CHAPTER 21
The epitome of evil, Little Joe’s mother had said when he was younger. Somehow the devil always made its way into her conversations. She always referred to the devil as the most sinister thing, as a hedge against a behavior she wanted to correct of his, such as fighting with his brother, or stealing money from her purse. The urges were all caused by the devil, she had said. When he reached into her purse to take a five dollar bill without permission, the Devil’s hand was clamped over his, in its wretched, filthiness. When he lied to her about ditching school one day, she said the Devil was there within him in his heart, controlling his mind and mouth with his fangs and his heated breath of brimstone. This scene was most powerful indeed – especially to such a young boy.
