The Light of Life
I walked leisurely down the smooth lane before me. Flowers of every shape, size and color lined it. I drank in the sweet scent that tingled in my nostrils, inebriating me, melting away my cares. I did not know where this path led, but it did not matter; the journey was enjoyable. Suddenly, the flowers by the path wilted, the path became rocky, the sun lost its warmth, and I was plunged into darkness. I stumbled about blindly, searching for any trace of light, but I could find none. I knew I had a candle with me, but it refused to light. Then I saw another light, a bright light before me, but for some reason I was afraid of it. Would I go to the light or shirk from it? The pressure of indecision began to mount inside me, threatening to break me. Which would I choose?
I woke at the touch of my mother's hand on my forehead. I clutched at it as I began to cry. The nightmare had attacked me quite a few times before, but this time it struck me with an intensity I had never felt in a dream before. It was over now, though. My mother was there to comfort me.
"Was it the same dream, dear?" she asked with concern.
"Yes," I sniffed as I held her tighter.
She stroked my head softly. "The gods must be trying to tell you something, Orpah. It would be wise for you to listen to them."
"But I don't know what any of this means!"
"I don't either. Well, go back to sleep, my daughter. There is no good in trying to figure out divine purposes in the middle of the night." She kissed my forehead and lowered me back onto my bed. But I did not go back to sleep; my thoughts continued to spin in my head.
What was the path I was going down? How would it transform into such a nightmare? What was the light? These dreams started when I was betrothed to Kilion. Oh, Kilion…
I sighed as I settled on thoughts of a more pleasant subject. I remembered how it all began between us. A rich man named Lachish had had his eyes on me ever since I was very young. My father had many hardworking sons, and this blessing had made him more forgiving towards my femininity. He wanted me to be happy, and this man of many wives would not do that. Lachish began to threaten us; he even tried to take our land. He had quite a bit of influence in our Moabite community. Also, I was nearly sixteen; if I didn't get married soon I wouldn't get married at all. Just when things looked their worst, Elimilech and his family came from Israel.
They had moved to Moab because of a famine in their hometown, Bethlehem. They had come into our community, and rescued our land from Lachish. In return, my father had promised me to one of their strapping young sons, Kilion. From the instant we met, I had loved everything about him, from his sparkling green eyes to his unusual kindness. Though he believed in a different God, we bonded quickly. I was filled with gratitude, because I had heard many other Moabite wives complaining about their husbands.
Now, my wedding was in only a few days, but these recurring nightmares were becoming more frequent. For the first time, doubt began to creep into my mind. Was this really such a good idea? Were the gods angry with me for marrying an infidel? No, surely the gods…I sighed. Nothing was sure when it came to the gods. Mother was right. There was no point in trying to discern the divine mysteries. I rolled over into a more comfortable position, and let the wisps of sleep swirl around my head until I was peacefully dreaming of my betrothed.
The sound of my mother's voice drew me from my slumber. "Darling, it's time to wake up. We need some water for today. It's going to be hot; even now it's warmer than usual."
I sat up and rubbed my eyes sleepily. The night was over, and the fear was gone with it. It was time to move on, to start the brand-new day. I stood and dressed myself quickly. Our family had no servants; we took care of ourselves. I selected a large clay pot from our small horde and hurried to the well.
"Good morning, Orpah! How are you this morning?" called a familiar voice.
"Ruth!" I cried, running to my friend. "I'm tired this morning. You?"
"I'm doing very well, though I am tired, too. I'm getting so excited about marrying Mahlon, I can't sleep!"
Mahlon was Kilion's brother, the other son of Elimilech and Naomi. In fact, that was how I had met Ruth. Soon after I had been betrothed to Kilion, Ruth's father promised her to Mahlon. Although Ruth was younger than me by a few years, she was very wise and understanding for her age. We bonded quickly as future sisters-in-law.
"I had my dream again last night." I spoke softly, as if the ominous dream was more real by the volume in which I spoke of it.
"I wonder what it all means?" she mused.
"I've decided not to worry about it," I replied. This was a good morning, and I didn't want to ruin it by trying to wrap my mind around the eternal.
She smiled at me. "You're so stubborn, Orpah."
"What do you mean?"
"Whenever something doesn't go well for you, then you just ignore it and go on with your life."
"Do you have a problem with that?" I defended myself.
"No, no, I just think it's interesting. I don't want to get into a fight with you, so I'll just leave it at that."
I sighed. "Okay." I didn't want to debate Ruth either, not just because she was my friend, but because she always won. She was very wise for her age.
By now I had finished filling my jar. I would have to make a few more trips for today, however. I balanced it expertly on my head and, supporting it with one hand, waved goodbye with the other. Normally, I would have spent more time talking, but there were preparations to be made for our wedding party. Ruth and I were both marrying on the same day, and we had convinced our parents to allow us to have a big party together.
After a few more trips, I was ready to start my favorite task: sewing my dress. Mother had decided to allow me to make it myself, because I was quite good at sewing. It also relieved some pressure from her, as she also had to prepare a big meal for the party. Ruth's mother had died long ago, so my mother had to prepare food for a double wedding all by herself. I was happy to have such a wonderful mother, and the excitement rose within me as the day approached.