All Living : A Seedvision Saga (9781621473923) (5 page)

The family was finishing their meal when Cain and Abel arrived, nearly at the same time but from opposite directions.

“Well, there are my other boys,” said Eve, setting down her food to get them something from the fire to eat. “Just enough left for you two sleepy heads.”

“Thank you, Mother,” said Abel, rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes with one hand and brushing his hair back from his forehead with the other. “It smells delicious.”

Cain glanced around at the family but remained stoic, walking instead directly to the stream and proceeding to wash black dirt from his hands and arms. He splashed water onto his face and beard, then down the back of his neck. Standing up, he shook his head and beads of water flew from his thick, black hair causing Nolia to shriek and giggle, then run behind her mother.

Cain grinned. “Good morning to you all. I see you have eaten and not waited for those of us who rise early to tend to chores that cannot be put off.”

“And what might you have had to tend to so early this morning, son?” asked Adam, hoping for a more respectful greeting from Cain toward his mother.

“Some of the seeds I have planted have begun to sprout and need more water than an early morning mist can provide,” Cain instructed Adam. “I’ve noticed if I wait until later in the day to do it, the newest leaves just burn off in the sun. Wait a second, I brought you all something.”

Cain returned to the edge of the nearby woods and retrieved a basket he had hidden before entering the camp. He presented it to his mother. Eve took the basket and gasped at the beautiful colors; fruits of ripe reds, deep greens, and meadow yellows arranged purposefully, artistically, to enhance the presentation. Around the edges of the basket blue wild flowers had been woven to frame the natural splendor. Natural except that Cain knew that nothing that large and eye-pleasing would have grown naturally outside the garden. Cain prided himself on the results he could achieve with a little sweat of his brow.

“These are lovely, Cain,” said Eve clearly impressed with her son. She showed them to all the girls while Abel rolled his eyes. Cain caught the look and gritted his teeth. His younger brother irritated Cain sometimes, not just that he lay around most of the day napping with his sheep and considering it to be actual work but mostly that he couldn’t admit that Cain was good at what he did, probably even better than Adam.

“How did you ever get the fruits so big?” Eve asked, ignoring the obvious tension between the two.

“I have discovered, Mother, that growing certain plants together helps each to prosper. The plants seem to help and encourage each other, almost like brothers should,” Cain said with a glance toward his father. “For instance, the corn grows taller when the squash grows around its base and prevents other things from growing near. The beans are longer and thicker when they can climb up the corn stalk rather than tangling around on the ground. I plant them in small mounds too, instead of in rows like you do, Dad. It gives them more room to breathe.” Cain drank in the attention from his family and grinned. “I call it the three sister’s method. I’d be willing to show any of you who would like to come to my camp and see how I do it,” Cain offered, casting a hopeful eye at Kesitah.

“I’d love for you to show me that sometime, Cain,” said Adam, “but not today. Today we have plans to catch and dry some fish.” Adam hoped to change the subject. He would easily admit that his son had a natural proclivity toward growing things, but Adam had noticed a bit of something in Cain’s attitude that was beginning to disturb him. Cain seemed to be distancing himself from the family. Adam couldn’t quite name what it was, which was odd. He was very good at naming things.

“I…uh…I’d be glad to help you, father,” said Abel. “I…uh…just want to check in on my sheep first. I left them back at my camp, and I don’t want any to wander away.”

Adam nodded with understanding.

“I have a few more things to tend to first as well, Father,” said Cain.

Adam sighed.

“I’ll help you, Father, if you’ll have me,” said Kesitah. “If Mother can do without me for these first two fish,” she added, indicating Adam’s stringer.

“Of course, dear,” said Eve.

“That will be fine, Kes,” said Adam. “Coming Kole?” asked Adam.

“Right behind you, Father,” Kole said, rising to his feet.

The family broke up, each heading in their own directions.

Adam, Kole, and Kesitah walked together along the bank of the stream toward a shallow beach that dropped off into deep pools where many fish gathered, each thinking their own thoughts; Adam wishing his other two sons would cooperate more with him and their mother, Kole wondering why his brothers tended to be such loners, and Kesitah hoping she’d get a chance to splash Kole in the icy water.

The three of them each picked up a spear from the pile that Adam had sharpened, and waded into the water. Then Adam changed his mind.

“I’ve got a better idea,” said Adam. “We’ll catch more fish with the net. It’s right there under that bush. Can you fetch it, Kes?” Adam pointed. Kesitah waded back out of the shallows and stooped to retrieve the net. She tossed it in to Adam.

“Very good. Now Kole and I will stretch it across the stream, and if you will walk upstream along the bank a bit before you get in the water, we should be able to manage a nice haul.”

Kesitah turned and headed back the way they had come, her long legs taking confident strides. Both Adam and Kole watched her in the early morning light.

“She’ll make a fine mate one day, Son,” said Adam, glancing at Kole.

“Just what I was thinking,” said Kole to his father.

“It will be good to have more young ones running about,” Adam speculated.

Kole, lost in deep thought, made no reply.

“Okay, I’m ready,” Kesitah yelled from two hundred cubits upstream.

Adam tossed one end of the net he had fashioned from long, dried grasses to Kole, and they stretched it across the water letting the lower half, tied with stones, sink to the sandy bottom.

“Okay, Kes. Make lots of noise, and start toward us.”

Kesitah started walking toward them, splashing and singing in a loud voice. Below the surface of the water, Kole could imagine the fish, frightened out of their morning lethargy, darting away from the source of the disturbance. As Kesitah drew near, Kole could feel the tension on the net increasing as more and more fish swam into it. In one coordinated effort, both father and son bent and lifted the bottom corners of the net up and out of the water. The braided grass of the net strained with the weight of the stream fish. They carried it together up the small beach and opened it flat on the ground. A quick count showed thirteen large, silvery fish glistening and flopping about. Adam snatched up a couple of corded ropes, handing one to Kole, and they began to string up their catch.

“Good work, my daughter,” said Adam. “This should keep you ladies busy this afternoon.”

“Yes, Father,” said Kesitah, willing but not too eager to clean the slippery catch.

“A good haul, you three,” said Cain, ambling out of the woods. “Looks like you didn’t need my expertise after all.”

“True, Cain,” said Adam. “Perhaps you’d like to help the women with the cleaning and cooking. I’m sure you’ll want to help with the eating later.”

Cain laughed. “This is true, Father. But I will not be available for women’s work this day. The Lord has truly blessed my efforts in the field, and today I build an altar to give an offering.”

“Cain, we have always offered together as a family,” reminded Adam.

“Yes, Father, but I must give as I am able, and there has been much abundance this spring. I give a freewill offering of thanks today.”

Adam, as head of his family, had always made the offerings, but the boys were growing into fine men and would one day soon serve as heads of their own families. Adam nodded his approval.

“May the Lord be pleased with your offering, Cain.”

“Oh, he will Father,” said Cain, glancing at Kesitah’s wet silhouette. “Hello, sister. You seem more at home in the water than the fish you are attracting.”

Kesitah blushed and looked down at herself. “Thank you, Brother.”

Kole watched the exchange with a half-smile, as Cain spun on his heel and headed back into the woods to the clearing where he had his gardens.

While Kesitah busied herself checking the net for any tears or weak points, Adam and Kole finished stringing the fish and tied them to the bank, letting the fish dangle in the water until they were ready to clean them.

Adam was readying the net for a second attempt when Abel showed up. “Greetings family,” he said with a hearty wave.

They looked up at him.

“Hi, Abel,” said Kesitah. “How are your sheep today?”

“All accounted for, my lovely sister. Would you like to inspect them with me?”

For Kesitah, it was a day of blushing.

“We are nearly ready for another go with the net, Brother,” said Kole before Kesitah could take Abel up on his offer, “care to join us?”

“I would have expected to see Cain here by now,” answered Abel. “Has he not come yet to show you all a better way to fish?”

“Abel, enough jesting at your brother’s expense,” warned Adam.

“Sorry, Father.”

“Cain has it in mind to offer a sacrifice to the Lord today,” Kole informed his youngest brother. “He was here briefly but left without getting his feet wet.”

“An offering? Can he do that, Father? I mean, we have always looked to you to give the offerings for us. Will God allow it?”

“Abel, you and Cain and Kole are men now. You live on your own and establish your own daily routine. God expects me to teach you to be teachers of your own children one day. Today Cain is taking a step toward that end. I will ask God to bless his efforts.”

“This is good news, Father. I too have nurtured a young lamb with special care to offer to the Lord. I will go find my brother and share in this good thing with him.”

“Abel, we would be glad for your help here,” Kole said.

“Yes, my brother, and gladly would I wade in up to my neck for you if that were required, but today seems especially singled out for setting aside what is required and embracing a far more noble ideal. Father, with your blessing?” asked Abel.

“Yes, go my son. Give cheerfully to the Lord.”

Abel smiled, turned, and ran back up the worn footpath toward his flock. Adam shook his head, also smiling and glanced at Kole.

“And what about you, my son? Are you not eager to join your brothers as well?”

“I will not offer a lamb today, father. I would need more time to prepare myself as well as my sacrifice. I am curious, though, to see how the Creator will honor their offerings.”

“Then go, my son. Honor your brothers’ efforts with your presence. We can be done here for the day.”

“Perhaps we should get one more net full, Father. There will be time to find my brothers later.”

“As you wish,” Adam agreed.

Abel found Cain in a clearing atop a low rise and yelled a greeting to him as he approached. Cain ignored him.

The sun was nearing its zenith in the cerulean sky, and the breeze carried the faint scent of wild flowers and pine. Birds sang joyous songs of praise to the creation while a small family of deer took delicate sips from the pond in the valley below. Only thirty-three years since the first day of creation; it was another spectacular morning.

“Cain,” called Abel again, “I thought I’d find you here, Brother.”

Cain continued to work on his pile of stones, his sun-browned back to Abel. “I have a lamb to offer to the Lord. I’ll bring it over after I help you finish the altar,” Abel continued.

“I don’t need any help from you, Brother,” Cain replied, straining to maneuver a large stone into place on the top of his cairn.

“No, truly, I have brought a well-shaped stone. I found it near my camp, and it will fit perfectly on top of your rock,” Abel said, lugging a hefty, rectangular piece of black fieldstone over to where Cain was standing, stretching his back muscles.

“Brother, I do not want your help nor do I want your stone.” Cain wiped the sweat of his brow on a stained piece of leather. The hair on his arms glistened with perspiration, and rivulets of sweat rolled down his chest. It was obvious he had been working hard on his altar, and his craftsmanship showed.