There was no one around, save for Joseph and his brothers. They were huddled together at the foot of the throne's dais, speaking loudly in Hebrew—even my husband.
I stared, astonished.
My husband was talking to his brothers, but Benjamin saw us and said something, after which everyone turned around.
Joseph smiled. "Asenath."
He broke away from the group and approached me. As he drew closer, I saw his face was tear-stained.
"Are you all right?" I asked softly.
"Yes. Come. I would like you to meet my brothers."
He took my hand and led me toward his brothers. Manasseh and Ephraim slowly trailed behind.
I grew a bit nervous. The Canaanites looked even bigger and brawnier up close. I felt they could trample delicate things like us.
My boys clutched at my dress. I patted their arms to reassure them.
"Brothers," Joseph said. "This lovely woman is my wife, the Lady Asenath."
The brothers bowed. When they rose, they had warm smiles on their faces. They rumbled a chorus of "Please to meet you, so happy to see you."
I returned them with a polite smile. "I am happy to meet all of you."
"And these are our sons, Manasseh and Ephraim." Joseph gently pulled our babies forward.
The brothers cried out in amazement. Three of them approached my children. From there, we broke up into smaller groups.
Four of the brothers approached me—Simeon, Levi, Asher and Judah. Judah shook my hand. "I remember seeing you at the feast yesterday. I commented to my brothers what an enchanting wife the vizier has."
I blushed. "Uh thanks. I mean, thank you."
"You and your husband treated me well," Simeon said. "I expected to be flogged and starved to death. Instead, my cell was equipped comfortably and I was given enough food to last me throughout the famine. Everyone treated me with respect, too. The food was so good."
"He never stopped talking about it, my lady," Levi said.
"You know the vizier would never let his own brother suffer," I said.
Everyone laughed. I smiled. My brothers-in-law turned out to be warm and amiable, despite their rough appearances.
Joseph and four other brothers joined us. Even though I recognised them from yesterday, my husband introduced Benjamin, Issachar, Zebulun and Reuben.
Reuben identified to me the remaining three brothers who were playing with my sons. Gad was the one giving Manasseh a piggyback. Dan and Naphthali were the ones being chased by Ephraim. Naphthali was the one in a maroon turban.
"Those boys remind me of you when you were a child, Joseph," Reuben said. "So bright and full of energy."
"They are a combination of me and their mother," Joseph said. "A good combination, if I do say so myself."
The brothers murmured in agreement. My face warmed from the attention.
"Well, brothers," Joseph said, "I would like to invite you to a feast now. This time, it will be a more casual affair. And this time, it will be only for us. Our family."
"Hooray!" our sons cheered.
We laughed.
In the dining hall, we sat down to a simple but lovely lunch. Everyone was relaxed and happy. The jokes and laughter flowed freely. No one seemed to hesitate to be himself.
I was also relieved for once to not hear conversations about money, power and prestigious connections. My brothers-in-law spoke of simple joys such as newborn lambs, gurgling brooks, golden sunsets and mountains so high they looked to touch the clouds. I wished I could have attended gatherings like this more often.
After the feast, Joseph and his brothers fell into a conversation all in Hebrew. I could tell from their looks that they were discussing serious.
I decided to excuse the boys and I and leave the men to their privacy. They cheerily bade us farewell.
"Hope to see you again soon," Judah said.
Later I sat in one of the garden pavilions, pondering on everything that had happened. The air was oppressively hot due to the famine. But I was hardly aware of it chafing my skin.
A lone figure appeared in the distance. As it drew nearer, I saw it was Joseph. I was surprised for I had not expected to see him again so soon. But of course, I was more than happy he had come.
I smiled and waved to him. He entered the pavilion and curled up beside me.
"Thank you." He kissed me.
"For what?"
"For being there for me."
"But I didn't do anything."
"Of course you did, my love. If it had not been for you, I would not have survived this."
I smiled. "You know I am always here for you. Where are your brothers?"
"They have gone back to Canaan, but will be returning soon. With Father."
I gasped. "How wonderful! I am so happy for you. I know how much this means to you."
"I know. They will be coming to live here too. Not in Thebes though. They will be in the Nile Delta, in land Pharaoh so kindly granted to them. It is a wide open space with nearly nothing in it, so it will be perfect for their flocks and herds."
"Ah yes. I suppose they would not be too eager to adapt to city living, would they?"
"Not really."
We shared a chuckle.
I snuggled at his side. "Still that is good. You will now be able to have them nearby—or at least as near as they can be. By the way, where were you last night? I was worried sick."
I gave him a tight hug.
"I'm sorry." Joseph placed a light kiss on my head. "I thought I sent word with Djedi?"
"You did, but how can I not worry when it is past midnight and you are still out?"
"Forgive me, wife. But I was really anxious as I was going to give my brothers the final test. So I went to the outskirts of the city and spent the night in prayer."
"When did you get back?"
"About sunrise."
"What? Did you not get any sleep?"
"No. But I honestly don't feel too fatigued."
I shook my head. "Please don't do that again, Joseph. It's not safe out there. And remember I lost you once. I don't think I could handle it a second time."
"You won't lose me." He buried his face in my hair.
I pulled back. "What was this final test?"
"I wanted to see what my brothers would do if they were given a second chance on the day they sold me as a slave. Only this time, it would not be with me, but with Benjamin."
I raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
"Yesterday, after the feast, I had Djedi put my cup into Benjamin's sack. When I arrived home this morning, I heard my brothers had already left. I sent Djedi and the guards after them. After we discovered the cup, I told them that everyone except Benjamin could go. He would remain here and be my slave. Immediately, my brothers begged me to take them in Benjamin's place."
A tear rolled down my husband's cheek. I gently brushed it away.
"I knew it was time," he said. "So I dismissed everyone and I made myself known."
Once more, he broke into sobs. I held him close and cradled him. I could only imagine how overwhelmed he was with the joys and sorrows of the past year. Afterward, he lay down and rested his head on my lap.
I ran a hand through the soft reddish-brown waves of his hair. "It is a miracle, Joseph. Truly a miracle. I wish I could have been there to see that. But it is better you had an intimate moment with your brothers."
Joseph smiled. "I am so tired. Tired but happy."
"We all are, I should think."
With a group of Palace officials, army officers and some members of the royal family including Pharaoh himself, my family and I sailed north. From Heliopolis, my parents joined us. We left the river and journeyed inland.
We soon arrived at a plateau that overlooked the desert. This was the border that lay on the road to Canaan. There, our convoy paused and waited.
The deep blue sky was cloudless. Golden sand dunes rolled throughout the grounds. The wind carried to us the scent of ancient sand and animal d
ung. The ground was rough beneath my delicate sandals.
A thin black line cut through the dunes. It grew and evolved into a vibrant throng of people, wagons, cattle, sheep and dogs.
Like what I had seen of Joseph's brothers, the Hebrews donned long bushy hair and loose desert robes that billowed in the wind. Some had turbans wrapped around their heads. Nearly all the men had hair on their faces.
I glanced at my husband. He was watching the approaching party intently.
At the head, I saw an elderly man hobbling among my brothers-in-law. He was quite ancient, leaning on a stick. I wondered if he was Jacob, Joseph's father.
All of a sudden, Joseph leapt from our chariot. He dashed down the hill. "Abba! Abba!"
The Hebrews paused. Jacob said something to his sons, then continued on alone. Soon, the long-lost father and son stood directly in front of each other.
They were some distance from us, but there was no mistaking the emotion welling up in their faces. Jacob touched Joseph's cheek. The two men exchanged some words and fell into each others' arms, weeping. The sounds of their heartfelt reunion travelled all the way to our group.
Though Joseph had often spoken of his father with longing and tenderness, I had not expected that to actually see them back together would bring tears to my own eyes.
After awhile, my husband turned to me and beckoned. I disembarked from my chariot and collected my babies. The whole time, Joseph and his father watched us.
We approached. Joseph said, "Father, this is my wife, the Lady Asenath."
I gave Jacob a bow. Most Egyptians would die before humbling themselves before the people of the desert, but I bowed in respect to the patriarch's age as well as his being my dear one's father.
"Life, health and prosperity to you, my lord," I said.
The elderly man's wrinkled face spread out into a smile. "What a lovely young woman you are. And who are these beautiful children?"
I gently prodded my babies forward. "These are our sons, Manasseh and Ephraim."
"Such fine-looking boys. Such lovely names." Jacob stretched his arms out to them, the long sleeves of his robe dangling. "Come embrace me, my grandsons."
My sons looked up at me hesitantly. I smiled, encouraging them. They slowly approached their grandfather.
He enfolded them in an astonishingly strong embrace. Afterward, he looked up at me. "Come, dear daughter."
I swallowed my own timidity and came forward. He embraced me with the same amount of strength, nearly crushing me.
"You know Joseph's mother, my beloved Rachel, thought she would never have children," he said. "So when Joseph was born, she and I knew that he was a miracle. We gave him the name which means 'may God add.'"
I talked with my father-in-law a bit more―rather, I listened to him extolling his favourite son. My husband went off to speak with other family members. When Jacob turned to dote on his grandsons, I saw Joseph and a Hebrew woman locked in a tight embrace.
My eyes widened.
Benjamin appeared beside me, grinning as usual. "Don't worry, dear sister," he said. "That woman is our only sister Dinah. She and Joseph are close in years so they often hung out together. They always left me out of their games, saying I was too young."
He laughed. I rolled my eyes in relief. I wondered if my brother-in-law ever did or said anything without that grin on his face.
I sadly thought he reminded me of Khasekh. I had not seen my former best friend since that fateful day in the plains. I knew we had been torn too far apart and could never recover what we once had. But I sorely missed him.
Joseph returned to his father, who was holding Manasseh and Ephraim close to him. "Father, we must go meet Pharaoh now," my husband said.
"Very well," the elderly man said. "Come along, my sons."
We approached the Egyptian party. They had ridden up closer to us. Pharaoh Tuthmosis and Queen Ahmose were at the head, looking at the Hebrews expectantly. Beside them, in her own chariot, was Princess Hatshepsut, who was growing into quite a young lady.
I stood a distance behind the men. They aligned themselves in a row, with Jacob at the centre. Joseph stood in front of them.
"Your Majesties," my husband said. "May I present to you my father Jacob, who is also known as Israel. And these are my brothers." And so he identified each and every one of them.
The men bowed, wishing the royals life, health, prosperity and so forth. Pharaoh smiled. "A warm welcome to Egypt. I am so happy to finally meet the family of our vizier."
"We are greatly honoured, Your Majesty." Jacob inclined his head slightly. "It was most kind of you to let us to come here. We thank you most profoundly."
"It is but a token of gratitude to Lord Zaphenath-Paneah. So I trust I will be seeing you in Thebes soon?"
"Yes, Majesty, as you have requested."
As was protocol, Pharaoh would be interviewing my in-laws about their occupations as well as their reasons for coming to live in Egypt.
"Good," Pharaoh said. "Go in peace then."
With a flick of his wrist, the royal party turned around and left. But the introductions were not over yet. My parents' chariot rode up. I nearly chuckled to see Father sulking and Mother frowning at him.
They disembarked and approached.
"Father," Joseph said to Jacob, "I would like to present to you the parents of Lady Asenath—His Holiness Lord Pentephres, the high priest of Heliopolis and his wife Lady Satsepdu."
"Welcome to Egypt," my father said stiffly. He looked like he was biting into a sour fruit.
"I am honoured to meet you, my lord and lady," Jacob said as warmly as ever. "Your daughter is an outstanding young woman."
Mother gave him a friendly smile. "We are delighted to have you here, Jacob. The Delta is a beautiful place. We hope you will find it to your liking."
"I am sure we will. Your king and your people have been most kind to us."
Joseph to my parents, "Holinesses, Asenath and I will actually be accompanying them there later. Would you like to come with us?"
"No!" Father shouted. At a look from Mother, he added, "I, ah, I have duties at the temple. I bid you good day." He hurried off.
Mother gave us an apologetic smile. "I must go with my husband now. Take the very best of care."
Her eyes met mine. We shared a look. Father.
After my parents left, Joseph and I dismissed our chariots. We did not want to appear so haughty riding while everyone else walked. We began to head toward the Hebrews' new settlement.
"Asenath, I hope you will like dinner tonight," Jacob said. "We will be having lamb cooked in the Canaanite fashion."
"I look forward to it, my lord," I said. "I have never had lamb before. Joseph told me it is quite good."
I did not mention that sheep were an abomination to the Egyptians as they represented everything that was filthy and barbaric. This did not matter to me though. Not especially as my family was Hebrew.
"You may address me as Abba," Jacob said. "That means 'Father' in our tongue."
"Thank you." I smiled. "Joseph told me that too. He actually taught me some Hebrew. Unfortunately I know only a few phrases. My boys are quite good at it though. Joseph schooled them from an early age."
"So what do you do in life?" my father-in-law asked. "How do you spend your days?"
I told him about how I used to be a royal tutor, but resigned from it after my first son was born. Now, I was a full-time wife and mother.
The whole time, the brothers hovered nearby, listening. Joseph and Dinah meanwhile were engrossed in their own conversation.
After some time had gone by, my husband announced, "We are here."
We paused to gaze upon the land called Goshen. Sure enough, just as my husband said, the land barely had a trace of urban life. It was rich and lush—it looked to have been spared from the famine. The air was cool. The soil was moist and black. In the distance, the streams of the Nile Delta shimmered.
"This is wonderful," Jacob said. "Truly a
gift from the Lord. Adonai has blessed us through you, Joseph."
The patriarch turned to face his enormous family. In a booming voice that dwarfed his frail bent frame, he said, "Praise be to Adonai, from whom all blessings flow. Praise be to Elohim, who watches over his people, Bene Yisrael. Praise be to El Shaddai, who is the faithful keeper of promises. Praise be to the Lord our God, Adonai."
"Praise be to Adonai!" the Hebrews echoed.
We continued our descent into Goshen. In no time, the Hebrews were completely settled in. Tents were erected, flocks were fenced in and delicious cooking smells wafted through the air.
Later, we were gathered around an enormous bonfire. I tasted the lamb. It was richer than the food of Egypt. A generous amount of herbs had been used. It was a bit overwhelming but delicious.
Sometime after we had satisfied ourselves with the exotic cuisine, Dinah said, "So Asenath, how did you and my brother meet?"
I gave my husband a mock shocked look. "You haven't told them?"
He grinned. "I thought it would sound better coming from you. You are, after all, the artistic half of us."
I shook my head, though I was smiling. Then I looked at my in-laws. Their eyes were now focused on me and I grew a bit nervous being at the centre of attention.
"All right," I said, hesitating. "Well, it happened in the most unusual circumstances. Though Joseph says there are no coincidences and I agree."
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sometime later, I stood on the deck of our barque, looking out at the Nile. Joseph and I had managed to escape together once more.
It was now sunset. Above me loomed a wondrous lavender sky streaked with pale pink clouds. In the horizon, the colours melted into a sheer red. The whole world was bathed in soft rosy glows. Even the river rippled pink, reflecting the sky above. All was quiet except for the waves lapping against the barque.
Suddenly, I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind. I turned around.
A pair of lips met mine.
I responded to them. I drew back to see Joseph tenderly smiling at me.
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