P.O.W.E.R.* Girl IV - Ch. 04 - Positively Proactive Free Reprint Article

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P.O.W.E.R.* Girl IV - Ch. 04 - Positively Proactive

by Tonja Taylor
4/12/2023 / Short Stories

Pearl and the others heard Watchman bark, and Vivace jumped up and started barking at the door. They heard a car door slam.

“Yay! It’s Ms. Risa and Robin and Lucas!” Pearl said. “I bet they brought our new pet!”

Pearl ran out the door, and saw Robin holding a lovely tortoise-shell cat, while Watchman stood and barked at them both. .

Burt stuck his head out. “Hush, Watchman!” He blew kisses to Risa. “Hello, My Love! Hi Lucas and Robin! Thank you for bringing the pest-killer!”

Risa and Lucas waved and walked inside.

Robin smiled at Pearl. “This is Catorce,” she said. “She’s a good hunter. One day, she had kittens, and we came home and there was a squirrel skin and red bird feathers on the ground next to eat other. She must’ve been very hungry, after having all those babies!”

“Lemme hold her!” Robert said, running up to Robin.

Watchman stretched his head up to sniff the cat’s feet. She tensed and climbed up further in Robin’s arms.

“It’s OK, Catorce,” Pearl said, gently petting the cat. “Watchman’s a good dog, and Robert won’t hurt you either—right Rob?”

“Right!” He reached up to pet Catorce.

“Don’t scare her, just touch her easy, like this.” Pearl showed him how.

Robin held Catorce toward Robert. “Be easy and put your ear next to her face. See if you can hear her purring.”

He did, and smiled. “Yep! She likes me!” He reached up to scratch Catorce’s ears.

“Let’s take her to the barn, so she can kill the mice!” Robert said.

Pearl wrinkled her nose. “OK, and you can find something to use for a water bowl for her,” she said.

They walked to the barn, with Watchman going with them. Robert opened the door and led them to the sack of dog food. “This is where those stupid mice were eating his food. Cat, you need to get those mice!”

“Its’ CATorce, Robert,” said Pearl, laughing a bit at his seriousness. “You know, the Spanish name for 14!”

“Cat, GET THOSE MICE!” Robert ordered.

Robin and Pearl rolled their eyes at each other, then Robin put Catorce down. She walked to the bag of dog food and looked it over. Watchman ran over to sniff the cat, but she hissed at him.

“The dogs are going to learn to respect her,” said Robin. “She’s a pretty confident cat, being such a hunter and all. I’m sure she can take care of those mice, and whatever else shouldn’t be around here!”

“Well, Vivace should get along with her fine, and she’s not outside much anyway,” said Pearl. “So if there are any snakes or whatever,” said Pearl, “I hope Catorce eats them all!”

They walked into the house for lunch. Xi was back, and helping set the table.

Vivace barked and sniffed Pearl’s and Robin’s shoes.

“Did you get the cat settled in?” said Burt, as he poured the tea.

“Yes, Catorce is doing great,” said Pearl. “Robin said that when she had kittens weeks ago, she killed a red bird and a squirrel!”

“Yeah, she’s a mighty mice-hunter!” said Robert.

“That’s some cat,” said Burt. “Let’s rename her ‘Catalyst,’ ‘cause she’ll be a catalyst for positive change around here!”

Risa laughed. “Burt, you are so funny!”

“You inspire me, Dear. After all, she used to be your cat. Thanks for sharing, by the way!”

“You are welcome!” Risa said. “She is spayed, by the way, so she can focus on her new job!”

He laughed. “That’s just another reason I love you!”

Risa batted her eyelashes at him. “Oh how you love me—I’ll help you count the ways!”

Pearl and Robin smiled at each other, and they heard Pearl’s mother laughed as she came into the kitchen. “Isn’t that a famous poem or something? But it fits you two very well!” she said.

“OK, you guys sit, and I’ll bring the tea. Lucas, please ask the Blessing over the food, and we’ll dig in.”

Lucas prayed, and they started eating.

“Yum! Pasta chicken salad and green beans,” said Pearl. “It’s good!”

Thank You, Jesus, for Catorce Catalyst, Pearl thought, and giggled, and for all these wonderful times. You are so good!

“Ms. Sophia didn’t want to come?” Pearl asked.

Xi looked amazed. “She said she needed to spend time with God—JesuCristo-- this afternoon, and pray about some things. She didn’t want me to work. She just paid me and insisted I stay and watch a funny movie with her. That was all she wanted me to do,” said Xi, as if she’d never heard of such.

“I think that was very wise of her,” said Pearl’s mother. “She loves you, Sweetie, and she knows you’re about to start homeschool tomorrow. Besides, the LORD tells us to rest.”

“Well, I feel weird if I’m not doing something—unless I’m on my phone,” said Xi, “but that’s doing something too. It feels really weird to get paid to watch a movie!”

Daddy God, You’re so good! thought Pearl. Thank You, LORD, You are teaching Xi she doesn’t have to work to get a blessing, because You are the Blesser, like Queen Mother says!

“I understand, Precious,” said Pearl’s mother. “I used to think the same way.”

Risa nodded. “Me too.”

“You still work too much, Charlotte,” said Burt. “But overall, it’s much better to be active, and especially proactive, than to just sit around and be lazy.” He reached for more salad.

“What is ‘proactive’?” Xi asked.

“It means being the leader, right Queen Mother?” Pearl asked. “Like, thinking of something first, and then getting others to help you with it.”

Pearl’s mother nodded. “Yes. You are quite proactive already, Princess!”

“Ooh, that reminds me! I wanted to ask you about something, Queen Mother!” Pearl said. “Can we go see the Dancing Horses of Austria—the Lipizzaners? They’re going to be in Quinton later this month!”

Her mother laughed. “See what I mean? Xi, there is a perfect example of ‘proactive’!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Xi said, and grinned. “She’s really that with the Bible stuff, too!”

“That’s my girl!” said Burt. Risa, Robin, and Lucas nodded and smiled.

“How much are the tickets?” asked Pearl’s mother.

“I’m sure we can cover it, Charlotte,” said Burt. “It could be an educational field trip for science and history or something, right?” He chuckled.

“You’ve been doing your research on homeschool, huh, brother?” Pearl’s mother said. “I’m sure that could be arranged, as long as we don’t have another appointment then.”

Pearl jumped up and looked at the calendar. “Nope!” she said, and pointed. “See? Nothing after tomorrow, where it says, “HOMESCHOOL!”

Xi groaned. “I got it. You are Princess Pearl Proactive!”

Everyone laughed, including Xi.

“Yes, you’re right!” said Pearl. Thank You, LORD, for helping me bring joy!

“I imagine it will be in the evening, and hopefully for more than one night,” said Pearl’s mother. “Risa, let’s coordinate schedules, and pray you won’t have a school meeting the night we want to go.”

“Amen!” said Risa. “I trust God to work it out. I know Robin and Lucas want to go, and Rico might too. I’ve not heard of them before.”

Burt laughed. “Like Miss Princess learned, the dancing horses of Austria are really from Spain. She wanted to go to Spain and ride one, and we finally convinced her that she’d have to go to Austria, if she wanted to do that!”

Pearl blushed. “Uncle Burt! It’s still possible! I put it on my Vision List, and the LORD has been helping me check things off! He gave me a harp and harp lessons, and so riding a real Lipizzaner in the Spanish Riding School in Vienna won’t be too hard for Him!”

Xi laughed and rolled her eyes. Burt and Risa and Lucas and Pearl’s mother all looked at each other. “Well, Princess, you have a point there. So we’ll leave it with the LORD, and see what happens.”

“But I’m going to be proactive about it! Watch!” said Pearl. Robin gave her a fist bump, and a nod. With You all things are possible, Daddy God! she thought, and smiled.

Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. They lift Him up in books (P.O.W.E.R. Girl!; LEGACY; Visions of the King; Your Holy Health; more); presentations; service in church, community, and the world; and via the "River Rain Creative" (309 videos) and "POWERLight Learning" You Tube channels.

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