Seeded: Day 13

Word Count: 78,013

Summary of Events:

Lark was picked up by Ariel to go on a shopping trip to Medicine Hat, and as they drove to pick Shealyn up, and thereafter headed for Medicine Hat, they discussed Brandt's presence at church, and some thoughts that Ariel and Shealyn's parents had about his visit and his family. At a party with a bunch of his friends and other close acquaintances, Brandt watched others dance while deciding what girl he wanted to hang out with once Brandon went home, as Brandon never stayed all night. On Sunday, Lark wondered if she might see Brandt again, but as she exited the church after the service was over, she saw no sign of him while making her way over to Ariel and Shealyn…

Excerpt of the Day:

“Did you see any signs of Brandt?” Ariel asked.

Lark shook her head. “No.”
“I wonder if Mrs. Voss scared him off,” Ariel said.

“I doubt it,” Shealyn said. “He doesn’t look like the type to be intimidated.”

“Even still,” Lark said. “I feel like most people are more sensitive in a religious setting.”
“What do you mean?” Ariel asked.

“Well, a lot of people seem to think religious people are weak because they need a religion to function,” Lark replied. “Not that everyone doesn’t technically have a religion that they adhere to, some of them just aren’t as formalised as others, but anyways, when it comes to their deciding to explore religion, to them, it is putting themselves in a bit of a vulnerable position, admitting that they’re maybe a bit weaker than they might otherwise be inclined to let other people believe, so if they have even a minor negative experience, it can be enough to turn them off of coming back, whereas if they were to go to… say… a new restaurant and had a similar experience, it wouldn’t be enough to keep them from giving the restaurant another chance, and might even be insignificant enough that they brush it off.”

“Hm,” Shealyn said. “I’ve never really thought of that.”

“So even though I wouldn’t consider Brandt an easy-to-intimidate guy either, because it was in a religious setting and he’s not religious, it could’ve been enough to put him off,” Lark said.

“Yeah, he did look rather flustered when he left last week,” Ariel added. “But I also feel like he knew Mrs. Voss.”

“Well, she does live kind of close to the Westlands,” Shealyn said. “So maybe he’s seen her before.”

“But maybe he’s not really had a lot to do with her,” Ariel said.

Lark nodded. “So having her suddenly come down on him like that could be a bit shocking.”

“Yeah,” Ariel said.

“Although I do feel like, if I were trying out a new church — or if I were actually in his shoes and trying church itself for the first time — it would be mortifying to be suddenly accosted by someone shouting all kinds of unpleasantries at me,” Lark added. “Even if I know that person from elsewhere, I wouldn’t necessarily want to be noticed, and especially not in that kind of a way.”

Ariel and Shealyn both nodded.

“That is definitely also a valid point,” Shealyn said. “We as Christians shouldn’t conduct ourselves like that, and even nonChristians know that Christians are supposed to be nice people, so being accosted in that kind of a way would also be rather offensive.”

“Yeah,” Lark said.

“It’s consistent with Mrs. Voss, though,” Ariel said. “She has always been rather contentious.”
“Yes,” Shealyn agreed.

“Not that it excuses what she did,” Lark said. “She really shouldn’t be contentious at all. We’re not supposed to be as Christians. I’m pretty sure being contentious is something that’s cited in the Bible more than once as something that Christians shouldn’t be given to doing.”