at his daughter. It always amazed him that he could have produced so beautiful a child. She was his treasure.
She smiled at him. “Good morning, Papa.”
“Good morning, daughter,” he returned.
“Will you have some fruit, Rahab?” Kata asked and Mepu watched as she took the platter from her mother. She deserved a rich husband, he thought, and it was his duty to make certain she got one.
Eleven
W HEN BREAKFAST WAS FINISHED K ATA SET R AHAB AND Atene to work cleaning. This house would never be the same as her house in the country, but she was determined to get every speck of dirt that had accumulated over the years out of the floors and the walls.
Her mother liked to clean but Rahab did not. As she worked, her thoughts were far away. What was Sala doing today? Would she get to see him? She hoped her mother wouldn’t want to stay home and clean all day or she would never have a chance of running into him in the city.
They had only been at work for an hour before Mepu came to tell his wife that the women should get dressed, they were going out. Rahab’s heart leaped at this news.
Kata put her pail down with a thump. “We are cleaning the house, my husband.”
“You can clean the house anytime, Kata. It’s a beautiful day today—not hot, not cold. A day to be outside.”
“Where are we going, Father?” Atene asked, looking up from the floor she had been scrubbing.
“We are to meet with the Israelites in the same place where we saw them yesterday.”
Rahab’s heart jumped.
“The Israelites?” Atene was surprised.
“Yes. We have business to discuss. Don’t take forever to get ready. Shemu and I will be waiting for you in the front room.”
As Mepu disappeared down the stairs, Atene said to Rahab, “That’s odd. Why would the men want to take us with them if they are going to talk business?”
Rahab didn’t care if it was odd or not, all she cared about was that she was going to see Sala. She began to gather up the cleaning rags and tried to think which of her tunics would be most flattering.
Her mother said, “It is not for us to question your father. Go and get ready, girls, and don’t take too long.”
Rahab put on a freshly washed long tunic of white linen and gathered it at her waist with a wide blue sash. She took her favorite blue shawl downstairs so Atene could drape it gracefully over her left shoulder. Then she asked Atene to braid her hair. When Atene was finished, Rahab asked anxiously, “Do I look all right?”
Atene laughed. “You never ask about your appearance, Rahab. What’s gotten into you?”
Rahab turned away to hide the flush that colored her cheeks. “Nothing.”
The midday weather was cool and pleasant as the family made its way up the cobbled street. The wine shop they were heading for was located in the Lower City but only a few feet away from the walls that divided it from the Upper City. The street was busy but Rahab hardly noticed the people who crowded around her as she followed in the wake of her father. Her heart was beating fast and her stomach was fluttery. She had never felt like this before. She wanted to smile until her cheeks hurt, but she contained herself and trailed along behind her father and Shemu, trying to look unconcerned.
When finally they reached the wine shop designated for the meeting, Mepu went inside to see if the Israelites were there while Shemu waited outside with the women. When Mepu came back out, Sala was with him. Rahab could not contain her smile.
Mepu said to Kata, “It is too crowded inside for all of us, so Sala— Arut , I mean—will escort you to the south garden to wait for us.”
“Yes, my husband.”
The smile died away from Rahab’s face. Sala’s eyebrows were drawn together, forming a crease over his nose. Clearly he wanted to stay in the wine shop and not have to go with the women.
Kata said timidly, “I am sorry you have been inconvenienced by us.”
At Kata’s words the line disappeared from between
She smiled at him. “Good morning, Papa.”
“Good morning, daughter,” he returned.
“Will you have some fruit, Rahab?” Kata asked and Mepu watched as she took the platter from her mother. She deserved a rich husband, he thought, and it was his duty to make certain she got one.
Eleven
W HEN BREAKFAST WAS FINISHED K ATA SET R AHAB AND Atene to work cleaning. This house would never be the same as her house in the country, but she was determined to get every speck of dirt that had accumulated over the years out of the floors and the walls.
Her mother liked to clean but Rahab did not. As she worked, her thoughts were far away. What was Sala doing today? Would she get to see him? She hoped her mother wouldn’t want to stay home and clean all day or she would never have a chance of running into him in the city.
They had only been at work for an hour before Mepu came to tell his wife that the women should get dressed, they were going out. Rahab’s heart leaped at this news.
Kata put her pail down with a thump. “We are cleaning the house, my husband.”
“You can clean the house anytime, Kata. It’s a beautiful day today—not hot, not cold. A day to be outside.”
“Where are we going, Father?” Atene asked, looking up from the floor she had been scrubbing.
“We are to meet with the Israelites in the same place where we saw them yesterday.”
Rahab’s heart jumped.
“The Israelites?” Atene was surprised.
“Yes. We have business to discuss. Don’t take forever to get ready. Shemu and I will be waiting for you in the front room.”
As Mepu disappeared down the stairs, Atene said to Rahab, “That’s odd. Why would the men want to take us with them if they are going to talk business?”
Rahab didn’t care if it was odd or not, all she cared about was that she was going to see Sala. She began to gather up the cleaning rags and tried to think which of her tunics would be most flattering.
Her mother said, “It is not for us to question your father. Go and get ready, girls, and don’t take too long.”
Rahab put on a freshly washed long tunic of white linen and gathered it at her waist with a wide blue sash. She took her favorite blue shawl downstairs so Atene could drape it gracefully over her left shoulder. Then she asked Atene to braid her hair. When Atene was finished, Rahab asked anxiously, “Do I look all right?”
Atene laughed. “You never ask about your appearance, Rahab. What’s gotten into you?”
Rahab turned away to hide the flush that colored her cheeks. “Nothing.”
The midday weather was cool and pleasant as the family made its way up the cobbled street. The wine shop they were heading for was located in the Lower City but only a few feet away from the walls that divided it from the Upper City. The street was busy but Rahab hardly noticed the people who crowded around her as she followed in the wake of her father. Her heart was beating fast and her stomach was fluttery. She had never felt like this before. She wanted to smile until her cheeks hurt, but she contained herself and trailed along behind her father and Shemu, trying to look unconcerned.
When finally they reached the wine shop designated for the meeting, Mepu went inside to see if the Israelites were there while Shemu waited outside with the women. When Mepu came back out, Sala was with him. Rahab could not contain her smile.
Mepu said to Kata, “It is too crowded inside for all of us, so Sala— Arut , I mean—will escort you to the south garden to wait for us.”
“Yes, my husband.”
The smile died away from Rahab’s face. Sala’s eyebrows were drawn together, forming a crease over his nose. Clearly he wanted to stay in the wine shop and not have to go with the women.
Kata said timidly, “I am sorry you have been inconvenienced by us.”
At Kata’s words the line disappeared from between
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