I blinked, my eyes swollen and stinging from tears. "I want Grandma to go to Heaven. I'll be good. I'll kneel right now."
I dropped obediently to my knees on the cold earth, but before I could settle, a foot slammed into my side.
"Don't come near me!" My dad stood over me, his face twisted in disgust. "Get away. Don't you dare jinx me."
I scrambled back, kneeling silently in the dirt, keeping my distance.
The sky slowly turned from black to gray. The courtyard filled with people.
Aunt Faith bustled in carrying a tray of food and pressed a bowl into my hands. "Naomi, eat something."
I hadn't eaten all day. My body was numb, frozen to the marrow. The scent of steaming noodles made my stomach cramp with hunger. I swallowed hard, reaching out with trembling hands—
Dad slapped the bowl away.
*Crash.*
Ceramic shattered. Hot soup and noodles splashed into the dirt.
"Why waste food on a jinx?" He sneered down at me. "She's not allowed to eat. She has to kneel and atone for her sins against my mother. Starve her."
I straightened my back immediately, kneeling properly. I wanted to keep vigil for Grandma. If I just kept kneeling, Grandma could go to Heaven.