Faith of My Fathers (14 page)

“We need to save the rest of our family and escape from Judah, somehow. I know I’m asking a lot and I have no way to repay you at the moment, but I swear—”

“I’ll help you. The only payment I ask is that you take Miriam with you.”

“But we have no place to go and not even a shack like this one to live in.”

“Any house will be better than this one. If I don’t get Miriam away from this place soon, her mother will sell her into the same way of life that she lives.”

“Her own daughter?” Jerimoth asked.

Maki nodded grimly. “She tried to sell her once before, but I stopped her in time.”

Jerimoth moaned. “Of course, Maki. We’ll take both of you with us.”

Joshua knew that his brother was right, but the burden of responsibility he already carried was much too heavy. Now it would grow heavier still. He had been trained for a position of leadership in the palace, but he had never imagined that leadership would be like this. “I thought you said Miriam wouldn’t leave her brothers,” he said after a moment.

Maki gazed at him solemnly. “No, Master Joshua. She won’t.”

Joshua quickly calculated the number of people he and Jerimoth would have to provide for: their mother, their sister Tirza, her husband, and their new baby, Jerimoth’s wife and daughter, his fiance
e, Yael. That was already nine people. Maki, Miriam, and the two boys would make thirteen. How would he escape with that many people, let alone support them all? Most of them were women and children. But Joshua knew he could never get out of Jerusalem safely without Maki’s help.

“The four of you are welcome to come with us,” he said at last. “My plan is to help Jerimoth’s wife and daughter escape first, then Yael. As soon as we’re all out of the city, we’ll quickly make our way to Anathoth and rescue Mama and Tirza before word spreads about the first escapes.”

Jerimoth laid his hand on Joshua’s arm. “Not Yael. We must leave Yael here.”

“What are you talking about? She’s going to be my wife! I can’t leave her behind anymore than you could leave Sara!”

“Listen to me. Your betrothal was never official. Yael has no legal connection to you. She isn’t in danger.”

“I love her! I won’t leave without her!”

“If you love her, you’ll let her stay here, where she’s safe. You’re a wanted man, Joshua. What kind of a life can you offer her?”

Joshua sprang to his feet and walked the few steps to the other side of the room. He was so tired of hiding in this filthy house, so weary of the darkness and confinement. How could he imprison Yael, too? The life of a refugee would be no life for her. He couldn’t ask her to give up her beautiful home, all of her servants, her elegant clothing, and plentiful food. Until a few days ago he could have given her a life of wealth and ease. Now he would have to add Yael to the growing list of people he had loved and lost—people Manasseh had snatched away from him. So much sorrow, so much loss.

Jerimoth stepped up behind him. “If I could leave Sara here and know that she would be safe, that she would be provided for, I would do it, Joshua.”

“I swear I’ll come back for her,” he said quietly. “As soon as we’re settled. As soon as I can make a home for her, Yael is going to be my wife.”

Miriam shifted the small basket of food to her other arm as she hurried home from the market with her brothers. She had to get back before Master Joshua left. Now that his older brother had arrived, the time when they would leave drew closer and closer. She couldn’t believe that only a few days had passed since Joshua had burst through her door in the middle of the night, gasping for air. Or that only yesterday she had nursed him through his illness, bathing him with water to cool his fever.

She had memorized his face in the firelight and secretly combed her fingers through his curly black hair while he slept. She had held his smooth hands in hers and imagined being his wife, feeling those hands caressing her face. He had been kind to her. He had called her by name.

Miriam had never met a man like Master Joshua before, so refined and aristocratic. He certainly wasn’t like the men her mother brought home. No matter what, Miriam had to find a way to go with him when he left. Her mother had begun to teach her how to win a man’s love. The idea had always repulsed Miriam until Master Joshua had burst into her life.

When she opened the door and saw him seated cross-legged by the hearth, she breathed a sigh of relief. His older brother still wore the sorrowful look of a lost child, but Master Joshua had never shed a tear, showing the same inner strength and courage he had shown when battling his illness. It was one of the reasons she loved him. Abba motioned for her to join them, and she sank to the floor beside Master Joshua.

“Miriam, they’ve offered to take us with them,” Maki said. “All of us, if we’ll help them.”

Miriam’s heart leaped. She turned to Joshua. “What do you want me to do?”

“Help our family escape. It will be dangerous, but—” “No! We’re not going anywhere!” Nathan cried. “We can’t leave Mama!”

Miriam scrambled to her feet to confront her brother. “Mama doesn’t care one bit about any of us, and you know it! You should have heard how she cursed when she found out she was pregnant with you and Mattan. And she has run off and left you alone with me ever since you were born. Why should we stay here with her? So she can have someone to beat when she’s drunk? Did you already forget how she pushed your brother into the fire for spilling his broth? Show him the burn on your leg, Mattan. Remind him what our mother is really like!”

As Mattan shrank back into the shadows, Miriam regretted hurting him with her words. But she had to convince Nathan. She couldn’t let Master Joshua leave without her.

“I’m leaving this place, Nathan, and so is Mattan,” she said. “If you’re smart, you’ll come with us.”

The room was silent for a moment after her outburst, then Master Joshua stood and quietly walked over to where Nathan stood sulking by the door.

“Nathan, I’ll need your help if my escape plan is going to work. I’ll try to pay you back, somehow, when—”

“I don’t need any rich man’s money to survive.”

“What do you need, then? Tell me, and if I can provide it I’ll—”

“I don’t need anything.”

“Except a father?”

Joshua’s question caught the boy by surprise, and for a moment Nathan was unable to disguise his pain. Miriam knew how much he longed for someone to call Abba. She often heard him crying late at night after her father had visited her. Nathan didn’t even know who his father was. Their mother probably didn’t know, either.

“You shut up about my father!” Nathan shouted.

“I just lost my father,” Joshua said quietly. “He was the most important person in my life. I know how much a father means to a boy. I’ll try to be a father to you if you’ll let me.”

“What about Mattan?” Nathan asked sullenly.

Jerimoth rose from his place by the fire and rested his hand on Mattan’s head. “I will be Mattan’s father.”

Tears burned in Miriam’s eyes. It could be a dream come true for all of them if only Nathan would lay aside his stubbornness and allow it to happen. She dug in her basket and pulled out the small packet she had nearly forgotten.

“Nathan, look. This is balm for Mattan’s leg. Master Joshua gave me the money to buy it for him.”

Joshua took it from her and knelt beside Mattan as he opened it. “This will help your leg heal faster. May I put some on you?”

Mattan drew back in fear. “Will it hurt?”

Jerimoth pulled up the stool and sat down. “It might hurt a little,” he said. “But I’ll hold you so you won’t be afraid.”

Miriam saw tears in Jerimoth’s eyes as he held out his arms, waiting. Mattan hesitated. He had never known the comfort of a father’s arms as she had. He was probably afraid to trust these two men who might be gone again in a day or two like all the others.

“Come on, Son,” Jerimoth said gently. Mattan flew into his arms, clinging to him.

Miriam’s own father reached for her hand as she brushed the tears from her eyes. But a moment later she heard the front door slam, and she saw that Nathan was gone.

8

J
OSHUA CROUCHED IN THE SHADOWS
between the two stalls in the marketplace, studying each face in the milling crowd, searching for Jerimoth’s wife, Sara. She should be easy to spot. She would be carrying her baby, Rachel. And she would be flanked by the two palace guards who accompanied her to the marketplace every day. Maki had watched her movements for days. She would soon pass this way.

Joshua squeezed his hands into fists, willing them to stop shaking. He had never been more afraid in his life. He had devised this plan. He was placing all these people’s lives at risk, as well as his own. He had tried so hard to anticipate everything that could possibly go wrong and to think of alternative courses of action, but what if he missed something? What if someone panicked?

He wished he could pray. He longed to cry out to God for help so he wouldn’t have to face this ordeal alone. But the heavens had turned to stone for him. God hadn’t helped Dinah or his grandfather. He had closed His ears to Abba’s cries. Why would God listen to him?

Timing. It would all depend on perfect timing. Joshua trusted Maki and Miriam. They realized their lives were at stake and would be cautious, but he still worried about Nathan. The boy had finally agreed to help, but only after making it clear that he was doing it for Miriam’s sake alone. Jerimoth, who had more experience as a father, had fared much better in winning Mattan’s trust. But little Mattan was so young, so vulnerable to fear. They were all hiding in the empty market stall behind Joshua, waiting for his signal. There was no sign of Sara.

When Joshua realized he was holding his breath he slowly exhaled. He started to rake his fingers through his beard, then stopped when he felt the dusty ashes. He had coated his hair and beard with them in an attempt to disguise himself as an old man. He was wearing Miriam’s tattered robe. He dried his sweating palms on it.

Were the others as frightened as he was? Joshua had already decided that if the soldiers captured any of them he would give himself up. He couldn’t allow one more innocent person to suffer because of him.

Suddenly he spotted Sara. She walked slowly, holding little Rachel by the hand. The toddler took wobbly, uneven baby steps in her tiny sandals. Joshua recognized the palace guards walking on either side of Sara. And they would certainly recognize him. He had taken his military training with these two men, sparred with them, laughed with them. Would they help him for friendship’s sake or betray him for fear of King Manasseh? He couldn’t take any chances. No one had helped Abba.

Joshua ducked inside the empty market stall where the others waited. “Get ready. Here she comes. And be careful, I know both of the guards.”

Maki nodded and hurried out of the stall, walking down the street toward Sara. Would she recognize him in Jerimoth’s robe and realize what they were trying to do? Joshua felt for his weapon, Miriam’s kitchen knife, which Maki had sharpened on a whetstone. Joshua hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. Then he crept back to his lookout post in the shadows.

“Officers! Help me! I’ve been robbed!” Heads turned at the sound of Maki’s shouts, and a crowd quickly gathered. Sara and the guards stopped walking. Joshua ducked inside the booth again and signaled to Miriam and the two boys. He saw Jerimoth close his eyes, his lips moving in silent prayer as he sat and waited.

“They took all my money!” Maki cried. “Go after them! They went that way!”

The guards didn’t take the bait. Instead, they began to argue with Maki. Joshua was too far away to hear their words. He saw Miriam and the two boys snaking silently through the crowd toward Sara.

Maki’s face turned red with rage. “You can’t let them get away with this! Go after them, I say, or I’ll report both of you!”

At last one of the guards took off after the imaginary thieves, running down a side street in the opposite direction. Maki remained with the other soldier, arguing loudly to divert his attention. He slowly positioned himself between the guard and Sara. Joshua saw Miriam creep up beside Sara. They began inching away.