Taze Russell?’
‘He founded the Jehovah’s Witnesses,’ said Bella. ‘He wrote the books Studies in Scriptures, which is what your theology is based on.’ She smiled sweetly.
Tina and David exchanged surprised looks. ‘Has someone from our Church talked to you already?’
Bella shook her head. ‘No, you’re the first,’ she said. ‘But there is something I don’t understand. You don’t believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, do you?’
‘God is a single deity, there is only the one God,’ said Tina.
‘Right, but you think that the Archangel Michael is Jesus, don’t you?’
‘It’s not as simple as that,’ said David. ‘God created Michael and through him God created the universe, the earth, and all mankind.’
‘And that happened 42,000 years ago, you think.’
David and Tina looked at each other. ‘Bella, who have you been talking to?’ said Tina. ‘Have your parents put you up to this? Is this some sort of joke?’
‘Because really it’s not funny,’ said David. ‘God is not a laughing matter.’
‘I just worry about the dinosaurs, that’s all,’ said Bella. ‘They were around millions of years ago so I don’t see how that fits in with your 42,000-year theory.’ She clapped her hands. ‘But that’s not what really worries me. It’s the whole Archangel Michael thing.’
Tina frowned at the little girl. ‘What do you mean?’
Bella sighed. ‘You believe that Michael became Jesus. And that God sent him down to be the saviour.’
‘That’s right,’ said Tina. ‘He was without sin and he obeyed all of God’s laws. He took on all the sins of mankind and then he died and was born again in spirit.’
‘And you believe that one day Jesus will return to earth to destroy Satan and establish God’s kingdom on earth?’
‘That’s right,’ said Tina. ‘And only those who follow our path will be saved. That is why we come to people’s houses, to give them the chance to choose their own salvation.’
Bella nodded. ‘Here’s what I don’t understand,’ said Bella. ‘You say that Michael became Jesus Christ. But I’ve met them both. Michael took me to see Jesus.’
Tina stood up. ‘I think I’ll just go and see how your mother’s getting on with the tea,’ she said.
As she left the room, David pushed his spectacles up his nose. ‘What was this, Bella, a dream?’
‘I don’t think it was a dream,’ said Bella. ‘I think I sort of died for a while and then Michael came to see me.’
‘Michael? The Archangel Michael?’
Bella nodded. ‘He was very kind.’
‘And you think he was an angel?”
‘He had wings,’ said Bella.
‘Wings?’
‘Big wings. Like, huge.’
‘And he said he was Michael, the Archangel.’
Bella nodded seriously. ‘Yes. And then he took me to see Jesus.’
‘Bella, you know this was a dream, don’t you?’
Bella’s face hardened. ‘No, it was Jesus. He spoke to me for a long time.’
‘Now come on, Bella, it’s wrong to tell stories.’
‘I’m not telling stories. Jesus spoke to me. He told me lots of things. He told me about you, David.’
David’s jaw dropped. ‘What?’
‘He told me about you and what you did to that little boy in Bristol.’
David’s eyes widened and the briefcase tumbled off his lap and fell to the floor, spilling dozens of brochures over the carpet. David ignored them and continued to stare open-mouthed at Bella.
‘Jesus has a message for you, David.’
‘A message?’ stuttered David. ‘For me?’
Bella crooked her finger. ‘Come closer, David,’ she said softly. ‘I have to whisper it to you.’