Ethel 'n Opal

four

e t h e l   d i x o n

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"God, we thank you for this day. We thank you for keeping this family safe and we thank you for good health. We thank you for the air we breathe right now. We thank you..."

I hear a low sigh. My eyes snap up but I keep my head bowed, to see Marc across from me, staring longingly at the food mummy prepared. He reaches out to steal a piece of the baked macaroni, but mummy with her eyes still closed and seated next to him, slaps his hand away. Marc immediately pulls back with a hiss.

This makes me snort, but I quickly close my eyes when I feel popi's hard glare trained on the side of my face.

"...We thank you for the house. We thank you for the mortgage to pay the house. We thank you for the sunday service we just come back from. We thank you for money and clothes on our back. We thank you for the things that you do that we don't know. We thank you for protecting family back in Ayiti; unco, cousin, tati, niece, nephew," he takes in a deep breath, "friends, family friends, my brother Jeremy..."

Man this guy still going? I don't know why popi feels the need to thank God for every. Single. Thing.

He act like God gone give him brownie points that'll later land him in some vip section in heaven.

"...We thank you for our hands we are going to eat with. We thank you for blessing my love, Josey hands when she was making this delicious food. We pray that you remove any poison that was already in the food, out. We pray that that you bless it for us-"

"Dad, can you please hurry up-" Sebastion is quickly cut off.

"-WE ASK THAT YOU diminye on the spice as I pray to you right now father. Because papa, you know det Josey se moun Leogane-" (translation: lessen / is from)

Mummy smacks her lips now, she too fed up with his bs prayer.

"-So she love to cook with a lot of piman. And you know Jesus, I have work tomorrow, so I can't get bubble gut tonai. In you, and only you we trust-" (translation: pepper)

"Ame-"

"Notre Père qui es aux cieux," I'm taken aback, blinking a couple times when he starts reciting the "Our Father Who Art in Heaven" prayer. In french.

"Que ton nom soit sanctifié; que ton règne vienne, que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel. Donne-nous aujourd'hui notre pain quotidien; et pardonne-nous nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offensés. Et ne nous induis point en tentation, mais délivre-nous du mal. Car c'est à toi qu'appartiennent le règne, la puissance et la gloire, aux siècles que des siècles," collectively, we all hold a breath, anticipating his finish.

"Amen."

Thank fuck!

"Amen."

"Amen!"

"Amen."

"A-mother-freaking-men!"