OTR I wonder why He plays this cruel game with me, Juliancito thought. It was the same one he played when he used to mutilate insects on the playground, peeling away the exoskeleton, ripping away leg after leg. Juliancito realized that he would never be able to break away from God’s will, no matter how hard he tried. He had to learn to deal with God’s cruelty, His warped sense of compassion, that undying clinging to life He placed in every living thing. As sleep finally draped over his eyes, Juliancito accepted that he was a sinner and that all that befell him was his fault, not God’s. His parents hadn’t said those words exactly, but he knew what they meant. He was supposed to fear God and follow His commandments as if He was his mom or dad. Juliancito would do His will, but he didn’t have to like it. From time to time, he would allow himself to tell God just how much he hated what He expected of him. In secret, of course. This thought comforted him.
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The Olivetree Review
ISSUE 65 (the real one okok).indd 65
4/11/19 2:56 PM