Read Online Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jill Eileen Smith
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was a married woman, and Rei had a new bride of his own now.
“And you as well, Rei. How are you these days?” He had grown tall since she’d last seen him, his beard filled out, the muscles of a man beneath his tan tunic.
“I am well. I just stopped in to see if Mama needed anything from the market. I am on my way to buy some leather to cut into hinges for the doors. I have built two new rooms onto Mama’s house. Jarah is expecting.” His chin lifted in an obvious sense of pride.
Bathsheba’s heart constricted at the news. Rei had been married less than three months and already his wife was with child? Why did Adonai deny her a similar pleasure?
She smiled despite the ache in her soul. “Best wishes to you, Cousin. When can we expect this proud day?”
“Before the barley harvest.” He looked at her, then averted his gaze. “I must go if I want to make it back in time. We leave for the high place after the noon meal.”
“We will be ready,” Aunt Talia said, shooing Rei toward the door. “Now go.”
Aunt Talia cleared her throat as Jarah appeared in the room behind him, and motioned to Bathsheba. “Come into the house, dear child.”
“I will be back soon.” Rei dipped his head toward Bathsheba, kissed his wife’s cheek, then disappeared through the door.
“Come now, my dear.” Aunt Talia took Bathsheba’s arm and tugged her into the main room that doubled as a sitting and eating area. Low couches were set near a few low tables, with a lambskin draped over the stone floor. “Here, let me take your cloak.” Bathsheba undid the wrap and handed it to her aunt, who laid it over a hook in the wall. She turned to Tirzah to do the same, but Tirzah shook her head.
“I’ll just wait outside.”
Aunt Talia smiled her understanding as Tirzah slipped back into the courtyard. Aunt Talia looked at Jarah. “Daughter, could you get us some watered wine?” She glanced at Bathsheba. “Or tea perhaps?”
“Tea would be fine. But let me help you.” She studied her cousin’s wife. The girl was shorter than Chava, medium-boned and darker-skinned, sturdy like Tirzah. Her smile lit her mouth as she fluttered her arms in a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense. You and Mother must sit and catch up on things. I will join you shortly.”
“She’s a thoughtful girl.” Bathsheba faced Aunt Talia as Jarah left the room. Her aunt was a small, stout woman with graying hair pulled back beneath a brown head scarf. Her sturdy arms had seen many a good day’s work, and though widowed for several years now, she carried on, giving to those in need around her even out of her own meager means.
“She is good for Rei and a help to me in my old age.” Her look held no guile, and Bathsheba sensed the comment was meant to put her at ease. They both knew how much Rei had once cared for her.
“You’re hardly old, Aunt Talia. You have many good years ahead of you.”
Her aunt waved the thought away. “Only God knows how long a person has on this earth.” Her wistful expression told Bathsheba her aunt’s thoughts had turned to her husband Shem.
“Do you miss him still?”
Aunt Talia folded her arms across her wide girth. “At times, when I am alone in this room mending, I sense someone in the chair.” She pointed to the empty wooden chair across from them, the one Uncle Shem had often claimed as his. “I always look, expecting to see him, but of course he is never there.” Her chest lifted in a deep sigh. “I know he rests in Sheol, but sometimes his presence, the sense of him, is hard to forget.” She glanced up as Jarah returned with a tray of seasoned flat bread and three steaming clay cups of honeyed tea. “It is good to have Rei and Jarah here to ease my loneliness.”
Aunt Talia motioned for Jarah to take the seat beside her and twisted her bulk to face Bathsheba. “Now before Rei returns, tell me, what brought the emotion to your eyes? Of course, you are missing Uriah, but what else?”
Bathsheba took
“And you as well, Rei. How are you these days?” He had grown tall since she’d last seen him, his beard filled out, the muscles of a man beneath his tan tunic.
“I am well. I just stopped in to see if Mama needed anything from the market. I am on my way to buy some leather to cut into hinges for the doors. I have built two new rooms onto Mama’s house. Jarah is expecting.” His chin lifted in an obvious sense of pride.
Bathsheba’s heart constricted at the news. Rei had been married less than three months and already his wife was with child? Why did Adonai deny her a similar pleasure?
She smiled despite the ache in her soul. “Best wishes to you, Cousin. When can we expect this proud day?”
“Before the barley harvest.” He looked at her, then averted his gaze. “I must go if I want to make it back in time. We leave for the high place after the noon meal.”
“We will be ready,” Aunt Talia said, shooing Rei toward the door. “Now go.”
Aunt Talia cleared her throat as Jarah appeared in the room behind him, and motioned to Bathsheba. “Come into the house, dear child.”
“I will be back soon.” Rei dipped his head toward Bathsheba, kissed his wife’s cheek, then disappeared through the door.
“Come now, my dear.” Aunt Talia took Bathsheba’s arm and tugged her into the main room that doubled as a sitting and eating area. Low couches were set near a few low tables, with a lambskin draped over the stone floor. “Here, let me take your cloak.” Bathsheba undid the wrap and handed it to her aunt, who laid it over a hook in the wall. She turned to Tirzah to do the same, but Tirzah shook her head.
“I’ll just wait outside.”
Aunt Talia smiled her understanding as Tirzah slipped back into the courtyard. Aunt Talia looked at Jarah. “Daughter, could you get us some watered wine?” She glanced at Bathsheba. “Or tea perhaps?”
“Tea would be fine. But let me help you.” She studied her cousin’s wife. The girl was shorter than Chava, medium-boned and darker-skinned, sturdy like Tirzah. Her smile lit her mouth as she fluttered her arms in a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense. You and Mother must sit and catch up on things. I will join you shortly.”
“She’s a thoughtful girl.” Bathsheba faced Aunt Talia as Jarah left the room. Her aunt was a small, stout woman with graying hair pulled back beneath a brown head scarf. Her sturdy arms had seen many a good day’s work, and though widowed for several years now, she carried on, giving to those in need around her even out of her own meager means.
“She is good for Rei and a help to me in my old age.” Her look held no guile, and Bathsheba sensed the comment was meant to put her at ease. They both knew how much Rei had once cared for her.
“You’re hardly old, Aunt Talia. You have many good years ahead of you.”
Her aunt waved the thought away. “Only God knows how long a person has on this earth.” Her wistful expression told Bathsheba her aunt’s thoughts had turned to her husband Shem.
“Do you miss him still?”
Aunt Talia folded her arms across her wide girth. “At times, when I am alone in this room mending, I sense someone in the chair.” She pointed to the empty wooden chair across from them, the one Uncle Shem had often claimed as his. “I always look, expecting to see him, but of course he is never there.” Her chest lifted in a deep sigh. “I know he rests in Sheol, but sometimes his presence, the sense of him, is hard to forget.” She glanced up as Jarah returned with a tray of seasoned flat bread and three steaming clay cups of honeyed tea. “It is good to have Rei and Jarah here to ease my loneliness.”
Aunt Talia motioned for Jarah to take the seat beside her and twisted her bulk to face Bathsheba. “Now before Rei returns, tell me, what brought the emotion to your eyes? Of course, you are missing Uriah, but what else?”
Bathsheba took
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