Caught In The Act

[TheBarrd]

Shiri sat in her kitchen, gazing out of her tiny kitchen window. She felt so lonely and depressed. Her husband, Dar, had not been home in three days.
It had been so different, she thought, when they had first gotten married. She had been a shy and frightened bride...but Dar had soon cured her of all that. He had been an adept and experienced lover, and it wasn't long before she was looking forward with excited anticipation to their time alone together.
But that seemed so long ago. For the past several months, Dar had paid little attention to her. His business seemed to keep him away from home for longer and longer periods of time. When he did finally get home, she would greet him eagerly...but her kisses seemed only to annoy him. He would push her away from him in the way a man would push an annoying dog off of his lap. And she would climb the stairs to her own bed, hurt and frustrated.
And so, after awhile, she had stopped running to the door when he returned from his business. He seemed content to be met by the housemaid...and that was fine with her. Wondering what she had done to earn his disfavor, she kept to herself when he was at home. She saw to it that his meals were served at the proper times, and she made sure that his bedding and his clothing were kept clean and comfortable...but, that was all she saw of him. Soon, even the vague hope that he might call her to him disappeared. The passion he had aroused in her had begun to die.
And then, the devastating discovery. Dar was making plans to take a second wife! Oh, one knew that men had married several wives in days gone by...but the custom was practically unheard of these days. "
Why?" she had pleaded.
"You are barren," he had answered simply.
She gasped. It was true, they had been married for a little over a year, and she had not yet quickened. But that didn't mean she was barren! Did it? Some women did not quicken for two or three years at least after their wedding night...and a few even longer than that.
"I had thought of giving you a bill of divorcement," he had said in a voice that chilled her through to her very soul.
It was his right, under their law, she knew. But one rarely heard of anyone actually giving his wife a bill of divorcement these days...unless the bride had not been a virgin on the wedding night.. It could be worse for them, she thought with a shiver. Every now and then, she knew, in the outlying villages, some poor girl still got herself stoned, because she had not bled on her wedding night. Even in these times, she thought grimly, a girl could be stoned to death...while the Romans looked on, smiling. She drew her robe around her, shuddering.
And then, she had met Alon. So handsome, he was, so intelligent, so good...and Alon had been kind to her. Before she knew what she was about, she found herself pouring her broken heart out before him. How understanding he had been. He had held her, as her eyes overflowed with grief too great to hold inside any longer. He had stroked her hair, trying to offer her comfort. And she had been comforted.
She had sought him out twice since that afternoon. She knew she shouldn't. She could feel the attraction between them. It was dangerous to keep seeing him...but she needed to feel his arms around her, and hear his gentle voice crooning in her ear, giving her the love and the comfort she so badly needed.
She blinked back the tears that suddenly burned her eyes. It wasn't fair, her heart cried! Alon loved her! And it was not her fault that she had not yet born a child! How could Dar treat her so, after all they had shared together!
He had awakened a passion within her, she knew. She had felt it burning within her, when Alon had put his arms around her...how hard it had been for her to pull herself out of those strong and comforting arms...to turn and walk away from him...to walk away from the longing in his eyes!
The tears drying on her cheeks, she got up, and walked out of the kitchen, to the front part of the house. Vaguely, she picked up a cushion and fluffed it, and continued through to the front door. She sat in her front doorway, admiring the spring flowers.
It was no use. She got up. I will just go and browse through the market place, she thought to herself. It will take my mind off of my loneliness. But even as she told herself these things, she felt the excitement rising within her.

continued:

 

[TheBarrd]

An hour later, she found herself wandering near the city gate. She sighed deeply. She hadn't meant to come this far, she told herself. She turned back toward the market place. Perhaps, she thought, I will buy a new shawl. Something colorful, for a change...
And then, her breath caught in her throat. There he was, talking earnestly with some very important-looking men. She recognized old Rabbi ben Chaim, of course. He was gesticulating wildly, as usual...he had been upset ever since the strange Man, some provincial preacher called Jesus, had come to Jerusalem.
There had been some really wild stories about this Jesus, she thought, and He had managed to upset the gray-beards who sat in the Temple and intoned their long, meaningless prayers...but other than that, she knew nothing about Him. And these other men...she knew them, as everyone in Jerusalem knew them. But she had not been aware that Alon was numbered among their close friends...she rubbed her eyes and looked again.
There was Shaleph, aptly named, for he was known by all the people as a peace loving man. But today, he looked unhappy as listened to another of the elders, a man named Zeph, called "the Wolf" by all who knew him. Evidently "the Wolf" was saying something that troubled the peaceful old man deeply, and he was shaking his head.
Alon was listening carefully, nodding thoughtfully. The fourth man, Ephraim, she thought his name was, looked up...and for just a moment their eyes met. She looked away quickly...something in that gaze had frightened her badly.
When she dared to look up again, Alon was smiling at her. The others had gone. Hesitantly, she smiled back.
"Ahh, you look delicious," he told her. "What brings you out on such a lovely afternoon?"
She blinked back sudden tears. His smile disappeared, as he quickly closed the distance between them. "I heard about your husband," he said in a quiet voice.
She shook her head, the tears flowing freely now. Gently, he took her arm and led her across the street toward a small alley. There was a building there, he knew...
Glancing behind him, he saw "the Wolf" smile and nod.
Less than an hour later, to her horror, she was in his arms. She had been unable to resist, as he had held her, stroking her hair. She had poured out her broken heart to him, and he had listened quietly. When her broken sobs had begun to subside, he had taken her chin in his hand, and gently turned her face up to his. Shivering, she had given herself to the passion that flared within her...letting it burn out all the rage and hurt she had suffered.
In the midst of her release, the door had come crashing in! Terrified, she tried to cling to Alon, but to her horror, he had pulled himself out of her arms, and was tugging his girdle about him, snarling with the rest of them.
"Adulteress", they screamed at her, as they grabbed her and roughly dragged her out into the street, clutching a bit of the bed covering around her naked form. A crowd gathered, drawn by the shouting and the confusion, and followed them to the Temple, where she was thrown roughly at the feet of a serious looking young Man Who had been sitting with a group of His disciples, speaking with them in the manner of a Teacher. She blinked in confusion, as He held up His hand, quieting the noisy crowd. Ignoring her completely, He stood up.
"What do you want of Me?" He asked in a voice that, for all it's quiet stillness, commanded attention.
Where it had been quiet a moment before, it was absolutely still, now. The crowd, it seemed, was holding it's breath.
After what seemed an eternity to Shiri, during which not even a bird dared to chirp, a voice spoke up. Looking up, she recognized the speaker. It was "the Wolf"...but what was Alon doing, standing there beside him?
"This woman was taken in adultery, Rabbi. She was caught in the very act." He paused dramatically, looking Jesus up and down, while Shiri cowered at His feet. "According to the Law of Moses, she ought to be stoned." His eyes were challenging, as his voice took on a superior tone. "We are here to ask you, Master," he seemed to choke on the term, "what do You say of her?"
Jesus did not answer immediately, but stood there, gazing out at the crowd of men. His glance met Alon's furtive eyes. Alon quickly turned away. Shiri shuddered.
Slowly, Jesus knelt down on the ground where Shiri cringed. He began to write in the dirt.
An angry buzz began, as each man strained to see what he was doing. Shiri, too, strained to see, but it made no sense to her.
She looked around at the men in the crowd. She saw Alon's eyes widen, and watched as he turned pale.

continued:

 

[TheBarrd]

In the days and weeks to come, they would argue among themselves about what He had written. Some swore that they had seen their own sins written there.
Alon and "the Wolf" exchanged frightened glances. For them both, for just a moment, the word "murderer" had stood out in the dirt, in letters as red as blood.
After a few minutes, Rabbi ben Chaim took up where "the Wolf", gone white and quiet now, had left off. "We are awaiting your judgment, Master" he said in a voice that dripped with scorn.
Jesus looked up. With a sigh, He again stood to face them. Ignoring the woman who crouched at His feet, He announced, in a voice that rang with confident command, "Let the one among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her!" His penetrating gaze swept around the crowd. Each man looked quickly away, as those eyes seemed to burn into their very souls. "You have asked for my judgment," He told them, "and I have given it." With that, He knelt back down and began to write in the dirt again.
Looking guiltily at one another, Alon and "the Wolf" dropped the rocks they had been holding, and backed away. As if that were the signal, the air was suddenly heavy with dust, as another, and another, and yet another rock followed. Tears glittering in her eyes, Shiri watched her accusers slink away, one by one, guiltily avoiding one another's eyes.
After a few moments, Jesus again stood. Reaching down, He lifted Shiri to her feet. One of His disciples, a man named John, stripped off his robe, and Jesus accepted it, tenderly placing it around her shoulders.
"Woman," He said kindly, "where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?"
Her eyes dropped. "No, Lord," she answered in a small, trembling voice. "No man condemns me."
He raised her face to His. Her eyes widened as He gazed into them. "Neither do I condemn you," He told her kindly.
"I do not understand You, Lord," she whispered. "I am guilty. I have sinned."
"I have come into the world to forgive sin," He told her gently. "Now, go, My daughter...and sin no more."
Shiri walked home in a daze. 'Sin no more', He had said...but it had not sounded like a threat. Rather, she thought, the Man was warning her.
She sighed. He was right, too, she thought. She had gotten herself into a serious predicament that afternoon...one that had nearly cost her her very life. And why? Because a strange man had smiled at her, and made her feel special. And then, he had turned on her.
She had thought herself in love with him, and him with her...but she had made a terrible mistake. Jesus was warning her not to sin any more, because of the horrible pain it had brought to her. He didn't want her to be hurt any more.
She smiled as she remembered His eyes...she had been warmed by the love she saw there. They were the eyes of a friend. No, she corrected herself. They had been the concerned and loving eyes of a Father...
Later that evening, Dar summoned her to his room. With a shudder, she went to him.
"I heard what happened this afternoon," he told her quietly.
She nodded slowly. "Of course," she murmured.
"I intend to give you a bill of divorcement and send you back to your father's house," he continued.
But if he had expected any denials or any pleas, or even an outburst of anger, he was to be disappointed.
"I will pack my things this evening," she told him softly.
"That is good. I will arrange for you to be taken home to your parents' home before the next Sabbath."
She nodded and left the room.
Back in her own room, she examined her feelings, surprised to find that she felt more relieved than hurt. She knew that Dar had made the best decision for both of them, and for his new wife.
She smiled. She actually found herself hoping that the two of them might find happiness together, as she went about collecting her belongings.
She began to look forward to going home.
A short story by Deborah Anne Barrd
aka TheBarrd