Chapter Nine – Together

Chapter Nine

Elizabeth and Miriam stood side by side at the wash basin cleaning after the men left for Jerusalem. Elizabeth washed the dishes slowly thoroughly inspecting each before handing them to Miriam for drying. They listened to the children outside the window arguing over the rules to some game they had been playing. Apparently, the loser was convinced the rules were flawed and needed amending.

A slight breeze moved though the small house bringing with it the smell of wild flowers growing in Elizabeth’s garden. Elizabeth loved to work the soil with her bare hands. Something in her resonated with the feel and texture of the soft earth she kept fresh with bits of fish and scraps of vegetables left over from meals.

“What was Zechariah like when you first met him?”

Elizabeth smiled. “Like any other young boy. Full of dreams and opinions, so sure that he knew everything there was to know. His father always said 15 year old boys were just young, dumb and full of themselves. Zechariah felt he had to make sure everyone observed our traditions, kept the law of Moses. He was the first boy his age to memorize all five books of the Law.”

“How did you meet?”

“He is four years older than me. We grew up together, always knew each other. I didn’t really like him much when we were young. He always thought my art work was a waste of time. ‘It’s just not practical!’ he would declare. I used to make stuff for him just to irritate him.”

The two of them laughed together.

“When his father told him he had talked to my father about marriage, ohh he got soooo mad. He avoided me as much as possible. He wouldn’t even talk to me when we saw each other.”

Elizabeth handed Miriam the last dish and wrung out the wash rag. Walking to the table she neatly folded the rag. Kneeling by the table she worked all the crumbs from the meal to the edge of the table then pushed the pile off into her hand. She rose and threw the crumbs out the window for the birds. kneeling again she scrubbed the table clean. Rising she returned to the washtub and rinsed the rag thoroughly, wrung it out again and hung it from the rack on the wall.

Together, Elizabeth and Miriam picked up the washtub and carried it outside and poured the water into the water trough for the animals.

“Hello there my wooly friends,” Elizabeth said as she petted the sheep getting a drink of the water. They shook their little tails and cried their approval of the attention they were receiving.

Miriam carried the wash tub back inside as Elizabeth petted each animal. She pulled out small pieces of vegetables and gave some to each one.

Miriam brought the weaving boards outside and set them next to the stools in the shade of the house. She always looked forward to these times of weaving together. Elizabeth knew so much about life and being a woman.

She rejoined Elizabeth at the animal pen. She watched the animals jostle for position directly in front of Elizabeth, each trying to get the next scrap of food. Back and forth they pushed one another as she held a piece just out of their reach softly speaking to them. Elizabeth finished with the animals and the two went back inside to pick out thread for weaving.

Elizabeth pulled out the board with reams of thread attached to it. The thread was organized by type, weight and color. Wool thread on the left and linen on the right. Each had heavier thread on the left and lighter thread on the right. Both of them perused the heavier woolen thread.

“I think red, white and purple will make a good set of colors to work with,” Elizabeth said.

“I agree,” said Miriam. ”I think I want to use some yellow today. Yellow and white and, hmmm, what do you think Elizabeth , blue or green?”

“You have a good eye for color. Surprise me.” She replied.

“Hmmm, well, I think I will use both at some point. I’ll decide as I weave.”

Elizabeth smiled at Miriam. Always one to just do something and then figure it out later, she thought to herself.

They put the thread into a basket and Miriam carried it outside. Elizabeth filled a couple of glasses with wine and water and carried them out to the sitting area. Miriam cut some yellow and white thread to the length she needed and started braiding it together.

Elizabeth sat down and watched Rachel and Joel coming running across the road from their home. Racing, Rachel easily beat Joel. Her eight year old legs being much longer than his five year old legs.

“Hi,” she said, smiling at the two of them.

Elizabeth reached out for a hug and Rachel quickly embraced her.

“Look Elizabeth, I lost another tooth this morning.”

She opened her moth wide and showed Elizabeth where the tooth had been. Then she showed Miriam.

“My, my Rachel. You don’t have too many left to go now.”

“Look at my tooth hole,” Joel exclaimed. “I lost one yesterday.”

“They know Joel, you showed them yesterday.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

“Did not. Elizabeth, did I show my tooth hole to you yesterday?”

“Well, Joel, I believe you did. Three times I think.”

“Did I show you Miriam?”

“No, I don’t think so. Let me have a closer look.”

“It’s just a tooth hole Joel,” Rachel said. “Everybody has one you know.”

Joel proudly opened his mouth for Miriam to inspect his tooth hole.

“Yep, looks like a tooth hole to me,” she said.

A grasshopper on the wall of the house caught Joel’s attention. He jumped up and tried to grab it with both hands. He quickly darted after it as the grass hopper jumped and flew away from him. He rounded the corner of the house leaving the ladies behind.

“Elizabeth, can I weave something too?” Rachel said.

“Come on, let’s go get you a board and some thread,” Miriam said.

Rising, she led Rachel inside to get the supplies.

Elizabeth began braiding white and purple thread together. Three strands of white with one strand of purple. She always like the way bold colors contrasted with white and often braided them this way. Sometimes it was three strands of white with one strand of a color and sometimes three strands of color with one strand of white. It always depended upon her mood. Sometimes she was in a white mood and sometimes not.

Elizabeth watched Hagar approaching. Her son Micah and daughter Deborah carried water pots with her on their way to the well.

“Hello Elizabeth,” Hagar said.

“Hagar, Deborah, Micah. Hello.”

“Did you hear, Zechariah said my son Micah here is his best student. How God has blessed me. Not only did He give me children, but Micah honors me by working hard to learn the Torah. Yes, God has blessed me with excellent children.”

Elizabeth gritted her teeth slightly she shifted in her seat and continued braiding the thread. Watching her hands working the thread she spoke without looking up.

“Yes, children are a blessing from God.”

“Every mother’s dream is to have children who honor her. Deborah has been learning how to makes Matzo for the next Passover. She is such a good cook.”

Elizabeth pulled the braid tighter with each passing moment. Finally she looked up.

“You must be a very proud mother.”

Hagar smiled slightly and replied, “Very. I noticed your braid is looking uneven. You should be more careful how tight you pull it.”

“I am experimenting with a new way of braiding. I want to see how a weave will look if I vary the braid thickness.”

Miriam and Rachel came around the corner of the house.

“You should start with a small board and learn how to manage the weave with that one before you use the larger boards,” Miriam said.

“But I want to make a larger rug,” Rachel protested.

“Hello Miriam, Rachel,” Hagar said.

“Oh, hello Hagar. Hi Micah and Deborah,” Miriam said.

“Hi,” said Rachel.

“Well, we must be getting on to the well,” Hagar said. “Good to talk with you Elizabeth.”

“Have a pleasant walk,” Elizabeth said.

“Bye,” said Miriam.

“Bye,” Micah and Deborah said together.

“Bye,” said Rachel.

The three left and headed for the well.

Elizabeth began frantically pulling the braid apart.

“I don’t know where that woman gets it from. Always has to rub it in. I am so proud of my children. God has blessed with such wonderful little children.”

Miriam watched her friend throw her thread back in the basket.

“I’ll be right back,” Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth quickly disappeared around the corner of the house.

“Wow. Is she ok?” Rachel asked, looking up at Miriam.

“Yeah, she’s ok. Sometimes it bothers her when Zechariah goes to do his priestly duties at the Temple,” Miriam replied. “Here sit down and Ill show you how to braid the thread.”

***

Elizabeth quickly retreated to the house and grabbed a towel to wipe her tears.

Why me Lord? Haven’t I been a good Hebrew daughter? Why can’t I have children? I’d make a good mother. Look at how I help Miriam to become a good woman. It’s just not fair.

No, no, don’t think like that. The Lord has been good to me. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband, Zechariah, and with wonderful friends. I am a good woman. I am just as good as the rest of the women in our village, even if they have children.

Yes, they have children. They have no sin. They have no shame. How did I sin that I should be barren. What have I done to bring this shame upon myself, upon my husband, upon my family. Everyone knows I am a sinner. What I wouldn’t give for a child. Just one. I too, like Hannah, would dedicate him to the Lord. All the days of His life would belong to Him. What must I do before God will open my womb?

Elizabeth sat down and dabbed her eyes. She dried them and lowered her hands to her lap, twisting and rubbing the towel. She pulled it taught then folded it neatly then shook it out and folded it again. She rubbed it between her thumbs and forefingers till it seemed she would wear a hole in it. She lifted her face and stared out the window.

It isn’t wrong to hate Hagar is it? That woman. She just rubs it in any chance she gets. She never says it out loud but I hear it anyway. Barren, Elizabeth, you are barren. I have children, you do not. You’re the sinner, I am not.

Warm tears continued to leak from her eyes. She rubbed her face with the towel trying to catch each one as it appeared. She gritted her teeth and began pulling hard at the towel.

Hagar, you are no better than me! I would make as good a mother as you! No, I would make a better mother!! My children would not learn to humiliate their fellow Hebrews. They would learn compassion and respect.

Oh Lord, please help me. I want to hurt her so much, so much. Just hurt her back. I am tired of her, tired of all the women in the village. Every one of them looks down their nose at me. Please Lord, please, even in my old age, would you bless me too? Bless me with a child, take away my shame? Please. Please!

Elizabeth eyed a small knife. She reached for it and felt the weight of it in her hand. She stared at it for a moment, then drug the point across the edge of the table. She drug it across the table again and again. Finally she put it down and wiped her tears one more time. She ran her hand across the scarred surface.

“Ouch,” she said when a splinter pricked her finger. She looked at it then pulled it out with her teeth.

No one understands. Zech tries, he really does. He has his own pain. But, he doesn’t understand mine. Miriam tries, but she doesn’t understand either. No one understands. I am all alone. All alone.

She stood and collected herself. I have visitors to attend to. She smoothed out the front of her dress then dried her eyes one last time. She hung the towel across the edge of the wash basin and headed back outside.

 

***

“First thing you do when starting to weave is to tie the thread off on the board. Here let me show you,” Miriam said to Rachel.

Miriam coaxed half of the loose threads at the end of the braid through the tie hole on the square hand loom. The she tied them together around the edge of the board.

“There you go,” she said and handed the loom back to Rachel.

“Thanks,” Rachel said.

Elizabeth came around the corner of the house and sat down with the two girls.

“Now look at your braid Rachel. All tied off and ready to weave,” She said.

Rachel beamed with pride as she held out the loom for Elizabeth to inspect.

“Miriam tied it off for me. She is really good at this.”

“Yes she is,” Elizabeth said.

Miriam looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth glanced back at her. Miriam could easily see that Elizabeth had been crying. She reached out and squeezed her forearm. Elizabeth smiled and placed her hand on Miriam’s and squeezed it back.

“Let’s see your braid Miriam,” she said.

Rachel pressed in close and leaned her hip against Elizabeth’s leg and inspected the braid with her.

“I like the yellow and white like that,” Rachel said.

“Me too,” said Elizabeth.

“I did two and two,” said Miriam.

“Yes I can see,” said Elizabeth.

“I am still trying to decide on whether to add the blue or green. Or, maybe both. I don’t know.”

“I am sure you will decide well,” Elizabeth said.

“Well Rachel,” Elizabeth said as she handed Miriam her braid. “How about we get you started. Wind your thread around the loom, moving forward one peg each time, until the loom is fully covered.”

Rachel sat down on the ground and began wrapping her braid around the pegs on the loom.

“Keep it tight as you go honey,” Elizabeth said.

Miriam tied off her braid on the edge of the round loom she was using and then began feeding the braid through the hole in the center. She then pulled it tight and wrapped it around the edge of the loom into the first notch and fed the braid through the center again.

Rachel looked up at Miriam and smiled. “Race ya,” she said.

Elizabeth smiled and said, “No, no, Rachel. Take your time. If you do a sloppy job on the core weave the rest will not look right.”

“Ok,” Rachel said then continued wrapping her braid around the pegs on the loom as quickly as she could.

Elizabeth picked up her braid and separated the threads till there was no braid left. Slowly and deliberately she braided then threads to together again.

“My mother taught me how to weave when I was your age Rachel,” Elizabeth said.

“Really? Did you spin the thread too?”

“No, I learned to do that when I got older. Spinning is a more delicate process than weaving. I learned to dye the thread before I learned to spin it.”

“Can you teach me how to do that?”

“Your mother is a master at dying thread. She is a much better teacher than I am.”

“How do you do it Elizabeth?”

“Well, it all begins with the source of the color. Take plum dye for instance. You can make many colors out of plums. First you have to peel off the skins. This is what you make the ye from. Then I cut out the seeds and put the fruit on the window sill for the birds to come and eat.”

“I like to watch birds. They are so pretty.”

“Yes, I like to watch them also, which is why I put the fruit on the window sill,” Elizabeth said.

“I like plums too much to let the birds have them,” Miriam said.

Elizabeth smiled at her.

“And sometimes I do also. But sometimes I like to feed the birds. Then again, sometimes I make a pie or jam out of them.”

“I can make a strudel. Momma showed me how. She said someday I would have a very glad husband who would love my strudels,” Rachel said.

Miriam laughed. “And I am sure he will want you to make him strudels all the time.”

Elizabeth smiled.

“You have to prepare both the thread and the dye before you can dye the cloth,” Elizabeth said. “Of course, I also dye linen after I have weaved it. It is less work and you get a more even color that way. You will need water, salt or vinegar, a cooking pot, one you don’t use for cooking food, a measuring cup and a strainer. You will use salt for dying with fruit dyes and vinegar for dying with flowers, leaves, plants, those kinds of things.”

“Can you make dye out of anything?” Rachel asked.

“Just about,” Elizabeth said. “But not everything works well for making dyes.”

“First I do when making dye from plum skins is I dump them in some fresh water and simmered them for another hour. It is so amazing how red and beautiful the water turns within minutes cooking them. You have to be sure you do not boil the skins. You should heat the water just hot enough to simmer them.”

While I am making the dye I prepare the cloth. I mix “the water and salt together to make the fix. The fix is what we use to make the dye stick to the cloth. To prepare the fix I mix 1/2 cup salt to 8 cups cold water. After I have prepared the fix, I simmer the fabric in it for about an hour, then rinse it well and ring it out as dry as possible. You don’t want to let it dry out completely before you put it in the dye.”

Rachel held up her loom and said, “Look Elizabeth, I finished putting my braid on the loom.”

“Hmm, let me see.”

She took the loom from Rachel and began inspecting it.

“Very good Rachel. This is excellent.”

Rachel beamed and smiled at Miriam. 

“Make another braid for weaving into the first braid.” Elizabeth said.

Rachel pick out the red and purple thread. Elizabeth helped her measure and cut the thread to the proper length. Rachel sat back down on the ground and began braiding them together.

Miriam asked, “What else do you have to do when you dye the linen?”

“After you have prepared the lined then you have to strain the dye to remove the plum peels. After you have strained the dye, then you put it back in the pot and dip the cloth in it. The more times you dip the cloth the more the dye colors it. If you want the fullest color possible then you need to let it sit for a few hours or overnight. The same thing with thread. I always do very long lengths of thread at a time because it is almost impossible to get the exact same color from two different batches of dyed thread.”

“You sure know a lot about making thread and linen,” Rachel said.

“Well, I have been doing it since I was a little girl just like you.”

“Is that a really long time.” Rachel asked.

“Yes, a very long time,” Elizabeth replied.

Looking up at Elizabeth Rachel said, “I like you Elizabeth.”

And I like you too Rachel.””

Together, the three worked on their rugs till it became to dark to see clearly what they were doing. Eventually Miriam and Rachel said goodnight and headed home. Elizabeth ate some of the leftovers from the meal they prepared for the men earlier in the day.

She lay in bed and thought about the events of the day. How grateful she felt for the company of both Miriam and Rachel. She then closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

© 2011 John Pearson All Rights Reserved.