by Shel Pais
“I must go. If the abbot is not better in a few days, please let me know. If you please, my fee is one pound.”
Alwyn paid him and watched as he hurried out, walking as fast as he could away from Hedgestone. Mordecai’s frustrations showed on his face. He started thinking about David and his desire to fight back. The more he thought about it, the more he started to wish somehow David could. And not just David, but other Jews as well.
AFTER A ROUGH WINTER, SPRING had finally arrived. David was eager to get back to the forest and continue practicing to be an archer. He had to wait until the heavy snows had all melted, since he could not risk leaving footprints anywhere near his hiding place. There was also the problem of the melting snow causing the dirt road to become a virtual sea of mud. Not only was it difficult to traverse, but again David worried about leaving any sign someone had been near the cave that held his treasures. As April ended and May began, the mud dried up, and travel returned to normal.
David knew he could not practice only once a week. I will never get good enough, he thought. Somehow, I must be able to shoot several times a week. The dilemma was how, if the weather cooperated, and if he could even get away. As he looked around his house, he noticed his father’s clay containers of the herbs, roots, and other ingredients he used in his profession. He realized his father often would have to go into the woods to find the proper ingredients. What if he could learn what these are, and help his father? It would be a perfect excuse to travel to the forest. While he did not know if the area near his hiding place had any of the herbs his father could use, if he would teach him, it could be the solution. Also, he thought, maybe Avram could help. If I could learn about them, I could teach him.
That evening, after supper David approached his father.
“May I speak to you, Father?” he asked.
“Of course, my son. What’s on your mind?”
“Well,” David began, “I’ve been thinking about my future. I don’t know much about what you do. Perhaps you could teach me, and I can become an apothecary.”
“You want to become an apothecary? You never expressed any interest before.”
“I know, Father, but I am getting older. You know Uncle Baruch keeps asking me if he could teach me moneylending. I don’t think I want to do that. There aren’t many professions a Jew is allowed. I’m not a scholar, nor religious. Perhaps being an apothecary would be right for me.”
Mordecai was shocked. He never thought David would ever be interested in continuing with the same profession as he and his own father.
“David, are you truly interested in learning this trade? Moneylending can be considerably more lucrative.”
“I know. However, it’s dangerous as well. At any time the loans can be cancelled and significant losses can occur. Jealous mobs can and do kill, as we well know. Being an apothecary is not only safer, but I like the idea of helping our people. Since I can’t do it with weapons, maybe I can by other means.”
Mordecai smiled at his eldest child. “Very well. If you want to learn, I will teach you.”
“Thank you, Father. I thought we could start with me going to the forest and finding the herbs and other materials you use. This way I would be helping you as well as learning.”
“That’s a good idea. I could use the help. Not only is it getting harder for me to bend down and gather them, it takes me more time as well. I’ll teach you about each of what I use. However, I must caution you. While most of the herbs and plants I use are harmless by themselves, when mixed in certain combinations they can be deadly. I wouldn’t want you to make a mistake that hurts you or someone you were treating.”
“I’ll try not to, Father. I’ll be careful.”
“We’ll start tomorrow, then.”
David retired to his bed to think about what he had just committed to. He did not want to be an apothecary. He was planning to learn just enough to be able to quickly find what his father told him to, and then spend the rest of his time practicing archery. He also planned to enlist his friend Avram to help whenever he could. This way Avram could gather the herbs and plants while David shot. David thought the plan was ingenious.
The next morning after breakfast and the morning minyan, David had his first lesson. He sat at the table while Mordecai selected four small clay jars and placed them in front of him.
“David, what do you know about herbs and their use?”
“Father, even though I have watched you work for many years, I’m sorry I didn’t show any interest until now. I’m afraid I don’t know anything.”
“I’m glad. It’s better to start at the beginning than to have any false information that may cause harm. Look at the four jars. What do you see?”
“I see they’re labeled the numbers three, four, eight and nine.”
“That’s correct. I don’t label herbs, plants or medicines, but use a number code.”
David seemed puzzled. “Why, Father, and how do you know which one is which?”
Mordecai took a book off the shelf, and removed a parchment hidden inside.
“This lists all the codes and what the jars contain. I learned this from your grandfather. When he was first an apothecary, a woman whose husband died after taking a mixture he had prepared accused him of witchcraft. She brought her complaint to the local lord, who went to your grandfather’s house to investigate. While the lord was not superstitious and did not believe in witches, when he saw the jars labeled with Hebrew letters, he became quite uncomfortable. However, after examining the body and questioning the woman further, he determined her husband had been ill for quite some time, and your grandfather was not responsible. Ever since then, he decided to use numbers to identify each herb and preparation in case there was another difficult situation. This is what I’ve always used.”
“Aren’t you worried something will happen to the parchment?”
“I have a second copy hidden somewhere else. After using them for a while, I know what most of them are. You will too. Now, open the first jar, pour a little out and examine it.”
David slowly removed the lid, tried to pour out a small amount, and almost emptied the jar by mistake. “Sorry, Father.”
“That’s all right. Do you know what this is?”
David looked at the green leaves. They looked like any other green leaf to him. “No, Father, I don’t.”
“This is called comfrey. It usually is found by the side of roads. It’s used to speed the healing of cuts and bruises. Study the leaves so you can identify them. I use this more than most, since so many people suffer cuts and bruises. From the leaves I make an ointment that is usually quite effective if infection has not yet set in.”
David started to wonder if he could learn just enough for his plan to succeed. “I understand, Father.”
“Good. Now open the second jar, being careful not to mix up the two.” David did as he was told. The jar contained green leaves with some white flowers.
“This is called deadnettle. It also grows by the roadside and may have white or red flowers. I only use the plants that have white ones.”
“What does this cure, Father?”
“I use it for bleeding of the mouth, gout, and aches and pains of joints.”
“Father, there is so much to learn here. And it seems like both of these look the same, except for the flower.”
“Don’t worry, my son. I believed as you when I first started learning the trade. As you get more experience, you will feel more at ease. We’ll work slowly. You don’t have to learn everything all at once.”
David felt relieved. If he could learn about a few herbs and plants, it would make it much easier to satisfy his father and be able to spend as much time as he could practicing his archery. “Can we just start with these two? I think if you give me any more I’ll be too confused.”
“Very well. I was hoping to get you started with a few more, but I understand this could be somewhat difficult to learn. I would rather you take it slowly so you don’t make any mi
stakes.”
“Thank you, Father. What do you want me to do next?”
“Study these for a while. Then I’ll send you out to find both of them.”
David sat for a while staring at the two piles of plants. However, he was soon bored, and began to wish he had never started this. He began returning them to their jars.
“David, make sure you never mix them up. While I can tell what they are, you cannot. Using the wrong one can cause serious problems.”
“Yes, Father.” David carefully kept the two separate, put everything back correctly, and returned the jars to the shelf. “When do you want me to attempt my first search?”
“Whenever you want. I can always use both of them.”
This is what David wanted to hear. While he was not certain he properly could identify either the comfrey or the deadnettle, at least he now had a legitimate reason to be in the forest. “I will go tomorrow.”
The next morning he was up early and went right to Avram’s house. He snuck up to Avram’s bedroom window.
“Avram,” he whispered. “Are you awake?”
After two more attempts, the curtain covering the window moved, and Avram’s head peeked out. “David, is that you?”
“Yes. Get dressed and come outside.”
“What’s going on? Why are you here so early?”
“I’ll tell you when you come out.”
“Very well. I’ll be out shortly.”
David paced for what seemed a long time but was only a few minutes. Soon Avram appeared. “David, what’s so important it couldn’t wait?”
“I need your help today. I need you to go to Salcey with me.”
Avram gave David one of his not again looks. “Salcey? Do you have another delivery to make?”
David laughed. “No, I need to practice, and you’re going to help me.”
“Help you? How? I won’t retrieve your arrows, if that’s all you want me for.”
“No, it isn’t. I figured out a way to get to practice more than once each week.”
David told Avram about his plan and his offer to become an apothecary.
“Are you mad? You would never become an apothecary. You don’t have the patience for learning everything you’ll need to know. I can’t believe your father thought you were serious.”
“He started to teach me about herbs and plants. I need to bring some back with me.”
“So why do you need me?”
“I’ll show you the two plants he taught me about yesterday. Then, while I practice, I need you to gather some of them. I don’t want to spend the time looking.”
“I don’t know, David. You know I don’t like walking around in the forest, especially by myself. Where do we find these plants?”
“My father said they usually grow by the roadside. You shouldn’t have any problem finding some.”
“Very well. I’ll do it today. But not every day, mind you. I must go to cheder, and I have my own responsibilities. I will help you when I can, but that’s all.”
“I understand. Thank you for helping me today.”
As they entered Salcey Forest and walked down the road, David kept his eyes open for comfrey and deadnettle. As he looked, all the vegetation looked the same to him. He tried to remember what his father showed him, but he admitted he was quite confused.
“Avram, I don’t remember what my father showed me yesterday.”
“Describe them to me again.”
David tried his best to detail the characteristics of the two plants. As the boys continued to look at the side of the road, David realized they were getting closer to his hiding place. Then he saw the white flower of a deadnettle.
“Avram, there’s one!” David almost shouted, then realized he should be quiet.
“David, keep your voice down. There may be bandits or God knows what roaming around here.”
“Sorry. I guess I just got a bit excited.”
David carefully removed the deadnettle, and placed it into one of the two cloth bags he brought, one for each type of plant. There were several more, and he removed them as well.
“Avram, I must leave you now to go to my hiding place. Try to find some more deadnettle.”
“What about the comfrey? I don’t know what they look like.”
“Just do the best you can. If you see some plants that look the same, just take them. It will have to do. My father can’t expect me to learn everything in one day.”
“How long will you be? I don’t want to spend all day here.”
“I promise I won’t be too long. I’m still building my strength, and my fingers get sore as well. Meet me here at high noon. Now, turn away so you don’t see in what direction I’m going.”
Avram walked slowly to try to help his friend. David carefully maneuvered his way through the brush and down an embankment to the cave. The brush covering it was exactly as he had last left it. He uncovered the weapons, examining them as he always did, not just to see if anything had happened to them, but because he thought they were so beautiful. He strung the bow, gathered the quiver of arrows and target he had made, and proceeded to his practice tree. He mounted the target and walked back about twenty paces. David carefully notched the arrow, pulled back on the string, aimed and fired. The arrow hit the target just to the left of the center. Not bad, he thought.
As David practiced, he saw the sun was arcing higher and higher. Soon it would be high noon. He looked at his fingers that were beginning to look raw. While he had not hit the exact center of the target, he had moved back several paces from when he started. It was getting easier to pull back the bowstring farther and farther. The arrows seemed to be traveling faster and with greater force. He was getting stronger and better. “I am made for this,” he said to himself out loud. He was startled when there was a reply.
“I guess you are,” the voice from behind said.
“Avram, what are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want you anywhere near me when I was shooting.”
“I know. But I got tired of waiting for you and started exploring. I heard what I thought was you and followed the sounds. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“I’m not. I only want to protect you. How did your searching go?”
“I found a bunch of deadnettle. I picked up a bunch of something else that may be comfrey, but since I’ve never seen it, I can’t be sure. Here, look.”
Avram opened one of the bags. “Avram, these are just common weeds, not comfrey.”
“Sorry. I didn’t know. What will you tell your father?”
“Just that I couldn’t find any comfrey. It’s the truth, after all. Now I need you to go back to the road. I must return these to my hiding place.”
Avram headed for the road. David gathered everything up, returned them to the cave, and secured them as usual. He then checked the cave entrance, satisfied the brush prevented anyone from seeing the entrance. He then met Avram. As they walked back, David kept looking for comfrey. As they got within sight of the edge of the forest, he thought he saw some.
“Avram, I believe this is comfrey. I’ll take it and show it to my father.”
David gathered several of the plants and placed them in the second bag.
Mordecai greeted David as he walked into the house. “So, my, son, how did you do? You were gone quite a while.”
“I think I found the deadnettle, but the comfrey I’m not so sure. Please take a look.” Mordecai opened the first bag and examined the contents. “Yes, this is good deadnettle. Let me see the other.” Mordecai opened the second and took out a handful of its contents. “This is comfrey, but these are just weeds.”
“I’m sorry, Father.”
“Don’t be. You did well. It takes time to learn how to identify each plant and herb. There are so many, and they tend to look alike. I’m sure next time will be easier.”
David went to his room and laid on his bed. Not too bad, he thought. I think I had a very good practice session, even though I am sore and my fingers hurt
. I wonder how long it will take before I am an accomplished archer. As he thought more about it, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Abbot Hubert was taking his daily inspection walk around the priory. He noticed his changes were making progress at Hedgestone. The monks were almost always working. Some were cleaning, while others were assigned to the kitchen. He not only improved the appearance of the priory but wanted the monks to eat better. He believed that while he worked them harder and longer, keeping them better fed would help to make them happy. As he concluded his walk, Alwyn approached.
“Hello, Hubert. A beautiful day, is it not?”
The sun’s warmth took away the morning chill, and the blue sky contrasted with the green leaves that were slowly filling up the trees.
“Yes, Alwyn. It is. Walk with me.”
“Hubert, since it’s spring, I believe you should negotiate Basil’s loan. I’ll have to report back to him soon, and that’s the first thing he’ll want to know.”
“Yes, I realize that. In fact, I’ve sent Brother Dominic to Baruch’s house to set up a meeting for tomorrow.”
“Very good. How much are you going to ask for?”
“From what we have calculated based on the plans Basil approved, I’m going to request fifteen hundred pounds.”
Alwyn stopped and stared at Hubert. “Fifteen hundred pounds? That’s an enormous sum. Baruch will never loan you that much. How could you ever assure him you will be able to make the payments? Hedgestone never could generate enough revenue to cover that much.”
“Alwyn, you have no faith in me. I know Baruch never will lend us that much. One never asks for what one wants, always more. I figure we only need about one hundred fifty pounds at the most to make just a few improvements. But I want at least one thousand.”
“Do you plan on keeping some of it for yourself?”
Hubert raised his eyebrows. “Alwyn, you forget yourself. We know Basil wants me to secure as much money as I can under my name, and then he will take possession of it. I figure he has no intention of making any of the payments. He’ll insist I do that. While I plan on bringing in some revenue to Hedgestone, I doubt it would be enough. I must keep some in reserve, shall we say. After all, one never knows when another riot will occur and debts will be forgiven.”
