The New World Covenant

by Norm & Kim Bourque

  As she walked along the path, she could hear the water running alongside her. It felt calming to her soul. She rested her hand on her belly and tried to imagine what the tiny infant was thinking. Did she know the choices her parents were considering? Did she know her life, her very existence rested on the decisions of another?

  Ai could still hear and see her parents when she told them it was a girl. She could hear her father’s snort of disgust. He had just looked at her and said, “You know what you need to do,” he had left the room.

  Her mother gave her a look to make sure that she understood. “You must see Dr. Dhanji as soon as possible and get this looked after. You know a girl will not do, it must be a boy. We will not need to discuss this again. We must be patient and pray for a boy next time.” She hugged Ai and followed her husband out of the room.

  Her husband’s parents were less harsh but still firm in their desire for her to see the doctor as soon as possible as well.

  The only ones happy about this baby were her husband and herself. Was it that bad that it was a girl? Ai considered her own life so far, it was everything she wanted, a loving husband, a good home, an education, and now a little baby on the way. Couldn’t her little girl have the same advantages as her? They would just have to make sure they planned for their own future and not count on a son to provide for them. Then, what about disappointing her parents, they really wanted a grandson, what if she isn’t able to give them a grandson. If she terminates this pregnancy and then can’t have another one or worse, what if the next one and the one after that are girls as well, then what? Could she really do the expected of her again, and again?

  She sank down onto a big rock and stared down into the gently swirling ripples of the stream.

  Across the small stream, another path followed its meandering passage through the countryside. She heard the whistling before she saw the young man come around the bend on the path. He was wearing khaki shorts, white short-sleeved shirt and hiking boots, his backpack slung casually over one shoulder. He stopped across the stream from Ai, sat down on a rock, and smiled over at her.

  “Hello Ai,” he greeted her as he removed a boot and rubbed his foot, “I guess I’m a little out of practice.” He winced stretching out the tender foot.

  “You would find it easier in a pair of sandals mister; at least your feet can breathe,” commented Ai.

  She thought for a second as she realized he had called her by her name. “How do you know my name, we have never met before?”

  “I know of many things Ai, but I’m still learning about footwear. Thank you for the advice by the way,” said the man.

  He watched her for a couple of minutes then he spoke again, “I hope you don’t mind me intruding on your thoughts, but I can see you have a great deal of doubts. If I were to tell you the decision in your heart is the right one, would you believe me?”

  She looked up at him in shock. She did not answer, too surprised to form any words.

  He nodded at her. “This child you have been blessed with, this beautiful little angel, she is a special gift. She will one day be a leader of men and women. Her legacy will live on through time.”

  “How could you know this?” she finally asked, her words coming out in a high squeaky voice.

  The man answered her, “As I said, I know of many things. One can sometimes change a whole country by starting with the first village. You must believe. You will call her Yan and she will be loved.”

  “Yan means 'God is gracious' in your language,” she paused, her eyes growing wider as his eyes glowed with an inner fire.

  “You will be a good mother Ai, and your name is your destiny. You must always believe and trust, have faith.”

  After looking into his glowing eyes, she believed.

  For a few moments, she was in a daze and before she could respond, he had slipped on his boot and moved away down the path out of sight. She could hear him whistling in the distance.

  She remained sitting there in the half-light considering what he'd said. Who was this man? How could this stranger have known of her pregnancy, she certainly wasn’t showing yet? The doubts would have been easy to guess at, she knew she looked tired and stressed. How did he know her name, she had never seen him before and there had not been any strangers reported in the area. She put her hand to her belly, there was a warm feeling spreading throughout her body, an afterglow of love, her thoughts suddenly without any fear and for the first time in days, she felt at peace with the world around her.

  With the decision made, she made her way back to the village. She would have this child and would name her Yan and she would teach others that they must have faith in things they may only sense and believe in the destiny of the future.

  With Gina's encouragement, they would become sisters of destiny, helping to change the thinking of many people, so that they could become less fearful, and start thinking that it is possible to start dreaming and believing. That nothing can be impossible. They would make their small part of the world a little better, through understanding, kindness and love, beginning with one child, then one village, and then over time an entire country. Ai was now listening to her inner faith and tomorrow she would seek out Gina and tell her that she was going to keep her baby. Ai was thankful that Gina had come to her country to affect this change. They had now become sisters and she wished Gina a long life, and over time, by then...Gina would know.

  Chapter 26

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

  Strange Disappearance of Alleged Assailant

  Hamilton, New Zealand - A man attempting to assault his estranged wife disappears without a trace.

  The small seaside town of Hamilton in New Zealand has a virtually non-existent crime rate but earlier today, the residents witnessed an attempted assault.

  When the husband of a New Zealand woman attempted to assault his estranged wife, she ran into a nearby alley in an attempt to escape from him.

  Witnesses hearing the woman's terrified screams for help and the sounds of a fight ran into the alley to help her, but by the time they reached the woman there was no sign of the husband, just a pile of discarded clothing. When questioned, the woman indicated her estranged husband had pushed her to the ground and was hitting her repeatedly when suddenly he stopped. She looked up to see why he had stopped and saw a stranger standing by her husband and she watched him touch him on the shoulder, and then her husband just vanished. She looked down briefly while getting to her feet and when she turned to thank the man, he was no longer there. All she could remember about him was that his eyes seemed to be very bright, almost glowing in the dark alley.

  Police have indicated that the identity of Good Samaritan is unknown at this time, nor has he come forward.

  The police are actively seeking the public’s help to identify the man, white male, approximately 6', one hundred seventy pounds, with brown hair.

  We have received no word from the husband and his whereabouts are unknown at this time.

  Contact:

  Hamilton Police Department

  tips@HPD.com

  211 Craymore Street

  Hamilton,

  New Zealand

  Chapter 27

  Rabbi Asher Jossel was a well-known and respected member of his community and congregation. He had spent the past thirty-five years delivering sermons of faith and conducting pastoral counselling to many of his followers. He was quick to offer support and help to those in need not only in his own synagogue, but also in the community whenever asked, regardless of faith.

  Being a teacher of a sacred legacy had proven extremely challenging at times, but the Rabbi found it rewarding. He enjoyed the feeling of fulfillment when he successfully guided those in need through their path to resolution.

  As his reputation grew, more and more sought out his advice and counselling and he became known as "the Rav" which was a sign of great respect bestowed only on a few great Rabbi's, worthy leaders of interpretation of mara d' atra issues of Jewish law. His
problem solving was legendary and he developed a reputation of treating people fairly and with dignity. His wisdom came from not only the Torah and the Commandments, but also from a two thousand year-old teaching in the Mishnah, which provided him with wisdom, the wisdom he needed to solve every problem and issue brought before him, until now.

  The Rabbi had a problem. Try as he might he was unable to determine a solution. Sometimes when the problem is personal, one cannot solve it as easy as someone else's problem. As Einstein once stated, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”

  This problem did not bring into question his belief in God, but in the doctrines and the dogmas of man. He knew he would need his faith in God to remain strong if he were going to get through this. So easy, he thought, when solving the problems of others, the answers just seemed to come from deep inside, but the irony when it happens to you is that no solution seems right.

  In his heart he knew something good would come out of this, it always did.

  His role in the synagogue dictated that he must treat this issue the same as all others presented to him, regardless of the circumstances or the personal connection, he must follow the laws of their religion, and that is where the problem lay.

  In order to understand the complexity of the problem, we must return to the beginning, long before the event that led to this junction in his life. Back to the day, he both celebrated and mourned. The day he lost his wife and he gained the precious gift of a daughter. As he held the small bundle, he sat staring at the beautiful woman who had given him so much but sacrificed her very life to accomplish this. He knew she would always be there in spirit and she would guide him from beyond to raise the young girl to adulthood.

  Without his wife to help him, his spinster sister came to live with him, took over the duties of running the home, and helped to raise Hannah.

  While growing up, Hannah had been a sweet, innocent child. She excelled in her lessons and eagerly searched for knowledge among her books, spending many hours at the library. Under her father's tutelage, she grew to understand the Jewish tradition, customs, and sacred laws. She believed so strongly in her faith that she set her goal to become a Rabbi herself someday. However, Hannah was innocent in many ways of the world and vulnerable to the weaknesses of humanity.

  She first met Aarron at the University where he taught a class on Judaism and symbolism. Aarron was already a Rabbi and he fell heavily for the charming Hannah. They seemed very happy and content with each other and both had a love and respect for the sanctity of the Jewish customs. Aarron encouraged Hannah to pursue and fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a Rabbi herself. He said two Rabbis' in the same household as husband and wife was not only unique and special, but also pre-ordained. Shortly afterwards, Hannah and Aarron were married. They seemed destined to carry out the roles in which they had both signed up for and they were looking forward to starting their own family.

  Maybe that is where everything started to go wrong. Rabbi Ashner couldn't say for sure, because at first Hannah did not bring her marital problems to her father, out of shame and disappointment.

  It was early on in the marriage that Hannah discovered that she could never be a mother. The doctors called it sterility. It was devastating to her and she drifted into a deep depression. Aarron too had fallen apart when he learned the devastating news. To be a good father was something he had always believed he would be, but now, knowing he would never be able to teach his own children tore at his heart. He came to resent the reality that he would be required to spend the rest of his life with a woman that was both barren and in a fragile state of mental health, was too much to bear.

  Soon Aarron turned away from his faith, instead turning to alcohol and the comforts of the oblivion of drunkenness. Drinking heavily, his despair grew, and he soon sought the comfort of other women in his congregation. He had forsaken the Jewish laws and traditions he had so solemnly sworn to uphold and protect, and fell into his own pit of misery. Hannah did not seem to notice the changes in her husband and together they sunk deeper and deeper, pressing onward to an inevitable conclusion.

  One of Hannah's friends watched the couple grow more distant and withdraw into their own private worlds and she could not stand by any longer. She had to try to save this marriage. She told Hannah of Aarrons actions, believing it was important for her to know, hoping to fix the situation before it spiralled any further out of control. She truly believed the marriage was salvageable but it would take a lot of work. They had both just lost their way. If only Hannah could pull herself out of her depression, she would see that she could still have a good life with Aarron.

  Just when it seemed that life could not get any worse for the young couple, it reached its climax.

  Aarron came home that last night of his life, drunk and in a foul temper. But Hannah, angry and hurt by the man she had shared sacred vows with, confronted him with the accusations of his drinking and adultery, blind to his emotional and physical state. Her innocence of the danger would be their downfall.

  Aarron, in a fit of rage and guilt, struck Hannah viciously across the face. She fell to the floor and he started to kick her.

  “You are not a woman!” he screamed at her, “You tricked me into marriage. You took my right to be a father away from me. It’s your fault that I am this way. Because of you, I have turned my back on my faith. I wish you were dead.”

  A strange look came over his face and Hannah realized she was in an extremely vulnerable position. She staggered to her feet and as he reached for her again, she pushed him away. The alcohol affected his balance and he lost his footing. As he fell backwards, his head hit the corner of the table and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

  Hannah reached for him, her hands touching his head, the blood warm and thick on her fingers. She raced to the phone and begged for help, but it was too late for Aarron. When the paramedics arrived, they were unable to revive him and he slipped away that night.

  Rabbi Asher remembered the courtroom, filled with the families, and certain important fellow Rabbis. He watched the Rabbis as the judge handed down the decision: Not Guilty due to Self Defence, complicated by mental instability, a fancy name for insanity.

  He watched as their faces hardened. They stood as a group and left the courthouse without a word spoken to anyone.

  His heart sank. He knew what that meant. This verdict would not be the end of it for either his daughter or himself.

  He had heard the strong talk in the Synagogue that Hannah was guilty of murder, regardless of the circumstances of the death and the only justice would be a conviction for murder in the eyes of the court. However, when the court did not support this conviction, he knew the talk would turn back to the Jewish laws themselves. In Jewish law, a murder that has been committed for which no punishment has been levied yet, leaves only self-sacrifice, suicide to atone for the death. This was something he had felt was an archaic religious law but it was now the dilemma he was faced with. In this modern day and age, acceptable suicide was not sending an inspiring message to the faithful or youth in this ever-changing community.

  He felt sadness for Hannah. She had lost everything she believed in, her husband, a family of her own and most importantly, her dreams of following in her father's footsteps to become a Rabbi. Her whole world had crashed down around her in the course of one brutal night. He feared for her fragile mental state. Would she feel honor-bound to consider this law? He took steps immediately to ensure that she would be in a safe place and was saddened that she may never leave the hospital she would now call home. He also knew that with his actions, he would be facing excommunication.

  Rabbi Jossel stretched and rubbed his eyes. This week's sermon had been difficult to prepare and he was not sure if it was sufficient. Perhaps tomorrow, when he was fresher, he could look at it again. He was tired and desperately needed sleep. He made his lonely way down the corridor to his bedroom where he changed into his pyjamas. Just as he re
ached out to pull back the covers, he stopped, he sensed someone in the room with him.

  "Hello again," the voice said to him in his mind.

  The voice in his head did not frighten him and he knew he was in no danger. Strange, he thought, the last time he felt like this was when Hannah was born.

  His last thoughts were of Hannah, when the voice inside his head said, "Believe".

  And he came to a realization...

  ********

  The next morning the Rabbi's sister knocked on his door and when there was no answer, entered to alert him to the dreadful news she knew would cause him extreme pain and further despair.

  She had just received a disturbing telephone call from the hospital. Hannah was missing and to call them immediately if she showed up or tried reaching them in any way. Authorities would be keeping an eye out for her as well.

  But she was unable to find him. Only his pyjamas remained in a pile by his bed. Now they were both missing. Where were they, she thought to herself as she wrung her hands anxiously!

  Chapter 28

  Jason made his way back to the elevator and pushed the button for the fourth floor, the children's ward. He had many more stops to make before the night was over.