CHAPTER 5
Joseph clenched his teeth against the pain of Hotep unchaining him, two years had passed since Hotep was given control of Joseph, but he held no delusion, Joseph may be a prisoner and slave but he was still master unto himself. And he hated the fact that his duties, aside from reminding Joseph to remember certain things like eating and sleeping, was also inflicting the same pain on him each morning as he unchained him and re-chain him each night so that the some bonds hindered his movements. "Promise that you will eat something today," Hotep said.
"I will," Joseph said, honestly after a week without food he was getting hungry and a bit weak. He had given up food when he first came to prison, in truth if not for Hotep he would have most likely died that first month, but after Hotep had learned that he could right and what a benefit Joseph could be he did his best to keep Joseph alive and healthy enough to take care of the prison.
Since Joseph had taken over, all Hotep had to do was unchain and rechain him.
It was no wonder why he had been serving Potiphar. He had often wondered what he had done to end up in jail; Joseph, however, refused to speak of it. Hotep had heard the rumors, but he didn't believe them, Joseph didn't strike him as a fool. Whatever it was, Joseph was innocent, still he did have to lose eyes that said that he had seen horrific acts, but took part in none Maybe that was it; he may have witnessed something that he shouldn't have. What was it that this man witnessed to land him here, Hotep wondered silently as he watched Joseph eat the food that he gave the other prisoners. Even though he must have been starving he eat slowly, as if savoring every bite, as though he didn't know when he would eat again.
Hotep handed him some meat that his wife had made him, "here."
Joseph hesitated at first, but he was so hungry and he knew he would need the extra strength the meat would give him.
"You've been here a year," Hotep said softly as he undid the shackles that bound him to the wall, "you look terrible."
"Good, I'd hate to feel this bad and have it be my little secret," Joseph said rubbing his bonds against his already raw wrist from the constant ridged steel of his shackles.
"Have you eaten at all this month?" he asked as he handed Joseph the keys. Joseph had been put in charge of the prison a few months ago and with all the duties and without any help, he forgot to eat more often than not.
"Not sure, I'm generally not hungry," his nearly hopeless voice fit the atmosphere of the prison.
"Generally not hungry" Hotep repeated in disbelief, "only you could come up with that Anyway there are two new prisoners, we need to talk."
They were of high office and Joseph wondered why they were here, "that one is the Hathi the chief cupbearer to the Pharaoh, the other one is the chief baker." Hotep told Joseph.
"Two very important men, how did they end up here," he asked, he was still having trouble with his manner of behaving too much like a slave, but overall he was getting part of the identity that he had lost over the years and he was no longer afraid of questioning his duties.
"Accused of theft," Hotep said softly, "this was also sent for you," he said as he handed Joseph a letter from his master.
After rereading the note again, Malik, you have remembered me, thank you, he thought to himself as he went to tend the baker. He was a stout man with fine linens. He differently loved to sample his work. The cupbearer was a kinder man, he was tall with deep brown eyes that looked nearly black in the dim light.
"The warden tells me your distinguished guest aren't sleeping very well; I seem that there is trouble with their dreams, strange dreams?" Potiphar asked excitedly, "full of signs."
"They are not alone, Malik."
"As soon as I heard of this I came myself, because I know of your gift of reading the messages of the night," Joseph turned away from his master, he had bad enough of dreams to last a lifetime, "you can't remain silent now that they know you have this special gift," Potiphar urged.
"How do they know," Joseph asked quickly looking to his master for an answer.
"You could never hide those Horus eyes that shed light," Potiphar said, "do this well Kontar, and it will be a valuable ally on the road to your freedom. I swore you would be free again, help me Kontar, help yourself."
Joseph sat and listened as the cupbearer tell his dream, "three days," Joseph whispered, "you will only be here for three more days, then you will be freed and return to your duties."
"Nice fairy tale, now listens to me slave," Namu said, "in my dream there were three wicker trays on my head full of goods such as a baker would make, but birds were eating."
Joseph knew instantly what the dream meant, closing his eyes he whispered, "on the third day, the Pharaoh will have you killed, and birds will eat the flesh from your bones."
Just as he said, after three days the baker was killed and Hathi was released. But Joseph remained, as always he remained. Countless prisoners came and left, but he remained. He had the freedom to go anywhere he wanted, so long as he remained within the prison. He sat in prison, he couldn't even bare looking at the sun that shone overhead that seemed to mock him as if it knew that he would never again bask in its glorious rays. He had once again been cast into a pit of despair, though he feared that this time the only escape left to him was death.
