Griffin's Feather by J.T. Evans

Author:J.T. Evans [Evans, J. T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-61475-605-7
Publisher: WordFire Press

Chapter Thirteen

Eddie sped up a bit to get to the church before I “ruined” his leather, but not by much. He didn’t want to attract too much attention from the authorities. He didn’t say anything about going to a church, but he loudly ground his teeth. I don’t think he’d been inside a church since the drunk driver wiped out his family.

I took the few minutes of solitude to stare at myself in the mirror and probe my teeth with my tongue. None of them seemed loose, and I couldn’t find any cracks in them. While dentistry had improved considerably since my youth, I still didn’t like it.

We drove through the increasing storm toward the heart of San Antonio. I tore off my t-shirt and used it as a compress on my head to staunch most of the bleeding. I wasn’t in danger of bleeding out, but I did care a small bit about keeping Eddie’s interior free of more bad stains.

Eddie and I kept swapping looks, but neither of us wanted to talk about the elephant in the car with us. The silence finally dragged on long enough to annoy me. I didn’t want to preach to Eddie, but he used to find a great deal of comfort going to church and knowing God had his back. I had to help my friend find help and solace for himself.

I shifted in my seat a bit. “I gotta know something. When you lost your family, why’d you quit going to—”

“Don’t.”

“You know I’m a man of faith. I’m not the best Christian, but—”

“Don’t do this.” Desperation crept into Eddie’s voice.

“I gotta. You know that.”

A shuddering sigh escaped Eddie’s lungs.

I reached over with one hand and gripped his shoulder. “Here’s what I think I know. Lemme know if I’m off base. I’ve seen the dusty photos. I’ve seen the neglected images of saints and the crucifixes on your apartment walls. My guess is you blame God for putting your family in the path of a drunk driver.”

“Something like that.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. Those aren’t empty words. I know you’ve probably heard people say that plenty. I mean it. I’ve lost loved ones. More than I care to consider. I can’t wear your shoes, but I can sympathize. I know that pain. It hurts. It fades. It never goes away, though.”

“You got that right.” A hard edge tinged his voice.

“You’ve lived with this pain for a long time. It’ll be around longer. I’m not gonna lie to you. What I do know is the church’s community can help you heal faster.”

I waited for Eddie to say something, but he didn’t.

I pressed on. “Tell ya what. I’ll make you a deal. Come inside with me. Spend some time in the sanctuary. Alone. I’ll ask that no one bothers you. It’ll take some time for Father Pedro to patch me up. Just sit there and be by yourself for a bit.”

“What do I get out of this deal?”

“I’ll leave you alone about God. I’ll let you work it out on your own.

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