Free Faith of My Fathers by Lynn Austin Page B

before he could stop. The girl knelt in front of him with a bowl and a spoon, waiting to feed him. The fragrant broth smelled of leeks and garlic, and Joshua suddenly realized how hungry he was. He let her feed it to him, careful to eat slowly and not burn his mouth. The soup soon warmed him from the inside.
    The room grew brighter once the sun rose above the surrounding hills, and Joshua got his first good look at this girl who called Maki “Abba.” She was in her midteens, he guessed, and very thin, but he saw a woman’s body beneath her coarse, ragged robes. Her swarthy skin and dark hair looked like they could use a good washing with strong soap. He hoped she didn’t have lice. Her oval face was very plain, marred by a dark mole on her cheekbone beneath her left eye. But she had been kind to him. He clung to the hope that once her father left the house she would help him escape. He struggled to recall her name. He thought Maki had mentioned it. Yes . . . it was Miriam.
    “Thank you, Miriam,” he said when the bowl was empty. He tried to catch her eye, but she kept her gaze averted as she rose to give some of the broth and chunks of bread to the two boys.
    When the shofar sounded for the morning sacrifice, Maki cursed. “If I had a robe to wear, I could go to the Temple. Maybe I could learn something that would help you.”
    “Here, take my robe, Abba,” Miriam said. “And you can wear Master Joshua’s sandals.” There was nothing feminine about the ragged outer robe Miriam wore. It might have once belonged to a man. She was about the same height as Maki, and it fit him well, but Joshua’s sandals were much too big for Maki’s feet. He fastened them on anyway and shuffled to the door.
    “Keep the door and window closed,” Maki told her. “If anyone comes, hide Master Joshua in the cistern again. And don’t leave the house for any reason. Understand?”
    “Yes, Abba.”
    “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    Joshua glimpsed a pale blue sky and thin, high clouds as the door opened briefly, then slammed shut again. His only hope of freedom was to befriend Maki’s children. Maybe he could talk them into setting him free.
    “Miriam, may I have a drink of water?” he asked. She didn’t reply. Instead, she gave the water dipper to the older boy, and he held it to Joshua’s lips. The boy was a filthy little urchin, the kind that Joshua had seen trying to rob money pouches outside the Temple gates and stealing fruit from the vendors in the marketplace. He looked as though he had never had a bath or a decent meal in his life. “What’s your name?” Joshua asked him.
    “Nathan.”
    “How old are you?” The boy shrugged. “Listen, Nathan, my wrists are getting sore. I think your father—”
    “He isn’t my father!” Nathan’s hands balled into fists. He stood poised as if for a fight.
    “I’m sorry . . . I think Maki tied this rope too tightly. My fingers are growing numb. Can you loosen it for me?” Nathan shook his head, his face sullen. Joshua tried again. “Is that your little brother? What’s his name?”
    “He’s Mattan.” The younger boy’s dark eyes were infected, the corners and lashes crusted with mucus. He had a large, running sore on his leg that looked as if it wasn’t healing properly.
    “What happened to your leg, Mattan?”
    “He burned it when he fell on the hearth,” Nathan answered.
    Their stubborn faces told Joshua that his plan to befriend them wasn’t working. He decided to appeal to their greed instead. “Listen, I had a silver pouch when I came in here. Maki must have taken it when he stripped off my clothes, but I have more silver at home. A lot more. I work for King Manasseh. Do you know who he is?” They stared at him, unblinking. “Well, I work for him. So does my father. They’ll give you a great deal of silver if you untie me and—”
    “Stop talking or we’ll put you in the cistern again,” Miriam said.
    “Please, Miriam, I don’t know why your