Well, lemme tell ya, “The Devil’s Butler” is one heck of a name for a story, huh? Makes ya think, who in their right mind would work for the devil, right? But sometimes, folks don’t have much of a choice. Now, in this story, we ain’t talkin’ about no fancy rich butler in a big ol’ house. Nope, this here butler is somethin’ else. Ya see, this tale’s got more to do with trouble than servin’ tea.
They say, better the devil ya know than the devil ya don’t. Ain’t that the truth? Some folks reckon it’s easier dealin’ with the devil they’re used to, rather than messin’ around with a new one who might just be worse. That’s what this story is really about, if ya ask me. Sometimes, life throws ya in the dirt, and you’re stuck servin’ someone, whether ya like it or not. And in this case, the fella servin’ ain’t got no choice but to do the devil’s biddin’.
In the book, “The Devil’s Butler” by Simma Holt, ya got this gang in British Columbia, and they ain’t no angels. Far from it. These fellas, they got themselves a young fella, and he ain’t doin’ this butlerin’ job by choice. No ma’am. He’s stuck, held captive by them folks. It’s one of them situations where ya think, ‘Better deal with these folks, even though they’re bad, than try to escape and face somethin’ worse.’ That’s kinda what life does to folks sometimes. Puts ’em in a spot where there ain’t no good way out, just a bad way and a worse way.
Now, if ya think about it, a butler’s job ain’t all bad, right? I mean, ya clean, ya serve food, ya make sure things are in order. But when yer servin’ the devil, well, it ain’t tea and crumpets, that’s for sure. It’s more like takin’ orders from folks who ain’t got no mercy. They’re the ones who think power is everything, and anyone under ’em, well, they’re just tools to be used. And that’s what this young fella becomes, a tool for the devil, or the devil’s gang in this case. He ain’t got no say in it, and all he can do is try to survive another day.
People say stories like these are too much, but lemme tell ya, there’s truth in ’em. Sometimes life hands ya the devil, and there ain’t no angel comin’ to save ya. What ya gotta do is make do with what ya got, even if it ain’t much. Ya get up, ya work, and ya try to make it through. Just like this here butler. He’s trapped, sure, but he ain’t dead yet. And as long as there’s breath in ya, there’s a chance to get out. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day, if ya keep on fightin’.
Now, if we go back to that old sayin’, ‘better the devil ya know,’ it makes a lot more sense when ya think about it. This fella, he knows who he’s dealin’ with. He’s seen the worst of ’em, and he knows there ain’t no kindness in their hearts. But he knows their ways, knows what to expect. And sometimes, that’s all a person can hold on to. At least if ya know the devil’s tricks, ya got a shot at dodgin’ ’em. But if ya run, who knows what worse devil’s waitin’ around the corner?
So, what’s the lesson here? Well, life ain’t easy, and sometimes ya gotta serve folks ya don’t like. But it don’t mean ya give up. Ya keep on, even if it’s hard. And one day, maybe, just maybe, ya find a way out of the devil’s grasp. Or maybe ya learn to survive in it. Either way, life goes on, and ya gotta find your way through, even if it’s just by stickin’ with the devil ya know.
In the end, “The Devil’s Butler” ain’t about fancy jobs or high society. It’s about survivin’ when life deals ya a bad hand. And sometimes, that means workin’ for the devil, just hopin’ ya can make it to the next day without gettin’ burned. But that’s life for ya. Ya do what ya gotta do, and if that means takin’ orders from the worst folks around, well, so be it. Just remember, better the devil ya know than the one ya don’t.
Tags：[The Devil’s Butler, Simma Holt, survival, gangs, British Columbia]