Mara didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. Merab already knew.
"I wanted to marry David," Merab said, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. "I had the insane idea he might actually fall in love with me if I were the one my father gave to him."
She paused then laughed. It was a harsh, empty sound.
"But I was deluding myself. David loves Michal. He would have always loved her even if he’d married me. Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe it’s better to be married to a Gentile than to a man who loves my sister."
She was sobbing again, and Mara sat awkwardly next to her, placing an uncertain hand on her shoulder.
Was this how it would be for her? Was this how it would be if she didn’t find a way to escape Ish-bosheth? It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears herself.
—
He didn’t know why he bothered going to the well. Mara had disappeared, and David – thoroughly engrossed in his conversation with Michal – didn’t even notice when Tobiah slipped quietly away. Tobiah was nearing Gibeah’s outskirts when the urge to take a different street and go back suddenly grasped hold of him.
At first he ignored the feeling. He’d seen the look on Mara’s face. She was repulsed by him. How else could he interpret her horrified look? Despite this, he turned back. He would make a last visit to a place once filled with happy anticipation. One final visit before this chapter of his life ended.
He hadn’t been there long before he was disturbed by another person’s footsteps. When he looked up, his heart leaped; but his joy vanished when he realized it wasn’t Mara.
As he neared the well, his heart beat faster like it always had in the past. An illogical physical reaction, but he couldn’t seem to control it. Then his heart seemed to stop for a moment, and he sucked in a sharp breath.
She was standing there. Waiting for him. He lurched forward, and she turned.
Not Mara. Tobiah’s heart sank. And yet there was something very Mara-like about the girl’s features and movements.
"Are you Tobiah?"
"Yes."
"My name is Keren. I’m Mara’s older sister."
Tobiah just stared. He didn’t know what else to do.
Keren glanced over her shoulder, and Tobiah noticed how pale and fearful she looked. when she turned back to him, she spoke with an urgent tone in her voice.
"Mara accepts your offer of betrothal," she whispered. "She wants it more than anything. But Saul and my father have plotted together to assure this never happens."
"Saul?" Tobiah continued to stare – this time with bewilderment. "What does Saul have to do with it?"
"Mara has been promised to Ish-bosheth, and Saul is now having her watched by the citadel guards. His men have been ordered to arrest you. You have to leave Gibeah before they come for you."
Unconsciously, Tobiah reached for his sword, and Keren’s eyes widened in alarm.
"No! You mustn’t confront Saul or his guards! It won’t help Mara, and it definitely won’t help you!"
She was right, but what was he to do? He tried to think of something but came up with nothing.
"Mara and I have a plan," Keren said, "but we’ll need your help to make it succeed."
Tobiah nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
Chapter Twenty-Nine
כט
But let all those that put their
trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout
for joy, because thou defendest them.
Psalm 5:11
Mara remembered how she and Michal, as little girls, had sometimes played a game Michal liked to call "bride on her wedding day." Michal always insisted on being the bride, and it was Mara’s duty to be her attendant, dressing her up in fine linens and jewelry. They would go to the queen’s bedchamber where Michal would drape one of Ahinoam’s best robes over her own slender shoulders. Mara would ornament her with the queen’s necklaces, bracelets, and rings and shower her with praises. She had to comment on Michael’s stunning beauty and say how pleased the bridegroom would be when he saw her. It was much the same today, only they were no longer children, and a real bridegroom was waiting.
The preparations for Michal’s wedding – once Merab’s was complete – had progressed at dizzying speed. The betrothal, which could typically last anywhere from one to two years, had been shortened to the length of a few days, and, for this, Mara was glad. Michal’s impatience was difficult to tolerate for mere days. Weeks or months would have been unbearable.
Shortly after David’s presentation of the bride price, a traditional ceremony had been conducted. David offered a contract of marriage and poured a cup of wine for Michal. By drinking from the cup, Michal indicated she accepted David’s proposal. Mara couldn’t imagine either of Saul’s daughters refusing the cup after Saul told them they were to marry, but Michal drank far too eagerly for anyone to doubt this was what she wanted.
After the ceremony, David and Michal were officially betrothed. Neither would see the other again until David came for Michal on the wedding night. Michal consecrated herself with a mikveh – a cleansing bath – before retiring to her bedchamber. The seemingly eternal wait began.
Mara couldn’t remember experiencing any longer week in her life. And it wasn’t just Michal’s agitation that made it difficult. When David and the "friends of the bridegroom" came in the middle of the night to "steal" Michal away, Tobiah would be among the happy procession. Mara hadn’t seen him since the momentary glimpse when David arrived with the foreskins, and she waited with tense anticipation to see him again. Her anticipation, however, was laced with dread.
What if their plan failed? What if Saul’s guards disrupted the wedding to place Tobiah in chains? They were gambling Saul would wait, but there was no guarantee of it. What if Mara was forced, on the morrow, to drink from a cup for Ish-bosheth? Her stomach tightened, and she shook her head to clear these thoughts away.
She wouldn’t dwell on the possibility of misfortune. Not tonight. Tonight she would have faith and dream of her own chosen bridegroom coming for her.
"Do you think David will think I’m pretty?" Michal stared at her own reflection – for the thousandth time. "Do you think he’ll feel I’m worth the dangerous bride price my father forced him to pay?"
"He’ll think you were worth every last moment of it," Mara said, giving her cousin an encouraging smile. "Everyone keeps saying how stunning you look. You have absolutely nothing to worry about."
"The only reason they say how beautiful I am," Michal replied, glancing reproachfully at her other attendants, "is because they think they have to say it. I trust your opinion more than theirs. At least I can always know you’ll be truthful."
A compliment? It left Mara momentarily speechless.
"In my honest opinion," she said after a moment, "you’ve never looked more radiant. Only a fool would be disappointed to have you as his wife. You and I both know David is no fool."
"No. He’s not a fool. But he had to fight and kill two hundred Philistines before my father would give me to him. How can I ever hope to live up to that?"
"You don’t have to," Mara answered. "David did it for love. Like Jacob working the extra seven years for Rachel, David did it with a glad heart."
This finally elicited a small smile from Michal, and Mara felt a moment of guilt. If all worked out as she hoped, she would soon abandon Michal without so much as a quick goodbye. She hoped her cousin would forgive her.
"You’ll stay by me in the procession, won’t you?" Michal asked.
"I’ll stay as close to you as I can."
"And after the seven days of the wedding chamber, will you come to my house and continue as my maidservant?"
Mara hesitated. Whether Tobiah successfully managed to get her out of Gibeah or not, there would be no chance of her continuing in Michal’s service. Saul and Gideon had other plans for her. Secret plans they hadn’t yet revealed.
"I will always be your devoted servant," Mara finally said, reachin
g out to give Michal’s hand an encouraging squeeze. "And even if circumstances separate us, I will always be your friend."
Mara was surprised to see a tear glitter in Michal’s eye. Michal was full of surprises tonight.
"You’ve always been my truest friend," Michal whispered, "even though I’ve not always been the most pleasant person. I won’t forget it, Mara. If ever you need my help – if ever you need any favor – just ask. I’ll be there for you like you’ve always been there for me."
"Thank you," Mara quietly replied.
Both fell silent again, and Mara felt oddly separated from the activity going on around her. The other bride’s attendants were smiling, giggling, and gossiping – anticipating the approaching festivities. But Mara and Michal were no longer a part of it. Something important had just happened between them. Some change had occurred in their princess-maidservant relationship. The moment ended when a man’s shout and the blast of a shofar – a ram’s horn – brought Michal’s attendants to their feet.
"He comes! He comes!"
Their excited voices filled the room, muffling the shofar’s long, drawn out notes. Michal’s face turned several shades paler.
"It’s finally happening," she said, hands trembling as she smoothed her robes. "I thought it would never happen, but I’m going to be David’s wife."
"Yes, you are." Mara brushed a stray strand of hair away from Michal’s shining green eyes. "You’re going to have a long, happy life with David. Now stand tall like the princess you are and prepare to greet your husband."
Michal smiled nervously. Mara wondered if she would look when it was her turn. But would it be the happy wedding she was hoping for or the devastating one her father wanted?
Walking a little behind Michal, she and the rest of Michal’s attendants walked with the flustered princess to the courtyard. Michal grasped Mara’s hand for comfort as the massive citadel gates groaned open. A moment later, David, framed by the light of a long line of flickering torches, stepped into the courtyard. His eyes met Michal’s and a huge grin split his face.
He slowly approached Michal, extending a hand toward her. Michal, radiant with joy, placed her hand in his.
Mara watched them a moment then felt someone watching her. Tobiah! He stood near the head of the procession, a torch in his hand, in the company of David’s closest friends and family.
It was the most difficult thing in the world to refrain from dashing across the courtyard to greet him, but the cautious look on Tobiah’s face reminded her of the danger they were both in. Reluctantly, she held herself back.
The time for a happy reunion would come. She had to believe. Until then she must be patient. Her heart beat harder as she realized how close at hand the deciding moment now was.
The bandage Mara had last seen on Tobiah’s face was now removed, but his wound hadn’t yet healed enough to disguise the seriousness of it. An angry red line ran from a point near Tobiah’s eyebrow to the lower part of his ear. In places, it was covered with ugly, black scabs, the flesh around it purple and swollen. Until now, she hadn’t realized just how close to death he must have come. But he was still alive. That was all that mattered. And his presence gave Mara added strength and courage.
David led his bride-to-be toward the gates where he halted to bow to Saul.
"Tonight you will be my son-in-law," Saul said. Ahinoam, smiling at her daughter, stood at the king’s side. "You have paid the price and earned the right to be Michal’s husband."
The king also wore a smile; but, as usual, it was emotionless.
"Take my daughter as your wife according to the law of Moses and the traditions of the Patriarchs. I give her to you tonight."
David bowed again, turned to grin once more at Michal, and led his bride to the front of the torch-lit procession. Mara and Michal’s attendants fell in behind them, and, amidst the spectators’ joyous shouts, they started across the city toward the lavish new home Saul’s royal architects had constructed for the bride and groom.
It was there that the wedding ceremony and the wedding feast would take place. It was somewhere between here and there Mara would have to escape to avoid her impending marriage to Ish-bosheth. The closer they came to the procession’s destination, the more anxious she became. She was just about to cast an imploring look over her shoulder when a comfortingly familiar voice spoke in a low whisper behind her.
"Don’t turn around. Don’t even give a sign you hear me speaking."
Tobiah moved close enough she could hear his sandaled feet moving only a heartbeat behind her.
"Saul and your father anticipated I would be in David’s procession," Tobiah continued, "and we’re being watched even as I speak. But things are being done to get you out of Gibeah. Don’t be afraid. Everything is taken care of. You have more powerful allies than either Saul or your father suspect."
Allies? Tobiah’s cryptic comment raised numerous questions, but she didn’t dare move her lips to speak. Instead, she acknowledged his words with a slight nod, continuing on in silence.
"When we enter the house," Tobiah said, "do exactly as I tell you. There will be a few moments of confusion as the guests fight for the best places to watch the marriage. That’s when you’ll make your escape. Josiah and Ayalah are here. Keren will be helping as well. We’ve made a few changes to the original plan, but we’ll have you safely out of Gibeah before anyone realizes you’re gone."
Tobiah’s footsteps receded, leaving her alone.
Her breathing quickened. Her palms perspired. It was all in God’s hands now.
—
They had reached the house. Two of David’s soldiers, posted there as guards, opened the huge double doors to allow the wedding party to enter. The guests streamed into the garden courtyard and crowd around the chupah – the wedding canopy. It was time. It was now or never.
Tobiah moved to Mara’s side, grasped her hand, and pulled her through the crowd.
"The courtyard’s far end," he whispered urgently. "Go! Josiah is waiting for you in the shadows!"
Mara held onto his hand as he tried to push her forward. He realized they were taking a terrible risk, but he pulled her back to place a quick farewell kiss on her trembling lips.
"I love you, Mara. I’ll come to you as soon as I can."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes, I promise."
Tears flowed, unchecked, down Mara’s cheeks, and Tobiah realized his own eyes were beginning to burn. But there was no time for sentimental emotions. He gave her another gentle push and turned and walked away.
Saul, Ahinoam, and the royal guards, with Gideon and his wife standing near them, had just taken up prominent positions on the right hand side of the chupah. None of them seemed to have noticed Mara’s hasty departure, and none noticed Keren, her head covered by her shawl, as she silently took Mara’s place with the rest of Michal’s attendants.
Everything about this plan was risky. Everything had been from the start. But, thus far, God seemed to be helping them.
Gideon just now noticing Tobiah, glared at him with undisguised contempt. A faint smirk curled up one corner of Gideon’s mouth as he examined the long, ugly wound stretching down the side of Tobiah’s face.
Let him smirk as much as he wanted. By tomorrow Tobiah would be doing all the smiling.
Chapter Thirty
ל
For thou, Lord, wilt bless the
righteous; with favour wilt thou compass
him as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12
Early morning’s first rays were beginning to cast their faint blue illumination across the sky’s silken tapestry. Mara’s feet were sore, and her legs protested the brisk pace she had forced them to endure, but she was finally daring to believe her escape had been successful.
Josiah didn’t seem so sure. For the thousandth time, he cast an anxious glance at the road behind them.
"You don’t think they’ve followed us, do you?" she asked. "If my father knew I’d left the city, wo
uldn’t Saul’s men already have caught up with us by now?"
"I don’t know," Josiah replied. "But if they haven’t figured it out, they soon will. Gideon knows we reside in Hebron. This is the first road Saul will search. We’ll be taking you to a hiding place."
"Hiding place?"
"You can’t stay with us," Josiah said. "At least not to begin with."
Mara considered this. Ayalah saw her downcast expression and quickly attempted to reassure her.
"Tobiah has family in Hebron," she said. "His uncle has already agreed to hide you with friends in a nearby town. After enough time passes we can be sure Father has given up the search, you will come and stay with us until you and Tobiah are of age to marry without Father’s approval."
This news sobered Mara. She hadn’t realized she wouldn’t be staying with her own sister, and she hadn’t even pondered the fact she and Tobiah would have to delay marriage. But those were the least of her worries.
"What if someone sees me? What if they tell Saul’s servants where I’m staying?"
"I don’t think you’ll have to worry about anyone revealing you to Saul’s people," Ayalah answered. "Saul neglects this part of his kingdom. Many of Judah’s people resent the way he leaves them defenseless against the Philistines. They’ll be in no hurry to help him. You should be safe among the tribe of Judah."
Mara wasn’t entirely reassured. She walked in silence until she remembered something Tobiah had told her before she left Gibeah.
"When Tobiah was walking behind me in the wedding procession, he said something puzzling. He told me I had powerful allies Saul and Father don’t know about. What did he mean?"
"Unexpected allies might be a better way to put it," Ayalah said, laughing. "We might never have gotten you out of Gibeah if not for Merab’s help."
"Merab helped you?"
"Yes. It’s strange how everything worked out. David made arrangements for the guards to turn a blind eye while Josiah got you out of the house, but we still didn’t have a way to keep Father and Saul from noticing your disappearance. It was Tobiah who thought up a solution. He’d noticed the similarities between you and Keren. He thought if she kept her face hidden and took your place beside Michal’s attendants, Father and Saul wouldn’t realize she wasn’t you. But that left us with another problem. After the wedding was over, how were we to explain why Keren was in Gibeah when she was supposed to be with Merab?"
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