Galadas was the oldest of the four boys brought into this world by Tiger and Marigold Flower. Galadas had three younger brothers, Tremblay, Tunic, and Tice. They were triplets, born two minutes apart on a Tuesday, the tenth of October. Their father? Tiger? Well, he disappeared as a vapor under that scorching sun of a Tuesday, when Tremblay, Tunic, and Tice made their grand entrance. Momma took it all in stride – daddy’s evaporation and and his semen with it – made it all a day of joy and glorious celebration… singing the halleluiahs – not to make a mockery of God and his goodness and grace… no, no, no… momma sang as a full throated Mockingbird of a Tiger… turned alley cat… turned scaredy. No, no… she’d have no more of him… not the way that man was. She said the Lord delivered her and she loved her boys… Galadas always thought she loved him the most. Why’d he think that? Oh, she told him something when he was younger… something he hid in his heart… just like Mary hid the words the angel told her before the Christ child was born in a cow-patty manger. What did momma tell him? Well, how he was the first born after his sister Tulip died. She had six months of life… not much to go on in heaven I guess… well, not in the way of sin and its exposure; that’s probably why she’s there. Anyway, Tulip was the first of the Flowers, and mamma mourned grievously.
Every year, Galadas watched her tears falling on that ground over Tulip’s grave but neither those tears or dirt, but then he heard her say, nothing short of the return of Jesus will bring that one back. After she died, momma told Galadas how she prayed and prayed for another baby, and then God delivered him: Galadas… a name you’d think other children would laugh at but the Lord put a halo around him, not just over his head but God put what seemed to be a full body halo – much like an invisible armor. People saw him.. learned his name… and yeah – some laughed… he didn’t have any friends – but nary a man could touch him. When you’re young and set apart like that from the rest of the world? Sure, it upset him, but he always remembered his momma’s words. He hid what momma told him in his heart. He didn’t tell his brothers how momma called down a special blessing that the Lord would use him mightily, even as Hannah wanted for Samuel. No, Galadas didn’t want his brothers to feel jealous. He loved Trembley, Tunic, and Tice. He teased ’em by calling them the three T’s, and they’d call him Gladys. Funny thing is, years later – when they all gathered to stand over momma’s grave next to Tulip – he the T’s about the special blessing that momma called down on him. Well, golly Miss Molly, if momma hadn’t blessed the T’s in the same manner. Her blessings didn’t have anything to do with Tulip, like me coming after her, but she blessed each of them as the Lord led her. She called down for Tremblay, that he would never tremble when faced with any trials or dangers, which he faced in Vietnam… as for Tunic, that he’d wear the name of Jesus seamlessly and his love of Jesus would never be divided to the world and mammon, and finally as for Tice? Well, he’d never be tempted in such a way as to turn aside from Jesus. Of course, momma didn’t expect that to happen – not if any of her boys were firmly in their real Father’s grip. Momma would take a lion over a Tiger any old day.
