TheBarrd
Member
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:
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: