Free Miriam by Mesu Andrews Page B

would put him off.”
    “What topic was that?”
    “I tried to convince him he should marry you.”
    “Marry me?” Taliah was on her feet in an instant, towering over Miriam. “I don’t want to be married—especially to Eleazar. I mean, I appreciate his help and all, but…”
    Miriam offered her hand, a plea to help her stand, and Taliah obliged. Once on her feet, Miriam gave her the bowl of water and towels. “Not to worry. He feels the same about you. He’s not interested in marriage—yet. Now, let’s go wash and feed Abba and Ima.”
    Taliah followed without a word. Miriam grinned. If this girl was silent, her mind was whirring.

9
I seek you with all my heart;
    do not let me stray from your commands.
    — P SALM 119:10
    A s the last shades of pink faded to gray in the western sky, Miriam said good-bye to the women of Judah who had delivered strips of linen for bandages. The linen keeper, Gedor, had heard about Ednah’s crass rebuff of Taliah and wanted to make amends to Israel’s prophetess. As a result, his donations of medical supplies during the past month had nearly doubled. Miriam wished Gedor’s gifts had been motivated by his deep concern for his brother Putiel’s daughter, but she knew he cared only about maintaining the favor of El Shaddai and His prophetess.
    She examined the tight rolls of linen, the jars of honey lining the shelf, and various herbs stacked in baskets to the ceiling. However, even a hypocrite’s gifts were welcome.
    She set aside the basket just as Taliah emerged from the back room. Her injuries from the beating had healed completely, and she barely limped from the broken leg. The girl had remained in the long house of her own accord. She’d spent most days captivating Abba and Ima with stories of faraway lands and foreign cultures—things Miriam would never have guessed might interest her parents—and Miriam spent most evenings sharing stories about Moses’s childhood and his early days on the Avaris estate. As the memories poured out, one thought rang in her mind constantly.
Will my brother really come home?
    “Did Eleazar bring tonight’s rations yet?” Taliah poured dirtied water into their gray-water jug for disposal. “I’ve finished Amram’s and Jochebed’s baths, and they’re ready to eat. I also have a question for him.”
    Taliah and Eleazar had barely spoken since the attack. Whether it was the awkwardness of what
almost
happened or Miriam’s push for their marriage, they’d become adept at avoiding each other. “What kind of question? Is it something I could help with?”
    Taliah hesitated, offering that impish grin Miriam had come to love. “I want to know if it’s safe for me to leave the long house now. No slave master has asked about me since the attack. Surely, I can go to the river for water and begin to move about the village freely now.”
    Miriam reached for a small, crusty barley loaf and four cups. She tried to keep her voice light. “Where’s the first place you’ll go when you leave the long house?”
    “I’d like to visit some of the peasants’ homes and ask if I might teach their children in the evenings.”
    Again Miriam waited before responding, not wanting to discourage or seem overly protective. “I could go with you, maybe introduce you to some of our neighbors.”
    “I need to do some things by myself, Miriam. If I’m going to be a woman on my own, I need to begin building a life.”
    A woman on her own?
Miriam tried not to panic. Why was she in such a hurry to leave? “It’s late, and Eleazar hasn’t arrived with our meal. Let’s share yesterday’s barley bread with Abba and Ima.” She placed the bread and four cups of the golden-hued beer on a tray, refusing to argue about something that would hopefully never happen. How could Taliah think any woman could live alone in Goshen? “Maybe Abba and Ima will have some ideas on which households you might visit to find students.”
    They exchanged a genial nod and