donât cry, do they?
âMax, listen to me. What happened to Georges happened because someone deliberately tried to kill him. It was a criminal act, not the result of you telling him he couldnât bowl! How could words cause what happened? Havenât you called me a rubbish bowler sometimes? And have I ever been run down by a car after you did? No, of course I havenât!â
There was a loud sob mixed with a sharp intake of breath from the other end of the line.
âYou donât think I put a⦠a⦠kind ofâ¦
curse
on him, Granny?â
âNo I do not! For a start only truly evil people put curses on other people. And when they do, they come to nothing because the Lord God Almighty over-rides them!â
âWhat?â
âHe presses the cosmic delete button to make the curse disappear!â
âAre you sure? How do you know thatâs an actual verifiabletruth?â
âI just
do
. The same way that I know the sun will come up tomorrow morning. Now will you do something for me, sweetie?â
âLike what?â
âWill you have a nice long shower then get dressed, and Iâll ask Mum to take a taxi to the hospital, so that you and I can see Georges together. And then we could say a crème caramel prayer. Would you like that, Max?â
âYes. But first can I have something to eat? Iâm totally starving! Iâd like some scrambled eggs and bacon, and lots of toast with honey!â
Maxâs mother said later that he ate as if all the food was about to vanish from the planet.
âI thought heâd throw up with the amount he ate, after so long without food,â she laughed, âbut he didnât, and I donât think heâs stopped eating since!â
Later that morning, Alison brought Max to the hospital. Then Megan asked both Philippe and her to leave the room. âYou do it, Max. I think it would work better coming from you,â she said. âYou sit on the other side of Georges, and take hold of his hand, while I do the same on this side.â
âOkay.â He cleared his throat dramatically, and then said, â
Dear God, please make Georges well again. Heâs not really a rubbish bowler â he just hasnât had the practice. If he had a few sessions in the nets Iâm sure heâd show a hugeimprovement. And you must admit heâs a good batsman, even if he is French.â
Then he paused and said, in a clear, strong voice, âcrème caramel.â
âCrème caramel,â repeated his Granny, with tears in her eyes.
âCrème caramel,â said Philippe, standing in the doorway.
âCrème caramel,â Max said again.
Whether it was the crème caramel prayer, or Father Wainwrightâs many prayers and candles, or the skill of the surgeons, or the mystery of how the human body knows how to repair itself â given a little strategic help â or a combination of all those positive forces, no one knew for sure, but later that day Georges began to emerge from his coma. And within the week he would be well enough to be flown back to Paris by air ambulance. However, Granny knew what she believed, and she was not alone: there were others with similar thoughts. âIt must have been a miracle,â an immensely impressed Timmy whispered to Max after their mother had turned off their light that night.
âYep,â replied Max from the upper bunk, âthereâs no doubt about it. It was a genuine, one hundred percent crème caramel miracle!â
âDo you think God likes crème caramel too, Max?â
âOf course â whatâs not to like?â
Then they both fell asleep and slept soundly for the next nine hours.
Chapter Twelve
Nicole Vachon was discharged from St Maryâs after one night there. She had not been badly hurt, but had a mild concussion, so had been told to rest for a few days. The day after her return home, Chief