Proverbial Phrases

According to Proverbial Phrases, "If God could prevent each person from getting sick, then surely Lucifer would not have become satanic."

The aforementioned poem is called a Proverbial Phrase. Proverbial Phrases are written with three main rules as their guide. The three-rule Proverbial Phrase handbook reads, "Writers of Proverbial Phrases shall use no word more than once; should seldom, if ever, place gender at the forefront; and, each rhyme, summarized, must quickly take readers to an informative point." Although the bulk of Proverbial Phrases do not begin until halfway through this story, many phrases come thereafter.

Kendall, because of child abuse, became a very frightened child. During his parents' divorce, Sam, his nemesis, and his mother's new boyfriend, had beaten him until his buttocks was raw on at least two different occasions. Kendall was very afraid of the violent man and of certain other scary situations, as well. One of Kendall's favorite Proverbial Phrases reads, "Proverbial Phrases mean more to me than the scariest stories are scary."

Neither Kendall, nor those closest to him, knew the subtle signs of mental illness. Like many people of color, Kendall's mental issues began when he was very young. Kendall, however, received no help for his mental condition and he, therefore, became even more subtly ill as he advanced in years. One Proverbial Phrase reads, "Even those that know they are ill still sometimes strongly resist being healed."