A Voice in the Wind (48 page)

The woman smiled and opened the door for her to come in. “You are welcome. Trophimus is here with his family. He said to expect you. Come.” She ushered her into a room crowded with people of all ages and social stations. Hadassah saw the merchant among them. Smiling, he came to her, took her firmly by the shoulders, and kissed her on both cheeks in greeting. “Sit with my wife and me, little sister,” he said. He took her arm and led her between other curious guests to his family. “Eunice, this is the girl I told you about.” Eunice smiled and kissed her in greeting. “Brothers and sisters,” he addressed those assembled, “this is Hadassah, of whom I spoke.”

Others greeted her. Geta, Basemath, Fulvia, Callistus, Asyncritus, Lydia, Phlegon, Ahikam… their names ran together. Hadassah felt embraced by their love.

Asyncritus took control of the gathering. “Silence please, brothers and sisters. Our time together is brief. Let us begin by singing praises to our Lord.”

Hadassah closed her eyes, letting the music and words of a hymn she had never heard wash over her and renew her. It spoke of hardship and faith, of God’s deliverance from evil. She felt revived and far removed from the troubled lives of Decimus and Phoebe, Marcus and Julia. Caught in the mire of gods and goddesses, in the quest for happiness and the satiation of their own ambitions, they were dying. Here, in this small, modest room, among these people, Hadassah felt the presence of God’s peace.

Hadassah saw freemen among slaves, rich sitting beside the poor, the old with small children on their lap, all raising their voices in harmony. She smiled and wanted to laugh with joy. Her heart was so full, her sense of homecoming so powerful, she could only rejoice.

One hymn among the many was familiar to her, a beloved psalm of David that she had sung often to Decimus and Phoebe during her brief time as their servant. Eyes closed, hands open with palms up in offering to God, she sang from her heart, unaware of others around her stopping to listen. Only when she finished did she realize. Blushing, she lowered her head, embarrassed that she had drawn attention to herself.

“God has blessed us with a sister who can sing,” Trophimus announced in good humor, and others laughed. Eunice took her hand and squeezed it gently.

Asyncritus spread his hands, “
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands
!” he said with a great gladness, and the others joined in, “
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture
…”

Hadassah raised her head again and spoke the well-remembered words of David’s psalm, “
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations
.”

A worn scroll was unrolled by an elder. “We will continue our reading of Matthew’s memoirs tonight.” Hadassah had never heard the memoirs of the apostles before, for she had been reared on the Jewish Scriptures and her father’s memory of Jesus’ teachings. To hear the written words of Matthew, who had walked for three years with the Lord, made her tremble. She drank in the Word and took sustenance from it.

After the reading, the scroll was rolled again and placed carefully in the hands of another elder. Unleavened bread and a cup of wine were passed among those gathered. Christ’s words were whispered over and over as each partook of and passed the Communion feast from hand to hand. “This is my body… This is my blood… Take and eat in remembrance of me…” When all had been served, they sang a solemn hymn of the redeeming love of Christ, the deliverer.

“Are there any new believers among us who would share their testimony?”

Hadassah felt people glancing at her and blushed again, lowering her head, her heart beating fast and hard. Trophimus leaned over and patted her clasped hands paternally. “There, there,” he teased. “We expect no polished oratory. Only an encouraging word from a little sister who is new among us.”

“Leave her be, Trophimus,” Eunice said in her defense. “We’re new to her. You said nothing for a full year.”

“I’m always at a loss for words.”

“I want to speak,” Hadassah said and rose. She looked shyly at those around her. “Forgive me if I stumble. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to speak freely among people who know God.” Her throat closed and she swallowed and prayed God would give her words and courage.

“I am not new to the faith. My father told me of Jesus from the time I was born. He knew the Scriptures and taught me all he remembered of the Torah and the fulfillment of the prophets and God’s promises in Jesus. When I was very young, Father took me to the River Jordan and baptized me in the same place where John had seen the dove come down on Jesus and heard God’s voice say, ‘This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

“Praise the Lord,” someone said.

Asyncritus sat down slowly. “Your father knew the Lord when he walked on this earth?”

Would they believe her if she told them the full truth? She looked around again, into each face so open and filled with anxious expectation. How could she not tell them when they so hungered for any word of their risen Lord?

“My father was the only surviving son of a widow who lived in Jerusalem. When he was a young man, he was taken by fever and died. The Lord heard his mother weeping and came to comfort her. He touched my father and raised him from Sheol.”

“Praise God,” several murmured raptly. An excited hum of whispers spread through the room and a man near the back stood excitedly, “What was your father’s name?”

“Hananiah Bar-Jonah of the tribe of Benjamin.”

“I have heard of him!” the man said to those around him. He looked at her again. “He had a small pottery shop in Galilee.”

She nodded, unable to speak.

“The man who brought me to the Lord met him many years ago,” another said.

“Where is your father now?” someone else asked.

“He is with the Lord.”

There was a hush of reverent silence and Hadassah told them the rest. “We always went to Jerusalem during Passover to meet with other believers of the Way. Each year, we gathered in an upper room and my father told how Jesus fulfilled each of the elements of Passover. But the last time we went, a revolt had begun and the city was in chaos. Many of our friends left the city because of the persecution. My father wouldn’t go. And then, the zealots closed the gates and thousands were trapped. Father went out among his people. He never came back.”

“And your family, little sister?” Eunice said, cupping Hadassah’s hand with her own. “What became of them?”

Her voice trembled as she told them. She lowered her head, almost ashamed that she stood before them, the only survivor of her family, the least deserving of life. “I don’t know why the Lord spared me.”

“Perhaps for this moment, little sister,” Asyncritus said solemnly. “Your words have encouraged me in a time of doubting.” His eyes were full of tears. “God answers our needs in all things.”

Hadassah sat down again as others spoke of answered prayers and changed lives. Needs were mentioned and provisions made. Requests for prayer were raised and the names of brothers and sisters imprisoned or under threat mentioned.

Hadassah rose again. “May I make a request also?” They encouraged her to do so. “Please pray for my masters, Decimus Vindacius Valerian, his wife, Phoebe, and their son, Marcus Lucianus. They are lost in a wilderness. Most of all, I beseech you to pray for my lady, Julia. She is on the road to destruction.“

22

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Hadassah returned to the villa spiritually replenished, unaware that disaster awaited.

She heard Julia screaming when she entered the peristyle. Racing up the steps into the triclinium, she ran through it into the open corridor that led to her mistress’s chambers. A maid was crying hysterically outside Julia’s door.

“He’s going to beat her to death. What are we going to do?”

Julia’s screams propelled Hadassah to act without thought of consequences. When she grasped the door handle, the other maid was galvanized as well. She tried to stop her. “You can’t go in! He’ll kill you!”

Hadassah shook her off, frantic to get to her mistress even as the other maid fled from the scene. When she entered the room, Julia was on the floor trying to scramble away from Urbanus as he whipped her. She screamed in pain as the whip tore the red fabric and reddened her skin.

“Stop, my lord!” Hadassah cried out, but, enraged, he went after Julia again. Hadassah tried to block him, but he knocked her aside. She scrambled to get in his path again and Julia tried to scurry away. He hit Hadassah a stunning blow, knocking her from her feet. “Get out!” he bellowed, kicking her hard in the side before turning on Julia again. “I’m going to kill you, you foul witch. By all the gods, I swear it.”

He cornered Julia and she cowered, covering her head with her arms and screaming as the whip came down across her back.

Hadassah rose shakily, her vision blurred. Urbanus’ violence was like a malevolent presence in the room, and she heard Julia’s screams of terror and pain. Stumbling across the room, Hadassah threw herself over Julia to protect her. The bite of the whip made her gasp and flinch. Sobbing hysterically, Julia curled into a quivering ball beneath her.

Enraged, Urbanus spent his fury on Hadassah. When lashing her failed to satisfy him, he overturned Julia’s desk, toppled a favored statue, and smashed her mirror. “I’m not done with you, Julia,” he said and left.

Julia’s heart slowed. “He’s gone. Let me up.” Hadassah didn’t move. “Let me up before he comes back!” Julia struggled and Hadassah rolled to one side. Julia saw her face, ashen and still. “Hadassah!” Frightened, Julia put her ear near Hadassah’s parted lips. She was barely breathing. Gathering her maid into her arms, Julia wept. “You saved me from him,” she whispered, rocking her. She stroked the hair from her slave’s white face and kissed her brow. “You’ll be all right. You
will
.” She held her tightly and rocked her, the anger building inside her.

No more. No more of this, Urbanus!

The door opened slowly and a maid peered cautiously around the edge. Julia glared at her. “Where is my husband?” she said in a cold voice. The slave girl stood in the open doorway, another two behind her.

“Master Caius has left the villa,” the first said.

“And so now you come to my aid,” she said bitterly. “Coward. You’re all cowards!” She saw their fear of her. It was right that they fear her. Every slave in this household was going to the arena for leaving her at the mercy of Caius. She held Hadassah closer, stroking the hair back from her white face. Every one of them, except this one who had protected her. She could feel Hadassah’s warm blood soaking into the sleeve of her dress.

Raising her head, she glared at the slaves standing in the doorway awaiting instructions. Cowards! Fools! They deserved death. She hated every one of them. “Come and see to her,” she ordered, and two rushed into the room and bent to take Hadassah. “Salt her wounds and bind them and keep her hidden from my husband.” She dug her fingernails into the arm of one of them. “If she dies, I’ll have the skin stripped from your backs. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my lady,” she said quickly, terrified.

“Hurry!” Julia knew she had to leave the villa before Caius returned. Until Caius spent his rage and found his reason, her life was in danger. If he couldn’t find her, he would have time to think and regain control of himself. Without pausing to change her tattered clothing, Julia drew a voluminous cloak around herself and fled into the night.

She ran all the way to Calabah’s and pounded on her door. A handsome Greek slave admitted her. “Tell Calabah I’m here,” she said, standing just inside the door. He made no move to obey her, and she pushed him aside and entered the larger room where Calabah held her gatherings. “Tell Calabah I’m here,” she said again, eyes flashing.

“Lady Calabah is occupied.”

Julia turned and glared up at him. “This is a matter of grave importance.”

“She said she wasn’t to be disturbed.”

“She will understand!” she said, exasperated. “Stop just standing there and gawking at me and do as you’re told!”

He left the room and Julia paced in agitation. She hugged the heavy cape around her, but could not ward off the chill that was seeping into her bones. The Greek returned after several long moments.

“Lady Calabah will see you in her chambers in a few minutes, my lady.”

“I have to see her
now
!” Julia brushed past him again impatiently. She came to an open doorway and saw a maid holding a light robe as Calabah stood naked beside the bed. “Oh,” she said and blushed. Calabah glanced toward her, her expression enigmatic. She seemed unembarrassed, standing with her arms slightly outstretched so the maid could drape a toga around her.

“Another emergency, Julia?” she said ruefully, a hint of annoyance in her manner.

Julia was dismayed at such a cool greeting. She never thought that Calabah would be angry with her over her cancellation. “I’m sorry I missed the play, Calabah. Caius forced me to go with him. There was simply nothing I could do—”

“Nonsense,” Calabah said. “I’m growing very tired of your histrionics, Julia,” she said with weary patience. “What momentous thing happened to you this time that you felt impelled to interrupt my evening?”

Julia entered the room and dropped the heavy cloak, turning so Calabah could see the tatters of her red palus and the welts on her back. She was satisfied to hear her gasp.

“Caius did this to you?”

“Yes,” Julia said. “He went mad tonight, Calabah. He would’ve killed me if Hadassah hadn’t intervened.”

“Your maid?”

“She threw herself over me and took the rest of the beating.” She started to weep again. “I think he’s killed her. She—”

“Never mind your slave. Sit a moment and get control of yourself,” Calabah interrupted and led her to the bed. She put her hands on Julia’s trembling shoulders and forced her to sit. “I’ll have salve brought for your back.” She spoke with one of her slaves. Closing the door, she turned toward her. “Now tell me what happened to make Caius lose his temper so completely?”