Beezus on Easter

[kinglearisstupid]

Jimmy's baptized over a hundred children and watched more than a dozen of them grow up and bring their own kids back to his parish, but never before has he met a child like Beatrice Rossi.

The Lord smiled the day she was born, he likes to tell Davey, which is not as much flattery as it is the truth. Davey usually snorts and replies, The Lord has a quirky sense of humor, that's why, but he knows and Jimmy knows that Beatrice is proof that the Lord has a plan for every person on this good earth and there is no way to find out what it is until the time's right.

At Beatrice's baptism, Jimmy watched his friend soothe his squalling baby girl (some babies sleep through the whole ceremony; Beatrice was not one of them) and rock her to sleep with the same kind of ease Davey used to use to talk Jimmy into doing reckless, dangerous things around the neighborhood and then talk them out of trouble afterwards.

"And you didn't think you could do it," Jimmy teased him later, at the reception. "I seem to remember a certain FBI agent coming to me in the middle of the night, saying he's too old, he doesn't know how to be a dad, he has no idea what he's going to do with a child."

David just wagged his finger at him and went over to retrieve a sated and full baby from Emily. He was the happiest Jimmy had ever seen him, radiant with a kind of joy that he never had before, and to see David Rossi with his wife and daughter was to be in the presence of God. Jimmy was sure of it.

Four years later, watching David explain the rules of egg-dyeing to an impatient preschooler only confirms Jimmy's belief further.

"Rule 1," Dave says, "do not move the bowls. Under no circumstances do you move the bowls."

"Even if there's a fire and I need to put it out or Father Jimmy's house will burn down?"

"Even if there's a fire. Father Jimmy has a fire extinguisher."

"But what if the fire extinguisher doesn't work and I need to use the water in the bowls?"

Dave leaves the question unanswered and continues, "Rule 2, only dip one egg at a time into each bowl. And by dip, I mean 'gently placing the egg inside the bowl,' not 'throwing the egg forcibly and trying to see how big of a splash you can make.'

"Rule 3, when you're finished, you wipe your hands on the towel. Not on Father Jimmy's walls. Not on your clothes. Not on my clothes."

"Rule 4, wait for the eggs to dry and do not ask me every thirty seconds if they're ready yet. They'll be ready when they're ready."

It's impossible not to chuckle at the look of utter condescension Beatrice gives her father.

"That's it?" she asks. "All I do is dunk the eggs into color and wait?"

"That's it," David tells her, pulling her hair back and tying it into a ponytail. "If you want, you can draw on the eggs with this wax crayon. The picture will show up after the eggs are dyed."

Beatrice seems marginally more interested. "Can you draw me Jesus eating a chocolate rabbit?"

Jimmy watches in amusement as his friend answers, "I'll draw you a flower, how about that?"

"Flowers are easy."

"Well, I'm sorry, honey, but I'm a writer and not an artist. Now, do you want to start with the red?"

There is some spillage, but nothing that can't be fixed with a little soap and good scrubbing. The rectory hasn't been this noisy in years, and while Jimmy is grateful for the quiet most of the time, it is a welcome change to hear the sounds of a young child chattering and running about, living life to the fullest. Jimmy is glad he lost that bet.

"Better to destroy your kitchen than mine," his friend explained. "Mine can't take anymore destruction. Hey, remember when we used to play for real money? That seems like a lifetime ago."

David puts on the coffee, fixes a juicebox for his daughter, and flops down next to Jimmy on the couch. "Don't touch anything, Beezus," he warns, eyes fixed on the television.

"I'm not," Beatrice says indignantly.

When Jimmy glances over, he sees her studying the framed picture he has on the wall, plastic straw hanging from her lip and dripping strawberry juice onto the front of her dress. Beatrice catches him looking and asks, "Father Jimmy, why is Jesus holding a heart in his hand?"

"Beezus," David groans, but Jimmy cuts him short.

"That's a good question. That, Beezus, right there is the Sacred Heart of the Lord, and he's holding it to show the world that it is full of His love for them."

"He's holding his own heart?"

"Yes, he is."

"He can't do that. If he is holding his own heart, it means he cut it out from his own chest, and if he did that, he would be dead. And I know Jesus didn't die from cutting out his own heart. He died on the cross because people said, Let's kill Jesus."

"Beezus," Dave says, getting up and walking his daughter away from the painting. He sinks back onto the sofa and hoists Beatrice into his lap. "Why don't we just watch the game, okay?"

Beezus does not want to watch the game. Instead, she crawls over to where Jimmy is sitting and stares up at him, frustrated. "Father Jimmy, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can, darling."

"Why did the people kill Jesus? Why didn't they like him? He turned water into wine, and my mommy and daddy love wine. Did these other people not like wine?"

"Baby, they didn't kill Jesus over wine, okay?" David says wearily. "I promise. Can we leave the theological questions until after the game?"

As much as Jimmy enjoys baseball, he enjoys answering theological questions even more, especially when they come from inquisitive four-year-olds. "Jesus had a lot of new ideas that people at the time found unusual and had a hard time accepting. I think they were a bit scared of trying something new, so they didn't trust Him."

Beatrice nods in understanding. "Like Sam-I-Am. He did not want to try green eggs and ham. But in the end, he did, and they were delicious. Sometimes I don't like to try new things or play with new people in school but my mom and dad always say that I have to give them a chance before I make up my mind. Sometimes new things can be good and new people can be friends."

"You are exactly right, Beatrice," Jimmy tells her.

"Father Jimmy, did Jesus have any other super powers? Besides turning water into wine and walking on water?"

"He was able to heal the sick, if that's what you mean."

"Yes," Beatrice says. "But that isn't a cool power. Did he have any cool powers, like being able to fly or turning invisible? Or shooting lasers from his eyes?"

"Not according to the gospel," Jimmy tells her. "He was a different kind of superhero."

"Jack's dad is a superhero," she points out. "So is my mommy. And so is my daddy, before he retired. Now he is just my daddy, but he is the best daddy. Even though he can be really grumpy sometimes."

David gives her the side-eye and grumbles, but pulls her back into his lap and kisses her until she squirms away, whining that his beard is too scratchy.

Bless this child, Jimmy thinks.

"I have one more question," Beatrice says as she sighs and leans back on her elbows, head resting on her father's knee. "Did Jesus like chocolate rabbits?"