Tirza's eyes opened slowly, but they fluttered closed quickly when the sunlight hit them.
A thousand thoughts hit her at once. She was scared to open her eyes. Scared that she would find herself back out in the savannah with no one but her brother and Uncle Jake for company.
"Tirza, breakfast is ready!"
Her eyes flew open and her fears melted away when she heard her mother's voice ring though the concrete walls. She stumbled out of bed and ran her fingers through her long brown hair, quickly braiding it so it fell over her shoulder before she left her room.
Her feet shuffled down the tiled hall and into the living room. There, she found her brother sprawled out on the couch, in gym shorts and an old t-shirt from a camp he had gone to a few years ago. Uncle Jake was also sitting on the opposite couch that faced her brother. They both looked dead to this world. Which wasn't shocking since they all seemed to be having a hard time going to sleep these days.
"Hey honey. Sleep well?"
Tirza turned and smiled at her dad in the dining room. He was sitting at the head of the table with a coffee mug in hand and his favorite book in his other.
"That's the best sleep I've had since I got back."
Her dad smiled that kind smile that could light up an entire room.
"That's good to hear."
"Sweetie, would you mind putting this on the table?"
Tirza turned and saw her mother's face in the whole in the wall that showed a bit of the kitchen. She walked over and took the large bowl of chopped up pineapple to place it on the table.
"Are you making chai?" Tirza asked, referring to the milky sweet tea that they usually drank in the mornings.
"Of course I am. What morning am I not?" Her mother replied with a joking smile.
Tirza moved down the hallway and turned into a doorway opposite of the one that led to her bedroom. This one led to the spacious kitchen where her mother was bustling about.
Mrs. Hoffman was a small woman with short blond hair and bright blue eyes that always light up when she was working with children.
"Need any help mom?"
"Why don't you set the table and take the water out."
Tirza nodded and grabbed a stack of plates and headed out to the dinning room. It was strange to her that the house was so quiet, her dorm was hardly ever quiet expect in the early hours in the morning, but who was awake then?
Once the table was set and the homemade waffles were out, Tirza walked over to her brother who was still asleep on the couch. His blond hair was getting a little long and shaggy, but it suited his down to earth style. He use to be known as the tall lanky boy that couldn't walk strait on a flat surface. But as he grew older he was now the star basketball player.
"Hey, Eli. Wake up, breakfast is ready." She shook his shoulder gently but quickly pulled her hand back. He woke up with a jerk, his eyes flying open as he looked around in surprise.
"What?" He mumbled still half asleep. Tirza didn't bother hiding her smile as she gestured to the table.
"Breakfast is ready." She then woke up Uncle Jake, who woke up less violently and then they all gathered around the table still bleary-eyed and tired.
"Let's thank the Lord for this food." Mr. Hoffman said, reaching for his wife and son's hands. The table linked hands and bowed their heads as Tirza's dad led them in prayer, thanking for the safe return of their children and Uncle Jake, also asking God to keep them all safe in upcoming adventures. He finished his prayer, and Tirza's mom quickly blessed the food. Eli managed a smile as tired as he was before grabbing a waffle and smearing peanut butter on it.
Tirza bumped his foot with hers from across the table. He looked up at her in surprise and she gave him a warm smile.
"Bet you were dreaming of mom's homemade waffles out there in the savannah weren't you?" She said, dousing her own in thick maple syrup they had taken over from the States.
Eli laughed and nodded. "Anything was better then those protein bars."
Tirza joined in on his laughter. "Anything!"
.:+++:.
Knock knock.
"Come on in!" Eli shouted to his closed bedroom door. He looked up from his computer screen to see his dad walk in. "Hey dad, what's up?"
"Hey Elisha," He caught sight of his son's computer screen. "What are you working on?"
"Uh, it's just a video project for school."
"What's it about?"
"Actually how I grew spiritually during our adventure in the savannah."
His dad nodded several times as he looked from his son to the computer screen.
"I would be very interested to see it when you finish." Eli nodded in response.
"Sure thing...was that all you came in here to talk to me about?"
"No, actually." His dad looked like he was reminded of something. "You and I have to go pick up someone from the airport. Traffic is pretty light these days but you never know, so get ready in the next...five minutes, alright?"
Eli nodded and stepped over to his wardrobe. "Sure thing dad, be out in a minute."
His dad smiled and closed the door after himself.
Five minutes later, Eli and his dad piled into the Land Cruiser and they headed off to the small airport near the edge of town. In order to get there, they had to drive though the heart of town, which Eli actually preferred, he loved to watch the people walk to where ever they were going but what was so different in Africa then in America he found, was that in Africa, no one was in a hurry to do anything. Life was about making friendships and deepening them rather than getting things done. That's why he always felt like he never fit in America, his heartbeat was slower paced.
Once outside the town, they were stopped a few times by cows crossing the road. After that though they sailed down the red dirt road with the windows rolled down and their worries casted out to God.
"Ah! Look at that, we came just in the knick of time." Mr. Hoffman said with a smile as they pulled onto the grass behind the building that served as the airport. Eli jumped out and watched as a Caravan plane began it's decent onto the dirt airstrip.
"Who are we picking up dad? Another pastor?" His dad shook his head, and then pointed. Eli followed his finger and watched as the passengers began to walk down the air strip to the building. His eyes searched the faces, looking for one that was familiar. He finally saw curly brown hair and the face of his best friend.
"Joshua!"
The boy looked up and saw Eli waving like crazy. A grin broke out on his cheery face and he waved wildly back before entering the building. A few minutes later, he was out the other side and Eli slung his arm across his shoulders.
"Hey man, how's your family?" Eli asked with a grin as he took his friends bag and threw it into the back of the Land Cruiser.
"They're doing great, thanks for asking. How are you, Uncle Jake, and Tirza doing? I heard about the crash, and I've been praying for you guys non stop." Joshua asked as the two boys hopped into the back of the truck.
"We're all...adjusting back to normal life. It's kind of hard after something like that." Eli answered.
"I bet!" Joshua let out an exasperated sigh as he rolled down the window. "I'm just glad you guys are okay."
There was a twinkle in Eli's eye as he turned to his friend.
"Yeah, but you haven't even heard the half of it."
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