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That Girl In The House Across The Street
"Jesus!" Mary called. "Jesus! Time to eat!"
"I'm coming, Mother!" 8-year-old Jesus called, standing up from his squatting position on the sandy grounds of Nazareth. He had been playing with flat, gray, oval stones, skipping stones as they are now called, and he had been planning on building up a synagogue with them.
His 6-year-old twin brothers, Phineas and Aaron, had been wrestling in the dirt and sand, and as they brushed past Mary she coughed loudly.
"Yes, Mother," they said unanimously, turning and running off to the village well to clean up.
Jesus' 4-year-old sister, Miriam, stood next to her mother, hiding herself under Mary's long head covering. With one hand, Miriam clung to Mary's skirt. Her other hand was supporting her fingers, three of which were shoved in her mouth. Phineas and Aaron teased Miriam awfully, but Jesus loved his little sister and always stood up for her. Miriam could not protect herself from their taunts.
She was mute.
Miriam took her fingers out of her mouth and broke into a wide grin when she saw Jesus coming. She took her hand from Mary's skirt and unclenched her fingers as she waved.
"Hey, you little worm," Jesus teased playfully, picking her up and spinning with her. Miriam laughed, something she could do. He then set her down on the sand ten feet away and ruffled her tangled black curls. "Did you have a good day?"
Miriam nodded.
Mary stood back and watched, smiling with tears in her brown eyes. "A son righteous and upright in the Lord," the angel had told her. Well, if not with the Lord quite yet, Jesus was certainly righteous and upright in her eyes.
The new baby, a boy named Benjamin, squirmed in her right arm, and she was broken from her trance. Joseph was inside, waiting for them to join him for dinner.
"Jesus! Miriam! Phineas! Aaron!" Mary called. "Hurry up! Dinner's ready!"
Phineas and Aaron ran past Jesus and Miriam before the two could move, hungry 6-year-old bellies being capable of making the legs run faster.
They ran in past Mary. She stood aside just in time. Being a mother of 5 taught her something about timing.
"Let's go eat," Jesus said. Miriam nodded. Jesus picked up his little sister, supporting her with his right arm, and started walking.
A rustling caught his attention just as he had put Miriam down, and she and Mary had turned to go inside. In the fading sunlight, a figure ran across the road. He could tell it was a girl, for she wore a head covering and women's garments. He watched as she ran down the road and disappeared into a house. The door, made of sticks and bound with rope, slammed behind her. One of the sticks snapped in half, the upper portion of which falling across the doorstep. Jesus watched her with interest.
"Jesus?" Mary came to the door. "Aren't you coming in?"
"Yes, Mother. But who lives in that house?" He pointed to the one that the girl had just disappeared into.
"That house?" Mary blinked. "I believe that's Rafael and Ednah's house."
"Do they have a daughter?"
"Yes, they have a daughter. Their only child. Her name is Angel, I believe."
"They only have a daughter?"
"Yes, Ednah is barren ever since Angel. That poor dear, she must suffer awfully."
"Ednah?"
"No, Angel. Rafael and Ednah always wanted a son. I believe someone once told them they would have five sons. Instead they have Angel. Now, I know it's just gossip, but the women at the well seem to believe that they often take their frustration out on Angel. And the child is not well liked at school, due to her shyness. They say she wears that head covering to hide bruises on her face. If Angel were my child, I'd be raising her up right." Mary's eyes gleamed, as they always did when she played mother hen. "I know I should like them, because they are contributing members of the community and never shirk their responsibilities. But when I see Angel sneaking in the alleyways to hide from their fury, they make me so angry!"
"Mary?" Joseph called. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine, Joseph. We're coming in," Mary called back. "Come along, Jesus." She took his hand and led him away.
And in the house across the street, yet another branch fell from Angel's door.
That's chapter one. A bit uneventful, but that's what other chapters are for!
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