" See I told you…that was Simon Zealotes…we're here!"
" Rosie are you sure?" a dark haired girl asked.
" I'm positive!" she grinned as they headed off towards the market. Simon stood for a moment trying to comprehend what had just happened. Two complete strangers had known his name, his full name. He frowned and carried on.
" Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a very interesting day!" Simon sighed and entered the garden.
* * * * * * * *
Judas led her by the hand through the crowds until they were walking along a path. Up ahead she could see a garden in which groups of people mingled around, some looking up and smiling as they saw Judas approaching. Her gaze was drawn to a group of men in one corner of the garden. The man in the centre caught her eye instantly. He was dressed simply in white cotton clothes, unlike the others who were dressed in a variety of colours and styles. His hair, the colour of sunshine, was long and hung in curls around his face. He looked up and eyes of the purest blue looked into hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Judas led her towards him. She hesitated slightly, Judas felt her pull on his hand.
" What…? What is it…?" Judas' dark eyes were full of concern as they looked into hers. " You know who he is…don't you…?"
" Yes…" she gasped. " But how…I mean…" she could feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes but the reason for them she couldn't tell. Was it confusion or joy or fear? Judas smiled gently and started to walk towards him, leading her behind him.
" Don't be afraid…" Judas said quietly. " He's a friend…" He guided her in front of him and the blonde haired man rose to his feet.
" Judas…" he smiled. " I see you have brought someone to see me…" his voice was soft and just hearing it made her feel more relaxed.
" You're…you're Jesus…aren't you?" she gasped hardly daring to look him in the face.
" Yes…" he replied reaching out to take her hand. " And you are welcome here…" She slowly extended her hand to him and glanced up into his eyes.
" Th-thank you…" she smiled. Jesus gestured for her to sit down, she smiled and sat on the steps at his feet. Judas sat down beside her.
"Jesus…" Judas said quietly, gazing up at Jesus she noticed with a look of unmistakable awe in his eyes. " I found her in the Garden of Gethsemane…she had hurt her head and she cannot remember anything about her life…can you…I mean is there anything you can do for her…?"
" First things first…" Jesus sat down next to her. " We have to find you a name…"
" A name…?!" she gasped, her green eyes wide. " But why…?"
" Well, we can't keep calling you… 'that girl who's lost her memory'…can we…?" Judas' cheeky smile covered his face and she rolled her eyes.
" Ok…" she shrugged. " …you got any ideas?"
" How about…" Judas narrowed his eyes in thought. "…er…Mary, Rebecca, Ruth...er..." He winked wicked at her, "...Jezebel...!"
" …how about Jochebed…" Jesus said quietly. His calm blue eyes looking deeply into hers.
" She…she was Moses' mother wasn't she…" she muttered, repeating the name over in her head. Once again she wondered how she knew but that seemed unimportant. Something about it sounded familiar, which part it was she didn't know.
" She was…" Jesus nodded. " I think her name suits you…" a gentle smile covered his mouth and she smiled back.
" Well…thank you. I doubt if I deserve such a name but if you think it suits me…then Jochebed it is!" she grinned. " It feels good to have a name…even if it isn't mine!"
" How do you know…?" Judas asked quietly. 'Jochebed' shrugged.
" I don't I guess…but it just doesn't sound quite like my name…" she rolled her eyes and sighed. " Yes…I know I don't know what my name sounds like seeing as how I don't what it is…"
" What happened to your neck…?" Jesus asked softly, frowning slightly at the bruising around her throat.
" No idea…" 'Jochebed' shrugged.
" It was like that when I found her…" Judas added. Jesus reached out and touched the swollen skin, 'Jochebed' winced slightly.
" Someone did this to you…" Jesus said thoughtfully withdrawing his hand and frowning slightly, " …someone who was frightened…"
'Jochebed' shrugged and raised her hand to her neck to stroke the tender flesh but when she touched her neck she felt no pain. She glanced at Judas with wide eyes.
" It's gone…hasn't it…" she muttered looking back at Jesus, " Why…why did you do that…?" Jesus reached out once more and laid his hand on her cheek gently.
" You were in pain…I simply took it away…" his voice was quiet like a breeze but it carried through the air and 'Jochebed' could only smile.
" Thank you…" she smiled, putting her hand on his. " Thank you…" He smiled back as he rubbed her cheek before pulling his hand away.
" Jesus…" a young man behind them said quietly, " It's nearly time…"
" Thank you…" Jesus said standing. 'Jochebed' heard Judas groan behind her. She turned to see him looking at Jesus, this time an impatient look on his face.
" You're going then…?" he asked almost flippantly.
" Judas I have to go…" Jesus' voice remained calm even though 'Jochebed' could see something creeping into his eyes.
" Well…you know what I think about the whole thing…" Judas stood and folded his arms. " This will all end badly…for you…for all of us…" he said darkly. Jesus took his arm and led him aside. They spoke quietly, so that the others didn't hear what was said. 'Jochebed' didn't have to be able to hear, somehow she knew what they were discussing and somehow she knew the trouble that was coming. She looked around the crowds of followers who had assembled before them. Something flashed into her mind. An image…Jesus before the crowd, Judas looking less than impressed and Simon…Simon leading the crowd in some kind of demonstration. She frowned as she scanned the crowds once more. Where was Simon?
* * * * * * * *
Lucy and Rosie distributed the loaves of bread that they had managed to buy amongst the hungry group sat on the steps.
" I don't see why we had to sell my necklace to get the bread!" pouted Bertrande. Mark smiled gently and squeezed her hand.
" Because no one else had anything of value to hand…" he grinned and kissed her cheek quickly. " Plus I don't think Marius would have fared much better with his busking idea!" Marius pulled a face at Mark and sat pouting like a small child. Rosie handed a loaf to Guillaume but he shook his head.
" No…I'm fine…" he muttered waving the loaf away.
" Guillaume you must eat something!" Rosie scolded. " We all need to get our energy back…the last time we ate properly was…" she frowned as she tried to think, "…was back in Artigat!" she said eventually, a little surprised herself at how long it had been. " Please…" she said gently, " Eat something…" she put the loaf next to him and squeezed his shoulder. Rosie went back over to Marius and sat next to him on the stone steps over looking the market.
" Looks like we got here just in time…" mumbled Martin as they watched the stalls starting to pack up and move their carts out of the square.
" I wonder why they're leaving all of a sudden…" Jenny frowned.
" Maybe they know something we don't…!" grinned Amos breaking off some bread. Soon the friends were the only people left in the square. A breeze blew through the now deserted square, picking up leaves and shifting them along the ground. The breeze picked up a piece of paper from the far side of the square and carried it across to the friends, depositing it neatly in Rosie's lap. She glanced down at the paper frowning,
" What on earth…?" she started and then stopped. Her mouth dropping open as she looked up at the others.
" What…?" Phillipe demanded. " What is it…?"
" Well…I think…I mean…this says that…Oh my…" Rosie stammered, blinking her large brown eyes in shock. " He's coming…" she said quietly as the sound of singing started to filter through the air.
" Who? Who is coming…?" Amos asked. The singing drew louder and people started to enter the square. The friends rose to their feet instinctively. Suddenly a man appeared, riding on the shoulders of the crowd. His handsome face wearing a gentle smile, his blonde hair curling down his back as he waved at he crowds surrounding him.
" Him…" Rosie pointed with a shaking hand. "…Jesus…"
" Rosie are you sure?" a dark haired girl asked.
" I'm positive!" she grinned as they headed off towards the market. Simon stood for a moment trying to comprehend what had just happened. Two complete strangers had known his name, his full name. He frowned and carried on.
" Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a very interesting day!" Simon sighed and entered the garden.
* * * * * * * *
Judas led her by the hand through the crowds until they were walking along a path. Up ahead she could see a garden in which groups of people mingled around, some looking up and smiling as they saw Judas approaching. Her gaze was drawn to a group of men in one corner of the garden. The man in the centre caught her eye instantly. He was dressed simply in white cotton clothes, unlike the others who were dressed in a variety of colours and styles. His hair, the colour of sunshine, was long and hung in curls around his face. He looked up and eyes of the purest blue looked into hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Judas led her towards him. She hesitated slightly, Judas felt her pull on his hand.
" What…? What is it…?" Judas' dark eyes were full of concern as they looked into hers. " You know who he is…don't you…?"
" Yes…" she gasped. " But how…I mean…" she could feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes but the reason for them she couldn't tell. Was it confusion or joy or fear? Judas smiled gently and started to walk towards him, leading her behind him.
" Don't be afraid…" Judas said quietly. " He's a friend…" He guided her in front of him and the blonde haired man rose to his feet.
" Judas…" he smiled. " I see you have brought someone to see me…" his voice was soft and just hearing it made her feel more relaxed.
" You're…you're Jesus…aren't you?" she gasped hardly daring to look him in the face.
" Yes…" he replied reaching out to take her hand. " And you are welcome here…" She slowly extended her hand to him and glanced up into his eyes.
" Th-thank you…" she smiled. Jesus gestured for her to sit down, she smiled and sat on the steps at his feet. Judas sat down beside her.
"Jesus…" Judas said quietly, gazing up at Jesus she noticed with a look of unmistakable awe in his eyes. " I found her in the Garden of Gethsemane…she had hurt her head and she cannot remember anything about her life…can you…I mean is there anything you can do for her…?"
" First things first…" Jesus sat down next to her. " We have to find you a name…"
" A name…?!" she gasped, her green eyes wide. " But why…?"
" Well, we can't keep calling you… 'that girl who's lost her memory'…can we…?" Judas' cheeky smile covered his face and she rolled her eyes.
" Ok…" she shrugged. " …you got any ideas?"
" How about…" Judas narrowed his eyes in thought. "…er…Mary, Rebecca, Ruth...er..." He winked wicked at her, "...Jezebel...!"
" …how about Jochebed…" Jesus said quietly. His calm blue eyes looking deeply into hers.
" She…she was Moses' mother wasn't she…" she muttered, repeating the name over in her head. Once again she wondered how she knew but that seemed unimportant. Something about it sounded familiar, which part it was she didn't know.
" She was…" Jesus nodded. " I think her name suits you…" a gentle smile covered his mouth and she smiled back.
" Well…thank you. I doubt if I deserve such a name but if you think it suits me…then Jochebed it is!" she grinned. " It feels good to have a name…even if it isn't mine!"
" How do you know…?" Judas asked quietly. 'Jochebed' shrugged.
" I don't I guess…but it just doesn't sound quite like my name…" she rolled her eyes and sighed. " Yes…I know I don't know what my name sounds like seeing as how I don't what it is…"
" What happened to your neck…?" Jesus asked softly, frowning slightly at the bruising around her throat.
" No idea…" 'Jochebed' shrugged.
" It was like that when I found her…" Judas added. Jesus reached out and touched the swollen skin, 'Jochebed' winced slightly.
" Someone did this to you…" Jesus said thoughtfully withdrawing his hand and frowning slightly, " …someone who was frightened…"
'Jochebed' shrugged and raised her hand to her neck to stroke the tender flesh but when she touched her neck she felt no pain. She glanced at Judas with wide eyes.
" It's gone…hasn't it…" she muttered looking back at Jesus, " Why…why did you do that…?" Jesus reached out once more and laid his hand on her cheek gently.
" You were in pain…I simply took it away…" his voice was quiet like a breeze but it carried through the air and 'Jochebed' could only smile.
" Thank you…" she smiled, putting her hand on his. " Thank you…" He smiled back as he rubbed her cheek before pulling his hand away.
" Jesus…" a young man behind them said quietly, " It's nearly time…"
" Thank you…" Jesus said standing. 'Jochebed' heard Judas groan behind her. She turned to see him looking at Jesus, this time an impatient look on his face.
" You're going then…?" he asked almost flippantly.
" Judas I have to go…" Jesus' voice remained calm even though 'Jochebed' could see something creeping into his eyes.
" Well…you know what I think about the whole thing…" Judas stood and folded his arms. " This will all end badly…for you…for all of us…" he said darkly. Jesus took his arm and led him aside. They spoke quietly, so that the others didn't hear what was said. 'Jochebed' didn't have to be able to hear, somehow she knew what they were discussing and somehow she knew the trouble that was coming. She looked around the crowds of followers who had assembled before them. Something flashed into her mind. An image…Jesus before the crowd, Judas looking less than impressed and Simon…Simon leading the crowd in some kind of demonstration. She frowned as she scanned the crowds once more. Where was Simon?
* * * * * * * *
Lucy and Rosie distributed the loaves of bread that they had managed to buy amongst the hungry group sat on the steps.
" I don't see why we had to sell my necklace to get the bread!" pouted Bertrande. Mark smiled gently and squeezed her hand.
" Because no one else had anything of value to hand…" he grinned and kissed her cheek quickly. " Plus I don't think Marius would have fared much better with his busking idea!" Marius pulled a face at Mark and sat pouting like a small child. Rosie handed a loaf to Guillaume but he shook his head.
" No…I'm fine…" he muttered waving the loaf away.
" Guillaume you must eat something!" Rosie scolded. " We all need to get our energy back…the last time we ate properly was…" she frowned as she tried to think, "…was back in Artigat!" she said eventually, a little surprised herself at how long it had been. " Please…" she said gently, " Eat something…" she put the loaf next to him and squeezed his shoulder. Rosie went back over to Marius and sat next to him on the stone steps over looking the market.
" Looks like we got here just in time…" mumbled Martin as they watched the stalls starting to pack up and move their carts out of the square.
" I wonder why they're leaving all of a sudden…" Jenny frowned.
" Maybe they know something we don't…!" grinned Amos breaking off some bread. Soon the friends were the only people left in the square. A breeze blew through the now deserted square, picking up leaves and shifting them along the ground. The breeze picked up a piece of paper from the far side of the square and carried it across to the friends, depositing it neatly in Rosie's lap. She glanced down at the paper frowning,
" What on earth…?" she started and then stopped. Her mouth dropping open as she looked up at the others.
" What…?" Phillipe demanded. " What is it…?"
" Well…I think…I mean…this says that…Oh my…" Rosie stammered, blinking her large brown eyes in shock. " He's coming…" she said quietly as the sound of singing started to filter through the air.
" Who? Who is coming…?" Amos asked. The singing drew louder and people started to enter the square. The friends rose to their feet instinctively. Suddenly a man appeared, riding on the shoulders of the crowd. His handsome face wearing a gentle smile, his blonde hair curling down his back as he waved at he crowds surrounding him.
" Him…" Rosie pointed with a shaking hand. "…Jesus…"