Literature Discussion - Lit-Talk.com

The Tishbite
The Untold Story of Elijah

By Kurt W. Schuller (USA)

Chapter 6

This manuscript (currently titled "the tishbite" but I am considering "A Man of God") is unfinished This Is a fictional account of the life of Elijah. It is raw and powerful reflecting the actual state of life at the time.It has a strong sexual theme which is necessary because of the story it tells. It is both inspirational as well as entertaining. It was written to entertain the reader first.` Your feedback is welcome I hope you enjoy.

Part one: A Man Of God

Chapter Six

Chapter 6
Things were very quiet next morning. Food was prepared and eaten with almost no conversation. Elisha was “different” somehow. It almost seemed that he was trying not to even look at Elijah. And when Elijah did catch a glimpse of the boy’s expression it was a strange mix of fearful apprehension.
Elijah looked up at the dull gray morning sky that hung wet and heavy over them; perhaps it was the cause of Elisha’s mood. It certainly wasn’t helping his.
Elijah found Miriam amazing. She had awoken refreshed and unruffled and got right to work preparing the meal, washing the utensils and packing the donkey. You never would have thought that she spent the night sleeping on the ground, for not one hair on her head appeared out of place. Her beautiful skin was unmarred by even one speck of dust or dirt, almost as if it could not stick to her.  She had a face that was always welcoming and warm, even when she frowned, which by his estimation was not very often. Yet even her attempts at conversation with her brother had failed.
As they traveled, Elijah took the lead. He spent the entire morning feeling Elisha’s cold stare on his back and was just about fed up with it.
They stopped around noon at a small brook. Miriam wanted to wash their finest clothes, so that they would look their best for the king. As she headed for the stream, Elijah took advantage of her absence and confronted her brother.
“All right. She’s gone so you can tell me whatever the hell it is that is stuck in your craw.”
Elisha looked both surprised and embarrassed. “Is it that obvious?”
Elijah eyes grew wide in exasperation and he folded his arms against his chest.
“If by it you mean that you think that I am the epitome of evil and that I should disappear from the face of the earth then- Yes. It is that obvious! So why don’t you enlighten me about this sudden change in feelings. Is it because I asked if you had any wine so now you think I am ‘corrupted’? All right! I like to end the day with a little wine but I’m hardly-“
“That’s not it at all.” Interrupted Elisha.
He closed his eyes.. “There is something you should know about me. I am-” he paused, struggling for the right word.
“What!” demanded Elijah? “Depressed? Confused? No. An evil twin! That must be it. What did you do with the ‘good’ Elisha?”
Elisha sighed and looked away embarrassed. “-Sensitive.”
“Sensitive!” Elijah’s anger had been unleashed and was not so quickly quelled. “Well I can be pretty sensitive myself, you know.”
Now he was yelling. “ In fact I am feeling pretty damn sensitive at this very moment.”
Something about Elijah’s wild eyes and words struck Elisha as being quite funny. He tried to stop the laughter and made a face as he attempted to keep it inside.
When Elijah saw his face contort he began to stifle a laugh as well. Neither of them was able to hold it back.
Miriam heard the two of them laughing uproariously and smiled to herself as she continued with her washing.
When they had stopped laughing the teen extended his hand. “I am sorry, Elijah.”
Elijah took his hand. “Don’t apologize, just tell me what is going on. What do you mean by saying you are sensitive?”
Elisha looked away and then up at the sky before looking back at Elijah. “ I sense things about people.”
Elijah starred at him blankly. “What sort of things are we talking about?”
“Feelings, emotions, those type of things. It takes time to filter through to me, I guess because most people bury them so deep. At first I felt a type of strength from you. . .”
Elisha struggled to put his thoughts into words.
“Arrgh-bless me it is so hard to try and explain. In my mind I saw a rock by the seashore, tall and strong, but worn smooth by the constant crashing of the ocean.  It’s like that. Sometimes I even feel like I can hear people’s thoughts”
Elijah recalled their conversation last night. He knew that he had not said that he was going to the palace. “And something else that you are sensing from me makes you uneasy?”
A wave of relief came over Elisha and he blurted out, “You have no idea. I have never felt anything like it. I sense frustration and anger, terrible guilt and regret, and-“
The boy paused for a moment and searched for the right word.
“_ a sense of terror. What I don’t know is why you carry all this around with you and it was causing me to worry for my sister and myself. Honestly Elijah-”
Elisha’s brow wrinkled in concern.
-I don’t know how you manage to get through the day.”
The color drained from Elijah’s face and he began to loose his balance. Elisha grabbed his arm and helped guide him down to sit on a rock. He looked up with tears in his eyes like a lost child and then buried his face in his hands, sobbing heavily.
Elisha was stunned; he had not expected anything like this. All he could do was look around uncomfortably and pat his back. He had no idea what to say to him.
Miriam arrived from her washing and saw Elijah on his knees crying. She rushed over and knelt down in front of him. She then looked up at her brother accusingly, as if he was responsible. Elisha lifted up both hands and shook his head no as if to say, it wasn’t me.
 Taking his face in her hands she gently kissed his forehead. She then began to stroke his hair with her right hand.
“Tell me what is wrong.  I know I can help you.”
Her warm and gentle kiss calmed him. He fought through the sobs to take several deep breaths. Eventually he was again able to speak. He took Miriam’s hand and kissed it gently. “ Thank you. I am alright now.”
He got up and walked around, wiping the tears that remained on his face with his sleeve.
“I will tell you everything.”
As he opened his mouth to speak the thundering of horses coming in their direction interrupted him. The three of them turned to look in the direction of the tumult.
Elisha was frightened. “Are we at war?”
Elijah was concerned as well but tried to be reassuring. “ Surely not, we just settled the last conflict a few months ago, they couldn’t have possibly found something else to fight about this soon.”
As it became clear that they seemed to be in the direct path of the oncoming soldiers, Elijah’s concern turned to fear.
Miriam trembled. “Should we run? Elijah, what should we do?”
Elijah was sure of only one thing. Running was not an option, for if these men were determined to take them, running would not stop them but it might infuriate them.
“No!” he said in a tone that surprised him. “Come to me, the two of you, we will face them together.”
Elijah raised his arms, and the two teens came together under them. He pulled them both close to him and squeezed tightly.
“I will protect you.”
The company arrived. It had a compliment of 6 soldiers, two young girls and four horses without riders. Their captain got down from his horse and approached them.
“ Good afternoon Sir. The king has need of your son and daughter. You have nothing to fear, they will be returned to you shortly.”
 Elijah looked closely at the two young girls; their hands had been bound.
“ First of all, I am not their father, and if there is nothing to worry about why are those girls bound?”
With lightning quick speed, Elijah found the point of a sword pressing against his throat.
 Other soldiers grabbed the siblings away from Elijah and began tying their hands
“ I am happy to hear that you are not their father- makes my job that much easier when I can drop all this pretense. So what do you say?”
The captain pressed his sword a little harder against Elijah’s throat.
“ Can I sheath my sword in its scabbard or through your scrawny neck?”
Elijah watched helplessly as the soldiers put the brother and sister on horseback. He closed his eyes and drew a shallow breath. “I will be no trouble.”
The Captain withdrew his sword and walked back to his horse.
“Can I talk to them before you leave?” Elijah pleaded. “ It will only take a moment.”
The captain’s eyes rolled up in his head and he sighed. “Why?”
“Please sir, I gave you no trouble.”
“As if you could have.” The captain sniffed sarcastically. “Go ahead, but if you try anything your head will be leaving its neck.”
Elijah walked over to them and smiled reassuringly. “ Elisha” he whispered, looking intently into the frightened boys eyes. “ I am going to the palace. Watch for me there, both of you. I will figure out some way to help, I promise.”
“That’s enough,” barked the captain. “Let’s go.”
 As he watched them ride off Elijah felt empty and alone, like the first day he had left his mother and father. He couldn’t remember what had made him sadder, his tears over leaving them, or his mother’s absence of tears at seeing him go.
When they had disappeared he fell prostrate to the ground and began to pray.
“Lord, You tell me I am Your Prophet, and that I will perform miracles in your name. Give me that power now, so that I can help them.” He cried earnestly.
He waited in expectation, hoping to feel the Lords presence as he had in his shop.
It did not come.
He spent the better part of an hour beseeching God to help Miriam and Elisha, but there was no answer to his plea. He realized that he was wasting time; time that could be the difference between life and death for his ‘adopted’ brother and sister. All he could do now was follow his path, as it had been laid out for him that day in his failing store.
The only way that he could help them was to do what God commanded of him.
He packed up, mounted the donkey and headed after them.

Continued Next Week