Daughters of Jared, page 20
Trust in me.
I do, I realize. I trust in the Lord, as I always have. I must allow Him to exact justice and dole out Akish’s punishment, whether it is on earth or in the life hereafter.
I pull away from my sister and her children, and I look into their tear-filled eyes. “Your brother is in the arms of the Lord.” I continue on before Ash can hush me—she’s heard me speak of my God before, but she doesn’t know what I’ve told her oldest son. “I do not worship the idols of the kingdom or the sun god. I worship the true God: the Lord, our Savior.”
The children’s eyes widen. I can see Isabel understands little of what I am saying, but by her brothers’ reactions, she knows it’s something forbidden.
“The Lord has told me Shez is safe now. He is in heaven, living with your grandmother.” My tears are hot and fast. “We’ll always miss him, always love him, but now we must do one last thing for him.”
The children brush tears from their eyes and stare at me.
“We must select the things he loved so we can send them with his body to the sepulchre.” I look at Ash. “We’ll prepare his body for burial when it arrives.”
WITH THE DEATH OF SHEZ, everything changes. The atmosphere in the palace and throughout the land is somber. The court still pays its highest allegiance to King Akish, but it is only out of fear. Ash is reinstated at court, but she attends only when she must. All festivals are suspended, though there are banquets each night, a forced pleasure. Or maybe I hadn’t noticed how much fear ruled everyone’s hearts since I was so absorbed in my nephews and niece.
When the mourning period for Shez comes to an end, my sister arrives in my chamber. She is alone, and her eyes are bright with tears. “I have a plan.”
We sit together on the cushions near the window.
“I’m sending Nimrah and Jared the Younger to the apprentice Hearthom to train as our brothers did.” She takes a breath. “I know they’re very young still, but I cannot have them around my husband.” Her voice breaks, and I take her hands, squeezing them in comfort.
“Nimrah is nearly eleven,” she says. “In a year’s time, he’ll be the crown prince. I do not want a second son murdered.” Tears drip down her face as she stares at me, determined. “Jared is nine. He has seen too much in his young years.” She wipes at her cheeks, and her voice trembles as she continues. “I need to ask one very last favor of you.”
“What is it?” My stomach tightens. I’m now afraid.
“It’s two favors, actually,” she whispers. “I want you to leave me, to leave this palace, and find a place where you can live and worship as you please.”
“Ash, I made my choice long ago—”
“I know you did. And now it’s time to make another choice.” She closes her eyes and exhales. Then in an ever-so-quiet voice she says, “I want you to take Isabel with you.”
O Lord, my God, give me courage for what I am about to do, I pray, clasping Isabel’s small hand in mine.
The night is black, the moon blocked by heavy clouds, and I stand in the courtyard of the palace, perhaps looking at my sister for the last time.
Ash puts on a brave smile for her daughter, a smile I know she cannot truly feel. Young Isabel thinks we’re going on a grand journey, which we might be, but her little heart has yet to understand that she’ll never see her parents again.
Even as I stall our farewell, I know we must make haste. Once Akish discovers our absence, the entire land will be turned upside down looking for his daughter. I’ll be labeled a traitor again, worthy of fatal punishment.
I pull my hood up then Isabel’s. I tie hers securely beneath her chin as her wide black eyes study me carefully. “Why is it so dark, Auntie?”
“Because it’s the middle of the night,” I whisper. “Hush now.”
She makes a great show of clamping her lips together. I squeeze her hand. “Give your mother a kiss.”
She dutifully rises up on her tiptoes and reaches for Ash. My sister bends down and holds her tight.
“I can’t b-breathe,” Isabel says.
Ash still clings to her for another moment then lets her go. I notice my sister’s trembling chin and how she is trying not to break down in front of her daughter. “Go, my sweet girl. Go with Auntie and listen to everything she says.” Ash kisses the top of her head and turns to me.
We embrace quickly, fiercely, both of us too emotional to speak. The decision has been made, and now we must carry it out. I’ll leave Ash behind at her beautiful palace. She is carrying another child—a boy, she claims. Her sons will grow up at the apprentice’s with a nursemaid, away from their father. Isabel will become as mine. My story to any I meet is that I am widowed.
I hope to reach the land of Ablom before I am caught.
Yes, I’ve decided to join Levi after all. I understand he might have a wife, and even if he doesn’t, it’s been many years since we were separated. I’ve certainly changed, and likely so has he. Regardless of what our relationship may or may not be, I want to live in freedom.
With a final look at my sister’s tearful face, I grasp Isabel’s hand and cross the courtyard. Tears blur my eyes—tears of missing my sister already, tears of grief over Shez, tears that I am taking a child from her mother.
The journey is longer and more tiring than I imagined, every step loaded with mixed emotions—every step wondering what Ash is doing at each moment. What she might be saying to Akish, what Akish might be ordering his guards to do.
I teach Isabel to pray to the Lord our first day on our journey. We stop often to kneel together, clasp our hands, bow our heads, and plead for guidance. At first, Isabel stumbles over the foreign, awkward words, but by the third day, she mimics me perfectly in her six-year-old voice.
We stay out of the way of others as much as possible. We travel mostly at night and keep to the tree line to enable us a quick disappearance. The farther we travel, the fear of being caught by the king’s guards lessens and is replaced with worry about being waylaid by bandits.
On the fourth day of travel, we reach Ablom. I’m not expecting the size of the village that spreads out before us. There are dozens of huts arranged in neat rows. A market center opens up to a path leading to the sea. Small sea vessels dot the water that glows golden in the afternoon sun.
Isabel cries out, “Look! It’s big water!”
“Yes,” I say, my voice stuck in my throat. There are no statues in front of the reed doors, no carved edifices in the form of gods or goddesses. It’s as if I can feel the presence of the Lord radiating from this community. Tears touch my eyes, and my heart swells with gratitude. The Lord has truly watched over Isabel and me and has delivered us safely to freedom.
“Come,” I say. We join hands and walk toward the outlying huts.
Isabel skips along with my slower step. She laughs as a goat runs toward us, bleating.
A young boy chases it, calling out, “Stop!” He halts when he sees us, curiosity bright in his eyes.
Isabel says, “Hello.”
He raises his hand then scampers away.
“Where’s he going?”
I laugh. “He’s probably gone to tell his mother that he saw a beautiful girl walk past him.”
Isabel giggles in her high, musical voice, so much like her mother’s. “I don’t think so, Auntie . . . I mean, Mother.” She pushes out her lower lip. “Why must I call you Mother?”
“Because,” I say, “I’ve explained to you that it’s safer if people think you’re my daughter.”
“So the bad men won’t get us?”
Hiding a smile, I say, “Yes.” My heart is pounding. I am in the same village Levi lives in. I wonder if he has children; perhaps that was his little boy who ran past us. As we walk along the path, passing hut after hut, I wonder if each one might be his home.
A woman comes out of one of the huts as we walk by, and she shields her eyes against the setting sun’s glow. She’s dressed simply in a pale blue tunic, her hair wrapped in a colorful scarf. I gather my courage and walk up the path to her yard.
“We’re looking for a friend,” I say.
The woman looks from me to Isabel then meets my gaze again. “Where are you from?”
“The city of Heth.” I don’t know how news might travel, but I feel that I can trust the people in this village. After all, they are the people of the Lord, and Omer is their leader. “Do you know a man named Levi?”
Her brows lift slightly. “He’s fishing.”
My heart pounds at hearing the confirmation that he is indeed here, that he is relatively close, likely in one of the boats we saw earlier. I wonder at the woman’s short answer and her seemingly sure knowledge of where he is. She looks as if she wants to ask more questions, but I quickly thank her and pull Isabel with me along the path.
At the next opening on the narrow road, I take a left turn and head toward the sea. Isabel and I reach the shore, and I’m surprised that it’s quite empty. Several boats are on the water, but no one else is about. Smoke rises near the closest huts, and I realize the families are preparing their evening meals.
I find a large rock to sit on and watch as Isabel pads in her bare feet along the wet sand. She is fascinated with how the sea creeps closer then washes out, over and over. We wait for what seems like hours, though I know it could have only been a short time. As the sun begins its descent against the horizon, the boats head for the shore. I grip my hands together as I watch each fisherman unload his catch.
I look for anyone familiar, anything that might set Levi apart. It’s been so long that I tell myself I may not recognize him.
Now there are only two boats left. The one closest to me contains two men. As the boat draws to shore, my mouth goes dry. Levi sits at the back, steering the boat. I’m sure it’s him. His hair is longer, his skin tanner, but his form and even his mannerisms are all Levi. And the scar that runs along his face, the scar the king branded him with, is unmistakable.
I am about to stand when I hear someone shouting. Two children come running down the shoreline, splashing through the water. Levi and the other man wave at them.
His children, I think. I stay on the rock, unable to move. I wonder if it will be too painful to live in a village where I might see Levi often, might get to know his wife and children.
The fishermen climb out of the boat and pull it farther up onto shore. They unload the baskets just as the children reach them. The children clamor around both men, and I try to decipher if either of the children looks like Levi.
Then suddenly, the other fisherman is walking away, carrying a basket, accompanied by the children. Levi stays back, cleaning out the boat. My throat is nearly closed, and I can barely catch my breath, but I force myself to stand. Just as I do, Levi turns, as if sensing my presence.
His gaze slides from me to Isabel, who stands next to me. She grabs my hand, and Levi turns back to the boat.
“Is that him?” Isabel asks.
I nod, unable to speak. I force one foot in front of the other—forward.
Levi turns again, as if he has just realized that perhaps I am someone familiar. I keep walking toward him, and I see the recognition in his eyes.
He straightens, now staring at me. His gaze drifts to Isabel then back to my face. It’s as if the world has gone silent, and the sounds of the churning sea and blowing wind can no longer be heard.
Isabel stops and tugs at my hand. She stoops and picks up a seashell. She says something about it, but the actual words don’t reach my ears. Levi is walking toward us, and I can see only him. He is taller than I remember and his shoulders broader. But his forest-colored eyes are the same.
I wonder how he sees me. It has been many years. I’m not the young woman I once was. I’m well past my prime, and my skin has started to age. After many days of travel, I probably look as if I’ve arrived straight out of the jungle.
“Naiva?” Levi says. The sound of his voice nearly brings me to tears.
“Hello,” I croak, but my throat cuts off everything else.
“My name is Isabel!” My niece holds out her hand.
Levi crouches to her level and takes her hand. “Nice to meet you, Isabel. I’m Levi.”
“I know,” Isabel says.
Levi smiles, and my heart turns. He’s standing again, facing me. I can’t stop staring at him.
“How many fish did you catch?” Isabel asks.
He looks down at her again. “Three baskets full. Do you want to see them?”
“Yes,” Isabel says and runs toward the boat. Levi and I follow at a slower pace.
Levi casts me a sideways glance. “I wondered if I’d ever see you again.”
“I have a lot to tell you,” I manage to say, though my voice sounds strange to my ears. I wonder if I’m really here, walking beside Levi, or if this is a dream.
We reach the boat, and Levi answers Isabel’s many questions. I have never heard her talk so much. It’s as if she’s been saving six years of questions for this moment.
“You’re a bright girl, Isabel,” Levi says.
She looks at me. “What is bright?”
“Smart,” I say. “He means you’re very smart.”
She smiles at this. “I know.”
“You should say thank you to Levi,” I say to her. “It’s a nice thing to say when someone tells you something nice first.”
Her expression turns serious, and she bows her head. “Thank you.”
He laughs. “Your mother is fortunate to have such a smart girl.”
“She’s . . .” Isabel lowers her voice, “not really my mother. We’re just pretending so the bad men won’t find us.”
Levi looks at me, curiosity in his gaze.
“Isabel is Ash’s daughter,” I say. “She’s your niece.”
His brow arches. He bends down and takes Isabel’s hand. “I’m your uncle, then.”
She grins at him. “I know.” Then she looks at me. “Can I get in the boat?”
“If Levi doesn’t mind,” I say, looking at him for confirmation.
“I don’t mind.” His eyes are on me, soaking me in—not as before, not with surprise but all-absorbing. “You aren’t married?”
“No,” I say. Isabel scrambles into the boat and climbs all over it as if it’s the most amazing thing she’s ever seen.
I feel the heat of Levi’s gaze on me. And suddenly he is standing close, his hand brushing my wind-blown hair from my face.
“Have you come to live here?” he asks in a low voice.
“Yes,” I whisper because I don’t trust my own voice. “Isabel too. There is much that has happened.”
He nods, still watching me. “I heard about Shez. I’m sorry.”
Tears prick my eyes, and before I can blink them back, they cascade down my cheeks. I wipe at them swiftly.
“You’ve come a long way,” Levi says. “But you’ll be safe here. You and Isabel.” He touches my arm as he says this, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from melting against him.
I can’t stand not knowing if he has a wife. I have to ask. “Are you married?”
He smiles, and fear shoots through my heart. I brace myself for an analog of his beautiful wife and many children.
“I never break a promise,” he says. His hand moves from my arm to my waist. “I’ve been waiting for you, Naiva.”
It takes a few seconds for his words to sink in. His hand slides to my back, and he pulls me close. Then he leans down, his other hand brushing my cheek.
Fresh tears fall—of gratitude, of love.
I wrap my arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of him saturate my skin. “You aren’t married?”
“Of course not,” he murmurs against my ear.
“It’s been eleven years.”
“Not long at all,” he whispers. “I would have waited forever.”
TODAY IS MY WEDDING DAY. I have been in Ablom only a few days, but Levi sees no reason to wait. Neither do I.
“We will meet the king today?” Isabel asks for maybe the hundredth time this morning. “Then you will get married?”
“Yes,” I say, brushing through her tangle of dark curls. We are staying in Levi’s hut while he sleeps outside each night. Tonight, he will sleep within.
The morning sun warms the small bed chamber quickly, reminding me that I still have so much to do to prepare.
A village woman loaned me a tunic of fine linen, and I have remade it into something that will do for the wedding. But I still need to gather flowers to weave into a garland for a belt.
“Will the king come to the wedding?” Isabel asks.
I smile. “I’m not sure. He doesn’t even know me.”
“But he’s our grandfather,” she says.
“Your great-grandfather,” I correct. “My grandfather. And we don’t call him the king here.” It was strange to think of a man I didn’t know as grandfather. I look away from Isabel’s bright eyes, thinking of the man whom my father and sister had once plotted against. What will he think of me? Certainly he knows I worship the Lord as he does, but is that and our family connection enough for him to receive me into his good graces?
Here, he is not king, at least from what Levi has told me, but he is a revered leader. Those in this village would defend Omer with their lives.
A whistle coming from outside pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn to the window. My breath catches at the sight of Levi standing there; I still can’t believe he is real and I am here.
He grins when our eyes meet.
“How long have you been spying?” I ask, keeping my face straight.
Isabel pulls away from my hair combing and runs out of the room and out of the hut.
“Not long at all,” he says, his eyes traveling to my feet.
I flush. I am wearing the same tunic I slept in. But he doesn’t seem to mind my rumpled appearance.
“You could come into the hut; it’s your place, after all,” I say. “You don’t need to sneak around and peer into windows.”
Levi laughs, and just then he staggers back. Isabel has reached him and thrown her arms around his waist.
