Mom pulled out the last piece of ribbon. It was gold for streets of gold in heaven where the Frenchman could go if he stopped smoking and listened to the nut. Mom then turned the tiny wire handle on the side of the nut that was like a little crank. By turning it you made all the gospel message, “told with attractive ribbons sure to get the unbelievers attention,” go back into the nut. Once I had taken my Gospel Walnut and pried it open to see what was inside and where the ribbons that “told the story of the precious Savior’s love” went when they were not out witnessing.

All it was that made it work was some ribbon glued to a piece of wire in the middle of the hollowed-out nut that wound up when you turned the handle. It had once been a real nut and had been carefully cracked and scooped out, loaded with the Good News, and glued back together with a little bit of the lip of the nut shell cut out in front so “the ribbon of eternal life” could do its stuff.

Mom asked the Frenchman if he would like to accept Jesus into his heart right then before it was too late because the train might crash. The man wiped some sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and said, “I suis a Catholic.” I could tell he thought that this would settle it since it would let Mom know he was already a Christian. But this only made Mom start to roll out the ribbon again, since if he was a Roman Catholic this was as bad as being an atheist, maybe worse, since you thought you were saved but weren’t, and then your darkness was complete.

“You cannot be saved by trusting in good works. You must personally accept Jesus into your heart,” Mom said.

Then the man said, “Oui, oui. “

Mom took this for another yes so she put her hand on the man’s shoulder and said, “Pray after me—’Lord Jesus.’ “ Then she waited, but he didn’t pray after her so she had to open her eyes and sort of leave the prayer just hanging out there.

“Non?” said Mom. “Vous ne, you don’t understand. Repeat after me. Repetez, repetez!”Then she started again. “Lord Jesus.”

And the man got the idea and said “Jésus.” couldn’t tell if he was praying the Sinner’s Prayer after Mom or swearing in French or calling on Jesus to help him or all three.