My beloved put his hand by the hole of the door,
and my heart was moved for him.
I rose to open to my beloved,
and my hand dripped with myrrh,
and my fingers dripped with sweet smelling myrrh
upon the handles of the lock.
Now I knew what ol’ Solomon meant by “myrrh.” Sweet, indeed.
And so, on the banks of Leach Lake, I realized my life’s ambition to make love to a beautiful girl before the Rapture. What else was left for me?
To make love again. And again.
And again.
Tarry longer, O Lord.
THE END
IN MEMORY OF
MY GRANDPARENTS
For love is stronger than death.
Song of Solomon 8:6
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This novel is a retelling of the ancient Jewish tale of Tobias and Sarah (as found in the
Book of Tobit
), set in the world of my grandparents, who met and married in Texas during the Great Depression.
I love to hear from readers, so drop me a note at
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.
—Sam Torode