Stir Him Up {ON HOLD}

6

Chapter 6:

"So where are we going?" I ask Eli when we get settled in his car.

Eli starts his car and pulls out of the lot with the traffic. "Some where to eat." he says not offering any more and i sit back enjoying the ride. Eli drives past a few restaurants and then he pulls into the lot of a small diner. "I'll be right back." he says jumping out of the car.

Confused i wait in the front seat waiting to see what he is doing. A few minutes later he comes back out with a picnic basket and i watch amused as he shoves it in the back seat. "We're going on a picnic?"

"I hope that's okay." he says looking a little unsure and i smile at him telling him it's fine. I dont really know how i'm suppose to go on a picnic in a dress but i'll figure it out. "So what did you think of the service?"

"I liked it." I nod with a smile. "I didnt know what to expect but i understood what the pastor was talking about."

"Would you come back?" he asks looking over to me quickly before looking back out of the windshield.

I look out to and notice we're going out of town. "Honestly yah i would but i'm worried about my daddy." Through the whole service he was stiff his mouth moved with the lyrics of the song but he didn't sing or come out of his stiff position.

"Why's that?"

"He use to go to church but it was when he was younger. The whole service he was tense."

Eli nods in understanding and glances over at me. "I'll pray for him but when you get home ask him what he thought it may help."

"I'll do that thanks."

Eli pulls into a field thats surrounded by trees and i frown following him as he gets out. He grabs the basket out of the back and leads the way. "The trails small so you may wanna hold on."

I nodd grabbing his hand. He looks down at our joined hands for a second and i'm about to pull mine back when he smiles up at me and leads the way. We walk through the mini forest for a few minutes before we come into a clearing. I smile when i see wheat. It's beautiful with the sun touching down on it and the golden color. Ei leads me through the field and to the middle of the clearing.

I gasp when i see the beautiful flowers of all colors. Their beautiful and in the middle is a dark wooden bench covered in beautiful vines. "This is amazingly beautiful." i say looking around in awe. "Who made the bench?" i ask looking back at him.

Eli's cheeks brighten a bit and he points at himself. I look at the bench in disbelief. "It's awesome you are really good." Eli smiles shaking his head. "Really you should sell them." he pulls the blanket out of the basket and lays it on the ground.

He sits and i follow watching as he pulls sandwiches out of the bag. "I never really thought about it."

"You should because i would buy them." he looks up at me and i give him a serious look. He doesnt say anything so i ask "Who's land is this?" it must be theirs because why else would he build a bench and bring it here.

"My family owns it." he says and he hands me two sandwiches. "The first ones Turkey and the other is Ham i didnt know which you liked."

I grab the turkey sandwich and smile. "Can we say prayer?" he asks and i nod confused but Eli only smiles and takes my hand bowing his head. I close my eyes doing the same. "Father God in the name of Jesus we come to you this fine evening as humble as we know how asking that you forgive us for anything we have don't thought or said today that was not in your way. We come to you to say  thank you thank you for waking us up another day. Thank you for the movement of our limbs and our health and thank you for bringing us together. We also thank you for this food we are about to receive Lord and we ask that you take out anything harmful or unpleasant in Jesus name Amen." I mumble and Amen and open my eyes looking upp at Eli.

"Why do you pray before you eat?"

With a patient smile Eli says "You should acknowledge God in every way and praying to say thank you before you eat is acknowledging him. He gave you the blessing of being able to eat another meal and you should think him for that."

I nod in understanding but then i dont. So should you pray and say thank you before you get in the shower every morning because you have running water? I dont know and i dont want to look stupid asking so i open my sandwich and take a bite.

"You were really awesome on the drums."

Eli blushes a little and i smile hugely at him because i have noticed he gets shy and stuff when I complement him. "Thanks it's my calling from God."

I cock my head and ask "Your calling?"

"Yes when you have a calling on your life from God it's just a special gift he has blessed you with and the Drums is mine the piano is Matthews."

"Did you take lessons or are you just that good?"

Eli shakes his head. "I didnt take lessons every time before i get in the booth i ask God to lead me and thats what he does." Surprised i nod because how beast he plays i would have though he had a teacher. Eli chuckles and says "God is the best teacher you can have."

Nodding in agreement i take another bite and look at the trees thinking about God. Why did i never know he was real? I know the people i hung out with and the people we were with before didnt talk about him but i want to know why daddy didnt even if he was rebellious. "Can i ask you a question?" Eli asks and i nod giving him my full attention. He looks a little uncomfortable and that makes me fidget because i can only guess what hes going to ask. "Why did you really move here?"

I bit my lip uncomfortably and shrug my shoulders. "I'm not suppose to talk about it." Eli nods in understanding and i give him a sad smile. "You can ask me anything else though."

He looks at me for a few minutes and i shift feeling his eyes piercing my soul. He blinks a few times and asks "How old were you when you got your tattoo?"

"Fourteen." I laugh remembering the day. "I use to call my momma a scorpion because she would lash out on anybody if they ever did or said anything to her family. One day she took me to the tattoo shop and said she was going to get a Tiger and asked what i wanted. Of course since she got my nick name i got hers. I wanted it to be seen so i got it on my neck."

Eli smiles with me and asks the dreaded question. "Where is your mom?"

I look down and play with the piece of grass before whispering painfully "She's dead."

"Oh Lord." Eli says shocked. "I'm sorry for asking Blake i didnt know."

Looking up at him i give a reassuring smile and reach over to take his hand. "It's fine Eli like you said you ddint know."

"How'd she die?"

Giving him a painful look i take my hand back. "That's another thing i cant tell you." He just had to runin the moment.