Page 82 of The Man with a Treasure

I laced my fingers around my cross. “My Faith tells me souls come from Heaven. Not exactly a store. No money is shared, but there is definitely a price to pay.”

Sal had done his best to teach her about money.

I continued, “I believe you came from Heaven and were placed in your bowl that was in your mother’s stomach. I believe your mother kept you safe there so you could grow and then be born.”

When her beautiful lips parted. I knew she was thinking of… “Seth.”

Trying not to think of that child, and that he was once part of Scarlett’s body, I gave one nod to confirm her connection.

Her hand slid down her now flat stomach. “Is that where you are from? Heaven?”

My chest tightened as I thought about how God wouldn’t have someone like me in a wonderful place like that. “No. I don’t think so. But I believe you are from there.”

She blinked. “Why not you?”

I leaned my head back, not even feeling worthy of being in her presence. “Because… I have committed sins.” Since that confused her, I said, “I’ve taken lives. I’ve killed people, Scarlett.”

Her eyes showed her lost in thought until she asked, “Do you think they were from Heaven?”

Knowing those people had hurt others in the ways Scarlett had been hurt, I was barely audible as I shook my head. “No.”

Her fingers tangled with the robe’s belt again. “If you are not from Heaven, where else could you be from?”

“Hell.”

In some sort of surrender, she said, “You say that name as if it is a bad place.”

“It is.” When her brows pinched in confusion, I asked, “What is it?”

I was surprised when her lips flattened with a touch of anger and denial. “My instincts say you are wrong. You are not from this bad place.”

“Maybe not, but it is for sure where I will be passing to.”

That made Scarlett take a sharp inhale as if struggling to breathe.

“You okay?”

She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears and determination. “No. I don’t want you to go anywhere that is bad when I feel you are so good.” She stood. “I may not speak Italian, but I will find a way to pray to Her and tell God that you deserve Heaven.”

Scarlett left my room.

Even though she was wrong, and God wouldn’t answer that prayer, it felt good to know she was speaking to God on my behalf.

Since Scarlett, with every day that passed, was becoming braver and broadening her horizons, Sal announced it was ‘walk day’. Another small miracle. Who would have thought a simple walk outdoors would be so liberating for Scarlett and all who got to witness it.

But, that is exactly what it was.

Every step was a wonder for her. Literally. She had never had a pair of shoes before. Sal thought it best to try a pair of sneakers, since “Sandals can trip anyone on their best day.”

Yes, Angel and Sal—heavily loaded with occupied holsters, escorted Scarlett on a nature walk. It was a slow process at first. Scarlett, in a pair of loose pants that she didn’t feel were too constricting and another of Sal’s undershirts, was lifting her feet as if walking through mud and setting them down with a clunk, clunk.

Walking down a dirt road that was surrounded by carved out hills and so many trees it was challenging to see the sky, came a beautiful woman who could’ve been mistaken for Mrs. Frankenstein with her arms out to balance her and her awkward clunky steps.

Sal mumbled, “Thank goodness we don’t have neighbors.”

Clunk. Clunk. “What was that, Sal?”

“I said, you are doing wonderful and will get used to your shoes.”