Elyam made the arrangements with Ester and Rina. They would live with him and Bathshua. He was willing to claim Rina as his granddaughter, so no one would think there was any impropriety.
The preparations for the move took only half a day. They made quick work of the tent and all their belongings. He knew Bathshua was grateful for the help. Rina and her mother were hard workers, making Bathshua’s life easier since she was getting on in years.
Elyam did his best to talk up the fact that his “granddaughter” was living with them. He even made up an elaborate story as to why she wasn’t married at her age. Each evening he practiced the story with Rina, so it would ring true if anyone asked. It would look bad before the Sanhedrin otherwise.
On this night, after he practiced the lie with Rina, he went to his room, said his prayers, and retired for the evening. He looked at the ceiling, his forehead creased with worry about Aaliyah and Ezekiel. He hadn’t heard from them in a while.
Bathshua, came to his room and blew out the oil lamp. “I’ve seen that look before.”
“I can’t help it. I keep worrying about them. I think it might be time for me to take a trip to Tiberias.”
“I would go with you, but it would leave our guests alone.”
“My dear, if you went with me, I would feel like a king showing off my queen to a foreign land.”
“Oh, stop it! I’m far from a queen. Just hold me for a little while. I’ll make preparations for your journey in the morning.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve a woman so elegant.” “You are a lying old fool. But I like the lies you tell.”
“It’s how I keep you interested.”
“It’s certainly never boring with you, Elyam.”
“My dear Bathshua, you have a way to put me at ease even when my soul is troubled.”
She cuddled even more and fell asleep but rest eluded Elyam. He began to shiver. Carefully, he pulled his arm from underneath his wife and stoked the embers in the clay stove nearby.
“God, please be with Ezekiel! He’s becoming a fine man, but I fear he’s falling away from you. Help him, please. He needs you now more than ever.”
A wind blew through the house at that moment and extinguished the embers of the fire. Elyam spent the rest of the night praying.
The next morning, he felt weary. He didn’t relish the long trip ahead. He waved goodbye to the women and left for his journey. His donkey was weighed down with gifts and provisions of dried lamb meat, wine, and grain.
He made it to midday before the effects of the sleepless night caught up with him. He found a shady spot behind a large boulder with a tree where he could tie up his donkey. No sooner had he done this when sleep overcame him.
Elyam walked among a garden of olive trees. Each tree was alive, with branches twisting into dreadful shapes. Each one became a Roman cross.
When he looked back, he saw all his loved ones hanging from them. He tried to run, but each cross had a Roman soldier blocking his way. He tried to scream, but his mouth wouldn’t open.
The circle of soldiers closed around him until he was unable to move. Elyam looked at his hands, and they were covered in blood. He looked up, and a column of fire descended from the heavens, consuming the crosses. Suddenly, his face felt like a warm cloth was wiping it from chin to forehead.
He woke, looking into the face of the donkey. The animal was about to lick his face a second time.
“Get off of me, you wretched beast!” Elyam sat up and let his eyes adjust to his surroundings. The sun was setting, displaying a fiery tapestry across the sky.
“I should get moving,” he said to the donkey. Even though his dream plagued him, the rest had helped somewhat. He walked through the night using an oil lamp. Fear kept him alert.
The new-moon sky was clear that night. The stars seemed so close you could touch them. But the light they provided wasn’t enough for Elyam’s tired eyes. His mind saw things that weren’t there. He jumped each time a branch swayed in the wind.
“I don’t know how many more times I can make this trip,” he said aloud, prompting a bray from his donkey.
“It’s alright. We’ll be there soon. If I know my daughter, she will be overjoyed to see us. I just hope they’re okay.”
Just then, a stench came upon them—a stench so strong it could have knocked him over if he weren’t expecting it. It was the dreaded stench of crucified prisoners. Their corpses were left to rot as a warning to others. The Romans didn’t crucify often, but they liked to leave the bodies up for weeks when they did.
He could see the bodies silhouetted against the stars. Some were only halfway on the crosses. The fear of crucifixion affected the community. Only the Zealots dared to defy the Romans. Most wanted peace, but the Zealots were making things harder for everyone else.