by Andrew Crown
“Fishing just isn’t the same without you, my son,” Asher said one morning before heading out to the boat. “There is no one to talk to, and I don’t seem to catch as much.”
“I will join you tomorrow, Asher,” Dismas said, rising up on an elbow.
“That’s nonsense, Dismas,” the older man said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You need to rest. You’ll need a strong back for hauling full nets.”
Dismas lowered himself back down on his belly.
Asher cleared his throat “Also, I…I want to thank you for what you did for my daughter. She told me everything that happened.” The father’s voice broke slightly. “I never would have thought the Romans would be so brazen and I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
With a pivot of his head, Dismas looked into Asher’s glistening eyes. “Best thing I have ever done,” he said truthfully.
The old fisherman pursed his lips, nodded, and wordlessly left the room to chase the day’s catch in the Sea of Galilee.
While Asher occasionally made an appearance at Dismas’ side, the injured man was overjoyed to see Leah, who was almost always present when he came back into consciousness. She dutifully changed his bandages, gave him water and food, helped him to his feet and walked him outside when he needed to relieve himself, and provided him company and encouragement. She spent a couple sleepless nights watching over him when he was overtaken with violent chills.
“I’m here, Dismas. I’m here,” she said as she pulled a blanket over his shivering body and patiently readjusted it when he inadvertently kicked it off as he tossed in a fitful and feverish sleep. Leah silently prayed to God which she earnestly had not done for a long time as she tearfully watched the man she was growing to love writhing in agony. He was her hero, her savior from the clutches of the Romans. She had never felt as strongly about another person aside from her father and mother. But her affection for Dismas was something different.
After two anxious days, the fever finally broke and Dismas gradually began to improve. Color returned to his face and he started to sleep for regular intervals. The wounds on his back were healing and he needed fewer bandages to hold in the oozing blood. Leah continued to keep her vigil on a stool by his side and their conversations became lighthearted again.
“Tomorrow, I think I will finally rejoin your father. Sitting on a boat is more fitting for me than laying on the floor. Not that I don’t appreciate conversing with you all day,” he added hastily when a trace of sadness passed over Leah’s face.
“I suppose on the water is where you should be,” she said, letting out a long exhale. “Even though I selfishly want to keep you here.” She mock pouted and Dismas chuckled at her.
“I’ll still be back in the evenings, just like before all of this happened,” he assured her.
“I know. I know. Just make sure you go easy. We can survive with nets that are less full than normal for a few days.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage just fine, and your father will take good care of me, as you have,” Dismas said, standing up gingerly to give Leah a hug. A small grimace passed over his face which he stifled before she could see. “Will you return to visiting the poor and sick in the village? I’m sure they have grown jealous of you devoting all of your time to just one person.”
Leah melted in his arms, which she found to be surprisingly strong considering his condition.
“Yes, I’m sure they missed me. Miriam will be glad to have my help. And it will be good to see her again. Sometimes…” she added with a grin, “…it’s good to get away from all these men and be able to gossip with another woman for a change.”
Dismas laughed. “I guess it will be good for me to be back in the company of your father, too.”
There was a sound at the door as Asher entered the house dragging a net half full of fish, which caused the couple to cease their embrace. They walked into the main room to greet him.
“Ah, you look well, Dismas,” Asher said as Dismas helped him with the net.
“As much as I have enjoyed spending time with your daughter, I am looking forward to getting back on the boat tomorrow,” Dismas said.
“Ah, very good. Very good indeed.” Asher beamed. “Because I would much rather struggle to pull a full net with you than these half nets I’ve been managing by myself.”
Chapter X
“And how are you feeling today, Centurion?” The voice of Cassian, always eager to please, irritated Bricius.
There was no response in the darkened room. “Centurion?”
“The entire garrison watched me get six lashes on my back while being embarrassed by my commander. How do you think I’m doing?” Bricius was lying face down on a cot in the officer’s quarters. The clanking of swords and neighing of horses trickled into the small room where he’d rested in the twenty-four hours since his flogging. Throughout his years of service to Rome, his body had endured much punishment. This time, however, his pride was more wounded than his flesh.
“Sir, Tribune Magnus has asked me to tell you that he would like all centurions to lead their men in drills that simulate a defensive…”
“Argh! I’m tired of these drills!”
“Sir, I am only conveying the message…”
“I know, I know,” Bricius said as he sat up wincing in pain. “I am well enough to command, if that’s what you came to check on.”
“Very good, I will ready the men.” Cassian saluted.
“I am going to kill that man,” Bricius murmured.
“Sir?”
“I am going to kill that Jew who attacked me yesterday. What was his name?”
Cassian glanced out the window nervously. “I believe his name was Dismas, but I think you should let him go and not do anything that would jeopardize your career.”
Bricius only heard one word. “Dismas. I’ll remember that.”
Cassian knew he should ready the soldiers for the drills. His immediate superior, however, was prone to rash actions. He had a nagging desire to say something more. “Perhaps, given the circumstances, joking about that while within earshot of so many may not be wise.”
“Then I won’t tell any jokes, Cassian. I am serious.” He stood up from the cot and began to pull on his armor, wincing as he did. “I don’t know when or how, but any man who assaults me and then makes a mockery of me in front of my own men will die by my hand.” Bricius smiled, relishing the thought of retribution. “Ready the men, Cassian. We must not keep our dear Tribune waiting.”
Resigned, Cassian turned to go. As soon as his optio cleared the doorway, Bricius sat back down the cot to give his body a momentary relief from the pain. He allowed his mind to drift to thoughts of encountering the young Jew again as a dark smile spread across his face.
Chapter XI
White caps rolled over the normally tranquil water, causing the boat to sway back and forth. With each motion, the wooden hull creaked ominously. The wind wailed as it came across the Sea of Galilee and ripped against the small sail.
“The storm is coming in quickly, Dismas. Let’s bring the boat in,” Asher commanded.
It was not a moment too soon for Dismas. His stomach churned with each passing swell. It was a rough reintroduction to fishing. He fought back a wave of nausea with a swallow. “Lousy day for fishing anyway; only a small haul.”
“There will be more fish tomorrow,” Asher said. “Now grab that sail and bring us in.”
Dismas obeyed as he clutched his stomach. He continued to worry that the bread and honey cakes that Leah gave him that morning might come back up. The spray lapped up over the side of the boat and splashed his face. The sudden chill of the water had a sobering effect and seemed to calm his stomach slightly.
Asher, leaning over the front of the boat, occasionally glanced back at Dismas to call out adjustments to the sail position. Dismas saw other boats out on the sea struggling to navigate against the growing wind as the sky began to darken. Asher, however, knew his boat and knew the wind an
d they made progress towards shore. Soon, they were back in shallow water where they threw the anchor stone overboard. The two men, with a small net of fish, jumped over the side and landed in thigh deep water. The nausea that Dismas felt quickly subsided when he felt the reassurance of solid ground beneath his feet.
When the men made it back to the house, Leah flung open the front door. “I was wondering if you’d be coming in. It looks like a bad storm.”
“It will just be rain,” Asher said confidently with his eyes raised skyward. “No big claps of thunder this time, which means I’ll be able to get some sleep. Will you be able to take care of putting away the fish, Dismas? I could really use some rest.”
After receiving an affirmation from the younger man, Asher took off his sandals and went straight to his mat without another word. Soon his rhythmic snores filled the house as rain began to fall steadily on the roof. The murmur of distant thunder did nothing to disturb his peaceful repose.
“How was your first day back on the water?” Leah asked with a touch of concern in her voice.
“It went as well as it could have, besides the lousy weather. I suppose I might as well get some rest as well. Nothing else to do.”
“There is always plenty to do, Dismas,” Leah countered. “We’re out of water, so I need to fill some buckets from the sea. But you’re still recovering, I’ll take care of it.”
“Why bother walking to the sea?” Dismas asked quizzically. “Just leave the bucket outside for a while, and it will fill with rainwater. You always make things more complicated than they need to be.” He winked at her playfully.
Leah thought for a moment as she studied the rain outside, which was starting to fall more heavily. “I guess that makes the most sense.”
“I’ll help you. I’m strong enough still to do that.” Dismas grabbed two buckets from the floor and offered one to Leah, which she accepted with a smile. Something in her eyes caused a deep stirring inside of him. Even in the dim light of a midafternoon rainstorm, she looked as radiant as he had ever seen her.
She returned his gaze and bit her lower lip as she slowly turned and made her way towards the front door, Dismas followed close behind, his eyes taking her in. As Leah opened the door, she paused and held out her hand. The rain was coming down steadily but not yet driving.
“Just a few paces away from the door and then we can run back inside before we get soaked.”
Dismas looked at her tenderly and nodded his understanding.
Leah broke into a run and gave a girlish squeal of delight as soon as she felt the raindrops on her skin. She hurriedly set the bucket down on the muddy ground a stone’s throw from the door. Spinning around quickly to race back inside the house, she collided with Dismas’ chest. Before she could say anything, Leah felt his hand wrap around the back of her head and his lips met hers.
The kiss was immediately followed by another as Dismas pulled her close, oblivious to the rain that was gradually drenching them both. Leah reached up and draped her arms over his shoulders, pushing her lips up to his. There they stood in the deserted village street, kissing passionately in the rain, pausing only momentarily for Dismas to remove wet strands of hair that would occasionally fall in her face. They both ignored the damp discomfort, having waited for this moment for months. The weather was not going to spoil it. Like a motionless dance, the two stood intertwined for what seemed like hours as the rain fell upon them.
Finally, they pulled apart and wordlessly looked at each other. They both smiled sheepishly before they started laughing. The laughter turned into a hug and then they picked up the wooden buckets, now overflowing with rainwater. Leah started walking back towards the house.
Dismas stood there for a moment and let out an anxious sigh which caused Leah to turn around. It is time to reveal the truth, he thought to himself.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as water continued to drip down her face.
“Leah, there’s something that I need to tell you.”
“Maybe we can get back inside first.”
Dismas forced a nervous smile. “We’re already drenched. What difference will another couple of minutes make?”
Leah’s brow furrowed as she looked at him questioningly. “Did I do something wrong? I knew it! I shouldn’t have…”
“You did nothing wrong,” Dismas consoled her. “I did.”
“What do you mean?” A pleading expression crossed her face as she looked into his eyes for a sign that she could relax. Maybe this was one of his jokes. When she saw no hint of humor, she began to panic.
“There is no easy way to say this, Leah. I’m…I’m a fugitive from the law.”
The last part he blurted out so quickly that he wasn’t sure if Leah had caught the words. She had.
“Wh-what?” Her voice quivered.
“I stole money from my employer when I was working in the olive grove. I stole the horse, too. I couldn’t stand the work anymore, couldn’t stand to be around those that paid me hardly enough for a meager sustenance. I was barely more than a slave and I got fed up with that life. So, I took the money and the horse and ran.”
Dismas’ confession rushed out so quickly that Leah could not get a word in. “I didn’t lie about going to Jerusalem. That part is true. And I do have a brother there, as far as I know. That’s where he was when we parted many years ago. But he could just as easily be dead or long gone. I was running to avoid being chained in the jails of Romans, or worse. But then I met you.”
Leah stepped away from him, grabbing the bucket out of his unresisting hand and began to carry both back inside. Dismas ran around her to block her path to the door.
“My feelings for you are genuine, Leah. I swear it.” He held up his arms as water dripped from his wet robe.
“You lied to me! You’re just a thief, nothing more!” Despite the rain, Dismas could see that tears were welling in her eyes.
“I love you, Leah. That is no lie. I was going to run away again as soon as I got here. I stayed because of you. I stayed because I have been drawn closer and closer to you every day.” He extended his arms to embrace her, but she stepped back, out of his reach.
“Let me go back inside!”
“Leah, please.”
“Move Dismas!” she shouted.
“Shh,” he cautioned as he raised a finger to his lips, “you’ll wake your father.”
“Good. He needs to know that he’s harboring a fugitive.” Just a moment before, Leah had appeared as angelic as he had ever seen her. Now her dark wet hair was plastered to her face in a way that magnified her fury. He was equally terrified of this transformation as he was of the implications of her revealing the truth to Asher. This unburdening of his soul had not gone as he had hoped it would.
“No, Leah. Please! I can’t start running again. Not after I’ve settled in here. Please don’t do this to me.”
“How could you do this to me, Dismas?” Her voice sounded more hurt than angry. “You know what the Romans are capable of doing to those who aid criminals. How could you endanger my father? How can you endanger me? You say you love me, but you are just a selfish man afraid of making an honest living.”
Dismas felt as hurt as if she stabbed a knife into him. In fact, he would have preferred that fate at the moment. “Leah, I’m sorry.”
“I think you should leave.”
“I can’t, Leah. I want to stay with you and your father. You’ve said yourself that your father appreciates what I contribute to his house. He needs my help. Besides, I’ve been here for over six months. I’m sure that no one is actively looking for me anymore. We are all safe now, but that could change if you tell your father and he decides to alert the Romans. Please let me stay. If not for my sake, then for his.”
Leah had never seen Dismas, always so strong and decisive, revert to the panicked and pleading disposition he was in now. Nevertheless, she was beyond livid with him.
“Leah,” Dismas continued. “If you have any soft place in your heart for m
e, please let me stay and don’t tell your father. I only revealed the truth to you now to clear my conscience and my guilt. If the price of that is losing your love, I’ll have to live with that. But now you know the real me, no more lies.”
“I never said I loved you, Dismas.” He looked at her, crestfallen, as she continued. “I will let you stay, and I will not tell my father. But…I don’t want you to talk to me, to touch me, or do anything remotely affectionate. I will remain silent for my father’s benefit, but if it wasn’t for him, I’d insist you leave right now. Rain or no rain.”
She brushed past him with both buckets. Dismas turned and watched her disappear into the house. He stayed outside in the downpour for another minute with his hands on his hips, thinking about how differently things could have been had he only buried his lie deep inside of him until his dying day. He then shuffled into the dark house, removed his wet clothes, and dropped into a restless sleep on his mat in the storage room.
*
The next morning, as the sun cleared away the last vestiges of storm clouds, Leah prepared food for the two men as she always did. As Asher munched on his bread, he sensed something was amiss with Dismas and Leah. They both were too quiet. “Leah, my child, what is the matter?”
“Nothing, Father.” She smiled at him before beginning to cough.
Asher shrugged. “Dismas?”
The younger man looked up from the fish he was eating.
“How are you feeling today? I’m feeling optimistic about our chances. Fish always seem to be more plentiful after a storm.”
“Very well,” was Dismas’ only response.
“Well, you both are cheerful this morning,” Asher said flatly. “Come Dismas, finish those last few bites and let’s head to the boat.”
Leah watched silently as the men headed out to the sea. As soon as the door closed, intense emotion rose inside of her. Dismas had betrayed her trust and she felt their love was slipping away. She fell to her knees and started weeping uncontrollably.
