Chapter 2
Tirza had been enjoying the quiet outside while writing in her journal. She enjoyed hearing the birds chirping, and the people walking past the wall that surrounded the house. It was just a rich way of life that most people didn't stop to notice.
A horn blared in front of the large gate. She watched as the gardener ran over and swung it open. Her jaw dropped as her dad's Land Cruiser drove in. She picked up her things and ran around the corner and into the house.
"Mom!" She cried, setting her journal down on the coffee table in the living room.
"Yes dear?" Mrs. Hoffman asked from the kitchen.
"Why is Joshua Bennett here?" Tirza asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.
"Because both his parents, and your father and I thought it would be a good idea for him to spend the month with us. He was very worried when he heard about the plane crash." Her mom explained as she put a pecan pie into the oven.
"Well that's great and all but why couldn't he just have...called or something?"
Her mom turned and gave her a look that told Tirza her mom saw right through her. "You might want to look up Romans 15:7. It might help you through your rough spot."
Tirza groaned and leaned over the counter to look through the hole in the wall and watch as the guys unloaded Joshua's luggage.
"We also invited him so that maybe you two could work out your differences."
"Mom!" Tirza turned back to her with a frown.
"Oh don't act as if I don't know these things. I was sixteen once too. " Her mom winked at her before shooing her out of the kitchen. Tirza made a dash for her bedroom and quietly shut the door.
Sighing, she slumped down onto her bed. She looked around her bare room and her eyes fell on her Bible. Tirza reached over for it and flipped over to Romans.
"What was the verse mom mentioned?" She mumbled, but then a verse popped out because she had already highlighted it.
"'Romans 15:7, accept one another then just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God.'" She sighed and set the Bible down and folded her hands in prayer, knowing she wouldn't be able to get over her uneasiness about Joshua with out God's help.
She honestly couldn't explain it. But ever since he started going to school at Rift Valley Academy, she was uneasy around him and didn't like it so she mostly avoided him. Though that was a bit hard to do since he was her brother's best friend and roommate. Eli couldn't understand it since Joshua was nothing but nice to her, and all she did in return was be snappy and play the 'Avoid Him At All Cost' game. Though she came to the conclusion that the reason why she always felt uneasy around him was because he had this way of starring at a person like he was trying to uncover their deepest secrets, and that did nothing but make her uncomfortable.
"Tirza, come out and greet our guest." Her mom called to her. Tirza sighed and set her Bible back down before pressing the wrinkles out of her linen pants. She then walked out and moved out of her room and into the living room.
There, she was met with two boys that were catching up on the latest happenings.
"Hey Tirza," Joshua said, looking up at her with that unnerving gaze.
"Hi." She gave a little wave and then grabbed her journal from the coffee table.
"How have you been?"
"Um...better. I've been better." She answered, backing up near the door just incase she needed a quick escape route.
"Yeah, I'd imagine. But it sounds like you've all had some amazing adventures that God has used to strengthen your faith."
"Well that was mostly Eli. But...yeah." She nodded several times, gazing at everything but Joshua, but the silence hung over her like a knife. "Well great to see you, hope you two boys have fun. I will be in my room." She then made a fast exit and locked herself up in her room.
Joshua turned and looked at Eli.
"Did I say something?"
Eli rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Nah, Tirza's just weird."
Tirza pulled out a well worn notebook from her desk and flipped through it. In there a thousand notes of encouragement gave her reassurance.
"Why can't I just be normal around him?!" She cried, slamming her head onto the desk.
"Tirza?"
She turned around and saw her brother standing respectfully at the doorway.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?" He stepped into the room, concern written on his face.
"Oh, yeah. Sort of. I'm just annoyed with myself."
"Well, Josh and I are walking down to the duka (small shop)/ Mom needs more Coke. Want to come?" Eli asked as he placed an old Mossy Oak baseball cap on his head.
"...Sure." Tirza snatched up a kanga (light blanket) and wrapped it around her hips, covering her shorts.
Outside, the trio made their way down the dirt road. The boys continued talking about the lost rugby game. But that was a conversation Tirza had no interest of joining. So, after a few moments of walking in silence, she regreted having agreed to come along. Plus Joshua kept looking at her and it was making her uncomfortable.
"So, Tirza," Her gaze jerked from the mountain in the distance to his intense, screaming blue-eyed gaze.
"I saw a kindle on the counter, do you prefer those over real books Tirza?"
Other than the passing thought that wondered 'where the heck did that come from?' she answered instantly.
"Books. Tablets deprive you of so many joys, I can't stand them."
"Oh? and what joys do they deprive you of?"
Tirza glanced at the boy before answering. Wondering if he truly wanted to know or if it was just a filler conversation. She came to the conclusion that he was honestly interested. Eli, however, rolled his eyes and muttered "Oh boy" under his breath.
"Well for starters I like my bookmarks. I collect them, like tourists collect magnets or key chains."
Joshua nodded in all seriousness so she took that as a sign to continue.
"I also like to see how far in the book I have to go -"
"Yes! and to get the satisfied feeling when you get to the end of the book and you can say 'I read all that.'"
"Right!" The fact that he made Tirza completely uncomfortable was forgotten momentarily. She was just happy to meet someone who understood her hatred against anything that tried to replace books.
"and you don't get to hear the pages turn, swiping a screen just doesn't do it for me." She said.
"I know what you mean. And books just have this...this smell. Especially old ones, like you just know they've traveled so far and somehow landed in your hands."
"Well why don't ya'll go on a date to the library," Eli cut in, shattering the mood. "But right now why don't you give me a hand with these?"
Tirza was snapped back to reality, though she couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she took a few glass Coke bottles from her brother.
"So were you able to find some things you two have in common?" Mrs. Hoffman asked as she smashed up avocados with a fork.
"Well...at least one."
"Now that's an improvement! I'm glad you opened up, I know that's a difficult thing for you to do."
Tirza nodded in agreement as she flipped over a chapati (thick tortilla) on the gas stove.
"Well what do you guys have planed for break?"
"Uh...I have no clue. I assume the boys are going to go do something and get themselves hurt. While I plan to stay at home and get ahead in a few of my classes."
Her mom chuckled, making Tirza turn.
"You are so much like your father."
Tirza smiled and took the chapati off the pan.
"Go call the boys and tell them lunch is ready.:
Tirza took the plate of hot chapatis and hollered down the hall on her way to the dining room.
N sooner as they placed everything out on the table did the two boys come running like a pack of hyenas. Though they did wait patiently for the girls to sit down before they reached for hands and prayed. Butterflies erupted in Tirza's stomach when Joshua offered his hand. She noticed everyone waiting, so she hastily slid hers into his and tried to concentrate on Eli's prayer.
But the moment it was over, she let go of his hand and reached for a chapati.
"So where did Uncle Mark go?" Joshua asked as he attempted to pick up his ultra-stuffed burrito, but failed miserably, making Tirza chuckle under her breath.
"Not all of us can be awesome at burrito making you know." He whispered to her.
"He had a surprise flight he had to go on." Mrs. Hoffman answered.
"On a Saturday? That must be tough with your dad being a pilot and all." Josh admitted.
"You must not be able to see him much."
"Actually," Eli paused and swallowed before he continued. "It's awesome! He comes back with the most wild stories and the coolest trinkets. Some times he even takes us on flights with him."
Joshua's eyebrows rose.
"That is a pretty sweet gig."
"Yes, but it's not all fun times." Eli's mom cut in.
"Oh I didn't think it was Aunt Kassy. I looked into becoming a pilot a little while back. I know it isn't all it's hyped up to be."
"You wanted to become a pilot?" Tirza was surprised, Joshua wasn't one she had pinned down as a pilot.
Josh nodded in answer to her question due to the bite in his mouth.
"No it's not." Aunt Kassy agreed. "He travels into the Sudan a lot so it can be very dangerous. Plus it's hard work even when he's not on a flight. Lots of plotting courses, looking at charts, paperwork as well. He's constantly learning new things order to be the best that he can. It's a very stressful job."
"So I heard. And it takes a lot to become a pilot too! I mean you have to spend so many years as a mechanic before you can move on, and I heard the pilot training can be very intense."
"Very intense." Eli agreed. "Like this one time -"
"I think Joshua can hear that some other time Eli." His mom interrupted. "While we're not eating."
Everyone chuckled as they continued their meal.
Tirza had been enjoying the quiet outside while writing in her journal. She enjoyed hearing the birds chirping, and the people walking past the wall that surrounded the house. It was just a rich way of life that most people didn't stop to notice.
A horn blared in front of the large gate. She watched as the gardener ran over and swung it open. Her jaw dropped as her dad's Land Cruiser drove in. She picked up her things and ran around the corner and into the house.
"Mom!" She cried, setting her journal down on the coffee table in the living room.
"Yes dear?" Mrs. Hoffman asked from the kitchen.
"Why is Joshua Bennett here?" Tirza asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.
"Because both his parents, and your father and I thought it would be a good idea for him to spend the month with us. He was very worried when he heard about the plane crash." Her mom explained as she put a pecan pie into the oven.
"Well that's great and all but why couldn't he just have...called or something?"
Her mom turned and gave her a look that told Tirza her mom saw right through her. "You might want to look up Romans 15:7. It might help you through your rough spot."
Tirza groaned and leaned over the counter to look through the hole in the wall and watch as the guys unloaded Joshua's luggage.
"We also invited him so that maybe you two could work out your differences."
"Mom!" Tirza turned back to her with a frown.
"Oh don't act as if I don't know these things. I was sixteen once too. " Her mom winked at her before shooing her out of the kitchen. Tirza made a dash for her bedroom and quietly shut the door.
Sighing, she slumped down onto her bed. She looked around her bare room and her eyes fell on her Bible. Tirza reached over for it and flipped over to Romans.
"What was the verse mom mentioned?" She mumbled, but then a verse popped out because she had already highlighted it.
"'Romans 15:7, accept one another then just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God.'" She sighed and set the Bible down and folded her hands in prayer, knowing she wouldn't be able to get over her uneasiness about Joshua with out God's help.
She honestly couldn't explain it. But ever since he started going to school at Rift Valley Academy, she was uneasy around him and didn't like it so she mostly avoided him. Though that was a bit hard to do since he was her brother's best friend and roommate. Eli couldn't understand it since Joshua was nothing but nice to her, and all she did in return was be snappy and play the 'Avoid Him At All Cost' game. Though she came to the conclusion that the reason why she always felt uneasy around him was because he had this way of starring at a person like he was trying to uncover their deepest secrets, and that did nothing but make her uncomfortable.
"Tirza, come out and greet our guest." Her mom called to her. Tirza sighed and set her Bible back down before pressing the wrinkles out of her linen pants. She then walked out and moved out of her room and into the living room.
There, she was met with two boys that were catching up on the latest happenings.
"Hey Tirza," Joshua said, looking up at her with that unnerving gaze.
"Hi." She gave a little wave and then grabbed her journal from the coffee table.
"How have you been?"
"Um...better. I've been better." She answered, backing up near the door just incase she needed a quick escape route.
"Yeah, I'd imagine. But it sounds like you've all had some amazing adventures that God has used to strengthen your faith."
"Well that was mostly Eli. But...yeah." She nodded several times, gazing at everything but Joshua, but the silence hung over her like a knife. "Well great to see you, hope you two boys have fun. I will be in my room." She then made a fast exit and locked herself up in her room.
Joshua turned and looked at Eli.
"Did I say something?"
Eli rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Nah, Tirza's just weird."
.:+++:.
Tirza pulled out a well worn notebook from her desk and flipped through it. In there a thousand notes of encouragement gave her reassurance.
"Why can't I just be normal around him?!" She cried, slamming her head onto the desk.
"Tirza?"
She turned around and saw her brother standing respectfully at the doorway.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?" He stepped into the room, concern written on his face.
"Oh, yeah. Sort of. I'm just annoyed with myself."
"Well, Josh and I are walking down to the duka (small shop)/ Mom needs more Coke. Want to come?" Eli asked as he placed an old Mossy Oak baseball cap on his head.
"...Sure." Tirza snatched up a kanga (light blanket) and wrapped it around her hips, covering her shorts.
Outside, the trio made their way down the dirt road. The boys continued talking about the lost rugby game. But that was a conversation Tirza had no interest of joining. So, after a few moments of walking in silence, she regreted having agreed to come along. Plus Joshua kept looking at her and it was making her uncomfortable.
"So, Tirza," Her gaze jerked from the mountain in the distance to his intense, screaming blue-eyed gaze.
"I saw a kindle on the counter, do you prefer those over real books Tirza?"
Other than the passing thought that wondered 'where the heck did that come from?' she answered instantly.
"Books. Tablets deprive you of so many joys, I can't stand them."
"Oh? and what joys do they deprive you of?"
Tirza glanced at the boy before answering. Wondering if he truly wanted to know or if it was just a filler conversation. She came to the conclusion that he was honestly interested. Eli, however, rolled his eyes and muttered "Oh boy" under his breath.
"Well for starters I like my bookmarks. I collect them, like tourists collect magnets or key chains."
Joshua nodded in all seriousness so she took that as a sign to continue.
"I also like to see how far in the book I have to go -"
"Yes! and to get the satisfied feeling when you get to the end of the book and you can say 'I read all that.'"
"Right!" The fact that he made Tirza completely uncomfortable was forgotten momentarily. She was just happy to meet someone who understood her hatred against anything that tried to replace books.
"and you don't get to hear the pages turn, swiping a screen just doesn't do it for me." She said.
"I know what you mean. And books just have this...this smell. Especially old ones, like you just know they've traveled so far and somehow landed in your hands."
"Well why don't ya'll go on a date to the library," Eli cut in, shattering the mood. "But right now why don't you give me a hand with these?"
Tirza was snapped back to reality, though she couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she took a few glass Coke bottles from her brother.
.:+++:.
"Well...at least one."
"Now that's an improvement! I'm glad you opened up, I know that's a difficult thing for you to do."
Tirza nodded in agreement as she flipped over a chapati (thick tortilla) on the gas stove.
"Well what do you guys have planed for break?"
"Uh...I have no clue. I assume the boys are going to go do something and get themselves hurt. While I plan to stay at home and get ahead in a few of my classes."
Her mom chuckled, making Tirza turn.
"You are so much like your father."
Tirza smiled and took the chapati off the pan.
"Go call the boys and tell them lunch is ready.:
Tirza took the plate of hot chapatis and hollered down the hall on her way to the dining room.
N sooner as they placed everything out on the table did the two boys come running like a pack of hyenas. Though they did wait patiently for the girls to sit down before they reached for hands and prayed. Butterflies erupted in Tirza's stomach when Joshua offered his hand. She noticed everyone waiting, so she hastily slid hers into his and tried to concentrate on Eli's prayer.
But the moment it was over, she let go of his hand and reached for a chapati.
"So where did Uncle Mark go?" Joshua asked as he attempted to pick up his ultra-stuffed burrito, but failed miserably, making Tirza chuckle under her breath.
"Not all of us can be awesome at burrito making you know." He whispered to her.
"He had a surprise flight he had to go on." Mrs. Hoffman answered.
"On a Saturday? That must be tough with your dad being a pilot and all." Josh admitted.
"You must not be able to see him much."
"Actually," Eli paused and swallowed before he continued. "It's awesome! He comes back with the most wild stories and the coolest trinkets. Some times he even takes us on flights with him."
Joshua's eyebrows rose.
"That is a pretty sweet gig."
"Yes, but it's not all fun times." Eli's mom cut in.
"Oh I didn't think it was Aunt Kassy. I looked into becoming a pilot a little while back. I know it isn't all it's hyped up to be."
"You wanted to become a pilot?" Tirza was surprised, Joshua wasn't one she had pinned down as a pilot.
Josh nodded in answer to her question due to the bite in his mouth.
"No it's not." Aunt Kassy agreed. "He travels into the Sudan a lot so it can be very dangerous. Plus it's hard work even when he's not on a flight. Lots of plotting courses, looking at charts, paperwork as well. He's constantly learning new things order to be the best that he can. It's a very stressful job."
"So I heard. And it takes a lot to become a pilot too! I mean you have to spend so many years as a mechanic before you can move on, and I heard the pilot training can be very intense."
"Very intense." Eli agreed. "Like this one time -"
"I think Joshua can hear that some other time Eli." His mom interrupted. "While we're not eating."
Everyone chuckled as they continued their meal.
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