3
603words
Miranda was fawning over Mason,calling him her“precious boy.”
When she saw me, her face darkened. Then she bragged Mason scored 99 on a test,one point shy of perfect—proof of his“holy”nature.
He’s in sixth grade.
I nodded,humoring her.
I noticed that Mason had put on a lot of weight. It was clear that Miranda had been overfeeding him, sparing him from doing chores to “protect” her so-called holy son.
His personality shifted too.Once just mischievous,he now sneered at everyone,spoiled by his“blessed”status,acting like he was above everyone else.
This time around,I chose to let them reap what they sowed,curious if Mason’s“holy”fate was a blessing or a curse.
Mason got into a school fight.
Miranda rushed to defend her darling.
It turned out that Mason, flaunting his “holy” status, had been bullying his classmates and mocking their mistakes.
Kids shunned him—who’d play with a verbal bully?
I stayed silent,observing.
At home,Mason, who was used to getting his own way,expected worship.When a dispute flared,he fought a kid—and lost,his face bruised.
His cataracts likely blurred his vision,and his bulk didn’t help.
Miranda,heartbroken,demanded the other parents answer for it.
Even after the truth came out,she raged,“So what?My son’s holy!And your kid’s not blameless—why didn’t he just give Mason what he wanted?”
Silence fell.
The teacher’s face darkened.No one spoke.
Miranda,thinking she’d won,strutted like a peacock.
The teacher mediated,ending the fiasco.
On the way home,Miranda drilled into Mason,“You’re holy—they should defer to you.”
I trailed behind,sighing.Spoiling a kid is like setting them up for failure.
A decent boy,ruined.
But that’s not my problem—I’m just a broke college kid under their roof.
Soon,Mason’s eyes worsened.He couldn’t see clearly and flinched at light.
Derek,home briefly,saw his son and smashed a beer bottle on the floor.
“Miranda!You said he’s holy!Why’s he like this?He’s nearly blind!”
“I work my butt off, and you just sit at home, ruining my son?”
Miranda,defensive,snapped,“Your boy?He’s mine too!You think I don’t care?”
Shouting turned to shoving,furniture crashing.
Mason,who swore to repay his mom,hid in his room,scrolling his phone.
Where’s the“holy”family Miranda dreamed of?
Hoping to get rich through a so-called “blessed” son is just delusional.
Soon,Mason’s stomach ached,and he had diarrhea.
I suggested,“Maybe his holy spirit’s stirring.Take him to Mama Bess?”
Miranda agreed instantly.
At Bess’s,she claimed an“evil spirit”targeted Mason’s body,trying to possess him.
I almost laughed. She's a classic con artist.
Blurriness,night blindness,light sensitivity?Cataracts.
Stomach issues?From drinking ash-water.
Bess peddled“protective”trinkets—one for the house,one for Mason to carry.
Why is she scamming people in this backwater when she could probably sell cars with that sales pitch?
I lounged on the porch,munching sunflower seeds,critiquing her hustle.
Even Miranda,as dim-witted as she was, hesitated. “Really? We're honest people. Why would an evil spirit come after us?”
I snorted.Honest?Her?
Bess shot her a look,said nothing,and retreated inside.
Miranda,worried for her“holy”son,followed.
I tagged along,curious to see what would happen next.
Bess knelt,chanting,waving incense.She asked if an evil spirit plagued Mason.
All three sticks snapped.
Miranda gasped.
She bought the trinkets and more charms,spending$15,000.
After paying,she muttered that the future riches Mason would get would far outweigh this amount.
She couldn’t see that it was an obvious setup—easy money for cons artists.
Mason’s middle school entrance exam results came.
Miranda swore he’d ace it,boasting to relatives.
He skipped classes,ignored books,and cheated on tests.
Acing anything?He can only dream.
Her confidence made some relatives wonder if he was truly“holy.”
That's just how small-town families are. They keep their distance until something like exams, jobs, or weddings comes up and sparks gossip.
If you’re lesser,they feign pity,flaunting their wins.If you’re better,they slink off,badmouthing you later.
No one spoke,waiting.
“It’s out!”
