Читать книгу Mother of Jesus - Ilia Grinberg - Страница 9

When Anna and Maria set off on their way back, the sun was still burning with might and main, so there were no curious fellow citizens along the way. Everyone hid in the shadows and went about their business, some in the houses, some in the back rooms. Others slept in the courtyards in the shade of buildings, waiting for the evening chill, when it would be possible to work in more comfortable conditions.

When she reached the house, Anna put Maria in her room by the window, left the door to the house open so that she could bleed through the rooms at least a little, and sat down beside her daughter.

“Sleep my dear” she said. “And I'll sing a lullaby to you.”

“Mother, I'm so scared,” Maria whispered, tightly gripping her mother’s palm. “I'm afraid. Father learns, neighbors, workers! Horror!”

“Your father was going after today's meeting with his trading partners either to go to Nazareth, or to Jerusalem. It depends on how everything goes there. Just for a few days. He will come late, you will sleep. Or will pretend to sleep. So he won't see your bruises. And then. ... If there is nothing left of the robbers in you, that’s the end of it. And if it remains ... Okay, why chew like raw meat. If you get pregnant, Delilah promised to give another brew. True, she said that you will have no more children then. Never. Like this. Well, nothing, we have a week or two to think about. You are my child, I am your mother and I will never leave you. Sleep, my dear, come to your senses. Or do you want to eat first? Not? Rest, girl.”

In the evening Joacim came home. He was joyful and excited. Negotiations with partners and competitors succeeded. Everyone chose to cooperate rather than fight. Now it was necessary to go to Jerusalem, where it was planned to sign and seal the general contract with the governor.

“Anna, I'm at home,” he shouted, getting a donkey pulled by a wagon into the yard. - Where is everyone ?!”

“Quiet, you! Why are you shoutting?” Anna jumped out of the door of the house. “Maria is sleeping.”

“It's a pity,” Joacim said more quietly. “I thought I would ask her, how is she, how is she feeling. And tomorrow early in the morning it is necessary to go.”

“Nothing, come back, talk a lot” she suffered today. And, noticing the worried look of her husband, reassured him.” Everything is fine, fine. Where are you going? In Nazareth?”

“No, I have to go to the capital. A week, no less there will stay. But now I know for sure that no one will drop prices. So stability for years. Until again, some rebel or adventurer does not appear ... Oh by the way, did John come in? Did you transmit anything?

“John came, and then he went away. More precisely he ran for a while. Maybe his goats ran away.He nothing passed, so everything is fine.”

“So rather, it is yours, not mine. You welcome him all the time: come in, take a rest, drink some water. As you do not understand, it is no match for Maria. An employee cannot marry a master's daughter! Have you ever heard of such a thing? Not. So calm down. He is a good worker, but no more. That's all! .. So, you say, did not convey anything? Neither bad nor good. Poglazel, it turns out, on our beautiful and left. And okay, if so. Let's go to sleep then, wife. Let's go, let's go, but for almost two weeks I will be a bachelor. Tomorrow you get out.”

From the stories of the neighbors, Anna probably knew that not one man, if he was not a decrepit old man and with money, two weeks away from home, she would not torment his nature. However, she did not argue with her husband. But, hugging a hot male body, she thought about something else entirely. In her thoughts was one, for which the Lord was angry at her girl? Clever, beautiful, even science, as men trained. And how did she serve at the Temple ?! The high priest praised everything, and she and Joachim could not rejoice. Probably, they decided in heaven that it’s impossible to have only one joy and happiness in the house, so it is grief that has come.

Already falling asleep, Joachim once again, already barely twisting his tongue, said:

“Some kind of you today ... not like that. Surely, is it nothing happened?”

“Nothing. I just got flustered with Maria today, but I'm still tired, I’m not a girl.”

“Okay. Sleep, my old woman” Joachim hugged her and, burying his nose between her breasts, fell asleep.

In the morning, when it barely began to get light, the wool merchant rose, harnessed his loyal Marcus into a wagon and headed towards the town square, where his companions were to wait for him.