Chapter 17, Church Is For Lovers

I was awake; but at the same time, I wasn’t awake. The sun shone bright through my window while I lay in bed like a sloth.

            “What am I going to wear? Where are my shoes?”

“Mom! I’m trying to sleep!”

Hoarse, my voice was still asleep.

“Get out of bed Jason; now!” her voice chiding me out of bed, out of the warmth of the layers of duvet even though the sun was shining hot outside. “It is church today!”

            She had her days that I didn’t understand her, one day she never even talked to me, the next day she wants to pull me to church.

“I don’t believe in God and that nonsense.”

“It is not nonsense!” her voice again on a defending strikes. She slammed my door open with brute force, or that was what it felt like in my head; I imagined the air being bent by the door slamming against the wall. It made me giggle soft inside the cover of my arms.

“You are going to come with me to church, don’t be like your jerk of a father that never went.”
“You also never went,” I said in a low voice, my left foot hanging down the side of the bed. I sighed heavily when my body was lifted out of bed by a supernatural power of some sort.

            The inside of the car, the smell was stuffy. My eyes was fixed on the side window; looking at all the houses flashing by with their people in them like small doll houses. A fat old lady brought a steaming cup of coffee to a sitting man; his body limp in the chair placed in the morning sun.
We didn’t speak. It was silent.

The drive to the church was short, almost around the corner, but in actual fact it was five blocks away. Shooting black smoke out of its rear, we stopped on the white line in the parking area covering two spaces. Slamming against the door beside me, I fell out of the car with abruptness to breath in fresh breathable air; not polluted with mom.

            “Why are you here today? Did God really put you on this road for some greater task than the one you think, think you are here for? Let me tell you brothers and sisters, you are put on earth for a greater reason than your mind can comprehend. You will never know the true extend of your duty on earth, the true way God wants you to walk on,” I listened with only half an ear. My eyes dwelled around the room to scan the backsides of the people who call themselves believers. Believers of what? A roll play, a drama played out for over 2000 years, and people still believe in it.

            “Let us open on Mark 11:22 to read from the Holy Bible we vowed to believe in no matter what. I will read: Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'�"no shuffling or shilly-shallying�"and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive�"only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins." We go as far as that.”

            My eyes stopped on the back of a small figured body with long black hair dropping down to her lower back. She was wearing a white dress that covered to up her kneecaps. Her white skin contrasted against her black hair, but it looked... right. She sat still, not a movement coming across her body while she listened to the guy in front talking away about something I didn’t understand. I have never seen her before. I wondered if she was new.

            “We have just read that we must trust in God so much that we can put all our faith in Him so that we can trust that God will move mountains! Move mountains my brothers and sisters, for God has the strength to do these things. We must just give our trust to the Lord and trust unconditional.”

            I sat and looked at her backside the whole church sermon through. When we stood up to say thanks, she turned around for a brief moment. Soft skin, reddish lips and blue eyes. As quick as she looked back she turned her head again. The beating in my chest slowly increased to a faster beating when she turned around again to walk out of church.

           

            “Hi! I’m Jason. I haven’t noticed you here. Are you guys new?”

“Hi,” I took her outstretched hand in front of mine. Her eyes were a light blue colour piercing mine. Her hand was warm and small; fragile. Her smile made my stomach turn, but I didn’t show it �" it felt like I didn’t show the signs. “No, we are just new to the church. We live down at the old Creak, down at the buildings.” Her eyes looked straight through me. Dampness set in on my hands as I didn’t know what to do with them. A strong scent of vanilla entered my nose.

            “Can I take you out sometime for coffee?”

There was silence as the question lay on the floor in front of her. Her eyes jumped from side to side in her head; for safety I diverted my view to over her shoulder. I saw my mom climbing in the car. “S**t, sorry. Sometimes I just run into things...”

I didn’t finish when the silent yes filled my ears with delight. A small but true smile jumped across her face when my eyes met hers again. I touched her hand again.

“I need to go now,” I said in a disappointed voice when I removed my hand from hers. She didn’t say anything; I didn’t know where to contact her or anything. I left it for fate to decide.