Chapter 2
Mary woke up in the night; she was still having bad dreams about that day, when she had to hide in the cellar. She was going to have to stop thinking about it or she was going to have bad dreams forever, yet it was like she couldn’t. For instance, she had just had a bad dream that her father had really been taken away, and when she tried to go to sleep, that was all she could think about; it was like it was haunting her. She made breakfast for her father, and then she went outside to feed the chicken, it was their only supply of eggs, and it was like a friend to them. She heard a shout, “Just boys play,” she thought. Then she saw Joseph, ahead of them all.
“ Hi Joseph,” she said.
He smiled at her, “Hi Mary,” he yelled. It was a friendly yell. She knew that he didn’t have much time to run; boys of 17 were trained in writing, math, and a lot of other stuff, and it was about sunup, so he was going to have to run to get to the rabbi’s training if he was going to make it.
……………………….
It was going to be her birthday soon, and she was happy about it, but sad too, because that meant that was going to be only one year before a betrothal, but she had argued with her father about not being married for another year, and she had won that fight.
“But Father, if I go, who will mend your nets?” she asked.
“Well, uhh, umm, I don’t know,” he FINALLY admitted.
Sometimes Mary wished she was a boy, and then she could help father go fishing, and then father would not have so much trouble making money, she thought. She also wished she was a boy because then she could stay with her father longer. ‘’Oh well,” she thought, “no use thinking the impossible.’’ Father ate breakfast, and then left to go fishing.
Mary had a lot of free time, but before I tell you what she did with that free time, I must tell you what happened a month ago, when she had to hide in the small cellar. Now, her father had sworn by Jehovah, and when you swear by Jehovah, you must fulfill that promise, so of course they went to Elizabeth’s house. Despite Mary’s worry that they wouldn’t make enough money, she’d had a fun time. They stayed there for ten days, then went back home. Now I will tell you what she did with her free time. She went to the market, and bought fresh vegetables. They were very costly, but there was nothing her father liked more than fresh vegetables, so she got them anyway. Then she went home to go and cook some vegetable soup, she knew her father would like that, so she even made his favorite stew, with a tint of mint, she had bought that too. She hoped that father had not lost is tastebuds for vegetable mint soup, he always liked it when mother made it. She hoped he would like it now that she was making it. Father came home soon, and he was really surprised that Mary had made mint stew, and he really liked it, so Mary was happy.
……………………………………………………………………
Mary went to bed that night, glad that her father had liked the soup. She didn’t even think about the cellar, and she didn’t have any bad dreams about her father being taken away, and she didn’t wake in the night. She slept in the next morning, she didn’t mean to, but her father had already made breakfast, and left. She again had free time, so she decided to go and get fabric to make a tunic for herself, she decided that she would save money and get white fabric. She got the fabric, and then went to go and get some thread, she was out again. On the way home she heard a shout, and then a small boy run up, he was about seven.
“Please,” he asked, “pretend that you’re my sister; they’re going to take me away to be a boy for the army!”
“Hmm, will this fit you?” she asked.
The boy looked confused. “Umm maybe,” he said, just as the soldiers walked by.
“Hey,” one barked, “have you seen a boy of about seven? He ran away just as we had just about got him.”
“Yes,” she said, “he went that way.” She pointed to a dark alley that was a few yards away.
“Thanks, miss,” the solder said. Then they went looking were Mary had pointed.
The boy was very thankful that Mary had saved him from the ‘’rotten brutes,’, then she asked his name.
“My name is Abi, and I have no father, nor mother.”
“Well why don’t you?” she asked.
“My parents died of the plague.”
“Oh, that’s too bad, my mother was taken away by Romans,” she said. Then Mary had an idea. “Abi, how would you like to come and eat supper with me and my father?” she asked. “My father might get a fish, and that would be enough for all of us.”
Abi’s eyes widened, “Really, you would really do that for me?”
“ Yes, I would,” she said. She took him to her house.
Her father returned shortly afterward. “And who is this guest here in my house without my conset?” He teased.
“Father, this is Abi, I err… can I tell you later?” Father only laughed, “Ok, you can tell me later.” He gave Mary a fish, and then went to go fishing again.
“Abi, how do you like fish, cooked or smoked?” Mary asked.
“Uhh, I don’t know. Either,” Abi said.
“Ok, I’ll do smoked,” she said. Then she noticed his clothes, they were torn and worn thin, she was going to have to use one father’s old tunics and hem it up. She went to go and get a needle and thread, and one of father’s old tunics. Abi was playing a game she had invented when she was little to keep herself entertained. It was a stick and ring game, where you had to try to get the ring on the stick; it had kept her entertained for hours. She went to her room, and hemmed up father’s old tunic. It didn’t take long, she had done this to some of mother’s older tunics to save money. Then she had another idea, but I will make that a secret….
………………………..
Now I will tell you how Abi’s life had gone so wrong that his father and mother died. It all had started when Abi’s father had bragged that he could catch a fish in the Dead Sea, so his fellow fishermen had dared him to try. Of course, nobody has and nobody ever will catch a fish in the Dead Sea, so his bragging was, of course, very silly. His father, of course, had gone a little too far with the bragging. As he was going through the city gate, he passed some lepers. Now at the time he didn’t think anything of it, so he was on his way to the Dead Sea to catch the “fish,”’ on the way he began to feel very silly that he had bragged that he could catch a fish in the Dead Sea, so he went to the nearest town he could find, and bought a fish so he could pretend he had caught it, and then went back home. Now when his fellow fishermen saw this, they thought surely he must not be lying, because they thought that he was a righteous man, so they all went to go and try their luck on the Dead Sea. Now it happened when Abi’s father had passed the lepers, he had caught their plague, so he was banned from the city, and he always sat just outside the city gates, as most lepers do. And Abi’s mother always went out to give his father food, and when over a year had passed, she had the plague to, and she was banned too; and they both died after about two months. This had all started when Abi was about five, but he remembered this more than any other child would have. Because he was very smart, he even had found food were nobody else could have without stealing it. This, of course, is very smart for a little boy that’s only five. This is the story he told during supper, except he didn’t tell them that he always knew what was going on, and that he had to fend for himself. Mary’s father seemed impressed, and of so course Mary was. They insisted that he stayed that night, and they sent him to bed just after the sun set, so they could talk.
“Mary, you have something on your mind, as well as me,” her father said.
“Father, can I tell my idea first?” Mary asked.
“Yes Mary, you may tell your idea first,” father said.
“Well… I was thinking that if you liked Abi enough, maybe we could keep him?” Mary asked.
“You read my mind,” said father with a smile.
“Really?” Mary asked. “You would really do that?”
“Of course,” said father. “I need a boy to carry on the trade, and he is still young, and he seems very smart.”
“Yes,” she agreed, “only he would have asked me to become his sister for a minute or two.”
Father laughed. “Yes, only he,” father replied.
Just then, Abi ran into the room as fast as he could. “Really? You would keep me?” He asked.
They laughed so hard. “Abi, I don’t think you did anything but eavesdrop on us,” Mary said, laughing so hard that she could barely get the words out.
Father was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, “Abi, why don’t you go back to bed,” he said, “little boys who don’t go to bed are very grumpy in the morning.”
Mary agreed, “But first I have something for you,” she said.
“Really, what?” Abi said excitedly.
She presented Abi with the tunic. Abi was so happy to have something to wear besides his old tunic. They personally put Abi to bed, and then went to bed themselves.
…………………………………………………………..
Mary woke up the next day; she had to wake up early to make breakfast for father and Abi, they had to leave early in the morning, father was going to teach Abi how to fish and carry on the trade, and they wouldn’t be back for the whole day, so she packed lunch for them. She had free time again, so she decided to invite her friend over for a visit, her name was Tamara*, Mary hadn’t seen Tamara in a long time, which was why she was inviting her over. Tamara came over, and they had a nice talk about sisters and brothers, and about Abi. Tamara thought that Abi was really cute, and Mary agreed. The time came were Tamara had to leave, and Mary bid her to come again and, Tamara agreed, they hadn’t done this in a while, so Tamara was happy that Mary invited her again. Mary had enjoyed Tamara coming to visit, Mary hadn’t had a visitor in a long time, and it felt good to have somebody over for a visit every once and a while. Mary was hemming up another old tunic of father’s; it was for Abi, because he needed more than one. Mary only had one friend, and that was of course Tamara, but it wasn’t like she needed more than one, she was fine having only one, she only had one friend that was a girl, she did think that Joseph was her friend, at least in her mind she was his friend.
……………………………………………………………………
Her father and Abi came home that night; Mary had made some millet, she couldn’t believe that some people didn’t like millet; ‘’but everyone has different tastes, so I guess what some people think is not my concern,’’ she thought. Father said that Abi was born to fish; he had caught eight on his first try. They both caught a big load to sell and kept some of it, to make Gefilte for the Sabbath; [and to sacrifice] there was also Challah, Pareve cakes, chicken stew, roasted asparagus, and much more to be made. Mary sighed, wondering why it was always the girls who had to make food, the boys were always free to run, shout, and play, but when girls were about eight to nine, they had to start helping instead of playing. After that, they didn’t have much free time if they had brothers and sisters, and most did. Boys had to start helping their father at age thirteen. Then she thought about their house, it wasn’t big like even the poor homes, it was sort of a box like thing, with low ceilings in the bedrooms, and of course it had a stable connected to it, it would be considered barbarian-ish to not have it connected to their house, the kitchen was the same as the other houses, and their floor was dirt, but their house was much smaller than the other houses, about three quarters the others houses’ size. Mary remembered some mean boys telling her that her house was so small it could only fit a mouse, Mary hadn’t liked that at all, but she had ignored that, because that was the only thing that she could do. In fact, she didn’t even know why the mean boys had chosen her to be the one they picked on, it wasn’t that fair, but if they had to pick on somebody, it might as well be her, or somebody who could handle it. Mary often wondered at the sight of the rich people’s home, they were so big—much, much, much bigger than the poorer people’s homes, and poorer people’s homes were really big. She wondered at the size of the homes, and how so many people could live together at once, because rich people had many wives. ‘’If father had so many wives, I wouldn’t care if mother was taken away by Romans, ‘’ she shuddered at the thought, not missing mother would be horrible, not to mention unloving, which was against the Torah. She couldn’t imagine having seven to nine mothers, but then they would have servants, maybe even slaves, and then Mary would not have to do so much work, but she would rather have one mother and do a lot of work than have many mothers and not work at all. ‘’Though, it would be nice to have more people around, especially more girls.’’ She thought.
*[Tam-mar-a] …………………………………………………
Mary was thinking about the houses, big and small, when she heard her father and Abi come in, they were very hungry, father said that today Abi had yet again amazed him.
“all my fellow fishermen wanted a pupil just like Abi, they were amazed at how much Abi caught” said father.
Mary laughed, father, I do think that Abi is a very fast learner, and very bright, even when most kids would have a bad attitude.
…………………………………………………
It was the next day, and Mary was beginning to make the food for the Sabbath, because nobody would work on the Sabbath, not even to cook food. Mary was frying some asparagus; it was to be for the Sabbath dinner, she loved fried asparagus, though she knew that some people didn’t like it at all. Abi and father had already gone fishing, it was their last chance to before noon, after that they were going to go and sell at the market, hopefully to make some prophet. Just then, she heard a loud bang on the door, and then it opening with a bang against the wall. She went on her tip-toes to go and see what was, then she began to laugh, it was her father’s cow, Mary guessed that she had escaped to the main part of the house. MOOOOOO, it said. She began to get it un-stuck from the door, it was so fat, and it was really hard to get out of the door frame. She finally got the cow out from the door, but it took a really long time.
…………………………..
Mary told the cow story during dinner; father said that the cow had done the same thing when Mary was little. After supper father began to tell the story of Moses birth…
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,] saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
…………………………………………………………………………..
Mary went to bed that night, but she was only going to go to bed for an hour; she had a lot to do before midnight. Cooking, setting the table for the Sabbath, more cooking. She couldn’t go to sleep for the little time she had to go to sleep, she kept thinking about how Miriam protected her baby brother. Mary got up to cook the food that she needed to cook, even though she was tired it felt good to get up and cook. Abi got up and asked why Mary was up so early.
Mary, why are you up so early? It’s not even sunup time, said Abi.
Because tomorrow is the Sabbath, and nobody is supposed to work on the Sabbath, it is Jehovah’s special day, she said.
He yawned, I already knew that, but why must you work in the night, he said with another yawn.
I must work in the night so that I do not break the commandment, remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. She said.
Oh. Mary, why do you not have a mother? Did she die to? He asked.
Um, I think that it’s past your bedtime, she said quickly, trying to distract him.
But I want to know; could you tell me in the morning, please? He asked.
I think some things are best left in the past; she said, though she knew she was losing the “fight”, though it was hardly fair.
Please? He made his “I want you to do it otherwise I’ll cry” face.
Fine, she sighed, but you have to go to bed now.
Yes ma’m, and with that he marched off to bed.
She sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t forget about it. She would tell him about her mother when her father went to go and sacrifice a turtledove, that was what the poor people sacrificed, the rich people sacrificed ox’s, maybe even a sheep, but it would have to be a lamb, though her father sometimes did a lamb. She finished her work, then went back to bed, though it was almost sunup and she would only have about two hours to sleep, counting the time she would have to go to sleep.
did I tell you I'm writing a book? here is the first chapter:
CHAPTER 1
Mary was 11, she did most of the mending of the nets that her father used in fishing, and she was doing just that. He didn’t make her do it, she just wanted to, besides it wasn’t like she had anything else to do. Her Mother had used to do it, but then again, she was gone, probably never to come back [her mother had been taken by Romans when Mary was about 7] but she had to get over it. AAARRRGGGHHH, she was thinking about it. AGAIN. She was doing the mending wrong again, too. Well at least it was only 6 stitches. Maaaaarrrryyy. I’m home. I got a salmon! Her dad said. You did!? She said, hurrying to the other room. WOW dad, he’s huge. Yes Mary, over 1 cubit. Mary could you please mend this net, I broke it trying to catch the fish, dad said. Dad you really need to get a new net, she said. Well honey, I can’t afford it, I’m sorry but you’re just going to have to put up with this just a wee bit longer. OK dad but promise me you’ll get one soon. He chuckled, Ok I promise, but fix the old one before I do, or it’s going to be a long time before I get one.
Later…
Mary was cooking the fish; her father had insisted that she used some of what little spices they had. Her father was out fishing again, he’d probably be back in an hour or so. She left the fish to be smoked over the fire. Then she went to go and fix the net. Before long she was out of thread, “Oh well, at least a spool of thread only cost half a drachma’’ she thought. She went to go and get a drachma from her own supply of money; she didn’t want to take from her father’s supply of money, making sure nobody was watching, she pulled a bowl out from the small crack in the wall, this was money she had made during hard times by helping the perfume maker. ‘’hmmm, well it takes one spool to fix one net and dad has three nets, so one and a half drachma. Then she started out the door, pretty soon a crowd of boys came by, they were the ones who were always mean to her, she thought. Hey, one said, look its Mary! Immediately they all turned around, Mary, Mary works all day, even on the Sabbath, hey, one said, I bet she gets in trouble with the rabbi-HEY leave her alone, said a boy about two years [he looked to be about seventeen] older than them, stepping from the shadows. How would you like it if I told your father, Seth, that you were making fun of girls? Seth slowly backed away, the others followed. I assume that your name is Mary? Yes, she said. Well my name is Joseph, I come from Bethlehem. I’m from the line of David. Mary said, ‘I come from a line of which I do not know. Well I think I will escort you the rest of the way, where you going anyway? Said Joseph. To get some thread, she said. How far away is the thread maker? Not very far, thanks for walking me, said Mary. Soon they arrived, and Mary picked out the thread. Mary, Joseph said suddenly, here, take this. Mary’s eyes widened, but Joseph this is too much, I-it’s ok I don’t mind. But-TAKE IT. Joseph placed it in her hand, jooooosssseeeeepppph his mother called, it’s time to eat. Yes Mother, coming, said Joseph. I hope we’ll meet again, He said quickly, hurrying away. ‘’ I hope I meet him again too.’’ She thought.
……………………………………………………………………………..
She returned home, still thinking about Joseph. Then she flipped the fish over. Soon the fish was done, and just in time to because her father returned home as soon as the fish was done. Mary, I got a big load today, tomorrow I will go and sell at the market, he said. That’s great dad! She said.
They ate dinner, then father cleared his throat, Mary, I need to ask you something. She looked at him and said; what? Well, Mary I’ve been thinking that you need some new sandals. She considered it for a second, well maybe I do, she said finally. Well why didn’t you tell me before? He asked. Well I didn’t think you could afford it. She said quietly. Well next times please tell me, he said. Ok, she said.
………………………….
Mary got up early the next morning to make breakfast for her father, last night she had a dream about her and Joseph, they were in a stable, and a baby was in a manger, then she woke up. Strange, she thought, even if I and Joseph were to get married, why would she put a baby in a manger? Oh well, she thought, it’s just a dream, why would it mean anything? Her father got up a little bit later then she did, so she had time to put the money away that Joseph had given her, and then her father came down stairs. Good morning father, she said. Good morning Mary, he said. Then they ate breakfast. Mary went to go and mend the net; soon she was done, so she was free for a while. Her cousin, Elizabeth [who was about thirty] was coming to super. Bah, why didn’t she tell us earlier? We could have saved the fish, she thought. But father said: all is not lost, he had figured out just the bait for salmon, so he could just go out and catch another one. He’d also said that because he’d figured it out, he could make more money, because everyone knows that salmon sell better than any other kind of fish.
….….………………………..
Mary was in the market, looking for her father’s booth. She soon found it, it was crowded with people, and wait a second, was that Joseph? A Hi Mary! Answered her question. Hi Joseph, she said. I’m just waiting for my mother to get some fish, said Joseph. I’m waiting to talk to my father, she said. Joseph looked around, who is your father? He asked. She smiled saying: my father is the one who sells your mother fish. Well it’s going to take a while getting there, he said. He was right; too, there was a line of about thirty people. Well I just need to get a fish from father, to cook it for my cousin, Elizabeth, because she is coming. Why is she coming alone? She’s not coming alone; she’s coming with her husband. But if she is- Joseph she’s 20 years older than me! Oh, that makes more sense, He said.
…………………………………
Mary finally got through the line, and most of the salmon were gone, but five were left. Joseph was gone by then, she’d probably meet him at the synagogue tomorrow on the Sabbath, she thought.
……………………………………….
Elizabeth and her husband came over, and even commented on the food! Then Elizabeth asked Mary something. “Mary, how you would like to come and visit our house?” Mary was shocked! “But I need…” “Mary, it’s ok,” said dad. “I’m going to pay the tax, and we’ll go together,” said dad. But father, you need to go fishing… the sound of a cornu blast came just as he tried to answer, ALL HAIL THE CENTURIAN, LUCKUS MUICKUS.
Father stood up quickly. “Mary, go and hide.”
“But why, father?” she asked.
“They’re most likely to check the house, Mary,” he said. “Elizabeth, go and make haste to leave with your husband.” Mary knew just where to hide, in the small cellar under the rug. She too, also made haste to get to her hiding place under the rug, it was a dirty rug, so that the Roman’s wouldn’t think of stealing it and revealing her hiding space, this was the same place her dear Mother had hid her when she was taken to slavery.
Pretty soon she heard a loud knock on the door, “OPEN UP, WE KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE.” She could hear her father’s footsteps over the rug then going to the door, and then she could hear him opening it.
“What is thy master’s wish’s?” he asked. “We need boys for the army, and provision’s to last us another day,” she heard a rough voice say.
“Well I have a few fish.”
“How many?” the rough voice asked.
“Ooohhhh I don’t know, about five,” Father said.
“WELL YOU’D BETTER KNOW, OR I CAN OR WILL TAKE YOU AS A SLAVE,” the rough voice YELLED.
Mary shivered, thinking, “Father had better think fast, or he is going to be a slave soon.” “Jehovah save him, I beg of You,” she prayed.
Then she heard her father’s voice, “Well I know that I have at least five fish, but I don’t have any boys. I have one girl, but she is on her way to her cousin’s house,” he said.
“Well how do I know you’re not lying?” the rough voice asked loudly.
“I swear by Jehovah that I’m not lying,” Father said.
“Well you must be serious if you swear by your god,” the rough voice growled. And with that, he slammed the door shut.