Sacred Scrolls; Chapter 8

 

Sacred Scrolls; Chapter 8

© 2021 by Amber Wright

ANDRONIKA

“Done!” Junia blew out her breath for her buying at the market was over for the day. She looked up at Demetrius with a little smile. “Now I’d better go make that honey cake so it has time to cool.”

“Till the evening, Junia.” Demetrius smiled, reaching out to shake her hand.

Junia readjusted her filled basket to one arm before giving him her right hand.

Demetrius watched her. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. “ Junia shook his hand firmly and smiled. “Till the evening, Demetrius.”

Demetrius disappeared into the crowd; that is, all of him did besides his dark head. Junia meandered down the street until she felt a tug on the elbow of her robe. She did a jerk, startled, until she heard Judith’s voice.

“I think something’s going on that you’re not telling me about.” Judith’s expression looked somewhat pained as she pointed to the retreating head of Demetrius.

“Going on?” Junia felt confused. “Like what?”

“Romance.”

Junia took a step back, feeling as if she had been slapped. That single word made her stare at her friend who she had known all her life. How can Judith ask me such a question—as if I wouldn’t tell her? She felt her heartbeat hammer away, then stop a few beats. What kind of talk is going on around here? That’s it. There’s been gossip about me—and Demetrius. Gossip! Why does it have to poison everything? She saw Judith’s lips moving.

“Is there something going on that I don’t know about?” Judith looked disturbed. “I am your friend. You don’t have to keep secrets.”

“Judith.” The word was spoken distinctly, and inside Junia felt a hollowness grow in her. How could her best friend not trust her? “If there was something going on, I would tell you. You should know that. Being there isn’t anything to tell, that’s why I didn’t say anything.”

Judith's pained expression lessened.

Junia swallowed. “I tell you everything—and now I tell you again. Demetrius is my friend and, no, there’s no romance.”

Judith let out her breath as if she had been holding it and a look of relief washed over her peachy face. “Tiria! I knew I shouldn’t have listened.”

“I suppose she always has the latest news, eh?”

“Forgive me for listening to her.”

“Trust me, I would tell you if I had a suitor!” Junia felt a laugh escape her, now thinking the misunderstanding to be funny. “And if I had a suitor I would certainly know about it, wouldn’t I?”

Judith nodded with a laugh. “I suppose you would.”

“Yes, I would.” Junia took another glance at Demetrius’ retreating head. He must have been detained at the sellers at their stands for he was not so slow at walking.

“You’re not smitten with him, are you?”

Junia made no reply.

Judith wore a frown, her tone disgusted, “Surely not!”

“Surely not, what?” Junia stared at her friend and a little irritation nettled her insides.

Elder John had said that Demetrius was a good young man, and she would not doubt him. Elder John had been around a lot longer than either she or Judith, and he would have better discernment than both of them put together.

“Surely not—him!”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know.” Judith looked away. “I just don’t trust him, that’s all.”

“Trust him?” Junia felt a frown pouring from her very innards. Why did Judith need to trust Demetrius before she—Junia Gaius the single—could be his friend? Judith was betrothed. She was not.

Noises of the market filled the pause that followed.

“You don’t know him. I do.” Junia found herself telling silent Judith. “How can you say you don’t trust a person you don’t even know? You’ve never even carried as much as one conversation with him.”

“Nicolas has.”

“Nicolas!”

“Yes, my brother.”

“And what has Nicolas got to do with not trusting Demetrius? You know your brother picks at anybody—for fun. You, of all people, should know that.”

Judith fell silent again so Junia hastily gave her a small smile of peace, “I’m sorry for making a spectacle of myself, but I couldn’t help it. I know Demetrius and he is to be trusted, Judith. I know.”

“You know him and you think you love him.” Judith returned her small smile. “I hope it all works out for the best.”

“Thank you.” Junia felt her smile become more natural. “Trust God. He knows what He’s doing.”

After a quick goodbye, Junia walked on down the street, perplexed. Why does Judith dislike Demetrius? He hasn’t done anything wrong to her. Tiria better not be starting up something about him, or about—us. She turned onto Water Street and saw yet another familiar face coming towards her. It was Andronika who she had not yet seen since the bad news. She felt her thoughts jam. What should she say?

~

“Andronika!” a girl’s voice melted through the heat of day.

Andronika felt sweat dribbling down her back as she repositioned the waterpot on her head; then, she shaded her eyes with one hand to see who had called. Before her, a boy on a skinny donkey rode past in a whirl of dust. The taste of dirt met her nostrils dryly, nearly choking her.

“Andronika.”

Andronika lurched in surprise and grabbed onto her waterpot before it slid off her head. “Junia!”

Her eyes fell to the ground, guiltily. There standing before her was a girl still innocent and happy. Only days ago, she had been that kind of girl. But now…

Her thick dark brown braid, threaded with a silky scarlet ribbon that tied her curling ends, hung over an uncovered arm. And her scarlet, sleeveless robe felt thin and sweaty under the still-hot autumn sun. Instantly, she tried to pull her dress up to cover herself. She pulled her waterpot from her head, and placed it before her. Regret inched its way into her as she stood there, feeling unclean. She had nothing to say. If only she could vanish into the clouds that hovered over the mountains each night.

“Hello, Andronika.”

It was Junia. She glanced up and felt a lump rise in her throat. Junia was speaking to her—in the open streets. Did she not know that it would ruin her name, to be seen with her? She felt a panic rise in her for her friend, but she managed a calm, “Hello.”

In a flash, she remembered when she could speak to anyone in the open streets and draw her water in the mornings with the good women of the city. Now as they spoke, she felt her soul fill with warmth. She felt like a human being again instead of a stray dog wandering the streets. She could almost forget that terrible day when a temptingly handsome young man had offered her a temptingly handsome sum of money…and she had taken it.

Then, as soon as the warmth filled her, a black sheet of dread replaced it. She gulped down another mouthful of regret, misery haunting her. If only she could erase that day. But she had hated her poverty, hunger and friendless state. Of all the girls at church, only Junia had befriended her. Of course, she was poor and a stranger and, therefore, unwanted.

Andronika held her waterpot closer to her as she found people critically glancing their way. The people who noticed conversations and whose tongues turned to idle gossip. She interrupted Junia.

“I thank you for stopping to talk to me,” Andronika found her voice grow unnaturally crisp, “but for your own sake—please go.”

The wounded look on Junia’s face made her cringe as if she had slapped her one and only friend.

“I shouldn’t want people to see you with me.”

She watched Junia swallow.

“I’m not fit to be seen with!” Andronika took a step back. “Please…for your sake?”

Pain filled Junia’s expression as she stood there blinking…then the girl reached out to give her a hug. Andronika barely patted her back, too stunned to speak. Too stunned to clearly hear Junia’s tone of voice as she spoke.

“Andronika, I’ll go because you wish me to but don’t forget—Jesus still cares for you and so do I. I’m still your friend, remember!”

Andronika watched Junia rush away, and stared at the back

of her veiled head as it disappeared into the crowd. Instantly, a

feeling of ingratitude washed over her. She had been rude to her

only friend in that city. But I didn’t want her name to be tainted

because of me! She felt her eyes fill with moisture so she squinted

into nowhere to keep tears from forming. Junia’s last words came

thundering into her head, Jesus still cares for you… I’m still your

friend. She slowly let out her breath, and wondered how she

could find out if Jesus really did care for her.

Right then, a mother and daughter passed her on the street.

When the older woman saw her, she turned to her daughter,

“That’s that base girl of the Widow Martha. Don’t even look her

way—she’s contaminated.”

Andronika watched the daughter straighten her head smugly

and look straight ahead. “Why must we share this city with foul girls as her, Meh’tehr? There should be a colony for them, like the colony for lepers.”

“I agree,” the mother cast Andronika a fiery glance with knitted eyebrows.

Hearing these words, all the softness in Andronika hardened and she clenched her jaws in resentment. With a proud toss of her silky brown braid, she walked down the street with the sunlight catching all of her gold and jewels around her neck, wrists and waist.

A Few Greek Words:

Fil'os: friend

Meh'tehr: mother

Pah'tehr: father

Adher'fi: sister

Adher'fos: brother