Continued from Part Eight

Powerhouse mopped up the church-yard basketball court with Jimmy Olsen, Kenny Chung, and Tim Hernandez.

Kenny pulled him aside. “I need help with my homework.” Kenny pulled out a math book. “There are a couple things I don’t get.”

“Let me see.” Powerhouse sat on the blacktop and stared down at the first math problem on the page: x+8=6x-2. “This is a challenge. Um, X equals 2.”

Jeff put two in for X. “Wow, X does equal 2. How’d you know that?”

“X is always equal to 2. Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

“So what about this?”

Powerhouse peered at the next problem: x+3=7. “X equals 2.”

“That doesn’t work.”

“All I know is x equals 2.”

“Okay.”

“Go play basketball.”

Tim ran over to Powerhouse.

Powerhouse asked, “You don’t have trigonometry, do you?”

Tim shook his head.  “Nah, some guys at school are trying to get me to use drugs with them. Could you pray for me?”

“Sure. God, help Tim. Amen.”

“That’s it?”

“Should I say something else?”

“I guess not.” Tim returned to the game.

Jimmy walked over.

Powerhouse asked, “So, how are you doing?”

 “Okay, I guess. The only thing is it’s kinda scary walking home at night. You never know what’s out there.”

“Don’t worry, Jimmy. Powerhouse is on the job. I’ll clean up the streets.”

Jimmy smiled. “You got super-powers, so you could actually do it.”

“I could and I will. I’ve got super hearing just like Superman, Jimmy. You ever get into trouble, call my name, and I’ll come and save you.” Powerhouse turned to the other boys. “I have to be going.”

 ### 

After Powerhouse left, Tim looked at the other two boys. “I really miss the pastor.”

The others nodded, biting back tears.

 Jimmy bit his lip. He missed the pastor, too, but maybe Powerhouse could actually do something, rather than just praying about it like Reverend Jones had.

Continued…Next Tuesday

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