Journey to the Well: A Novel (26 page)
Read Journey to the Well: A Novel Online
Authors: Diana Wallis Taylor
Elon sat quietly in the shade, leaning against the house. His countenance lifted at the sight of her. “You are not hurt, Daughter?”
“No. And you . . . are you all right?”
“I only feel badly that I was no help to you.” He looked down at the ground. “I am a useless old man, Daughter, of no help to anyone.”
Marah knelt by his side and put her arms around his thin shoulders. “You are worth everything to me, Father Elon. You cheer me when the evenings are long. Your company means much to me in these times. Caleb and I love you dearly.”
He patted her arm, somewhat mollified. “What is to become of this household, Daughter. Why would Haman do such a thing? Where did he take you?”
Marah hung her head and quietly told her father-in-law of the incident in the synagogue.
Elon was enraged. “He did that to you, child? My nephew has behaved badly.” He patted her arm again. “You shall not fear the curse, Daughter.”
“I don’t. The God Who Sees knows that I am innocent.” She looked toward the gate. “I fear Haman more. I do not know what he will do next. I fear for all of us.” She shook her head as she thought of Caleb when he found out what Haman had done.
34
M
arah stood in the courtyard facing the two men who had appeared suddenly at her door. “We seek the home of Haman, factor for the caravans of Ahmal. Are you his wife?” Their manner was brusque.
arah stood in the courtyard facing the two men who had appeared suddenly at her door. “We seek the home of Haman, factor for the caravans of Ahmal. Are you his wife?” Their manner was brusque.
“I am his wife. Why do you seek him?”
“He is here? We would speak with him.”
“He is not here, he has gone with a caravan. I do not know when he will return.” Marah felt apprehensive. What did they want with Haman?
One man stepped menacingly toward her. “She would protect him!”
The second man gave a warning look at his companion and spoke more kindly. “I am Manahath and this is my friend Zadok. We seek your husband on a matter concerning the death of my friend’s brother. Your husband fled to this city. We had to return home to bury our dead according to our customs. Now we have come to Shechem to have him account for himself and this deed.”
Marah stared at them with alarm. Haman involved in a man’s death? He fled to Shechem . . . a city of refuge? Why had he left with a caravan, or for that matter, why had he risked going outside of the city to help Jesse cut a tree? This didn’t make sense. She faced the men and drew herself up.
“I know nothing of this matter. My husband has not told us of these circumstances. None of his family know of this. He told me he had to leave with a short caravan on a matter for Ahmal. He left at dawn this morning.”
Manahath studied her face and appeared to believe she was telling the truth. “And can you tell me which direction the caravan was headed?”
She frowned. “Possibly Jezreel.” Until she knew the truth of this matter, she could not knowingly send them after Haman.
The man Zadok scowled at her but said no more.
“We will trouble you no longer. Thank you for speaking with us.” Manahath turned to his companion and motioned for them to leave.
As Marah stood looking after them, wondering what all this meant, Elon called to her from inside the house.
“Daughter, what did those men want? Did you not offer them our hospitality?”
“They did not appear to wish to stay, Father Elon. They only wanted information.”
Elon leaned on his staff. “What sort of information?”
“About Haman. They believe he had something to do with the death of one man’s brother and they seek him. Father Elon, I believe they think Haman murdered the man and came to Shechem for refuge. I know he says he is the son of your brother Jemuel, but do we really know he is?” Marah spoke bitterly.
“The son of Jemuel a murderer? No . . . no!” Elon clutched his chest and swayed.
Marah caught him quickly. He was having one of his spells. His heart was weak. Why had she spoken so rashly? Now she eased him down to the ground and quickly handed him the dipper of water. He drank slowly and leaned against the house. His face was ashen, but slowly the color began to return.
“Are you all right? I didn’t mean to upset you. We do not know if any of these men’s accusations are true. I spoke foolishly.” She laid a cool cloth on his forehead.
He smiled wanly at her. “You didn’t mean it, Daughter.” He sighed deeply. “Is there anything we can be sure of these days?”
“I am sure Haman will explain all this when he returns. Perhaps they have the wrong man.”
“Yes, they must have the wrong man. I am sure it is all a mistake.” Elon stared off into the distance and nodded his head firmly.
Just then Caleb returned from Shiva’s shop. He helped his grandfather into the house and they washed their hands in the small basin. He sat down by his grandfather as Marah put their simple meal on the low table.
Haman had convinced Elon that he could handle the money from the sale of Jesse’s shop better by investing it for them. They had not seen much of it since. With Haman gone they had little for buying extra food items. Marah had flour to bake the bread but little else. Hannah always had extra vegetables to share with them when she came by. It took all Marah’s skill to prepare enough food to sustain an ailing father-in-law and a growing boy. She looked around at the gifts Haman had brought her over the past months. They would bring some money in the marketplace, yet she dared not risk Haman’s anger if they were missing.
Elon mentioned the two men in spite of a warning shake of her head. She did not want to alarm Caleb.
“We will ask Haman about this matter when he returns,” Elon said. He treated Caleb as if he were a man. As if he were Jesse.
Caleb looked at his grandfather and mother. “He didn’t leave Shechem.”
“Grandson, how do you know this?”
“I saw him. He was sitting in the wineshop on the street of the fruit merchants. He was talking with that man, Ahira.”
“Are you sure it was Haman?” Marah asked, kneeling down to look at Caleb directly.
“Mama, I saw him. It was Haman, all right.” Caleb was almost sullen.
Elon put down his bread and looked at Marah. “Why would he tell us he is going to be gone and then stay in the town?”
Marah caught her breath. “Do you suppose what those men said was true?”
“That could be why he does not leave the town, Daughter.” Anger seemed to give Elon strength. “We will find out the truth when he comes here to the house. He will return sooner or later. I will find out who he is once and for all!” Elon pounded on the table and Caleb jumped.
After Elon had gone to his pallet for the night, Marah helped Caleb bring the animals in. She struggled with her thoughts and finally stopped Caleb outside.
“Caleb. Tell me again how you happened to see Haman.” The boy hung his head for a moment and then looked earnestly at her face. “I don’t trust Haman. He is mean. I don’t like it when he hurts you. Papa never hurt you like that.”
“You followed him?” She was suddenly fearful.
“I was on an errand for Shiva and saw Ahira go into the wineshop. Haman was there all right. He sent Ahira to follow two men, but I don’t know who they were.”
Marah caught her breath. “Caleb, did he see you?”
“I don’t think so, Mama.”
She thought carefully. She must not alarm Caleb, but if Haman had seen the boy, he would be hard on him. She didn’t want Caleb hurt and now she knew that she couldn’t trust Haman. “My son, I want you to be very careful around Haman. Stay out of his way even more than you do. Something is wrong here, and until we know what it is, just be careful.”
He put his arms around her. “I will be careful, Mama, and I won’t let anything happen to you . . . or Grandfather.” He spoke with courage.
Marah held him tight. She must not let him see her fear, but she knew that Caleb was in danger. Somehow she must protect him, but how?
“You are thin, my friend,” Hannah said gently. “You must eat more and get more rest. You are working too hard.” Then she made an attempt at humor. “I would gladly give you some of the pounds I have gained.”
Marah smiled. Her eyes had dark shadows under them and her skin was pale. She had taken to rubbing the petals of a certain flower on her cheeks for color.
“You are well?”
“I am all right, Hannah. Perhaps I have been working too hard.”
“Haman has gone again with the caravan?”
“Yes. He said he would only be going as far as Sebaste . . . a few days.” She wanted to add that she was glad of a reprieve from his temper. The more he tried to reach her, the more she withdrew from him. Her heart still missed Jesse. Haman had taken out his fury on her more than once. She hid the bruises with a heavy tunic and mantle. She could never love Haman and now he knew that too. His jealousy and frustration knew no bounds.
Marah had convinced Caleb to just stay out of Haman’s way. When he heard in the neighborhood of what Haman had done to his mother, he wanted to kill his stepfather. She had finally gotten through to him. “Would you have me suffer the loss of my son as well as my husband? Haman is not a man to be dealt with by a boy. God will punish him; we must leave it to Him to care for us.”
Caleb had hugged her and wiped his nose on his sleeve, sniffling. He nodded in response to her plea, finally promising not to do anything that would bring him in the way of harm or cause more harm to her or his grandfather. She knew he worked at staying out of Haman’s way when he was home. He was a constant reminder of Jesse, and Haman had cuffed him more than once for an imaginary disobedience. Even Elon had seen another side of Haman but realized there was nothing he could do.
Caleb brightened. “Mama. I made a gift for Hannah’s baby. I wanted to do something. They have been so nice to us. Shiva helped me. Mama, I made a cradle. It is at the shop. Can we take it to them?”
“Oh Caleb, how thoughtful of you. I’m sure Hannah and Simon will be very happy to have a cradle.” She smiled fondly at him. “It must have taken you quite awhile.”
His chest had visibly swelled at her words, but he tried to appear casual. “Well, it did take awhile, but I wanted it to be done well.” He looked at her earnestly. “Papa always said, ‘Take your time and do it well the first time.’”
That would be like Jesse. They were both silent for a moment at the memory. Marah ruffled his hair.
“I think we need to see Hannah and Simon. What do you think?”
Caleb grinned and they headed toward the street of the carpenters.
35
A
cross town, Haman sat in the small wineshop and brooded. It was easy to let Marah think he had gone with a caravan. It gave him time to do what he wished. He had been stupid to take a wife. He never felt he needed a wife before. They were a millstone around a man’s neck, and soon there were little brats to feed and clothe. He had sworn never to place himself in that position . . . until he had seen Marah. Her face came before him in his mind and anger rose up in him again. What good did it do to hold the shell of a woman in your arms? Then the specter of Jesse’s broken body rose before him and he closed his eyes, trying to shut the scene out. Could he have saved him? Over and over in his mind, he heard Jesse screaming . . . “Haman, help me!” He shook his head and willed the specter away. He thought again of Marah. Part of her would always belong to Jesse, but the man was dead and Haman could not fight a ghost to satisfy the rage that swept through his heart. She deserved what he did at the synagogue. She needed to be humbled. He tried to justify his actions to salvage his own pride, but in his heart he knew he had done more harm. She only avoided him before, now she would hate him.
cross town, Haman sat in the small wineshop and brooded. It was easy to let Marah think he had gone with a caravan. It gave him time to do what he wished. He had been stupid to take a wife. He never felt he needed a wife before. They were a millstone around a man’s neck, and soon there were little brats to feed and clothe. He had sworn never to place himself in that position . . . until he had seen Marah. Her face came before him in his mind and anger rose up in him again. What good did it do to hold the shell of a woman in your arms? Then the specter of Jesse’s broken body rose before him and he closed his eyes, trying to shut the scene out. Could he have saved him? Over and over in his mind, he heard Jesse screaming . . . “Haman, help me!” He shook his head and willed the specter away. He thought again of Marah. Part of her would always belong to Jesse, but the man was dead and Haman could not fight a ghost to satisfy the rage that swept through his heart. She deserved what he did at the synagogue. She needed to be humbled. He tried to justify his actions to salvage his own pride, but in his heart he knew he had done more harm. She only avoided him before, now she would hate him.
No matter. What did he need with one woman when he could have the pick of others?
Lost in his own thoughts, Haman looked out absentmindedly at the crowd of people passing by on their way to the marketplace. Suddenly he became alert and leaned back in the shadows. He recognized the two men who had come upon him the night of the merchant’s murder. They were here in Shechem at last. They walked with a purpose. Were they going to the city elders? Haman cursed. This was a fine fix. He was supposed to be out of the city with a caravan. He could not return to the house and Marah. But then, he didn’t want to do that. They would trace him there. He smiled to himself. That might be well. They would be told that he had left with a caravan. They would want to find him outside the walls of the town. As long as he remained in Shechem, designated in the Book of the Law as a city of refuge, he was safe.
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