Historical Setting, 629 C.E. near Trier
Gaia tells me things. “Papa Lazarus! You’ll be proud of Brandell!
“We’ve journeyed in a caravan all this way across the plains and mountains with the families of new settlers bringing their little shoots of vines kept in their tender care all the way here. They came with dreams. No one heard of the battle.”
I can nearly speak now, “What of those vineyards and the people over there? I have enough hurts to know they are brutal antiSemites.”
“No, Papa Lazarus, back when the battle was blundered they were only afraid of strangers. Think of it? All that brutality, all that killing, all that grief just because no one knew how to greet strangers. They were afraid everything they had would be taken from them, and then it was all taken from them by the war they thought would save it. The only people left were the women and children and elders on both sides of the river who had no weapons left and no tools. Now on both sides all are widows and orphans. The vines grew wild and untended, and no one was harvesting anything or making any wine.”
Now I remember some things of this vintner’s battle.
She goes on, “And now, Zachariah of the Jews arrived here with another band of settlers who had heard nothing at all of the battle and had no thoughts at all of the hatred of the vine growers across the river. The refugees were told they only had to go to the Church in Trier to get their names in the book there, and then they could join with the other refugees and use this land for their own vineyards. But there was nothing here.”
I have enough clarity of thought now to worry over that, “So now will there be more fighting?” I ask.
Gaia explains, “The settlers arrived here only a day ago. Brandell and I had been traveling with them. We went on to Brandell’s family before we came searching for you.”
“So, this new band of refugees are here now?”
“Yes, Papa Lazarus, and your demands for making peace are well-known on both sides of the river. You will be very proud of Brandell.”
“I always am.”
“He did a particularly fine thing I can tell you all about while we wait here for the men to take you back to the boat.”
(Continues Tuesday, March 12)
Lazarus Ink 