“I don’t know what transpired since I left, but everyone here knows what I did was in defense of my family and myself. I did not attack your brother. He attacked me. Many of your servants know me, for I was their master in the fields. They know my character.”
“Quiet! You will stand trial and be crucified for this insurrection.”
“I didn’t know a woman could bring such charges, or is Rome allowing your citizenship to overrule my Hebrew heritage?”
“Rome could care less what I do with you. You have no rights under their law.”
“But I do have rights under Jewish law, and since you’re Hebrew as well, you know they will not see your side of this. Especially since your brother was trying to pervert our customs with this witchcraft called mead.”
“You speak well for a commoner . . . It will do you no good.” She turned her attention to the servants. “If you care for your families, you must kill this man where he stands. I will not allow the blood of my brother to go unavenged.”
The servants seized Hadwin at that moment, and Jeremiah, one of the men Hadwin knew, came forward.
He whispered in Hadwin’s ear, “I’m sorry. I will try to spare your life with this blow.” Suddenly, he thrust his sword in a glancing blow under Hadwin’s tunic, so the blade drew blood but didn’t hit any organs. Keeping his body between Hadwin and Abigail, he withdrew his blade. The blood flowed from the wound, and Hadwin made a convincing collapse. Jeremiah shook his head.
Turning to Abigail, who seemed as cold as ice, he said, “Let me bury this man according to Hebrew law, for he did not deserve the death you dealt him.”
“Very well, as long as I never have to see his face again.”
The other servants took Abigail back home while Jeremiah stayed with the body. Under the cover of darkness, Abigail didn’t notice Hadwin was still breathing. Once the servants were out of sight, Jeremiah knelt beside him. He was in such pain he could no longer hold still.
“I—I know what you did. If this didn’t hurt so much, I’d be thanking you right now.”
“Hold your tongue! I have to carry you now. You could still die from your wound, but I know a physician in Galilee, and he might be able to heal you. Then you must leave Galilee forever.”
Hadwin nodded. Jeremiah put Hadwin’s arm over his shoulder, and, together, they hobbled into town. At length, he knocked on the door of his friend Luke.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Jeremiah, and I have a wounded man here.”
In a few moments, the door swung open, and Jeremiah carried him inside. By this time, Hadwin was sweating heavily and had the look of death about him.
Luke quickly dressed the wound with olive oil and frankincense. “By whose sword did this happen?”
“Mine. Although it was to save his life.”
“Don’t say you saved his life yet. He has bled a lot, and I don’t know if I can stop the bleeding.”
“Please do your best. This is a good man who fell into a difficult situation. I’ll pay whatever you require.”
“I know a man who might be able to save him, but I must go and find him now.” Luke got his tunic and hurried to the door. He paused only to say, “Please, stay with him until I get back.” Jeremiah nodded as Luke disappeared into the first hours of the morning.
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Abigail went straight to her room and wailed. Her will to preserve herself had now sent her brother and an innocent man to the grave. She had managed to hold herself together until she reached her room. To the servants, she was merely grieving for her brother, but she knew the truth.
Under the cloak of darkness, Luke reappeared with Yeshua. By the light of the oil lamp, Yeshua placed his hand on Hadwin’s forehead. Hadwin awoke in a daze.
“I want you to know your sins are forgiven. You are healed!”
At once, Hadwin sat up on his mat. A cool breeze entered the room. “I don’t understand.”
“I healed you. Now go into the night. It’s not safe for you to stay.”
“What do I tell people?”
“I don’t think you will want to tell anyone right now. Everyone thinks you’re dead. You being alive could endanger your family.”
“Can I follow you?”
“You don’t have to walk with me everywhere I go to be a follower. Just keep my teachings, and you will be alright.”
“Here are some clean cloaks,” Luke said. “Put them on and don’t look back.”
Hadwin changed out of his bloody clothes and fled into the early hours of the morning. He hoped to make it past the city before he was recognized. With each step, his equilibrium improved as his body replenished the blood he had lost.
CHAPTER 18
Rina and her mother made it to the outskirts of Jerusalem. She regretted leaving without her father but knew his parting words to them were true. All she could do now was press on and pray for a miracle.
She would set about finding a new man to take care of her and her mother while in Jerusalem. But the task proved to be more difficult than she imagined. She worked alongside her mother in the grain fields outside the city, and they lived in a small tent she had purchased by bartering a few lambs. The harvest time made people excited. It was a time when the poor could glean the leftover grain in the field. Rina made baskets from reeds that grew by a nearby stream and stored the grain for the future. The grain would soon be the currency they needed to survive.
She regretted leaving Ezekiel without saying goodbye. Maybe she would send word when they could afford it. For now, she had to survive. She hoped her father would turn from his foolishness. However, with every passing day, hope turned to despair as she knew the chances of his survival were slim.
Each time she thought about finding a new man, her thoughts turned to Ezekiel. She wondered what he was doing at that moment and if he thought of her. She would never forgive herself for the look on his face when she agreed to marry Asher. She had hurt her best friend.
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Ezekiel tried to push the situation from his mind. He focused on his work now that he was three men down. He heard in the market that Hadwin and Asher were dead. Rina and her mother were nowhere to be found. The crew noticed his grief and tried to console him, but to no avail.
The waves grew around the boats, lapping at their sides. Today, they only had two of the three boats due to the lack of fishermen.
“We need to lash the boats together,” shouted Ezekiel.
“What did you say?” Youssef asked.
“I said we need to lash the boats together. It’ll be more stable that way. Tell the others!”
Once the boats were tied together, they tried to wait out the storm, but it soon became apparent it would be suicide not to make it to shore. Raindrops fell heavy on their skin as the men tried to pull in the nets. One wave pushed Ezekiel off his feet, thrusting him to the stern. His men dropped the nets to help him, but over they went, leaving the men without the means to fish and Ezekiel with the task of finding new ones. They rowed toward shore and prayed the boats would hold together.
“What’s that noise?” Ezekiel asked, alarmed.
“We’re running aground!” said Youssef. “The boats are going to break up if we don’t make them lighter!”
“What can we afford to lose?”
Youssef looked at him in disbelief. Usually, Ezekiel was the problem solver. “The rest of the nets and the fish we caught earlier.”
Ezekiel’s heart sank. That was his entire profit for the day and then some.
“How close are we to the beach?” asked Youssef.
“The wind has pulled us off course. We’re in the mountain region. Near Chorazin, I believe. Where the Zealots hide.” “How do you know that?”
Ezekiel was spared from answering as another wave knocked him off his feet. The waves were getting stronger. He knew the boats could break under the strain as they rowed as hard as they could toward shore. Another wave crashed over the side of the left boat, p
ulling the bow under water.
Immediately, they realized the mistake of lashing the boats together.
The fishermen tried desperately to cut the lashing before both vessels sunk, but it was too late. There was an awful cracking sound as the seams split apart. Water filled both vessels while the men tried in vain to bail it from the boats.
Ezekiel found himself in the water, clinging to the chine logs of the boat. Another wave crashed over his head, splitting the doomed vessel in two. He decided to swim for it. Gathering all his courage, he let go and set out for shore. The other men were nowhere to be seen. They had most likely drowned. He fought to keep his head above water as the waves conspired against him. Then his foot hit the seafloor. He might just make it after all. He tried to stand, but the water was still up to his neck, and the waves made it impossible to walk to shore. The rain was coming down in sheets at this point. Ezekiel squinted to see the shoreline. Finally, the water was shallow enough for him to walk the rest of the way. His cloaks seemed to weigh as much as a ballast stone.
Once out of the water, he collapsed on the shore, allowing the rain to beat the briny stench off his body. Two boats lost. Possibly his men too. They knew the risks, he told himself. But as he looked up, he saw Youssef waving to him.
“Praise Yahweh, we are all here,” he said in a strained voice.
Exhausted, Ezekiel just nodded and sat on a washed-up log.
“I think you were right. We must be near Chorazin. If we start walking, I’m sure we can find help.”
“Let’s find some shelter first and get out of this rain.”
The men nodded in agreement. They plodded for the next hour toward the mountains.
“Is that a cave over there?” Youssef pointed toward a rocky outcrop, but when they reached the opening, he reconsidered. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Thieves use these caves as hideouts.”
Ezekiel smiled while Youssef and the others grumbled. “You’re supposed to be brave fishermen.” He entered the mouth and disappeared into darkness.
The sound of an animal running split the rain’s steady syncopation. Suddenly, an ibex ram ran through the opening toward the men. They were so startled that Youssef fell onto his backside, earning him a peal of laughter from the rest of the men. Ezekiel reappeared at the opening, grinning from ear to ear. The men needed a good laugh, and it was as though Yahweh was smiling on them once again.
For Ezekiel, the reprieve was short-lived. Responsibility for his men settled as a crushing weight on his shoulders.
The sun set behind the horizon, and the men decided to camp for the night. They made a fire while making up stories. It seemed to ease the tension of their situation. Ezekiel caught some locusts to cook on the fire, and they eased the pangs of hunger with the insects.
“You know, I hear there’s this guy named John who lives on these things. He finds honey to help them go down easier.”
“Nothing could make these things go down easy. Yuck.” Youssef scrunched his face as he suppressed a gag reflex.
“When I was a boy, we didn’t have much. My mother would mix them into the bread dough so it would be more filling. You get used to it after a while,” said Nicodemus, the new hire.
“If you cook them on the rock by the fire, they become crunchy.”
Ezekiel stayed quiet for much of the banter. His mother would be worried about him not coming home tonight. Why he cared, he had no idea. After all, he was an adult. He didn’t have to answer to her for anything.
The crackle of the fire soothed his nerves, as did the smell of the burning wood. Sleep would soon be upon them. As his mind drifted, the men continued with their jokes and laughter. It made him smile that they could be happy after such an ordeal.
The night was miserable as his damp garments chafed his skin. He decided to get up and walk around some. By this time, the sky had cleared to reveal a tapestry of stars.
Is there really a God, and could He even care about me? The question infected his mind. Ezekiel tried to release the thought, for he had been taught the God of the Hebrews was the one true God, and if he doubted, he was guilty of heresy. Lately, he found it easier to believe in a pantheon of gods as the Romans did. It made sense. If there was one God, then why was there so much corruption? He would never admit this to his mother or Elyam. As far as they knew, he believed in Yahweh. But what had Yahweh ever done for him? The Romans lived so as not to offend the gods. They could do whatever they wished as long as they paid homage to the gods of their choice. It seemed liberating.
He returned and decided to let the fire dry out portions of his clothes, leaving him halfway refreshed and sticky at the same time.
Since learning of Hadwin’s death and Rina’s disappearance, Ezekiel felt lost. The way everything had played out, he didn’t even get the chance to enact his revenge on Asher. The funny thing was, his death didn’t ease his hatred of the man. If anything, he wanted to see his suffering. He wanted to watch as he took his last gasp of air, as the light of life dimmed from his eyes. Now, he was left feeling the void of the life he could have had. At that moment, he felt he had nothing left. The money he saved would go into buying two more boats. It wouldn’t exhaust his funds, but it would slow his progress on making a comfortable living for himself and his mother.
The men seemed to sleep better than he did. He felt the temptation to leave them to fend for themselves. Of course, he wouldn’t do that. He just wanted to run away—to end it all. It just seemed like he couldn’t overcome the passivity overwhelming his spirit. It was a spirit dangerously close to being broken.
CHAPTER 19
When she and her mother had saved enough, Rina went into Jerusalem to sell the grain she had gleaned from the harvest. That day, she found an alley off the main street where there was still vacancy. While setting up her baskets, she heard a familiar voice.
“The price you’ve set for this oil is outrageous! I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
“The price is firm, old man. A lot has changed since your youth. I’m giving you a deal!”
“Hah!”
“Elyam!” Rina called.
Elyam turned to see the face he hoped would one day become family. “Rina, my girl! What are you doing in Jerusalem? It’s not the Day of Atonement yet, is it? It’s not Passover.”
“My mother and I are hiding here. I don’t know if you’ve heard.”
“I’m afraid I know very little. How’s my friend Hadwin?”
Rina couldn’t find the words to answer.
“I see. Well, you and your mother are welcome to stay with us as long as you need. We have a little property on the other side of the garden of olives. We have plenty of food. You needn’t concern yourself with being a street vendor. It isn’t safe for a girl of your beauty.”
“Thank you,” Rina said softly. “You are very kind.”
“I can help you here if you like.”
“Yes, that would be—” The lump in her throat choked her words.
“Say no more. I’ll be back with my wife, and she’ll help you load your belongings onto my donkey. We can move you in today.”
Rina could only nod by this point. She felt fortunate to have run into Elyam. Her mother was overjoyed when she heard the news. They knew no one in Jerusalem, and now there were friends whom they considered family.
CHAPTER 20
The way home seemed daunting to Ezekiel. The men decided to go into Chorazin to see if they could get supplies and fill their bellies before the trek home to Tiberias. Without a seaworthy vessel, the walk would be the better part of the day. Ezekiel decided to inspect the damage to the boat to see if repairs could be made.
But there was nothing left of it except some wooden planks that had washed onto shore overnight. They would have to walk, or he would find someone who had a vessel for sale. Without any currency on him, it would certainly be a test for his bartering skills.
His crew met him on the outskirts
of town, returning with a few loaves that appeared surprisingly fresh.
“How did you buy these?”
“My family’s from here, remember?” Youssef tossed him a loaf. “My brother and his wife have a market stand just inside the city. He said you can pay him later.”
Ezekiel grinned. “It seems fortune has smiled upon us once again.”
“It’s God, not fortune,” Youssef corrected.
Ezekiel didn’t respond. Instead, he bit off a huge chunk of his loaf, chewing as fast as he could.
“I guess we should get started on the journey home,” Youssef filled the silence. “It’s going to take some time, but we’re alive. That’s what matters.”
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When his home came into view, Ezekiel broke into a run. Outside, he saw two Roman centurion horses. It was apparent his homecoming wouldn’t be a joyous one. Once he reached the hut, he spied the silhouette of a man in chains accompanied by two soldiers. His eyes adjusted to the dim light as he caught his breath. At length, he mustered up the courage to ask what was going on.
The man in chains was almost unrecognizable until he spoke. “They have come for the dagger.”
It was his father. Anger raged within him but was cooled only by concern for himself and his mother.
“I told these soldiers we do not know this man.” His mother eyed him as if to say, follow along.
“Yes, this man began to follow me last week in the market. I think he’s possessed.”
“So, you do not know him?” barked the more prominent soldier.
“Of course not.”
The other soldier paused to study their faces. Ezekiel froze. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, “See, I win the bet. This man’s lying to us.”
“Then why would Abigail say it was here?”
“Who knows? She is a cunning woman and maybe she wanted us to punish this family for something.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right to me.”
“Okay we should kill them anyway.”
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