the merit badge

his parents took him to church when he was twelve.

the priest discussed the topic of hell in one of his sermons.

he wanted to know more about "the eternal realm of fire and damnation."

that's what the priest called it.

he researched and listed thirty-one different types of terrifying hells from around the world.

he always made lists of everything.

the psychiatrist assured his parents the lists were harmless.

his father had a bad feeling about this one.

_____

he signed his son up for boy scouts to get his mind off this latest obsession.

the scouts gave awards called merit badges for community service and helping people.

his son was shy and different from other children but had a loving and generous heart.

his father hoped the scouts would be a good fit.

after attending his first troop meeting he started a merit badge project.

he painted a sign that said “be nice and you won’t go to hell.”

he carried it on the bus and got off at a downtown stop.

he stood on a corner holding it and attracted a crowd.

the police took him home.

_____

the next day the scoutmaster came to his house.

the man presented him with a merit badge for his sign project.

he felt proud to receive this honor in front of his parents.

he put it on his dresser and went back to the living room.

he came around the corner of the hallway and saw his father handing money to the scoutmaster.

they didn't see him standing there and he returned to his room.

he realized what his father had done and wasn't angry with him.

he felt safe and protected.

that night he wrote a list of reasons why he loved his mom and dad.

_____

when he passed number thirty-one he knew everything in his world would be all right.