Chapter 5

    Elijah had just set off to look for food when he heard a heart-rending scream. It was a girl’s scream, and not a playful one, but one of terror; real genuine fright. He had no idea who she was or what was going on, but he started racing in that direction. His worst fear was that the mountain lion was stalking some defenseless little girl. Though he was nearly as defenseless in the same situation not more than an hour ago, he was determined to protect or assist whoever it was in trouble. Running just as hard and fast as he could, he covered quite a distance in no time. He focused on the area where he heard the scream, and it seemed to be in the very place where he faced the deadly panther just a short time prior. The fear started creeping back as he recalled looking into eyes that were looking at him as though he were already dead. His knees started feeling wobbly, but he didn’t know what this little girl’s situation entailed. He only knew that he may be her only chance to escape this lion’s inherent instinct to kill.

   “God, please be with me. Be with me as You were with Daniel in the lions’ den. You are my Protector, my Stronghold. Thank-You.” As he came flying through the last small clearing about twelve feet across, he started screaming at the top of his lungs in an effort to scare the cougar away.

   As he came bursting through the bushes, grass, and branches screaming and waving his arms,

he nearly ran smack into Mike as he was holding and comforting his daughter. If they weren’t scared before Elijah arrived, they were absolutely horrified at the sight of this man who is screaming and waving his arms like a maniac with large chunks of bloody flesh hanging off his face like ribbons. Micah began screaming and crying as Eric, just out of sheer instinct, jumped on Elijah and wrestled him to the ground, and with his eyes closed, was swinging his fists at Elijah’s head with everything he had. Everyone was running on pure fear and adrenaline. Mike lunged to pull Eric off Elijah while Micah retained a vise-like grip around her father’s waist and her head buried in the small of his back. As Eric got up, Elijah screamed in agony and wiped the blood out of his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

   “I think a better question is, “What the hell is wrong with you?? You look like you lost a fight with a legion of ninjas.” Mike couldn't stop staring at this mess of blood and flesh in front of him. He was in a nightmare and was trying to force himself awake.

   “I understand I may have startled you a bit, but I came running to save this little girl. Certainly a funny way of saying thank-you, if you ask me.” The pain ripping through Elijah's face coursed through his body in waves, buckling his knees.
   “What were you going to save my daughter from, pal?” There was mix of sarcasm and curiosity in Mike’s voice.
   “The same cougar that did this to my face about an hour ago. I nearly ran right into him while he was perched in this tree over here when I came out of this clearing and he lunged at my head. I ducked, but he swatted my face. I've never felt pain like this before and I know that it’s bled a lot.”
   “My daughter screamed when they came across your.....”
   “Tallit....prayer shawl.”
   “Uh, right. Well, it really startled her to see something soaked in blood out here in the middle of nowhere. I guess I should introduce myself and my kids. My name is Mike Blanchard, and this is my son, Eric...”
   “Sorry I jumped on you. I was really scared and it was just instinct. I hope I didn’t hurt your face any more than it is already.”
   “No problem. I’m sure it looks worse than it really is, anyway. It hurts but I figure it'll be better in a couple of days...I figure it’s like a razor cut when you’re shaving. Those bleed forever.”
   “No, you're a mess and in need of immediate medical attention. Oh. this is my daughter, Micah. She’s still quite shaken.”
   “It’s nice to meet you, Micah. I’m terribly sorry I scared you. My name is Elijah. Boy, today has been pretty extraordinary, to say the least.” Eric shook Elijah’s hand, as did Mike, but Micah continued to hide behind her dad and brother. She didn’t want to get close to this guy who looked like he just walked off the set of “Friday the 13th”; only those gashes in his face were real, and they were deep; running the length of his face from the corner of his eyebrow downwards to just below his earlobe. His face was wide open and bleeding badly.

   “Yeah, that’s my prayer shawl. Look, I live near-by, just under that outcropping over there...”
   “That’s where we were heading to climb,” Eric piped-in.
   “Well, that’s where I set up camp. You’re welcome to walk back with me if you’d like.”
He seemed like a nice-enough guy, so Mike accepted his offer. Besides, the kids needed to sit down and unwind for a little bit. The walk was a relatively short one when Elijah announced they had arrived Mike was confused, expecting to see a cabin or trailer, but there was nothing...just a semi-enclosed area covered by pine needles and surrounded by large rocks. He saw nothing here to indicate that Elijah was camping, much less living here.
   “Well, Elijah, honestly...I feel as though I’m in the Twilight Zone. This has been the most bizarre day of my life, if not the most frightening. Let me say first that your face needs immediate medical attention. Are you camping?”
   “Well, sort-of. On a long-term basis. I’ve decided to move out here and just live in the wild. Right off the land. Pioneer-style.”
   “Elijah, I can’t leave you out here like this, so why don’t you pack up your stuff....wait, where is all your stuff? You do have gear, don’t you?”
   “Uh....” Elijah shifted uncomfortably. “Not exactly.”
   “Sleeping bag?”
   “No.”
   “Jacket?”
   “Nope.”
   “Any non-perishable food?”
   “Didn’t have time to pack.”
   Mike was beginning to understand. Either Elijah was a runaway, or he was a fugitive of the law. Regardless, he needed prompt medical attention or he'd be dead soon.
   “Elijah, all of us have been kinda thrown together in a bizarre set of events today, so I hope you don’t mind me asking what’s going on with you. I grew-up in these parts, and I know just how dangerous and unforgiving this wilderness can be. I see that you’re wearing church clothes in the middle of the wild with no sleeping bag and no provisions. Are you here to commit suicide, Elijah?
   “First of all, I am a Jew, and I wouldn’t be caught dead in a church. My father is the chief Rabbi of the largest synagogue in Portland.” Mike made a mental note to look this guy up later to inform him

about his son’s whereabouts.
   “Secondly, you need not be concerned about my personal business. I am not out here to commit suicide, just start a new life. I will learn to provide for myself. I’ll learn as I go. Can’t be that tough...pioneers did it years ago, so I can too.”
   Mike was angry at this guy’s ignorance because he knew that Elijah didn’t have a chance out here. He would be incredibly fortunate to survive two weeks, and his last days, however many he has left, will be a tortured existence. He’ll probably be praying and begging for death to come quickly, but it won’t. It will be elusive, teasing him but evading his grasp. He may starve to death, maybe die of thirst; and if the animals don’t get to him and kill him, the inevitable infection in his facial wound certainly will. Mike had to do something.
   “Elijah, why don’t you come with us and we’ll get you to a hospital so that wound can get stitched and dressed. It’s really bad, and if you don’t get it taken care-of, you’ll be sure to get an infection which will probably kill you. It’s nothing to mess with, Elijah. You can stay with us for awhile until you get better, and then come back out here if you want.” Mike knew that he would decline, but he had to offer.
   “No thanks, Mike. That’s a kind offer, but I’ll be fine. I’m tougher than I look.”
With that, Elijah managed a mangled smile, so Mike smiled back but he wanted to grab him and shake some sense into his thick, stubborn head.
   “Ok, suit yourself. We should get going, though. It’s going to get dark soon, and we don’t want to get caught out here. Here, why don’t you take these supplies we brought? You have nothing right now, and who knows, these just might keep you alive for a few extra days. I have a couple canteens of water, a few MRE’s, (Meal, Ready To Eat); a flashlight, a shelter-half, and a rain poncho. Oh, here’s a bandage and a compress for your face. Would you like me to clean and bandage it for you before we go?”
   “No, I’ll be alright, really. Thanks anyway, Mike.”
   “You’ll need a lot of water, so you should find your water source first. There's a stream about a mile to the east of here, but it's seasonal. It may be dried up right now, but it's worth checking first thing tomorrow. You can only go a few days without it before you die of dehydration. Good luck, Elijah.”
As they walked away, he almost thought he heard them saying a prayer for him.

***

  “Kids, Elijah needs our prayers. Actually, he needs a lot more than our prayers, but that's about all we can offer him right now. He’s in big trouble.”
   “That's for sure. Dad, how come we don’t have prayer shawls?” Eric was clearly curious about what made them different from Elijah.
   "Well son, Elijah is Jewish.”

   “What does that mean?” Micah had never heard of Jewish before and was intrigued.

   “The term 'Jewish' can mean two things: it can mean a race of people, or it can refer to the religion of Judaism. Those followers are called Jews. That's what Jesus was, Eric. Jews gave us the Old Testament and most of the New Testament." Eric and Micah just looked at him for a moment while they digested this bit of information and let it sink in.
   "Did Jesus have a prayer shawl like that one?" Micah also had a zeal for life and knowledge. Mike loved that about his kids. They refused to be glued to video games and meaningless television programs. If they watched TV, it was usually things on the Discovery channel. They loved nature programs, and because of that, Mike has always suspected that they may grow up to be biologists, veterinarians, or something in the life science field.
   "I really don't know, honey. I'm sure he did."
   "What was that thing on his head?" The kids didn't miss a thing.
   "That's called a yarmulke, and they wear it out of reverence to God. The Jewish people love God very, very much but they don't believe in Jesus."
   "Why not???" These two couldn't believe that someone could love God so much, but not believe in Jesus. He understood a little bit about the wall of enmity that exists between the Church and the Jewish people, but he wasn't sure how to explain that to his children. How do you explain that people who claim to believe the very same things you do, claim to love the same Jesus they do, annihilated over six million Jewish people in the name of Jesus?? It's nearly impossible for his finite mind to comprehend a number that big, and it truly made his heart hurt and ache when he considered the unconscionable, colossal sin committed by an evil few.

  Tears came to his eyes as he looked at his little girl and simply said, "Honey, there are a few doctrinal points that they disagree with us about. Pray for them, sweetie.” Micah looked up at him with the sweetest smile that could melt the hardest heart. His daughter loved Jesus with everything in her...they were truly best friends, so he had no doubt that she would be talking to Jesus very soon about these Jews that she just learned about who need Him.

Chapter 2

   Growing up in Portland, Oregon, offered Elijah the best of two worlds. On one hand, he lived in the city, a metro area with more than two million people. His father was the chief rabbi of the city’s largest synagogue. Opportunity abounds for a striking, athletic, and incredibly intelligent young man like Elijah, combined with the network of connections available through his father and the Jewish community that he grew up in. There were the camping trips in the summer deep into the forests of central and western Oregon, fishing trips on the coast with his father, and long hikes around the Oregon and Washington Cascade mountains with his younger brother, Jeremiah, and Uncle Yonatan, or, “Uncle Yoni,” as he called him. His favorite, by far, however, were the annual trips to Israel. There was nothing like it. The entire year in the Geller home was usually spent in baited anticipation for the next trip; always striving to bring more people with them each successive year.
  On the surface, it seemed as though he had it all...a well-to-do, close-knit family, dozens of friends, and a future bright enough to dim the sun; but Elijah was miserable. He’d been miserable for as long as he could remember. The pressure from all sides began pressing in on him when he was just a few years old.

   “Sit still, Elijah. You are the Rabbi’s son; you are to be the best-behaved boy. Don’t embarrass your father.”
   “Don’t pick at your food, Elijah. You’re the Rabbi’s son, and you will have manners at the table.”
   “Settle down and be quiet, son. Your father is studying the Scriptures and you must not disturb him.”
The pressure he felt from all sides only got more intense as he got older. Grades, athletics, Torah study, and civic projects never ended. His family was expecting him to attend college full-time, as well as his girlfriend's family. The expectations were very high for him, yet he wasn't sure which direction he wanted to go. He felt as though he was tied to a chair with a towel soaked in water laid across his face; a panicked feeling that you’re slowly drowning.

   “If only I could live on my own, away from everything and everybody.” That became his fantasy every time he felt the walls closing in.
                                                                       ***
   “You cannot possibly imagine what it’s like growing up in your house! From the time I was old enough to remember, I have been expected to be the most well-mannered, the smartest, the best athlete, and the most Jewish of everyone else in the synagogue, except for you, of course, the Rabbi. I am sick to death of living up to your expectations and society’s expectations for a rabbi’s son.” Elijah had never spoken to his father in a disrespectful manner, but the crack in the dam was getting bigger and would soon burst, bringing forth a whole host of pent-up emotion that had never been dealt with.
   “I run the risk of being shunned if I do something that I want to do, but doesn’t line up with what everyone else thinks I should do. ‘Be a doctor or lawyer, or go to yeshiva to be a rabbi like your father’...always something. But what if...what if I wanted to live in Jerusalem and be a Christian tour guide?”
   “That’s alright with me if you want to take their money, do what you want to do. That’s the point I’m trying to get across to you. I don’t care what you do, I just want you to determine what that’s going to be and then do it. Of course I want the very best for you...what father doesn’t want the same things for his own children? You are so smart, Elijah. You have so many gifts that God has given you. For you to do nothing to develop those gifts would be nothing short of a tragedy, but please understand that if you wanted to go and join the circus as a clown, and that’s what you really wanted to do, then I would be proud of you and support you.” Intensity began building in Zvi's voice as the veins in his forehead started bulging. “But as it stands, you are 24 years old, living in my house, working part-time, eating my food and not paying rent! It has been like this for six years now. You take a class or two at the community college, but you have yet to apply yourself. Maybe that’s my fault. Maybe it’s my responsibility to motivate you. If so, then I’ve taken that step. You have until 5pm tonight to come up with a plan and make some decisions, Elijah.”
   “Or?”
   “Or you will be attending Hebrew University in the fall. You will stay in Israel after we leave to come back home. You can stay with your uncle Shlomo if you’d like. I’ve already discussed it with him. You are currently enrolled at the university, and the tuition has been paid. All you have to do is register for the classes you want and show up.”
   “Don’t you see? This is just another way for you to keep me under your thumb! I can’t make my own decisions...you’ve already made them for me! I won’t do it. I don’t know what I want to do, but I do know that I will not go back to school.”
   “Well, Elijah, you have until 5pm to decide what it is that you do want to do. If you don’t, then it’s off to Israel you go. Please understand that what I’m doing is out of love for you. I want you to succeed and find happiness, Elijah. Don’t forget that.”
   “I will not have my mind made up by 5pm today, and if you insist on that, then let me tell you this: you will not like the decision I make. You will never see or talk to me again. Never.”
                                                                       ***

   “Hurry up, daddy!” screamed Micah, as she and Eric raced down the trail head covered in gravel with weeds and grass sprouting up and retaking what was originally theirs. The air was filled with the songs of dozens of birds, singing about another glorious day in God’s creation, and the path held evidence of wildlife recently passing through the area. Even though he knew he couldn’t keep up with his kids at his age, he made no attempt to restrain them as they shook off the mental confines imposed by city living. He knew first-hand how therapeutic a day in the mountains can be, and Heaven knows they’ve needed a getaway like this since their mother was killed by a drunk driver late one night on her way home from work. They were a very close family; dedicated Christians, in church every Sunday, and always volunteering for ministry opportunities. The loss of Linda was devastating for all of them, but it also pulled them closer together. He smiled as he watched his two precious angels laugh and play like nothing else existed at that moment...just each other, Dad, and mommy watching from Heaven.
   “Dad, look at that ridge up there! Can we climb up there?”
   “You man enough to make it?” It was a not-so-subtle challenge to his son’s masculinity, which was met with a sly grin. Mike knew they all could make it, but he really wanted to affirm his kids’ self-confidence. When they make it to the top of the ridge, they feel as though they’ve really accomplished something-at least that’s what all the parenting gurus say; particularly after the death of a parent.

   “Micah, can you make it all the way up there, or will I have to carry you?” Another sly grin. “Dad, we’re worried about you being able to make it!” There was laughter all around.
   “Ok, guys! Today we are three super-explorers with no agenda. We’ll go wherever we feel like, conquering everything in our path! Ok?” Eric and Micah both shouted, “ALL RIGHT!”
                                                                 ***

  “I just can't handle everybody making all the decisions for me!” Elijah's mind was spinning uncontrollably, but Sarah Rosen was the one person who could calm his spirit and refocus him. She is a lovely girl, petite in stature. Sarah has always been very athletic through school, and often goes hiking with the Geller family during the summers and has been a regular on their trips to Israel for the last three years. With long, curly black hair, a narrow face, and soft gentle eyes, she reflects her European Jewish roots. She comes from one of the original Jewish families in the Portland area, which immigrated from Poland. Her father owns a large printing company and her mother teaches Jewish Studies at Portland State University. They have voiced their concern to Sarah about Elijah's lack of focus and drive, but it falls on deaf ears. She loves Elijah and knows him better than anybody. They had been friends since the 2^nd Grade, attending Hebrew school together, went to the same middle and high school, her family are members of B'nai Torah, and they've been romantically-involved for about 3 years. She sees beyond the Elijah of today, and she refuses to give up. Sarah passionately believes her Eli will do great things when he decides what that will be. And then her parents will see, and they'll be proud of them both for never giving up.

  “Elijah, nobody wants to control your life. Your dad knows how amazing you are and is excited to see that potential bloom into something amazing. I can't wait to see it too! You are so special, Eli-everybody sees it. Your little brother adores you, your parents are proud of you....”

  “No they're not! Are they so proud of me that they're sending me to stay in Israel? I'm being banished because my father is ashamed that I still live here and I'm not going to school. At least if I'm in Israel, he can make something up when people ask how I'm doing. Whatever. I am so tired of this. I just want to get away from all of this.” Elijah laid down on his bed with his back to Sarah and just stared at his cluttered desk. A knotted ball of panic dropped into Sarah's chest.

  “Elijah, you're not talking about.....suicide, are you? Eliyahu?” Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of Elijah hurting himself, or worse. She only addressed him by his Hebrew name when she was absolutely serious. He was her whole world and she would walk through life homeless and hungry if it meant being with her Eli. Her insides were a raging inferno of stress as she waited for his response.

  “I don't want to kill myself, but I can't stay here anymore. And I don't want to stay in Israel with Shlomo. He smells a bit like whitefish.” Elijah wanted to ease Sarah's despair with a little humor, and it worked. He rolled back over to see Sarah laugh. He loved the way her whole face lit up when she smiled. Hers was the most beautiful face he had ever seen.

  The iron grip of anxiety melted away, but she just couldn't get past the feeling of impending doom. As she gently kissed his lips she cradled his face with her hand and whispered, “It's going to be alright. I will be right here beside you, no matter what. Whether you stay here, go to Israel, or to the far side of the moon; I will never leave your side.” Elijah stopped and stared at her for what seemed liked an hour, though it was only a minute. He was lost in thought, but then suddenly came back to their moment.

  “Yeah, I like that idea. To the far side of the moon. I'll send you a postcard.” With a newly determined look in his eyes, Elijah got up, walked out of his bedroom and out of the house. He didn't even look back at Sarah as he left. The iron grip of panic seized her once again.