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Arlana's brothers had ordered pizza while the others were visiting Granny, boxes stacked on the small motel table.
Mark stood up when they returned, "The boys got pizza for supper. Here, come in and have some then we will read the Bible together."
Digging into her purse, Arlana pulled out a small bag of crackers, passing them to Aziel. He couldn't eat the pizza, the toppings unkosher.
Sheila noticed but didn't put two and two together.
"You don't want any pizza? I have some pudding if you'd prefer."
"Thanks, Grandma," Aziel reached for the butterscotch flavour she held out to him, "I like this better than crackers."
Lachlan helped himself to a slice, thanking Arlana's family.
Jared was his father's favourite child, the son he had waited so many years for. Sitting back on the bed, he gestured at Arlana with his thumb, "She can't eat 'cus she's a Jew. This is an abomination."
Mark choked, coughing till his face reddened.
Sheila ran to get him a glass of water.
He took a long swig of the room temperature liquid, "You're a Jew? After all that you were taught?"
The moment was more than awkward. She wasn't a Jew - yet, however, if she denied it, what would Josiah think? Would he take it as a rejection of him? She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"I'm being careful about what I eat," she touched her belly.
It was the truth, after all.
Jared rolled his eyes.
"Okay," Mark accepted her answer, "Let's open our Bibles..." he began as though they were in a church service. None had their Bible on hand except for him and Sheila.
"I can drive home and get mine," Jared offered.
"No, no that's alright. It's already getting late so you guys can just follow along."
He took a few minutes, flipping through the onion skin pages, using his calloused fingers as impromptu bookmarks.
Mark began with the account of the crucifixion.
"Ah, Mark, that isn't where we left off this morning," Sheila pointed out, straining her neck to see where he was in his Bible.
Mark didn't respond, beginning to read, then stopped at the part where the Jews cried out for Jesus' death, declaring that His blood is upon them and their children for what they were about to do.
Josiah reached for Arlana's hips, pulling her close to him on the bed. Arlana's breath caught in her throat at his bold intimate move, not realizing he just needed to hold her close. He wrapped his arms around her, interlocking their hands over her womb. Josiah's knuckles were blanched as he gripped her fingers within his.
"Aziel, you're a smart boy. Can you tell me who demanded Jesus be put to death?"
Aziel was tired and struggling to pay attention.
"People," he yawned.
"Yes," Mark answered patiently, "But what people? Africans? Canadians? Who?"
A muscle clenched in Josiah's jaw as Mark singled out Aziel, but he held his peace.
"I don't know," Aziel frowned, not knowing the answer.
"I know! Ask me!" Peter stood from the bed, waving his hand in the air.
Mark ignored his other grandson, "Aziel, the Bible says it was the Jews that demanded Jesus be put to death. Why do they suffer today? That's an easy one...because they said they wanted Jesus' blood to be upon them," He paused for emphasis, "They asked to be cursed."
Josiah released Arlana's hand, tenderly stroking Aziel's quivering chin. "We all took part in killing Yeshua," he softly corrected his father-in-law, "It was our sins, mine, yours, your mother's, your grandfather's that sent our Messiah to the cross."
Aziel nodded, but a tear tumbled down his cheek.
"I don't want us to be cursed...or Savta," he hugged his knees, then released his legs, clinging to Josiah.
Mark had gone too far.
Sheila frowned, squeezing her husband's arm. She hadn't expected him to do this, now worried he would push Arlana away even if he did speak the truth.
Clearing this throat, Mark continued, "Well that's enough for tonight. I just wanted you to know the truth Aziel. You don't have to cry."
Arlana tried to cradle Aziel in her arms, but her stomach was much too large. Josiah reached out, lifting the boy onto his lap. He wanted to tell Aziel to be brave, this was just the beginning, but instead, he just soothed his son, not saying a word.
"No Dad, continue," Jared encouraged, "Preach it!"
Sheila squeezed her husband's arm harder, "Who wants to pray first?"
No one volunteered.
"Okay, let's go from youngest to oldest. Aziel, would you like to pray?"
Aziel shook his head, burying his face in Josiah's shirt.
No one said anything, deciding not to pressure him.
"Peter."
Peter liked to impress his grandfather, holding his decade long position as "Grandpa's boy." He prayed nearly word for word like Mark. Imitation, they say, is the purest form of flattery.
Amber was next, her prayer short and sweet.
Arlana dreaded the moment it would be her turn, but there was no escaping it.
"Arlana," Mark pointed out in the brief silence that it was her turn to join in prayer.
"Thank You for our time together. Thank You we arrived safely. Thank You for everything you do, Amen."
A child could have prayed a better prayer.
Josiah wasn't sure if he was next or Lachlan, but in the pause, he decided to go next, offering the Aaronic prayer, "The Lord bless you and keep you...."
Lachlan couldn't remember the last time he had prayed, but he thanked God for Arlana's family's hospitality. Words caught in his throat. He was disgusted at Mark's performance tonight. Aziel was just a child and should not have been singled out. Whatever he felt for Josiah right now, this was unacceptable. Josiah was righteous in comparison to Mark. It took everything Lachlan had not to expose Mark for the fraud he was.
No one was listening when Mark finally closed in prayer, Aziel already asleep in Josiah's arms.
The boys said goodnight, Jared commenting that he wished their devotional time could last all night.
Arlana tried not to roll her eyes.
Sheila bustled about the hotel room, busy doing absolutely nothing. "So you guys can take the next room. We'll just stay here. Peter, do you want to sleep here or next door with the men?"
"I'm going to go with Grandpa," he headed out the door, waiting impatiently for anyone to unlock the adjacent room.
"Don't forget to have a shower before you get into bed tonight," Sheila called out the door."Goodnight," Josiah locked eyes with Arlana, as he laid Aziel down in the opposite bed. He laid his hand on the boy's head, reciting the blessing before stepping out into the night:
May you be like Efraim and Menashe.
May God bless you and guard you.
May God show you favour and be gracious to you.
May God show you kindness and grant you peace.
Arlana stood, slipping off Aziel's outer garments, placing his kippah on the nightstand.
Sheila watched a moment, then turned to her husband, "You went too far tonight. You could have pushed them away."
"It needed to be said," Mark shrugged, indifferent.
"I have a plan, but you need to stop pushing it in their faces," she lowered her voice, speaking directly into her husband's ear, "Let's invite them back to the island with us. We will have more time to talk to them. I am hoping to show Arlana she would be much better off with Lachlan...and if that doesn't work, we will focus on Josiah's converting. Or both. I don't know right now, but I think that is the best plan."
"Sounds good to me. You're the boss. This way Arlana can help with the church too."
"Exactly," Sheila nodded.
Mark stood in the doorway, "Goodnight. Make sure you get up early so we can do a bit of Bible Time in the morning before we go for breakfast. You never know how long these Bible studies can last."
Reaching for the key in his pocket, he unlocked the door for the guys waiting in the night.
****
ARLANA SLIPPED OFF her dress, sliding a seafoam green nightgown over her head. Removing her tichel, she brushed her wavy blonde hair before she knelt in prayer, whispering the evening prayer Rivkah had taught her. Josiah would be praying the same prayer in the next room, their hearts and souls linked in the darkness. She closed her eyes, bringing her thoughts back to Heavenly things.
"Master of the Universe! I hereby forgive anyone who has angered or vexed me or sinned against me, either physically or financially against my honour or anything else that's mine, whether accidentally or inadvertently or deliberately, by speech or by deed, in this incarnation or by any other - any Israelite; may no man be punished on my account.
May it be Your will, L-rd my G-d and G-d of my fathers that I sin no more nor repeat my sins, neither shall I again anger You nor do what is wrong in your eyes.
The sins I have committed, erase in Your abounding mercies, but not through suffering or severe illnesses.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before you L-rd my Strength and Redeemer.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who casts the bonds of sleep upon my eyes and slumber upon my eyelids. May it be Your will, Lord, my God and the God of my forefathers that You lay me down to sleep in peace and raise me erect in peace. May my ideas and dreams and bad notions not confound me; may my offspring be perfect toward You and may You illuminate my eyes lest I die in sleep, for it is you who illuminates the pupil of the eye. Blessed are You God who illuminates the entire world with His glory."
Amber and Aziel shared a bed, leaving Arlana and her mother to share the second. Arlana listened to the woman's soft, steady breathing a moment. The last time she had shared a bed with her mother she had just been a child and it had not gone well, rubbing her arms, suddenly ice cold at long-ago memories that still plagued her after dark. The bed was icy cold as she climbed under the covers, longing to be in Josiah's embrace once more. Only God knew what tomorrow would bring, her body frosty cold in the heated room.
Sleep came. Dawn came early and rest was a welcome relief.