During the hailstorm, some Kemetians believed the world was coming to an end. Deafening thunder resounded as lightning flashed against a dark, hazy sky. Massive hailstones destroyed the budding flax and heads of barley as rain pelted the land. Set was no doubt greatly pleased, but the land was devastated.
What wasn't destroyed by hail was burned. Lightning ignited trees, already stripped of their bark by the hailstones, and the flames competed with the precipitation to see which force of nature would ruin the fields first.
However, the warning had saved lives. Everyone who had brought in their animals and servants from the field suffered no losses other than the crops. People who refused to do as the Hebrew God had suggested suddenly found their few remaining animals dead, leaving some families without even one creature to call their own.
All our animals were still alive, even our mongooses and the growing kitten. Our fields had suffered some loss, for hail fell everywhere except Goshen, but we still had enough for a harvest. There would be no abundance, but it would be enough to see us through.
Even my stubborn father hadn't wished to risk losing the rest of his farm to a storm, so he had consented when Pelkha and Zahra had begged him to bring in the animals. The sores and boils had healed, but my father and Dhouti were still weakened from the illnesses that had plagued them, so Elimelech continued to offer his assistance at my parents' farm, and my sister still insisted that following him to Goshen at the end of each day was a comfort.
"It's kind of him to help us," Pelkha remarked. "After all, we barely know him, and we are Kemetian."
"It is kind," I agreed.
"I wonder why his parents have not yet arranged a match for him. He's a hard worker, and he seems intelligent."
Rumors spread that Nisu's own servants begged him to release Moshe and the Hebrews, for Kemet was already destroyed. Our very lives were being stolen from us. However, Nisu still refused to listen. I suppose it would have been the easiest thing in the world for the enemies of Kemet to conquer us, but who would want this devastated land?
The remaining livestock was recovering, and people who had lost animals were managing to find enough coins to purchase some in the market. Hanif was able to sell one of our horses to one of Nisu's officials for well over three times the normal price, but he offered cattle and sheep to my parents at no charge.
Spelt and wheat were beginning to grow, and I had the mistaken belief that all would be well. However, I was unable to shake the uneasy feeling that plagued me. Kemet was still unsafe.
My suspicions were confirmed when Hanif announced the arrival of locusts. The swarms were so thick that it seemed as if the ground was a huge, living being.
Nothing was safe. Gardens, herbs, crops, trees, and every other plant were devoured by myriads of tiny jaws. Furthermore, the locusts made themselves at home in the barns and houses of the Kemetians, crawling all over people and adding to their torment with incessant noise. Only in Goshen was there any relief. Neper had definitely lost this battle to the Hebrew God.
I worried constantly about my family. What would my parents do when they had nothing to eat? Would the Hebrew God kill every Kemetian? So many lives had been lost already.
Elimelech continued to tell Pelkha stories. Just as a staff had become a cobra when Ra's eye fell on it, the staff of Moshe had been transformed into a cobra before Nisu. Although Pelkha was fascinated by these tales, I just wanted relief from my discomfort.
Due to an increasing number of backaches, I was no longer able to do farm work, but I often watched Hebrew children while their parents worked. I always loved being around children, but sometimes they did have a knack for getting into trouble. I once had to rescue a toddler from a well because his older sister was trying to play "baby Moshe in the basket."
The children also liked to play "Moshe and Paroh." One would pretend to lord over the other children, who would act like they were making bricks. Then the child playing the part of Moshe would announce a punishment, and the other children would pretend to be Kemetian officials and announce to whoever had the role of Nisu how Kemet was being destroyed.
I was becoming an expert at answering questions. The most common was "Why do you have such a big tummy?" but there were also plenty of curious minds who wished to know why Nisu didn't believe in the Hebrew God.
"Can't him wet us go?" a girl queried.
"Nisu…Paroh, that is…believes that if he lets you go, he'll be punished in the afterlife," I explained.
"Him wight about that!"
A boy wandered up to me and asked why we worshipped animals.
"We believe their power is a sign from our gods," I replied.
"What about the power of our God?" he asked. "Don't you bewieve in that?"
Our water had been destroyed and caused an invasion of frogs. Insects had destroyed our livestock, who had been further helped down the path of destruction by disease, which had begun destroying humans as well. Now our crops were being destroyed. It was nearly impossible not to believe in the power of the Hebrew God. Our gods were certainly no help.
Pelkha seemed to have lost her ability to cry. She accepted the idea of starvation with a sort of detachment. After all she'd been through already, what was one more threat? Death could bring only relief.