Historical Setting, 562 C.E. Gaul
“Ezra, if I could help, I would stay.”
“Papa, we could build another cottage so you won’t have to sleep in the donkey’s loft.”
“That’s thoughtful Ezra, but you would have more taxes and less land for tilling. Please hear me out. I was thinking of going to the monastery at Tours because I believe they have a scriptorium and I could work copying scriptures and as I have done before. I have long done the work of taking scriptures to Christians still meeting in secret. Once Christians hid from the Romans, now they hide from other Christians. In Tours I would be near enough to return in the seasons when you need a hand with planting and harvest and maybe I could even help pruning vines if you allowed a novice.”
“You’re doing fine with this work Papa. You’re learning. And if you were to leave us my sister will go back to calling herself ‘Enola’ again, so alone with no papa eating at her table.”
“So, I guess I will need to have a talk with Colleta.”
“Colleta? You’re going to tell her what I told you of her terrible jealous rage?”
“Of course I won’t mention that. I just need to be the one to beg family of her to save Eve from always being alone. I would hope that while I’m gone all of you, you and Colleta and your children will have some meals with Eve at her new table. But begging Eve’s acceptance shouldn’t be a task left for you or for Eve. I need to speak with Colleta.”
“So you aren’t even going to let it slip into your chat that Jesse thinks Eve is wondrous?
“I won’t mention any of what you told me, I promise. I’m asking Colleta a favor. I’m not trying to beat her up. And really, it might be that Colleta is ready to include Eve from time to time. Eve no longer hides in bee nets and no one seems to mind. I’ve seen them talking face-to-face with hardly a notice of the scars. It doesn’t seem impossible for these two women to discover they are family together and that’s a good thing for both of them. Let me talk with each of them.”
Like Jacob leaving Laban, the prayer for stacking the stones is simple. Watch between us while we are gone from each other. Amen.
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 