I found out something really crazy today, Mullard Muldoon LOVES horses. I knew he wasn’t poor, but he actually has his very own racehorse. Who’d have ever thought that?! I told him that new girl loves horses, and he almost lost his mind. I thought he was going to break his neck bobbling up and down so happy, and he just kept hollering “Yes! Yes yes yes! Whoo hoo!” No wonder he got dressed up like a Texas oilman, with the fact him owning his own racehorse! Maybe I better let him keep dressing like that? I will have to give that one some thought too. He looked like a slick dude for sure.

Mullard told me his daddy loves to gamble, and was always gone off betting at the track, until he lost most of his money. He did that for years, and finally made enough of a win, that Mullard’s mama said, “You either quit gambling now, or I am gone and taking the kid with me! Don’t try me, this is your last warning!”

Anyway, turns out during those years, his daddy bought him a thoroughbred racehorse, intending on him being a jockey. But that never happened, because his daddy took to liquor then, and finally quit it when his health gave out. But Mullard kept on running that horse, and learning how to take care of him. So he loves horses too; now ain’t that rich? Looks like stronger forces may be at work, than I first realized.

Mullard actually SAID all that to me, I declare before God. I didn’t even ask him; he just got me aside in the break area on first break, with me and Stinky, Tank and Jasper. He was even trying real hard to be nice to them too! Will wonders never cease? They were wary of him, because they experienced too much of his bullying, and had watched me go through it.

After Mullard left us, Stinky even asked me, “I know you are real nice Pete, and Godly and all but why would you ever help that dude? He ain’t done nothing but make us all hate him!” I shrugged and told him I wasn’t exactly sure why, but it needed doing, and it fell to me to do it. Tank didn’t say anything, he just made a face and ate his customary three candy bars. Jasper just raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t say anything either.

That night, I told Mamaw all about everything, about Mullard asking for help, the new girl, the horse thing and Mamaw asked, “Is this that hellion who tormented you all this time, and now you trying to be a friend to him? Lord I declare, God must have heard your fretful lament. That boy just needs a good dose of friendship, a whole lot of Jesus and maybe a pretty girl, to put him on the straight and narrow!” She then went on to say, “I am proud of you Pete, for not returning evil for evil, but doing good to your enemy!”

She kept talking, “Yes son, sometimes this approach don’t work, but it looks evident to me that you are a-making progress with that boy. You will probably keep his wretched, tortured soul from the eternal flames of hell, you keep this up!”

I always shudder when she says stuff about hell like that, but she is probably right. “Looks like ol’ Saul has done turned into Paul, and here you are Peter, a playing Simeon to him too! Looks like his persecutin’ days might be coming to a close, and all over a girl. Here name ain’t Esther is it?” Mamaw laughed real loud at her joke about Queen Esther in the Bible, and I did too.

I replied, “He shore thinks she is beautiful like Esther, that’s a fact for sure.” Mamaw laughed again and told me she’d be praying his “miserable carcass right out of the crackling flames of satan’s sulfur pit!” Yeah, she really does talk this way, and she still gives me the heebie-jeebies when she does.

Right now, its been a long day and I need a break from all this. So I will have to give y’all another update later, since I just got home from school, and I really want to go fishing – by my dang self! All this loving your enemies, and being nice to them takes its toll on a feller.