by David Riley
The door to the room suddenly opened and a young lady appeared.
“Gentlemen, this is my daughter, Alexandra,” Publius said, turning to her with a smile. “What is it, my dear?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, father,” she said, concern etching her face. “It’s grandfather. He is worse and his fever is climbing. I don’t know what to do! I’m worried about him.”
Publius immediately stood with a look of foreboding spreading across his face. He turned to his guests. “I’m sorry. I need to go check on him. He has been sick for several days. Please excuse me.” He turned toward the door as Alexandra also wheeled and left the room.
Paul spoke up. “Publius, let me come with you. I will pray for him that God will heal him.”
Publius stopped and turned to look at him. He clenched his jaw, stifling his first retort. But his expression softened as his brow furrowed. “I would welcome that after what I have heard from you. Please come.” He turned back to the door.
Paul stood and quickly spoke to Gaius. “We need to find Luke. He may be needed. Tell him to bring his supplies.” Gaius nodded in agreement as he hurried to the door.
Paul and Julius followed Publius through the door to the adjoining bedroom. Despite the open window, the stench of disease hung in the room. The frail figure lying on the soiled bedclothes moaned with each breath as he clasped his hands across his distended abdomen.
Alexandra was at his side, a cool cloth in her hand as she dabbed his forehead. She leaned to his ear as she whispered to him. “Papa, it will be ok. Just rest. Take a deep breath.” She looked up surprised to see Paul and Julius accompanying her father.
Publius rushed to the bedside as he leaned down. “Dad! It’s me, Publius. I’m here. What can I do to help you?”
His father did not respond. His moaning became a wail as he started to writhe on the bed, his legs thrashing as he tried to relieve his pain. Tears welled up in his eyes and Alexandra also wept softly as they realized their helplessness.
Paul approached and Publius looked up with a pleading expression. “Can you do anything?” he asked.
“I can’t but God can. My Lord said, ‘All things are possible if you believe’.” Paul placed his hand on the sick man’s forehead. He was obviously feverish, his face flushed and his mouth dry. His eyes were staring unaware of his surroundings as he panted with open mouth.
Paul bowed his head. “Father in heaven, You know this man and his illness. You made him and You love him. We don’t know what to do for him but our trust is in You. I ask that You heal him with Your mighty power. I pray this in the name of Jesus my Lord. Amen”
Publius looked at him disconcerted. “That’s it? No incantation or magic words? Surely you can do more than that!”
Paul shook his head. “Publius, God is all powerful. We don’t control Him with our words. We bring our concerns to Him and He will answer according to His will. We just need to believe.”
Suddenly, Alexandra gasped. Publius whirled to see his father shudder as he took a deep breath and then relax. His eyes cleared as he looked up at those in the room. He smiled as he patted Alexandra’s arm and then reached out his hand for his son. Julius looked on amazed. Only Paul did not appear at all surprised by what happened.
Publius was astounded at this transformation. “Dad! Are you ok? You were so sick just a moment ago. How do you feel?” He felt his father’s forehead and the fever was gone.
His father struggled to sit up. He spoke with a weak raspy voice. “I feel better than I have in days! I’m thirsty, though. Do we have anything to drink?”
Alexandra quickly reached for the pitcher of water by the bed and with shaking hands poured it into a cup and helped him drink.
Publius looked at Paul in astonishment, a smile on his face. “Your God did this? I need to hear more about Him!”
They spent a few minutes at the bedside making sure he was really ok and then excused themselves to let him rest. Alexandra remained at his side.
They returned to the room where they had been, and in a few minutes, Luke and Temeros arrived trailing Gaius. Luke had his bag of supplies with him
Gaius introduced him and Temeros to Publius. “This is Luke. He is the doctor from our ship, and Temeros is his assistant.”
“How can I help?” Luke asked.
Publius smiled as he looked at Paul. “Well, I’m not sure we need you now. A few minutes ago, my father was close to death. But this man here,” he gestured at Paul, “touched him and talked to his God and now he is fine! I’m still trying to figure that out!”
Luke laughed. “I have seen this happen many times! It seems to be how God works when Paul is around! If you don’t mind, I’d still like to look in on him.”
Publius agreed and led him to the bedroom as Temeros followed. Luke went to the bedside to see the man sitting up, drinking from a cup. He spoke to him and checked his eyes and his stomach, feeling his pulse. Other than needing nourishment and fluid, he could find nothing wrong.
Temeros stood at the bedside as well, focused on the patient. After a moment he heard a noise and looked up to see a young lady entering the room carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge. Suddenly he felt dizzy and his heart rate increased as he stared at her. She looked at him and smiled before she bashfully looked away. Luke observed this exchange with a slight smile.
“Well, he certainly looks healed!” Luke proclaimed. “God does nothing halfway, so I imagine he will be up on his feet before you know it. If you have any concerns, feel free to send someone to summon me.” He glanced at Temeros who still looked spellbound. “What do you think, Temeros?”
Temeros jumped as if shocked. “Uh. Um. Yes! I agree. He should be fine! But please call for us,” he glanced at the young lady and caught himself. “I mean, if you need us for anything!”
Luke suppressed a smile as he turned to her. “I’m Luke, the doctor from the ship, and this is Temeros, my partner. Who are you?”
She looked at Temeros and quickly looked back to Luke. “I’m Alexandra. This is my grandfather. So you are both doctors?” she asked, surprised.
Temeros had been caught off guard to be introduced as Luke’s partner. “Well, he is the doctor. I’m learning from him.”
She smiled at this and met his gaze briefly. “It’s nice to meet you! I mean both of you!”
As they turned to leave, Temeros glanced back at her and was pleasantly surprised to see her quickly looking away as she had been watching him leave.
Luke reported to Paul and the others that all was in order and he was doing well. “I think I better return to the beach, in case anyone there needs me. Temeros do you want to stay here?” he asked with a playful smile.
Temeros blushed and shook his head. “No. I’ll come with you.” He turned quickly to the door, eager to escape their scrutiny.
Luke laughed lightly as he followed him outside. They headed down the path to the beach and Luke put a friendly arm around Temeros’ shoulder. “So, is there anything we need to talk about?” he asked playfully.
Temeros’ ears turned red. “What are you talking about?”
“I saw how you looked at Alexandra. She is a beautiful girl! And I think she’s about your age.”
Temeros turned away, his shoulders tense. “I suppose. I don’t think I can do anything about that. She must already have a boyfriend or be pledged to someone.”
“I’m not so sure! From what I saw, she had eyes only for you! I think she may be just as interested in you as you are in her!”
Temeros had a sudden hopeful look on his face. “Really!”
Luke laughed at this but before he could respond, one of Publius’ servants caught up with them breathlessly.
“Excuse me, doctors!” he called out. “The centurion said I should come get you.”
Luke was immediately concerned. “Is Publius’ father getting sick again? What happened?”
“No, nothing like that. There are many of the townspeople who heard what happened and rushe
d over. Many of them are sick and wanting to be healed. The man who healed him wanted us to get you to help heal the sick of the island.”
Luke and Temeros looked at each other. “I guess we better go back! I’m sure you won’t mind that, will you Temeros?”
Temeros tried to hide his grin as they turned to follow the man back to the house.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The first few days after the shipwreck were filled with activity. Word of Paul’s miraculous survival from the snakebite and the healing of Publius’ father spread through the people of the island. Many of them who had been sick came to the house. Luke and Temeros were kept busy for several days evaluating and treating the sick and injured. Many were disappointed that Paul did not work a miracle to fix their problems, but when they saw the skill and compassion of Luke and Temeros, there were no complaints. God healed many of them through the care offered by the men, and some were healed even beyond their abilities as God established His name on the island.
As for Porcius and Cassius, they were apprehended by a squadron of soldiers under orders from Gaius. A general muster of the regiment was called and their transgressions were publicly proclaimed. They were then flogged and assigned a work detail assisting with cleanup of the storm debris on the island. Two days later, they disappeared. After a thorough search, it was discovered that a small fishing boat was missing from the seaport on the other side of the island. Gaius and Julius were livid at this until a supply ship anchored in port later that week. The captain of this ship reported a sudden squall with severe winds that lasted only two hours. Following this, his ship had happened upon the hull of a capsized boat matching the description of the one that had been stolen. No survivors were found.
A team of the ship’s crew, led by Erastus, made several trips to the wreckage of The Emir. They were able to salvage some of the belongings of the survivors, but the ship itself continued to disintegrate day by day. Finally, all that remained was the skeleton of the wooden hull visible above the waves.
Over time, the people settled into a routine. The islanders generously shared food and supplies with the new arrivals, and the newcomers in turn found ways to contribute in the daily work. All were required to sacrifice to some degree.
The next three months passed quickly. Paul began teaching all who wanted to listen, as was his usual custom on his missionary journeys. Initially, there were a few that came merely out of curiosity, but word quickly spread and soon there was a thriving church on the island, meeting weekly. Many were saved. Paul and Luke baptized the new believers, among them Temeros, Gaius, and Julius. Several of the survivors as well as the islanders became believers through the ministry of Paul.
Under Luke’s ongoing tutelage, Temeros became more and more proficient at treating those who needed care. He became steadily more involved in the growing church on the island as well. And of course, he began to spend more time with Alexandra. They quickly became friends although both could tell it was more than that. Their relationship slowly strengthened, but they were hesitant to pursue more than friendship as they anticipated that Temeros would likely be leaving soon.
After the gruesome death of his father, Demetrius, Temeros had struggled with his feelings. His father had been abusive, not showing much love to him or his mother. His father’s rage was a frequent part of his life growing up and of course had triggered the fire that set him on his course here. Over time, with support from his friends and with his growing faith, the wounds healed.
The winter was mild, with warm sunny days and cool nights. Many continued to sleep on the beach. Some built makeshift shelters out of tree branches but some slept under the stars. Although they kept the fires burning for warmth at night, there were no more snakes found on the island.
Captain Sahaq began attending the church regularly, interested in learning more about Paul’s God, although he was not ready to make a commitment. He was intrigued to find that The Emir’s namesake, the little prince that had so impressed his father, was the same Jesus worshipped by Paul.
After learning of the port on the north shore of the island, Captain Sahaq and Rayiz made frequent visits there to explore options for reaching the mainland. Small supply boats frequently arrived with food for the island dwellers, braving the winter seas, but larger ships would not ply these waters until the winter storm season had passed. They were pleasantly surprised to find another grain ship from the Alexandrian fleet was wintering there. It was called the Twin Brothers, and the figurehead had the likeness of Castor and Pollux. Captain Sahaq knew the captain of this ship and was able to arrange passage with him for those from his ship once the winter had ended.
A few nights before their planned departure, Luke and Temeros were together talking. Their friendship had strengthened as they worked side by side and Luke was pleased to see his skills growing steadily. Their conversation naturally turned to spiritual discussions.
“Luke, I find myself wondering why God would allow us to go through such a horrible storm for so long. I trust Him and His power and love, but I wish sometimes He would tell us why He allows such things to happen.”
Luke smiled at this. “I think every believer has those thoughts. God rarely tells us every detail of His plans for our lives. As we take steps of faith, He may reveal more when the time is right, but as our faith matures, we usually require fewer details, learning to leave all of that in His strong hands.”
“I suppose you are right. I know good things have come from this.”
“Absolutely! God has impacted so many lives through this voyage. Just think, Publius’ father was healed by Paul on the day we arrived. If we had not arrived when we did, he likely would be dead. And I doubt we would have arrived this quickly without being driven by the storm. Many have come to faith in Jesus through Paul’s teaching, and God has been working through us in treating the sick and hurting as well.”
Temeros nodded in agreement. “I know God has changed me through meeting you and Paul. And I feel He has led me to a new path in learning medical treatments from you. I wish I knew what the future holds.”
“How are you feeling about leaving?” Luke asked him
Temeros lowered his eyes, a pained expression flashing across his face. “Ok I guess.”
Luke studied him for a moment. “Temeros, look. I know how you feel about Alexandra. She is a beautiful young lady and her involvement in the church and her growing faith in Jesus are a joy to behold.” Temeros studied his hands, listening. “I also have seen how much you have learned in treating the sick and injured. I am so happy to see how God has used you here on the island.”
“I feel like I have found a calling for my life.” Temeros responded, not looking up. “I want to continue to treat the sick, but I’m not sure how that will go once I am in such a big city like Rome. It frightens me a little bit.”
Luke watched him closely as he spoke. “I have been considering this for a couple of days, and I think it is something you may want to pray about. What would you think about staying here? The people on the island need someone who can treat their illnesses. And I know Alexandra would love to have you stay. Even her father, Publius, has told me how much he admires you as you have been treating his friends.”
Temeros looked up, his face brighter as he considered this. “Do you really think I’m ready for that?” he asked hopefully.
Luke smiled as he looked at him. “Temeros, you are ready to do anything God calls you to do. Pray about it, but I think it could be a good decision for you.”
Temeros did not sleep much that night. He spent much time in prayer as he considered Luke’s words. The next day, he made his way to Publius’ house. He knew he had to speak to him about what Luke had suggested.
He knocked nervously on the door and requested to see Publius. He was ushered into his office and spent an hour talking with him. Temeros was pleasantly surprised to find that Publius actually seemed excited about the prospect of him staying on Malta. By the end of the visit, it was decided,
and he went from there to find Alexandra and share the news with her.
Two days later, the ship was packed and ready. The prisoners boarded under the watchful eyes of the soldiers and Temeros said farewell to his friends. His future seemed brighter than it had ever been, and he breathed a prayer of thanks to God for bringing him to this place.
Epilogue
It had been warm so far this spring, and there was a gentle breeze. Temeros sat leaning against a tree, watching the hubbub of activity in the bay. A ship had anchored and the small boats were ferrying people back and forth to the dock. He had been enjoying the view most of the morning, lost in his thoughts.
He could scarcely believe it had been over a year since they had arrived in Malta. So much had changed. The church Paul had started was thriving as more had put their faith in Christ. The medical knowledge Temeros had gained by working with Luke had been put to good use as he ministered to the people of Malta. He had become a part of the community, developing friendships with the people here. And of course there was Alexandra. Their relationship had grown stronger in the past year and he felt they were becoming more than just friends. He smiled to himself just thinking about her.
His reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the path and someone calling his name.
“I’m over here,” he responded. His face brightened to see Alex appearing at the edge of the tree line.
“There you are! I wondered where you had been hiding all morning!” she said, as her expression brightened.
“I came up here to pray and to think,” he said. “I love this place with the view of the bay. I guess I lost track of time. What have you been up to?”
“I was busy cleaning for most of the morning. Dad finally let me escape to enjoy the sunshine. I was down at the dock watching all of the activity.”