Read Online Abraham and Sarah by Roberta Kells Dorr - Free Book Online

Urim’s wife, Safra, said as her husband came into the courtyard with his cart and unsold cheeses. “He must be going back to Ur.”
    Urim was immediately interested. “He can’t go back to Ur. They say the Elamites have totally destroyed it.”
    “Then where’s he going?”
    “They say he’s breaking up the family. Nahor is terribly upset about it. He also accuses Abram of not honoring the old family gods.”
    Safra looked doubtful, “I know Terah made a show of worshiping Nanna. Even brought some fancy idols with him from Ur.”
    “You’re right, but Abram’s against those gods … even the family gods.”
    Safra was squatting in the middle of the courtyard, plucking the feathers from several pigeons they would eat that evening. She squinted into the bright sunlight as she glanced up. “It’s strange,” she said, “very strange. And hard to believe.” Her words hung between them like vultures while she studied his face.
    “Strange? What do you mean? What have you heard?”
    “Lot’s wife says Abram’s been told to leave Haran and he’s been promised land and blessings.”
    Urim shrugged. “Fortune-tellers say such things.”
    “It wasn’t a fortune-teller.” She looked up and saw that her little serving girl was listening. She motioned for Urim to bend down so she could whisper, “It’s his God, the Elohim he worships. He’s the one they say told him.”
    Urim drew back and stared at his wife in disbelief. “That’s just women’s talk. That’s all.”
    “That’s not all,” she said. “He’s to have descendants as the stars.” She looked up in time to see the amused expression on Urim’s face. She shrugged and went back to plucking one of the birds. “Well,” she added, “that’s what they say.”
    Urim strutted around the courtyard, his eyes half closed in thought. After walking back and forth several times, he came over to his wife and demanded, “To be given land and descendants? What kind of foolishness is this? Where would he go? His family is here. No one gives anybody land, and as for descendants … he doesn’t even have one child.”
    “I know. That’s what we all thought. That’s what’s so strange.”
    Urim stood in the middle of the courtyard, feet wide apart, mind calculating as he rubbed his chin. “Well, I’ll tell you what I think. I think all this trouble has left him a bit addled. At least we must admit he’s gone to dreaming.” With that pronouncement, Urim started toward the door leading out of the courtyard, then turned back. “And Abram’s wife … what does that fancy wife of his think?”
    “She’s spunky.” Safra held the pigeon suspended in midair as she carefully examined it. “She says she’s not going.”
    Urim laughed as he snatched up the water jug, drank from the spout, then wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “That should be interesting. I’ve heard she always gets her way.”
    Safra dropped the pigeon in the stone pot and looked up. “We’re all waiting to see what happens.”
    Urim watched her pick up the second pigeon and begin to idly pluck the feathers. “And Nahor, his brother Nahor, is he going too?”
    “No, Nahor thinks he’s making a big mistake.”
    “Who told you all this?”
    Safra hesitated as though not wanting to trust him with the information. Then thinking better of it, she said, “Nahor’s wife, Milcah. She’s never gotten over her father’s death.”
    Urim again picked up the jug and tipped it ready to drink. “So Nahor’s not going. That’s serious. Abram’s breaking up the family.”
    Safra seemed not to hear him. “I wish I were going someplace,” she said wistfully.
    Urim set the jug down so hard that it almost cracked. “That’s the trouble with men like Abram. They make people discontent with where they are and what they’re doing.” Then he muttered, “Myself included.”

    At that very moment Lot was making his way with his uncle Nahor to the house of Abram. Lot knew that Nahor was