CHAPTER SIX
She had made entrance into his life by such coincidental fashion that Mordecai knew it was precisely NOT a coincidence. Ostensibly he was meeting a great need; and yet he knew in heart that little Esther had saved his life just as much if not more than he had contributed to her well-being.
He had been in a critical moment; in hindsight he saw clearly that he was floundering for purpose. As he moved out of adolescence into adulthood his loneliness only seemed to deepen. He had reached out for the God of his people and found promise. It was so illusive that Mordecai had not really tried to verbalize his bewilderment to anyone. He certainly didn’t feel like one of the prophets, so how could he say “God had said”? And yet without words, that’s exactly what he sensed. So Mr. M., just what did the nice voice say? It wasn’t a case of words spoken as much as it was the sense conveyed to him: the sense of purpose. It had been a balm to his spirit, because he had felt as if his life had seeped out through an unnoticed crack in his vessel and been lost upon dry ground. He now knew that was not true. He knew there was purpose. The Eternal One had deposited that knowing in his inmost part.
He had assumed for years that this had to mean Jerusalem. He thirsted for the gates, the walls, and most of all, the House. The smell of purpose had not diminished over years, but was becoming more mysterious, as it became more and more likely that he would never see that which he had so often envisioned. Then the completely unexpected landed unapologetically dead center into his life: fatherhood. This one had been scratched off his list years ago. The domestic path just had not seemed to be marked out for him.
He had come home from his business early that afternoon. The sun had baked the city all day in harmony with a rasping tireless wind from the west. His work permitted, so he had come to sit in the shade of the well cared for vine planted amidst the small flat-stoned veranda behind his house. He took pride in the vine; neighbors visited hoping for the offer of a cup of its yield. His afternoon reflections had to be set to one side when he heard a visitor approaching.
“Mordecai, blessings to you and this house.”
“Come in Saul, it has been too long since you have graced this threshold.” Mordecai earnestly pulled his cousin past the door and guided him through the house to the leafy haven in the rear. “Sarah, the children, how are they, and why must I endure your homeliness and be deprived of their beauty?” His cousin’s eyes sparked to the challenge of some verbal warfare but passed the temptation in preference to the burden of his errand.
“Cousin I have a weight upon my heart to which I hope you can apply your wisdom.” his eyes searched the older man as if looking for some hidden entrance.
“Well say on man, and though I most likely will have no wisdom for you, I promise to do my best to deceive you pleasantly,” the gray eyes twinkled at the prospect of the challenge.
“Very well Mordecai… you remember the passing of our uncle and his wife three years ago when the plague passed through Shushan?”
“Yes of course, of course I do.” No citizen of Shushan was likely to forget those months.
“Uncle Isaac had three children; the older two went to live with the grandparents, while the youngest, a girl, being barely out of arms was cared for by a sister. She is four now and the picture of the beauty of our people.” He paused knowing he was now about to enter into delicate terrain. “That family has been issued permission to make the journey (there was never a need to say more as all Jews only considered one journey) at month’s end”.
“That’s wonderful” responded Mordecai genuinely enthusiastic, genuinely envious.
“Yes, of course it is,” agreed Saul, “but a complication has arisen…they will not be allowed to take Hadasseh, as she cannot be shown to be in the first line of their family”.
“Well, yes, I suppose that would be correct” mused the older man. “So what is to be done with the youngster?” If he sensed the design being engineered before him, he certainly didn’t indicate so.
“Understandably, the sister is heart broken as she has made the little one as one of her own.” Now searching some handhold, Saul continued so carefully, “And that is when she came to me with her state of affairs and a request.”
“But ,Saul, are you and Sarah able to handle another?” interrupted Mordecai.
“Well, actually it would be very difficult…if that had been what she was asking.” Silence dropped folding its wings about them in a momentary faceless presence.
“Then…” Mordecai looked genuinely puzzled “what did she want from you?”
Saul sucked in a breath causing a slight whistle as he did,
“Actually, she wanted me to come and ask you to take the girl.” There it was; it was floating in the air now in front of both of them. If it had not been such a serious moment, he would have spent some time relishing the utter shock that registered on Mordecai’s face. He knew his cousin well enough to have seen him in most situations and to know how he would react, but this had descended with such astonishment that Mordecai’s best scramble to recover his MIA composure would have been useless. This being the case, the panorama of expressions that danced across Mordecai’s face was nigh unto entertaining. Saul watched as the mouth formed the “who me” response punctuated with genuine shock and disbelief. At the same time, something in his cousin’s eyes said “Convince me, please convince me.” The contest raged from brain to mouth to heart to eyes and back.
Brain spoke: “This is one of the most unrealistic proposals I have ever heard.”
“Mordecai, I fully understand, but I told her I would at least go through the actions and ask you. It was the least I could do”
Heart spoke: “Oh, of course there is no harm in asking, and really I am flattered.”
Brain: “But what would an older man such as I know about raising a small girl?” small rhetorical chuckle, no answer required.
Heart: “What will happen to her Saul? There must be some other family that would be willing.”
“Well Mordecai that’s not the issue at the moment. Rather, the sister insisted that you were to be asked first; actually she refused to speak of other possibilities until you had been spoken to…..”
Heart: “Saul, I will not do the dishonor of a hurried decision in an issue of such overwhelming importance…”
Brain: “Even though I certainly can’t see how….”
“Could you let me know in a few days; I likewise would not want to push you into hasty decision, but the departure date for Jerusalem has been set and arrangements must be completed as soon as possible.” Gazing into the face of conflict before him, Saul mentally placed his wager.
“Yes, of course, Saul, I will send word soon, though I must say I….”
“I understand your position completely, Mordecai.” reassured Saul making his way into the street before the small house.
“Saul….. just out of curiosity, does the girl seem to learn quickly? I mean would you happen to know?”
“They say she is of an incredibly quick wit Cousin.” Saul turned his face quickly down road to hide the irrepressible smile that began to leak out the corners of his mouth.
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