XIX
The baby held onto the fleeting strings
of life for four more days. The household hardly ate or slept. Joseph
prayed, but Asenath kept her vigil at her son’s bed. She was
weak, sick, tired, a bit delirious. Oni had tried to get her to eat,
but Asenath refused. She could not see or hear, but she did a lot of
thinking.
Ra-cruel, evil, selfish. Not worthy to
be worshipped at all. I challenged him to prove himself. And he is.
Joseph says that Elohim is love and the only true God. Then He has
given me pain. But Joseph once said that blocked love brings pain.
What does it all mean? You know, I never gave Elohim a chance to
answer the challenge.
She whispered, “Elohim, Joseph
worships you. He says that You are God alone, that You are powerful.
Well, my son is dying under a curse from Ra. Prove to me that You are
more powerful than Ra. Save my son. Then, I will worship You and
teach my son to love You. Just listen and if You don’t answer,
I know that… I have been talking to no one.”
Whether from exhaustion or a strange
sense of relief, Asenath collapsed into a deep sleep.
#*#*#*#
She woke to utter silence. For the past
few days, she had heard the constant wheezes of her son. Now, all was
quiet.
He’s dead.
The sudden realization hit her like a ton
of bricks. She wailed. It burned her lungs, but she could not stop.
Oni rushed in. “My lady! What
happened?”
All she could manage to do was point at
the crib. “Dead.”
Oni peaked over the edge of the crib.
Then, she began to smile and laugh.
“Why do you mock my pain?”
Asenath screamed.
“No, my lady. I mock nothing. It’s
just that…”
“Don’t talk back to me!”
“Your son is healed!”
“Don’t toy with my emotions.”
“I swear to you! Hold him!”
Oni picked up the baby and set him in his mother’s lap.
Asenath felt warmth. Wiping her tears,
she looked at him.
He was alive! Alive and healthy and
sleeping peacefully!
She sat still for a moment. I’m
dreaming. Then, she felt the
movement of his tiny lungs. A wave of pure joy swept over her. She
laughed and cried and danced all at once. Still clasping her son, she
ran to find Joseph.
“Joseph! Joseph!”
He was prostrated on the floor on the
west portico with Amnon. “Joseph! Elohim! Elohim has healed our
son!”
Joseph looked up in disbelief. “Asenath,
what…what do you mean?”
“Just what I said! See your
beautiful son.”
Shaking, Joseph approached. He glanced
for a second at the healthy pink skin of his son, then immediately
fell to his knees. “Elohim! Thank you!”
Asenath and Amnon joined him.
No greater praise could be uttered by the
rejoicing hearts of the faithful and the found.
#**#*#*#*##
“When you first mentioned Elohim, I
was sure that you were delusional. What happened?” Joseph asked
Asenath.
The whole family, Oni, Msrah, their
children (Zuberi, Asenath, and their youngest Sekani), Amnon, Joseph,
Asenath, and their son, sat together in the shade garden that night.
The plump yellow fruit of the persea tree hung around them and filled
the area with a pleasing aroma.
This is how life is meant to be.
“I surprised myself too. But it
seems like my whole life was eading up to this point.”
In tears and smiles, Asenath told how she
came to believe in Elohim as the only true God.
Afterwards, Joseph kissed her softly on
the mouth. “I have waited so long for this and now I don’t
even know what to say.”
A craving overcame Asenath. “I just
want to know more.”
#*#*#*#*#
Asenath awoke with a start. The first
rays of sun were just poking into the room. “Joseph!”
“Mmm. What?”
“It’s the eighth day!”
“Of what?”
“Since our son was born! What are
we going to name him?”
“Oh, yes.” Joseph yawned as
he rolled closer to her. “What about something Hebrew?”
“Alright with me, but it has to
have a good meaning.”
A Hebrew name is not what I always
dreamed of but…
“Do you have any ideas?”
Asenath asked.
“I was too busy these past days
with… well, you know, to think of anything.”
“Now, now, let’s not speak of
it. Let’s forget the pain so we won’t be bitter.”
“Perfect!”
“What?”
“Manasseh. It means ‘making
to forget’.”
“Manasseh, I like it.”
“Elohim has made me to forget all
my hardship and my father’s house.”
“He has done that for me as well.”
Manasseh. He led me to the joy in
Elohim without bitterness.
Joseph jumped out of bed. “Amnon
and I will circumcise him. It is business not fit for a woman to see.
After we finish, I will get you, and we will dedicate him to Elohim.”
“To be a priest?” Asenath
questioned, almost hopefully.
“Not necessarily. We will dedicate
him to Elohim’s service however He wants to use him, whether
priest, shepherd, warrior, whatever. We will be surrendered.”
Joseph came to her a couple of hours
later with Manasseh in his arms. “It was painful for him, but
now he is sleeping peacefully.”
Asenath fondly gathered him to her
breast. “He looks like a Manasseh.”
Joseph winked. “I thought so too.
Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To the worship room.”
The old harem.
“No, it’s your special place.
I can’t intrude.”
“It is not just for me, and you
won’t be intruding. I have waited for years for this day, when
we can finally worship Elohim together.”
Asenath shyly glanced at her feet. “I…
I’m so unworthy and… afraid.”
Joseph draped his arm around her waist.
“Don’t be afraid. We are all unworthy. But Elohim
welcomes us as the Perfect Father.”
“Will you go with me?”
He grabbed her hand and whispered, “I
won’t leave you.”
Silently, they walked down the hall, hand
in hand.
What will it be like? Is it filled
with magic? Am I even allowed in?
She stopped. “Wait Joseph. You said
that Elohim is the God of the Hebrews. Is it wrong for me, Amnon, and
Msrah to worship Him? We are Egyptians!”
Joseph returned the comment with a blank
stare. He looked like everything he had ever believed in had just run
into a wall.
That room is not for me.
An idea brightened Joseph’s face.
“I just remembered something! My great-grandfather Abraham met
the king of Salem, a place in Canaan. He was not Hebrew or even of my
bloodline. Yet, he worshipped Elohim. Actually, he was a priest of
Elohim!”
“But he was a king.”
“And… Hagar!”
“Who?”
“She was my great-grandmother’s
handmaiden. And she was Egyptian. Once, when my great-grandmother
mistreated her, Elohim spoke to her! Actually spoke to her!”
Joseph’s face was all aglow.
“He spoke to an Egyptian slave! Do
you think… He might speak to me?”
“I don’t know. He has never
spoken to me,” Joseph said.
“But you have your dreams and
visions.”
Joseph sighed. “I guess that counts
for something. But, they happen so seldom.”
“Then how can you know that Elohim
is real?”
“You cannot know. You have to
believe. Do you truly believe, Asenath?”
Asenath realized the enormity of this
question. “Um, I think so.”
“It can’t just be ‘I
think so’. You have to be all in, even when things go wrong.”
Asenath paused to ponder the statement.
“Yes. I believe.”
“Then let’s go into the
worship room.” Joseph pushed in the wooden door.
The room was not exactly what she was
expecting, but it was still magnificent. It had high ceilings and
three open windows. A long, crimson rug covered the black ebony
floor. At the far end of the room was an altar of shimmering white
rocks. Green candle sticks sat on ledges in the stone walls. It was
cool, and Asenath could smell the sweet fragrance of cooking lamb.
It’s very different from the hot
atmosphere of Ra’s temple.
“Amnon and I already offered the
sacrifice. Do you want to pray together?”
“Joseph, I would love to but I
don’t know how.”
“Then, I’ll teach you.”
He squeezed her hand reassuringly and led her to the rug. After
slowly kneeling down, Joseph clasped her other hand. “Elohim,
you alone are God. You are holy, and your glory fills the earth. I am
only dust and ashes. Yet, You listen to your righteousness and those
that pursue you. Listen to my cry. You gave us a son and now we give
him back to you. Use him. Make your face shine upon him and bless
him. And, thank you. Thank you for my dearest wife and that she has
believed in You.”
As Joseph prayed to Elohim, peace and
gratefulness washed over Asenath. It was like nothing she had ever
known. He prayed to Elohim like he would talk to the Pharaoh, with
honor, but also with familiarity, like a friend. Her heart cried,
Elohim! Elohim! I want to know
You. I need You! Tears welled
up in her eyes. The deep, earnest desire overwhelmed her. It was like
her love for Joseph, but richer and sweeter.
Joseph finished. “You turn.”
“Joseph, I really don’t know
what to say.”
“Just say what you are feeling.”
Asenath took a deep breath. “Elohim,
I…I…” she paused. Words began to spill out like a
waterfall. “You know for many years I was against You. I
thought that You were like the idols of my father. But, You guided me
to Joseph, Your child. Even then, I spurned You. But when I my life
seemed done and I had nowhere left to go, You took me into your
loving arms. Now, you are my hope and my life. I promise to raise my
son to love You. In the midst of all of Egypt, I will be faithful.”
When she was done, she realized that
Joseph and her were both crying. He folded her into his arms.
“Joseph, I have never felt this way
before.”
“I know.”
“Teach me of Elohim. Sing me His
songs. Tell me the stories of your family.” She took his
muscular arm. “Please.”
He broadly smiled and said, “With
all my heart.”
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