by Beth Shriver
Touched by her gratitude, he put his arms around her and squeezed. It felt good to hold and be held, but the constant tug at his heart reminded him this was not right, not his Tirzah, and he pulled away.
“I’ll help you up. We all need our sleep.”
****
Vita stood slowly and went to her room, pausing for a moment to watch Enan walk down a short hall to his room. She froze his profile in her mind. This one, she would not let go. He had changed her life and her heart. His words touched her soul, and she wanted more—more of him, and now she realized, more of his Messiah.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Nethan took Tirzah’s hand between his and leaned closer to her, mindful of her brother’s watchful eyes. They had spent the evening together walking in the pomegranate orchards, talking amongst pink billowing clouds until the sun went down. He was so engaging and eager to please her that Tirzah found herself looking forward to their time together. He would ask about her day and wanted to hear every detail, even though it seemed uninteresting to her. He would share with her the information he had heard of the battles in their sister villages and word of the movements of the Roman army.
Tirzah stood facing Nethan in the field behind her home. Nethan reached out to pluck a white spray of pomegranate blossoms and carefully placed them in Tirzah’s dark hair. He lifted her chin and caught her gaze. “What troubles you?” Tirzah remained silent while they walked. He looked to her for a response, and she answered simply.
“I wonder what will become of us.”
The days since Enan’s departure had been full of worry and regret for words left unsaid. Yes, they had taken vows to one another, but Tirzah wondered if that was enough. She felt for a fleeting moment that if she had it to do over, she would have married Enan in quiet. She wished their union was legally binding.
But going against her parents was not her way, and Enan would have never agreed without their blessing. But where would she be if something did happen to him? Her dreams came back to her in the night, filling her with depression and loss of hope for his return.
Nethan exhaled. “Word is, Alef and Lamed have been sacked, and our village fared well in comparison.”
She turned away from him, hoping not to hear again of battles and death, but couldn’t help wanting to know.
“They have stopped coming. The soldiers from those battles who lived are here, and those that have not returned…” He stopped and would have taken both her hands and held them in his, were it not for the presence of her brother.
“I am here for you now, Tirzah. You know that I have always cared for you, but I respected Enan’s feelings and have kept it to myself.”
The darkness in his eyes resembled clouds before a storm, dark and moving. She was mesmerized by them and couldn’t find her tongue to speak. His dark hair had grown below his shoulders over the weeks and now blew softly around him. He had always been one that made the girls’ heads turn, even Tirzah’s. His face resembled that of a Roman god with his prominent nose and large jaw and lips.
She knew Nethan and Abraham almost as well as she knew Enan, and if not for her first love, she might have been swept away with Nethan.
The darkness in his large eyes broke, but his gaze never left Tirzah’s as his hand shot out to catch the blossom that had loosened and blown from her hair. He held it out to her with a triumphant smile, and laughing, she accepted it and wove it back into her hair. She laughed again as the breeze interfered. Then, as quickly as she had begun, she stopped and bitterness crept into her heart.
How can I laugh when Enan is… She could not even think it. She wished Enan stood before her, instead of Nethan. She wanted her beloved, but her faith that he had survived was faltering. Closing her eyes for a moment, she remembered his embraces and sighed as a slow smile crossed her lips and she remembered seeing him last, head held high with Levi at his side. He seemed so proud to be defending his people. Little did she know that would be the last time she would see him.
The small breeze blew tendrils of her hair fluttering against her face, and the fragrance of the pomegranate blossoms lingered in the air. She exhaled slowly, savoring the moment. Nethan’s voice broke her trance.
“There, you seem much more relaxed.”
He cupped her face in his hands, staring deeply into her eyes. A sudden feel of discomfort shook her. He was only trying to comfort her, she told herself. But as she saw a flash of triumph in his eyes, she stiffened and looked away.
Nethan drew back, searching her face. “You do trust me?”
Tirzah realized at his words that Nethan was all she had for comfort. Her parents, not accepting Enan’s proposal for her hand, had not wanted to hear her concerns about Enan, and her friends had worries of their own, most grieving the death of loved ones. She gazed into his eyes and knew he was in love with her, a feeling she couldn’t return—at least, not like her love for Enan. Maybe, if her beloved was lost to her, Nethan’s love for her would be all a marriage needed.
She didn’t want to be like her mother, thinking the worst. She needed to think as her father did and stop the sorrowful thoughts and move on.
Nethan pursed his lips. He spoke his words slowly and thoughtfully as he sat on a large stone, placing his hands on his knees. “Tirzah, If Enan doesn’t return…”
Tirzah tried to stop the tears from welling and chastised herself as well as him. “Don’t say such things.” She dropped down beside him with her hands in her lap. He pressed them against his chest. She felt the flutter of his heart and knew she was going down a path she shouldn’t be.
He lowered his head. “Yes, we pray he does, but you should prepare yourself if he doesn’t. If he was alive, he would have returned with the others.” Nethan watched as she hung her head and tears spilled down into her lap. “You are too precious to throw your life away waiting.”
He knelt in front of her, putting a pomegranate tree between them and her brother, and lifted her chin. It seemed unreal, as if she were in a dream. His eyes looked into hers, wanting and waiting. He leaned forward, kissing her lightly, his lips soothing, making her forget.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Enan and Stephen went to visit the mines. Lowered down with a rope, Enan began to feel the walls around him closing in the deeper he went into the shaft. Once grounded in a tunnel only large enough to crawl, he felt his breathing become heavy. Not knowing if there really was a lack of air, or if it was his nerves, he called for Hadar.
Only a few feet behind, Hadar answered, “The air is heavy because there is water that comes up from the earth, but you have plenty of it, my friend.”
“Yes, that’s another concern. Does this water ever rise to a dangerous level?” Enan noticed there was a good amount already, and if the water continued at this steady rate, he wondered how they remedied the problem.
“We have created a water-wheel system that takes the water out. The tunnels all slant down to a well where the water gathers and is picked up by the wheel. I have to admit, it can reach an uncomfortable level at times, depending on the rain.”
The longer he was down there and the more he heard of their situation, the less Enan liked the conditions. “Have you ever lost anyone because of this?”
Hadar frowned. “Yes, but with the water wheel it won’t happen again.”
Enan looked around at the darkness ahead of him and the flickering candle behind him. “The poor soul. What a terrible way to die.”
Enan realized that would be his worst nightmare, to die that way. Not only did the vulnerability of it bother him, but there was no honor in it. He would rather be sliced or stabbed, gruesome as it was, than drown in a small, dark tunnel.
They reached a larger area where men and some older boys were digging out the minerals with stone and metal picks. They shoveled it into buckets, which were then handed down a long line of men through the tunnels and hoisted up by rope.
They took a break with Hadar and Enan, passing a ladle of water, and caught their br
eath as they leaned against the cool rock walls. Efraim and his brother were among them, sitting directly across from Enan. He smiled to himself as he noticed the resemblance between the two. They both had dark, straight hair cut short in back, but longer in front and hanging down around their faces. Their large, dark eyes watched him as he sipped the cold water from the dipper.
“So, who is the eldest brother?”
Efraim sat straight as he answered, being accustomed to standing at attention during drills. “I am, and I have three sisters. Do you have any brothers, Enan?”
“Yes. Three, and three sisters as well, but I am not the oldest. You have a great responsibility being the oldest son in your family.”
His brother grinned, and Efraim gave him a wry frown. “So I have been told by my father.”
“I have a story of a father and his two sons. Would you like to hear it?”
Efraim nodded and nudged his brother. “Enan’s stories are always interesting. They have a meaning to them, so pay attention.”
Enan proceeded to tell them the parable of the prodigal son. The longer he went into the story, the more he felt as though he was losing them. They seemed to be distracted, even uncomfortable. After he finished, he asked if they understood what the story meant, but all eyes were on Hadar. Hadar’s eyes were moist, and Enan could see the agony in his face.
“Hadar, have I offended you?” Maybe he had gotten too comfortable and spoke too freely among these people who he had grown to care for.
Hadar shook his head and pushed against the wall to straighten, relieving his bad leg. “As you know, my wife and sons died of illness. What you don’t know is I have a prodigal son, just as your story described.”
Enan’s heart ached for this man. He prayed this would not make him bitter toward him. “I’m sorry, Hadar. Where is he now?”
“I don’t know. He broke our laws, so he won’t be allowed back into our village. I pray for his safety.”
Enan wanted desperately to ease his pain and told him the most important part of the story. “The father forgave his wayward son. The father represents God, and we are the sinful son. We all break God’s laws. That’s why we need the Savior to make atonement for us.”
“I was angry with my son, now I, too, have forgiven him, just as the man in your story.”
“Then we will pray for him to come back to you.”
Hadar pinched his eyebrows together and stared at Enan. “Why do you want us to know your Savior?”
“You are precious to Him, Hadar, as you have become to me.”
Hadar gave Enan a look of longing as he took in what Enan had shared with him. The others observed with respect, knowing how dear this was to Hadar’s heart, and they all listened as Enan told them another parable told by the one called Jesus.
****
Above ground Stephen watched as they heated the rock by fire and doused it with vinegar. Returning from the quarry, Enan brushed himself off and squinted at the bright sun.
Stephen chuckled as he tousled Enan’s crusty hair. “It seems I ended up with the better part of the tour.”
Enan didn’t return his smile. “The conditions down there are not safe.”
Hadar spoke up behind him. “Ah, unpleasant maybe, but they’re much better than they used to be.”
“They’re beyond unpleasant, it’s dangerous.” Enan’s words came from concern but weren’t taken as such.
Hadar leaned on his good leg and took his time to reply. “This is our livelihood, Enan. Some men die doing their life’s work. You know this.”
Enan was humbled. “Yes, Hadar. I apologize.”
“Sounds like I need to take a tour, as well. Come over here first. I’ve been thinking we should even be so bold as to make war machines as the Romans have.”
“Yes, but transport would be difficult. What specifically were you considering?”
“The ballista and maybe the catapult. They are both smaller than many others and could be dismantled to transport.”
Inspired by Stephen’s forward thinking, Enan pushed away all doubts and agreed. The two men watched the metal workers as they reheated the iron between carbons to make it a stronger metal, then used clay molds to make a variety of everyday items, from kitchen wares and mining tools to jewelry. Enan watched as one man took a small clay mold and poured the liquid metal into it. Once set, he opened it and turned it over. A small ring fell out.
Thoughts of Tirzah and their promises made on the hilltop before he left made him think that if she had worn a symbol such as this ring, it would have been a solid, physical remembrance of him. His thoughts took him further, and he began to wonder if she had been tempted by another in his absence, but he scoffed and shook his head as if the thoughts could be shaken loose.
“What?” Stephen questioned over his shoulder. Enan realized his thoughts had run away with him and was slightly embarrassed. “Amazing. I’ve never actually seen the process done before; Zayin has no mines. We’ve always had to rely on the traders when in need of metal goods.”
“I saw you eyeing that ring. But I have to tell you friend, I’m ashamed to say I wondered for a moment whose finger you were imagining it on.”
Enan’s head snapped up.
“Vita is a beautiful young woman. She took us in and healed us, makes us delicious meals, and tends to our every need.” Stephen turned away from Enan for a moment. “I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.” He stepped back. “But maybe it’s not my business.”
Enan nodded. “Yes, it is; you’re my friend, and friends hold one another accountable. And you’re right, I was tempted. I don’t want to have anything to regret the moment I look in Tirzah’s eyes again.”
Enan hadn’t been facing Stephen, ashamed that his turmoil had become so obvious. He turned to him now. “We need to finish our business here and leave.”
Stephen stared into his friend’s eyes for a moment then nodded with a smile. “The business we have done for God is far more important than anything else we’ve done here. Do you feel that’s complete?”
Enan sighed. “It will take a life time to complete God’s work. But I pray the work we’ve done here has planted enough seeds to grow more in time.”
Enan had tried to wait as long as he felt necessary for his and Stephen’s wounds to heal before going home. He wondered still if they would survive the journey, but Barak had summoned them again, and this time, Enan felt it would not go well.
Vita and Hadar had been good to them, in such a way they could never repay, and the best way to protect them would be to leave. He thought of Vita and knew their leaving would be hard on her. Little did he know how hard until the day they left.
****
Enan and Stephen woke early the morning of their departure. They tended to their wounds and packed what little they had, then tacked up their horses. They were just entering the abode when Vita walked into the room. Enan smiled at her, but her face remained blank. He had known this would come but had never figured a way to leave Vita without hurting her.
The attraction between them remained subtle, but with time he knew it could blossom. With each touch or look from Vita, he forced his mind to draw a picture of Tirzah. He remembered word for word the vows they had made before he left, standing out on the grassy plain when they promised themselves to one another, under God.
He was shaken from his thoughts by the touch of Vita’s hand. Checking the dressing he had administered to his leg, she nodded. “You have healed well. Although, your leg will never be as it once was.”
Enan knew of her diagnosis but refused to believe it. His leg would heal. He grasped her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “You saved me from the dead, dearest Vita.” She smiled, and her sea green eyes glistened as a tear fell, streaking down her cheek.
Enan put a finger to her face and wiped the tear away. “Dry your eyes. We’ll see one another again.”
Her eyes flashed. “I don’t believe you.”
Enan took
in a breath, wishing this was easier but knowing better. “We’ll need to come for the metal goods, and maybe you and your father can come to Zayin to visit when there is peace again.”
Vita smiled through her shimmering eyes and nodded. He put an arm around her shoulder and grinned with the thought of how many times he had done this to aid him in walking.
She turned to him. “You don’t need me to assist you anymore. I’m glad, and yet part of me wants you to need me again.”
Enan appreciated her honesty and kissed her forehead. “I’ll never be able to thank you for all you’ve done for me, Vita.”
“Yes, you can. By staying here. There is still much for you to do.”
Enan shook his head, frustrated that they were parting this way. “We don’t want to put you in a bad way with Barak.”
She paused for a second then brightened. “I’ll go with you, then.”
Enan frowned. “You could not leave your father and your village.”
“For you I would.” She grasped his shoulder to keep him from turning away as tears brimmed. “I love you, Enan.”
Enan saw Stephen glance in from outside. He stopped his conversation with Hadar when he looked at Enan’s face and entered the abode. “Are you ready?”
Relieved, yet sorrowful, Enan stepped away from Vita. “Yes.”
Stephen walked back outside, and Enan gathered his bag. He cupped Vita’s face with his other hand and watched the tears overflow from her eyes.
“We need to return to the lives we had before, but I will never forget you.”
He walked outside and tacked his bag on Legend’s saddle as Hadar approached. “Everyone is quite impressed with the small army you have created here in our little village. All we’ve ever known is mining. You’ve opened a whole new world to us.”
Enan felt a sense of pride for all that he and Stephen had done for the people there. “The men were so eager to learn, it made our task easy. Now your village will have a defense if the need arises.”
“The people of this village will be very busy making all the goods you’ve requested, Enan.”
