Two Testaments (63 page)

“What is this, Rislène? What have you done?”

Rislène stood and reached for him. “It’s nothing against the family, Father. Please let me try to explain what I’ve discovered … in this book.”

His hand was swift and strong across her face, sending her reeling backward so that she fell across her bed with a sharp cry. She hid her face in her hands and whimpered, “Please, try to understand.”

But she knew he would never understand. As he left the room, with Nazira behind, Rislène knew that she had just lost the innocence of her youth to the angry hand of her father.

At seven forty-five Monday morning, traffic was moving slowly along the broad avenue on the east side of Montpellier. Ophélie Duchemin frowned as the light turned red, and she pulled to a stop.

A man tapped on her window, a cardboard sign in his hand. She read the sign and shook her head, not meeting the man’s eyes. These homeless people! They were forever begging for handouts at every major intersection in Montpellier. She felt a stab of guilt. Sometimes she handed them a few francs, but today she didn’t have time to rummage through her purse. Anyway, how could she be sure this man would take the francs and buy bread instead of a cheap bottle of red wine? She couldn’t help everyone on a high school teacher’s salary.

Still, she wished she could offer the man something. She stared straight ahead, willing the light to turn green so she could get past this pitiful man and get to school. If he looked at her, if she met his eyes, she knew that feelings of sorrow would overtake her. The light changed. Ophélie sighed and inched the car forward as the homeless man stepped back onto the curb and waited for the next group of victims trapped by a traffic light.

Ophélie smiled at the young people who hurried into the classroom, talking among themselves. She stood and welcomed the teenagers to her French class as she did every day, challenging their intellects with an obscure quote from a favorite French author.

“Je te frapperai sans colère. Et sans haine, comme un boucher …”

The students contemplated the quote, some leafing quickly through their literature books from which, Ophélie promised them, all the quotes came.

Finally a girl in the front row called out, “Baudelaire,
Les Fleurs du Mal
.”

Ophélie nodded her approval, gave the class a half grin, and started her lecture. She was tall for a French woman, five foot seven, and slim, with long shining hair that fell past her shoulders, brown and thick. For years she had been kidded that she looked like one of the students, with her jeans and T-shirts. Even now, at thirty-eight, she could pass for a university student.

She had already begun her lecture when the door opened and a young woman of Algerian descent slipped into the classroom, her face turned down, her notebooks gathered tightly to her chest. Rislène Namani—the girl who had converted to Christianity last year, was attending Oasis meetings for teenage Muslim converts and had even started coming to church services. As she found her seat, Ophélie followed her with her eyes.

After class Rislène waited until the other students had left before approaching Ophélie’s desk. “Mlle Duchemin, could I … could I talk with you?”

Ophélie gasped slightly, seeing the girl’s bruised face. “Rislène, what happened?”

Normally Rislène’s smile was infectious. But today the girl was obviously terrified.

“My father found out I’ve been reading the Bible.”

“Oh, Rislène!” Ophélie stood and took the shaking young woman into her arms. “I’m so sorry.”

“My sister betrayed me,” Rislène continued. “She found my Bible hidden under my mattress.” She wiped a tear and covered her mouth. “I’m afraid to go back tonight. I don’t know what he might do.”

Ophélie closed her eyes to think. It was a very shaky time for Algerians. The civil war in their country was threatening to spread to France. Fear could be tasted. And Rislène’s story resembled that of so many others. As a young North African woman who had grown up in France, she was French in every way. Yet in the past few years, a sudden reemphasis on Islam was encouraging North African fathers to demand that their daughters wear the
hijab
and attend the newly built mosques popping up throughout France.

Rislène’s danger was greater, however. She had converted to Christianity, and her father saw that as an unpardonable sin. A black eye might just be the beginning.

Ophélie held Rislène’s hands and looked her in the eye. “You’ll come to my apartment, then, until we can think of what to do.” She touched the girl’s face. The ugly bruise covered her left eye and cheek. “Come back after classes, at five. Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

About the Author

Elizabeth Goldsmith Musser, an Atlanta native and the best-selling author of
The Swan House
, is a novelist who writes what she calls “entertainment with a soul.” For over twenty years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions work with International Teams. They presently live near Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons and a daughter-in-law. To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, and to find discussion questions as well as photos of sites mentioned in the stories, please visit
www.elizabethmusser.com.

What people are saying about …

Two Crosses and Two Testaments

“One intriguing era in France’s history, one unforgettable cast of characters, and one of the best writers in the CBA today all add up to one incredible read! In
Two Crosses
, Elizabeth Musser has achieved another literary triumph.”

Ann Tatlock,
award-winning author
of
Promises to Keep

“Elizabeth Musser reminds me of Francine Rivers. The characters are real, the drama is gripping, and the Spirit rises up from the grass roots of the story. You’ll love
Two Crosses
.”

Creston Mapes,
best-selling
author of
Nobody

“In a novel rich in historical detail, Elizabeth Musser spins an intriguing story of the lives and loves of young people caught up in the Algerian revolution to win independence from France in 1954–1962. It was a costly conflict, and we are invited to see it through the eyes of those living on both sides of the Mediterranean. Christian convictions and patriotic loyalties are put to the test, as God works His plans for individuals and nations. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.”

Ruth Stewart,
AWM missionary for forty years to Algeria and France

“In this delightful story, the sounds, scents, and scenery of France and Algeria come alive.
Two Crosses
untangles the complicated history of Algeria’s war for independence from France. You feel as though you know the characters. The surprising twists in the story never stop. As the book comes to an end, you are ready to immediately pick up
Two Testaments
.”

Margaret Haines,
former missionary with over thirty years of missionary experience among the Algerians and French in North Africa during the end of the war

OTHER BOOKS BY ELIZABETH MUSSER

The Swan House

The Dwelling Place

Searching for Eternity

Words Unspoken

The Sweetest Thing

THE SECRETS OF THE CROSS TRILOGY

Two Crosses

Two Testaments

Two Destinies [coming September 2012]

Photo by Sherry Peters

ELIZABETH MUSSER’S
highly acclaimed novels, including
The Swan House
and
The Dwelling Place
, have been translated into multiple languages and enjoyed best-seller status worldwide. A Georgia native, she now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband, where they have served as missionaries with International Teams for more than twenty years. Look for the first book in the Secrets of the Cross Trilogy,
Two Crosses
, in stores now.

www.ElizabethMusser.com

www.davidccook.com