Ruth shook her head. “No. There is a different purpose behind the mikvah. Even if you prepare yourself at home, when you get here, you still must rinse your hair, wash your feet and other areas again. And because the point of mikvah is for the water to reach every area of your body, anything that is false—jewelry, hair extensions, fake nails, piercings, artificial limbs if that applies, false eyelashes, contact lens; anything that is not one-hundred percent you—must be removed.”
“Okay,” Brianna said, nodding. “Now that . . . we weren’t told, either.”
“When you are clean, you wrap yourself with a towel or a robe. A woman, we call a balanit, will assist you, including holding your towel or robe as you step into the mikvah. She is the only one who will see you naked, but she is absolutely a professional. And believe me,” Ruth said with a smile, “a balanit has seen all shapes and sizes, so nothing moves her. We take modesty and respect very seriously when it comes to this, so no one has to feel embarrassed or ashamed during this sacred time.”
“I’m sure that’s comforting to know. For those who happen to do this, I mean.”
“It is. The balanit checks you before you go into the mikvah waters to ensure that the feet, under the nails, and all areas in between have been cleaned, including your hair. She ensures that no makeup has been missed. She also inquires to confirm that you have come during the right time of the month.”
“Oh, I have that part, I believe,” Brianna said. “Seven days clean after your cycle has ended. For most people with a cycle of five days, that’s twelve days total.”
Ruth nodded and smiled. “I’m impressed. Now, one may say a prayer before one enters, but it is not a forced requirement. When you enter the mikvah, you put the right foot in first as the balanit holds your towel or robe. Once in the water, you submerge several times. Some do it three times; some seven. You may also say a blessing in Hebrew while you’re in there after your first dip . . . again, this is entirely up to you. The balanit watches to make sure you don’t touch any walls or ball up your fist when you immerse. The idea is for the water to have maximum contact with every part of you. You keep your fingers spread, your arms out in front of you, and there will be the time when you must lift your feet off the floor as well. Again, this is to ensure that the water reaches every part of you.”
“There is definitely a lot more to this than we were taught in class,” Brianna said.
“I know. If you don’t have to do this and stick to certain rules, most people don’t concern themselves. For instance, if you should say a Hebrew blessing while in the water, the balanit will hold your towel or some type of covering over your head to ensure that your head is covered, as our custom demands. Once you’ve completed the mikvah blessings and the number of submersions required, you take the steps up and out of the mikvah, and you’re what we call kosher for another two weeks or so until the cycle begins again.”
“And when you get home, you get a really happy husband,” Brianna said.
“Oh, if you’re married to the right man, believe me, it’s not just the husband who is excited after this,” Ruth said. “It’s like having a honeymoon over and over again every single month. You know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. Also, there’s something exciting about the forbidden. You know, when you’re told you can’t do something, for some reason, humans are wired in such a way it makes us want to do it that much more.”
Brianna smiled. “Yeah, Adam and Eve proved that much in the Garden of Eden. They had access to every tree in the garden except the one in the midst. And which one got attention? The one they were told not to touch.”
“Absolutely,” Ruth said. “The good thing about what we do in our culture, those who actually practice it—I hope you know that not everyone who is Jewish does this, and not everyone who does, does it on a monthly basis—”
“Yeah, we learned that as well,” Brianna said.
“The good thing about what we do in doing this, is the mandate of no sexual relations happens to be from the one you are one with. So it’s fine to have the hots for your own spouse. In fact, it’s a very good thing,” Ruth said. “I, for one, can vouch for this.” She laughed a little.
“You know, you’re okay,” Brianna said.
“Thank you.” Ruth began to walk out of the area. Brianna followed, walking alongside her. “The thing that’s important for you to know about mikvah is that mostly women do this, but it’s not restricted to just the women. Men come before their weddings. Some people bring their pots, dishes, and utensils prior to using them to ensure that they’re ‘clean’ or I suppose the more appropriate term would be ‘purified.’ Mikvah is used to take that which was unclean and make it clean, that which was impure and make it pure. It’s a way of taking that which was considered dead, but now is in a place of the possibility of new life. As is found in the case with a woman’s menstrual cycle that has signaled there will be no new life inside at that time, to afterward, now the prospect and preparation of life is once again possible.”
“Do you know what I think is interesting when it comes to the timing of mikvah with women? Especially with that rabbinic-mandated seven days that were added, to what could essentially be called a sex moratorium,” Brianna said.
“What’s that?”
“That it’s generally twelve days. And according to what I have heard and read about when a woman ovulates, ovulation is said to be around the fourteenth day. So the timing appears to be absolutely perfect for conceiving a baby . . . a new life.”
Ruth tilted her head to the side, then nodded with a smile. “You know, I’ve never thought of that. Perhaps that’s why there was so much being fruitful and multiplying in the old days, before birth control took such a prominent place in our world.”
“Maybe. I’m just amazed at how God gives us the answers, and then scientists later prove what God said really is true,” Brianna said. “I mean, think about it. Thousands of years before anyone figured out ovulation, God had already instructed his people on mikvah and timing sex at just the time of ovulation when one is most likely to conceive. But I will say this much: most of the people I know couldn’t be Jewish. There’s no way they could wait that long to make love. Nope. No way. Well, maybe some of the women would be okay with it. But the men? Not too many I know. Nope.”
Ruth laughed. “Oh, I understand.” Ruth stopped at the glass front door. “I hope I was able to help you with the questions you may have had.”
Brianna shook Ruth’s hand. “Oh, you did. I just appreciate you for opening your heart and your doors and allowing me this opportunity. I only wish I’d been able to actually get into the mikvah. I would love to experience what that’s like. But I understand there are rules. And even though I’m a married woman, I’m definitely not Jewish.”
“Well, you are always welcome to convert,” Ruth said with a bit of a smile.
“No disrespect to what you believe. But I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe He is the Son of God. That He died on the cross and that God raised Him from the dead. I believe that Jesus ascended into Heaven. He is my High Priest, and He is sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercessions for me. And I believe that He’s coming back again. I believe all of this without apology or disrespect to what others believe.”
“And I respect that,” Ruth said. “I have many friends who believe as you do as well. And there are those called Messianic Jews who believe the Messiah has come in the person of Jesus. For the orthodox Jews, we still wait. But you know, before there were mikvahs inside of buildings like this, there were the natural bodies of water that were our mikvahs. Those natural bodies still exist: the ocean, rivers, wells supplied by underground springs, and spring-fed lakes—Jehovah God’s naturally provided mikvahs.”
Brianna laughed. “Yeah, but if I’m to adhere to all the rules you just told me are necessary in mikvah, I might be arrested for indecent exposure if caught in public naked.”
“Yeah,” Ruth said, smiling and nodding
. “But should you go to a natural mikvah after the sun is down, or late at night, in a big old ocean with no one around . . .”
“Ruth!” Brianna said, then laughed as she covered her mouth.
“IJS—I’m just saying.”
“And to think I thought you were going to be a real prude,” Brianna said.
“I know, right?” Ruth said. “Well, it was truly a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Brianna Waters. And I hope you have much success in class and whatever you do in life.”
Brianna leaned over and hugged her. “Thank you. I really enjoyed this. You have no idea how much. You made everything come alive for me. I honestly have a better appreciation for mikvah and the concept behind it. And even though I was not allowed to get in the waters today, what you have done has been the next best thing to being there.”
Ruth squeezed Brianna’s hand. “Perhaps our paths will cross again. Shalom.”
“Shalom . . . peace.” Brianna gave a slight nod of her head. “Perhaps so.” She left.
Chapter 11
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
—Psalm 46:3
“Brianna, I’m sorry,” Alana said, standing at Brianna’s front door. “I’m so sorry.”
Brianna pulled the door all the way open without saying one word. Alana stepped inside. Brianna then closed the door and headed toward the den.
“Listen,” Alana said, trailing behind Brianna. “I know you’re upset with me. I told you I was going to go do that mikvah thing with you, and I didn’t.”
Brianna sat down on the couch and folded her arms. She still didn’t say anything.
“I had every intention to go, but—” She stopped, allowing seconds to pass without speaking.
“But what, Alana?” Brianna said to get Alana going again.
Alana eased down next to Brianna. “Look, I’m not going to even try to make up an excuse. There’s nothing excusable about what I did.” Alana began to chew on her bottom lip. “I left Dre.”
Brianna turned totally to face her friend. “You did? You finally left him?”
“Yeah. He was always fighting me. And frankly, I got tired of being his punching bag. Although I still kind of gave as much as I got. But having a place to lay your head is not worth all of that. I need some peace.”
“I knew he was hitting on you. But you kept insisting that he wasn’t.” Brianna hugged Alana. “I don’t understand you. How could someone as strong as I know you to be allow someone to mistreat you like that?”
Alana pulled away from Brianna’s embrace. “Oh, yeah, it’s easy to judge when it’s not you. Take it from me: it’s easier than you think to allow yourself to be abused.”
Brianna let out a sigh. “I’m not judging you, Alana.”
“Yes, you are. You’re asking, how could I think so little of myself that I would sell out for a cheap roof over my head? But you know what, Brianna? Married people around this world are doing it every single day. They claim to stay together because they love each other, because they made a vow to stick it out for better or worse, for the children. But the truth is: a lot of them stay together because it’s cheaper or easier to stay than it is to live on their own or worse: have to start all over.”
“Number one, you weren’t married to Dre, that’s number uno.” Brianna held up a finger. “In fact, you were actually living in sin.”
Alana raised up her hand. “Please, don’t go there. Are you seriously trying to tell me that all of those hot and heavy years you and Unzell dated, that before you and him were married and said, ‘I do,’ you kept yourself from ‘I did’?”
“I don’t see what me and Unzell have to do with this conversation we’re having about you,” Brianna said, pointing at Alana.
“I’ll take that as a ‘no’ then.”
“Can we just stick to you for now? Can we do that?”
“Why? I just told you I left Dre. Me and you talking about what he was doing to me isn’t going to make my having left him any more gone than I’m already gone. I’ve left him already. I’m out of that situation. I’ve moved on.” Alana fell back hard against the couch. She picked up her favorite throw pillow and began to hug it. “It’s done.”
“We need to talk about it because you need to figure out why you got into this situation in the first place so that we can make sure you don’t get into it again,” Brianna said.
“Oh, so what are you? My shrink now?”
“No.” Brianna grabbed the pillow out of Alana’s clutches. “I’m your best friend. I’m someone who cares about you. I’m the one who had to look into your black-and-blue eye and pretend like I believed that lie about some bottle falling and hitting you in it. I’m the one who touched your arm and watched you flinch from pain—on more than one occasion, I might add. I’m the one who wasn’t able to put my full weight on you about it because it caused you to run away when you didn’t need to be running away from me. Not then, not when you really needed someone in your corner.”
Tears began to roll down Alana’s face. “You’re a good friend,” Alana said. She wiped her face, but the tears kept coming. “And I know I deserve better. But I also know that I get lonely, and I get tired of being rejected. Everywhere I turn, it seems like I’m being rejected, that I’m being told no. No, I’m not a good enough dancer to be in that video. No, I’m not a good enough date to be asked out again. No, I’m not good enough for anyone to ever want me enough to marry me. Brianna, I’m tired of being made to feel like I really don’t matter. That my being on this earth really doesn’t mean anything.”
Brianna hugged Alana as Alana released a floodgate of tears. When Alana began to calm down, Brianna said, “Okay, so you left Draper. Where are you staying?”
Alana started laughing. “I don’t know if I want to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re just going to tell me what a bad idea you think it is.”
Brianna let go of Alana and looked at her. “I will not. Tell me: are you going back to Montgomery to stay with your folks for a little while until you get back on your feet?”
“No,” Alana said with a slight force behind the word. “Please. I’m not even trying to go backward. Not at this point in the game.”
“So where are you staying? Do you need to come here for a little while?”
“Double no. I told you I’m not going to do that, and I meant it.”
“Alana, will you just tell me where you’re staying? Are you at the Y? A women’s shelter? I’m not going to judge you, I promise. Will you just tell me already!”
Alana smiled. “I’m sort of house-sitting . . . for kind of a friend.”
“You’re house-sitting?”
“Yeah,” Alana said. “You see, it really works out for both of us. I need somewhere to stay, and he needs someone to watch his house for a month or two while he’s overseas and out of town working or something or other.”
“And who is this ‘kind of’ a friend?”
“I’m going to say his name, and I don’t want you having anything negative to say about it.”
“Who . . . is . . . the . . . friend?”
“Vincent. You remember Vincent? He’s the guy I told you I met, back in January.”
“Yes. I remember Vincent,” Brianna said. “He’s the guy you thought was going to help you get a video gig. Oh, no . . . wait! He’s the guy you were planning to marry. No, wait. He’s the guy you were just going to live with, then maybe someday you two would get married.”
“See, you’re making fun of me.” Alana stood up.
Brianna laughed, grabbed Alana by her hand and pulled her back down. “Sit down. You know you’re not going anywhere. Okay, so spill it. All of it.”
Alana giggled. “I hate you. You know me all too well.” Alana turned her body totally toward Brianna. Kicking off her shoes, she put her left foot on the couch; her right leg on top of it, in effect, sitting on her foot. “Okay, I was
at the club the other week when I ran into Vincent again. He said he’d meant to call me, so this had to be some kind of divine intervention or something—”
“Of course,” Brianna said.
Alana looked at Brianna crossly. “You’re being funny. Do you want to hear this or not?”
Brianna waved at her. “Please. Do continue.”
Alana grinned. “Okay. Anyway, we talked. He got my phone number again. He called. We were in this deep conversation, okay? He was telling me that he had to be out of the country for about a month. He was thinking about hiring someone to house-sit his vacation house, in particular. That one, he said, was too easy for folks to get into and become like squatters. Later, Dre came home and started clowning about his food not being ready. He started talking about me like I was a dog, like he had lost his doggone mind. We got into a fight, as usual. He said I could get my stuff and get to stepping anytime I felt like disrespecting him. So I got my stuff and I got to stepping. In the meantime, I was supposed to be meeting you to go to that mikvah thing. You were calling. I was boo-hooing. I didn’t want you to know what had happened, so I decided not to answer your calls, hoping you would go on without me.”
“Okay, so that’s why you didn’t answer your phone or call me back,” Brianna said.
“Yeah. I knew you’d somehow be able to tell I’d been crying and that I was upset. I didn’t want to mess up your plans. I called Vincent, told him I would really be interested in house-sitting for him.”
“So, you’re going to get paid to stay at his house?” Brianna said. “I mean, he was going to hire someone else to do it.”
Alana frowned. “No. I’m not going to charge him to house-sit. I’m homeless.”
“Of course not. Besides the fact that you think it would be in bad taste to charge someone for a place you hope to live in, with him, after he gets back from his month- or two-long excursion out of town.” Brianna shook her head in utter disgust.
Alana rapidly tapped Brianna on her arm. “You’d better be glad that I love you and that you’re my girl. Because if I didn’t, I would get my purse and walk right out of your door, right this minute.”
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