Eli by Bill Myers

Author:Bill Myers
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub

The park officials shut the meeting down a little before eight. Just as well. There’s no telling how long Eli would have gone on if they hadn’t. With so many people in need of healing and teaching and explanations regarding the Kingdom of Heaven, he would have stayed there all night. On three separate occasions Conrad and the guys had tried to convince him to quit. But his argument was always the same: “These are the people I’ve come to help . . . and my time is so short.”

Yet, as dusk approached, it was obvious that even the great Eli Shepherd was reaching his limit. By five o’clock his voice was going. By seven o’clock it was barely above a whisper. And still he was reluctant to stop, and still the crowd was reluctant to leave. “There’s so much pain here,” he had croaked to the guys. “So much need.”

Conrad was pleased that McFarland had chosen to stay. He was pleased for Eli’s sake, he was pleased for McFarland’s sake, and he was pleased for his own. Truth be told, he enjoyed watching Eli’s logic scramble McFarland’s religious self-righteousness. There were times the man listened with his mouth agape, times he nearly scoffed out loud, and times he could only shake his head in wonder. It was amusing, to say the least.

What was not amusing was the way McFarland, after the crowd had been dismissed and was heading home, suddenly produced a tape recorder and confronted Eli. Conrad, Jake, and Will had been trying to get him through the mass of people to Maggie’s camper parked backstage when McFarland suddenly appeared, calling and pushing his way toward the front. “Eli? Eli, Gerald McFarland from EBN News. Eli!”

If Eli heard, he did not respond. Instead he turned and suddenly came to a stop. “Who touched me?” he croaked.

Conrad exchanged glances with Jake and Will. What was he talking about?

“Somebody touched me,” Eli’s voice cracked. “Who was it?”

“Eli.” Jake leaned closer. “We’ve got a whole crowd pushing in here, what do you mean, who touched you?”

Eli tried to speak louder, his ruined voice croaking and skipping. “Somebody touched me. I felt power leave. Where are you?”

The small crowd murmured, glancing at one another.

McFarland took advantage of the moment to try again. “Eli? Gerald McFarland from EBN News.”

Eli held out his hand, motioning for silence. “It’s important that you tell me,” he tried to shout. He waited, continuing to search the crowd. “It’s important for you.”

Jake coughed slightly. “Eli, I don’t think he’ll—”

“Shh,” Eli said. “Give her time.”

The crowd grew restless. Now there was only the sound of crickets and the nearby highway. Nearly a half minute passed before a slight disturbance began toward the back. People stepped aside, making room for someone to pass. Finally, an embarrassed woman in shorts and frizzy red hair came into view. She was in her late twenties, perspiring heavily, and very, very frightened. But she continued forward. As she approached, her gaze dropped to the ground, and when she arrived she was breathing so hard she could not speak.

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