TAMAR.
Episode 9.
I followed Adolfo’s male servant as he went from one apian way to the another, a shorter way to his master’s estate, we passed through different Villa to get to Adolfo’s estate, since we can’t go on a chariot, A villa so close to Adolfo’s estate looks so familiar and yet I can’t remember being there, I look around the villa and saw different houses, one of the houses got my attention, I pointed at it to the boy,
“that particular house looks…look so familiar, it felt like I have being here before and yet it seem strange to my eyes… maybe, is all because of the strange short ways you passed..
“this other small road by your left is a way to the slave market, but is a very long walk except for the wealthy with chariots, while that particular house you are pointing at is owned by a merchants, he deals with fine fabric and other wares, he live there with his troublesome wife, and servants, he has no child, she comes around the estate sometime, since the new master’s wife moved in we have being having different visitors, that merchants wife has a tongue of a serpent, she is a difficult woman, i just hope the gods will not allow her get an acquaintance with the master’s new wife.
“What is your name and how long have you being with your master?…please tell me more…
“Pami is my name, I am his trusted ally, I was not as old as this when he bought me, I was very young, I met his late wife before she died, I have being with Adolfo like he is generally called for a very long time, he thought me how to read and write, and I know how to translate most of his book, I’m older than his son, Chakan, who live in a different house now from his father and his new wife, I don’t know why he moved out, and hardly comes around, unlike before, he use to live with his father until his father got married to the mistress, Adolfo is a good man and you will come to know that soon, he is loved by most people because he is generous and compassionate, he is not harsh to his household servant but punishes those who goes against his rules, he love studying and exercising, he likes grape wine, which he takes everyday…I guess your name is Tamar, I already knows that
I smiled and nodded as we kept walking.
as we got to the house, there were servants doing one thing or the other, Adolfo’s estate was big and beautiful, well decorated, I saw beautiful maids walking around, while some were seating and talking, I went straight into Zity’s chamber as I was led, and she sat up from her big size bed excitedly on seeing me, Is never proper for a mistress to hug her servant so I quickly knelt down and touched her feet in a honorable greeting, and rise as she quickly ordered me,
Zity has changed, she added weight and has this dark cycled line under her eyes as if she has not being sleeping well, her things were not well arranged like it was suppose to be, I quickly switched into work as I started arranging her things, I asked her to relaxed on her bed while i properly arrange her room, , she smile and lay down and I covered her up, after sometime she slept off, I folded her things, packed the bottles of wine and glass cups, I guess she has being drinking, I put all her jewelries and foot wear in place, everything was in perfect other by the time she waked up and said she was hungry, I quickly made something for her to eat, she seem relaxed and cheerful,
The day went, I wanted to observe what was going on, why Zity’s things were in bad shape on that first day despite having so many beautiful servant girls,
I sometime go to seat with Adolfo in his study when Zity doesn’t need me, he was happy to have a companion that he can talk to, the study was big, and was packed up with all kinds of books, it was there he spent most of his evening whenever he is home, he was indeed a nice man as he tried to engage me most time with one of his theories, one day he decided to talk about some deep things, mostly his personal life.
“your mistress insisted on getting you back, she doesn’t always feel much comfortable when I’m around her, that’s why I always retire to my studies, I understand she is very young and is really hard for her to adapt to her new life, I don’t want to rush things with her, I want her to be happy and comfortable and get use to me and her environment, I have always told her to let me know when she needs me or anything at all, I’m just a block away from her but she has never shown interest in what I do or ever wanted to sit with me, she can always send servant to get me or come herself but she never does, I understand she is not a book person like my late wife, Pauli is, my late wife sits here with me and always listen to my new theory, she was lovely and beautiful too like Zity, she care deeply for me and I loved her, but death took her from me after birthing Chakan, I miss her everyday, I have mourned her for years and felt it was time to move on, Is being nineteen years already, I wanted to remain single after her death and wait until the gods calls me to join her but I felt she needed me to move on, she wanted me to be happy, and have a new life, I have seem lots of maiden but never picked interest in any until I saw Zity one day, I was driving in with my chariot she was driving out on her chariot too, with her charioteers, they were driving her into another street from the apian way, close to the east side villa, I was not really moved by her beauty because the evening was already turning dark, so I couldn’t see her fully, but something about her struck me, I waved it off but on the second time of seeing her, the evening was already night, I don’t know who she comes to see around here, or she was getting to know the neighborhood, which was very common among young people, the young blood is hot and is hardly in a place, they always want to be here or there, it was as if she comes only during the evening and returns immediately the evening turns dark, I’m mostly around the house in the morning and deep the afternoon studying or relaxing in my garden but I usually go out most evening to the gladiator training field to exercise my bones, I eat good food, study, exercise, lecture and relax to have a balance life and to keep shape, I’m forty three and people think I’m not up to forty yet because I do everything moderately, Chakan, my son and also Pami my right hand boy knows my daily routine, Zity was going off again with speed on her chariot the second time I saw her and I pulse and watch until she disappear into another apian road, and when I move close to the house I saw Chakan, I don’t know who she comes to see, so I asked my son if she happen to see any young maiden driving off with speed on a chariot and he says is probably lord Reese daughter that comes around the neighborhood, he said she have a friend that lives around here, and I ask if he has ever interacted with her, he told me only the day Zity lost her way and he was there on time to help her out, lord Reese is the second prime ruler of this kingdom and I was privileged to know him personally, he is a great man, I was shock to know his daughter was all grown up, she looks more matured than her age, I didn’t intend to marry her because she was too young and may not want somebody like me, but the more I tried to wave it off the more I think more deeply into it, and just then Pauli, my late wife came to my dream and gave me a message, I wrote the dream in my book, , she said “go Adolfo, go for her, she will lead you to the truth. well, I didn’t understand but the same message kept on coming until I decided to inquiries and to first of all ask Lord Reese for permission, and I was surprise he agreed on the second time I presented it to him, I have stop having such dreams ever since I married Zity, yet I don’t see the way she is leading me to, I just hope she will open her heart and like me even if is not love, I don’t want her to be unhappy…
I listened to Adolfo almost everyday at his study, he was beginning to go deeper and deeper into books and still goes out for his exercise,
Weeks turns into month and I also watch Zity who hardly talk, she decided to open up to me one day, maybe because her friend the merchant wife was on a journey and she needed to talk to someone,
“I don’t like any of those servants Adolfo bought, they are the tivi girls, they look beautiful but very lazy, I don’t trust them, neither do I allow them close to me, I couldn’t wait to have you back and when mother didn’t want to send you back to me I was willing to come down and get you myself, this place is really boring Tamar, I have missed you, nobody to sing or tell me stories, non of those slaves cares for me like you do, they are on only pretending and doing eye service whenever Adolfo is around, Adolfo is also boring, anyway what do I expect from a man who is over forty although he doesn’t really look his age, he buries himself in his study, he sometimes takes me out to those parties that they always talk about books, is only my few friends that comes around to visit, they helps me keep boredom away, I have a close friend now, her name is Okra, she is a wife of a merchant, she lives not too far away from here, she always comes around to visits, but she’s on a journey and will be back tomorrow. I heard a plan, I wanted to make my parents regret marrying me off to Adolfo, I had it all stored up but when I came down here the whole plan was trashed, it did not work, I couldn’t even do it
“ I’m here to serve you my lady, I’m glad to see you in good health and you added weight too, pardon me if I ask, please take no offense, what of Chakan, I haven’t seen him ever since I came…
He live not too far from here, he moved out, he doesn’t like me again, Chakan was part of the plan I heard, but he started moving away from me, I wanted him to be the one to touch me, to make love to that, he kept saying that I’m his father’s wife and he will never do such evil, he can’t disrespect his father like that, he want his father to be happy and that I should try not to hurt him because he will not be happy if I do such, that was what he said and when I kept on disturbing him he moved out, he packed his things and moved into another house, he said he loves me but he can’t touch me when I’m still married to his father, even a kiss, like those ones we do have back then before his father decided to be an obstacle, he said no to me, and kept on saying those irritating word, “Zity, you are my father’s wife now, please let’s respect that, nothing can happen between us because you belong to my father.” I hate to hear him say that Tamar, I still love him but since he moved out he only comes once in a while to check on his father, is so unfair, because another woman will have him now, and I don’t want that, I told the merchant wife, Okra, everything and she said I should drugged him and lay with him…
“whaaat!…hope you did not do that, my lady, that is very bad, Chakan was right my lady, it will be a big blow to his father if he lay with you because you are Adolfo’s wife now, he can’t touch you, maybe you should learn how to love Adolfo and take your mind off Chakan, Adolfo is indeed a good man..
“why don’t you marry him then, who are you to tell what is wrong or right, you are just a common slave what do you even know, I’m only after my happiness, anything that makes me happy, I hate it when Adolfo touches me, I don’t allow him to do it, I wanted Chakan, Okra, the merchant wife who seem to understand me and supports me brought a mixed portion to me, she directed me on how to use it, it will make Chakan want me so bad and I secretly added it to Chakan’s drink and served him when he was relaxing with his father at the garden one day, I was looking from somewhere to see when he will take the drink, I watched him lift the drink to his mouth but he didn’t drink it, he suddenly drop it back into the tray before standing up, Adolfo asked him to go and get something from his study for him and before he will get back Adolfo has finished up the whole drink, Chakan, brought more grape win from the store and they both drank, they talked and laugh, before Adolfo later stood up and left him, he stayed a little before leaving and when Adolfo came in I was already crying, it was a failed plan, he came into my chamber that day and forcefully made love to me, the content he drank that was meant for Chakan took real effect on him, and he pinned me down despite my resistance, it was in the morning when his eyes was cleared he got himself and began to apologies, and even bought me lots of gold Jewelries for me to forgive him, he said he didn’t know what got into him, he pleaded everyday until I got tired of it, I cried all through that day because all I thought of was Chakan, and it looks like Adolfo got me in with a child, I think I’m pregnant Tamar, do not tell anybody, I just hope is not true, because I’m not ready for any child now, especially not for Adolfo, but I kept on seeing changes on my body, my b****t is getting bigger, I have this morning sickness, and easily gets tired, I’m still observing myself not yet sure, I have not told the merchant wife yet, I will do ones she comes back, I just kept praying to different gods that Adolfo did not get me down with a child…
“Adolfo will be so happy at the news, he will be a great father my lady, and your mother’s heart will be so gladden with the news of you carrying a child, she will feel so delighted to have a grandchild, everyone will be happy my lady…
“except me,i will not be happy, i don’t want it, Okra told me if I ever get’s pregnant and I don’t want the child then she will tell me what to do to get ride of it quick without pain even before the child form properly,, she said is being working for her without her husband knowing, the merchant kept on praying to many gods for Okra to conceive, he is thinking Okra is barren, but she’s not, Okra said a child will make her ugly, she doesn’t want to have a sagging b****t or go though all those stress and trouble pregnant women go through, she hates it, she told me many women are doing so in this kingdom, she is not the first and I will not be the last, I don’t want anything that will trouble me, I’m still very young so mother can still have all the grandchildren in the future but not now, I want to live and enjoy my life, after all I’m not their only child, Vim is also there, he will marry someday and will bear children too, I can’t be worried over child bearing thing, Okra is teaching me many things and I thank the gods for sending her to me, Zain also visited me, she still have that jealous look in her even though she acts happy, I don’t want her to take Chakan from me, he belongs to me, Okra will come tomorrow and I will tell her my worries, she is the only one that understands me, even you Tamar do not understand the way I feel.
I went out to the garden that evening and shot my eyes like Abel will do and pray that God will cause confusion between the merchants wife and Zity, the merchant’s wife was leading her astray, Zity was going deeper and deeper into sin even though it seem right in her own eyes, I pray that God will touch her heart to keep the baby and not hurt the innocent child, if truly she’s pregnant, I was glad to know that Chakan moved out, and Zity didn’t succeed in drugging him to lay with her, God made it in away that Adolfo drank the content meant for Chakan, I prayed so deeply and also for Abel too.
The following day, I saw the merchant’s wife, she went into Zity’s chamber and they locked the door behind them, whispering in low voices, I overheard Zity tell her she was pregnant, like two months gone, Okra the merchant’s wife, didn’t reorganized me, but I remember her, she was the wife of Lami, the merchant that bought me for forty shelling and sold me to Abel for fifteen Shelling because I stirred up fear inside the wife according to her and she wanted her husband to get ride of me, the merchant is a good man, how could Okra, his wife be so heartless, watching the man pray in vain for a child while she was the cause of it all, now, she wants to corrupt Zity’s mind, leading her to the same deadly road,
My worries now is Adolfo, I wish I can tell him that his wife is carrying a child, but Zity will have my head in a platter if she finds out that I told Adolfo,
this is when I need wisdom most, I thought of what Abel will do if he is faced with such situation, Abel will keep praying to God to intervene and that’s what I did.
TAMAR.
Episode 10.
One of the slave girl who was two years ahead of me took likeness to me, whenever I’m alone at the flower garden
she will come and sit with me unlike others who kept their distance,
Eura was quiet and beautiful, she is the only household servant who immediately took likeness to me in Adolfo’s house,
“you like being on your own, mostly in this garden alone, I have seen you muttering word, you seem strange and you have an aura around you, the other servants seem not to be comfortable when you are around them, were you the daughter of a priestess or a fortune teller…
“I’m just Tamar, an ordinary girl, my father was no priest neither was my mother a priestess, my father was just a common man among his people, so also was my mother,
“I like you, you seem special, how do you cope with the mistress, she is insatiable, please take no offense, but is true, she is was unhappy and we all know that she doesn’t like Adolfo as he loves her, she is quick to anger, we like staying faraway from her until she needs us but she never does, everyone of us want to serve her but she is never comfortable with us coming close to her, I sometime wonder how you do it, she feel comfortable around you, even when she switch into rage, I have heard her shout at you to get away from her, and yet you never take offence instead you stand behind the door waiting for her to summon you again, if I’m the one, I will run so far from her until she is calm enough to need me again, I don’t like violent mistress not like her, Is not like i really have a choice,
“is Patient, Eura, patient is the key to staying insane even in a world as crazy as this, and when you see me out here alone I’m communicating to God, who loved me despite my shortcoming and endowed me with blessings, I was the weakest in my family, yet I have survived what killed others, I have being sold to different people at the different land, shipped to different places, walk miles I never thought I would walk, I have seen women get raped, and seen dead helpless slaves abandoned on the desert or thrown abode into the water, I went through oppressive situation, in all of this God kept me, I lost my parents to war, then my brother Joe, my two sister Kath and Deb, they all died yet God kept me, I’m not worthy yet he counted me worthy to live, and when I think I was going to loose my faith and submit to the way of the people in this kingdom, when I thought I have heard enough of everything in life, I thought I was done with God, I started hating him for taking everything away from me, and for not being the kind and loving God that my parents told me he was, I was almost submitting to the ways the people when he sent a young man called Abel to rekindled my faith, Abel bought me from a merchant who wanted to sell me because his wife doesn’t want me, and he built back my lost faith, and I learnt to give thank in every situation because God kept me for a purpose, he set me aside, probably to help Zity or somebody who needs to be helped, I’m yet to know but I’m ready to be lead by him…
“you have being through a lot, we all here got one sad story or the other, after the war outbreak and the soldiers conquered our land and took the young females away, I was sold off and brought down to this land, I have served two mistresses, in different household who kept selling me off till I was bought by Pami, Adolfo’s servants head, he brought me to serve in Adolfo’s house, Adolfo is a kind man, but the mistress is difficult to please, Tamar, you speak greatly of this your God, you make him sound so interesting, as if he is a friend you can easily communicate with, I serve different gods before I came to Adolfo’s house, and non of them seem so real, like the way you make yours sound, what god is that…
“he is not just my God Eura, he is also God for everyone, and he is always ready to be your friend if only you will open your heart and accept him into your heart, I’m a Christian, you are the first person I have told that boldly…
“please let me be the only and last person you will boldly say that to, you have to be careful, I heard they either stone them or give them to the circuit animal by the gate, please be very careful Tamar, I like you already and I don’t want anything to happen to you, the people of this land does not like Christians, they like their own gods and goddesses, and hate any strange god or perilous religion as that, I have seen them stone a man and his wife to death and they sold off their children to become temple slaves, is a very risky religion Tamar, this kingdom take great offense in that…
“This body you see is like a container, it contains the soul, it will be taking away from me one day, and my soul will return to the creator who made it, this people you fear can only destroy the flesh which is this body, what I carry inside of me is far greater than what the world can see, they can’t destroy me because I’m a strong seed, I die to this world and live to the Lord, I’m no more sacred of death, I use to be until Abel opened my eyes, if God permits them to take a life they did not create then so be it, it only show my work here is done, I will gladly go to be with my creator, so Eura, I’m not scared of death, for greater is he that is in me than he that’s in the world, death is not our final place, theirs is life even after death, come to know him that he may give you an everlasting joy, he is not asking for too much, he doesn’t need a blood sacrifice, you don’t need to sacrifice any animal to him, the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on the cross was the final sacrifice, the only thing he ask of you is your heart, open it let him come in and dwell, and feel this peace, joy and confident I have in him, confess your sin and denounce them and ask Christ into your life, you are not perfect but he is and he will guild you in all you do,
“after that what else do I do, I’m willing, you are filed with so much confidence and I feel peace in my heart as you speak, I want to know this God more, show me what to do Tamar
And Eura was my first convert, what a joy in heaven over one sinner that repent, I was happy to bring Eura to Christ.
We talk quietly in the garden as I filled her in with the word as Abel plant in me which was beginning to bear multiple seed, she was happy and was willing to learn how to become a better person, we quietly pray together most time in the garden.
The merchant wife later traveled again and Zity needed me again to keep her company
“I can’t wait to get ride of this thing so that I can be free and live my life like I have always wanted, Okra traveled, she has another man, and she is happy, she is planning for a way to leave the merchant so that she can be with her new lover, whenever the merchant travels to sell his wares, she also travels and comes back before the merchant returns, she said if she returns from her journey she will bring a physician for me to take off the thing, I don’t know how long she will stay this time but I can’t wait to get this thing off me…
“my lady, is not a thing, is a child, and he or she will make you happy, I promise you, please don’t get ride of your child, give him or her a chance to be born and a chance to live, even if you don’t want her Adolfo will or you can take the child to your mother, is also Adolfo’s child, he has every right to know that you are pregnant, he is your husband my lady, please don’t do this, don’t destroy the child that is happily growing in your womb
“shut up Tamar, why do you talk to me with so much confidence, have you lost your mind and forgot that I’m your mistress, what do you even know, I expected you of all people to understand me more and support me, this thing is not yet a child, it has not formed into a child, I’m just two months and three weeks gone, is still blood, that’s what Okra said, and is the bad blood the physician will flush out of me once Okra comes back, why can’t you understand me, I don’t want it, I want to live a free and happy live, I don’t want anything to tie me down from that..
I went to the garden and kept praying, Eura joined me, as I asked her to join me in praying for the mistress and she was willing, for where two or three are gathered in his name the lord will be in their means, I went on fasting for Zity, I needed God’s intervention, I was in agony, I can’t allow Zity to do such evil, even if I can’t talk her out of it I will ask God to intervene, except if he has a better plan than I can see,
Okra didn’t come back from her journey on time like she has told Zity, she came two weeks later and Zity was three months plus, the day she came, I was sent out from Zity’s chamber and I listened outside the door as Okra told Zity that she has a heated argument with her husband after she told him she was leaving the marriage, she told Zity that she has some little problem which she want to sort out first, after which she will get a physician for her, Zity wasn’t happy but she accepted,
Vim came to visit his sister but Zity was having one of those her bad day and couldn’t really entertained him, he left and planned to return again.
her stomach was already protruding, pregnancy wasn’t looking good on her, early morning sickness, quick to anger, and everything irritates her, but I was happy that God engaged Okra with her own personal problem which made her not to be able to get the abortion man on time, by the time she came Zity was months gone and it was dangerous to perform an abortion at that stage, that was what I heard Okra tell her that day, and she cries and refuse to come out of her chamber for days, Adolfo has called me to his study, and it was okay to tell him exactly what was going on even though he was going to know one way or the other, Zity wasn’t willing to tell him herself, but Adolfo was definitely going to know whenever he sees Zity’s body changes and her small protruding belle, it was just okay to tell him without getting into trouble, God won over the wickedness of men, God’s plan for the child was going to stand without anybody destroying a live they did not create.
“Is your mistress okay, she has refuse to see me even after I went to her chamber to check up on her, I noticed she has not being well, do you know what is wrong with her,
“yea, she will be fine, she is going through one of those women difficult time, but is a good thing Adolfo, because you are going to be a father in few months from now, she is with a baby my lord,
Adolfo stood up from his seat in shock, he held his hand to his heart, he was surprise at the news and why Zity didn’t tell him all this while, he asked me how long she was gone and I told him is being five months already, he was totally astonished, he was so happy that he hugged me forgetting himself before running off to Zity’s chamber, he pleaded for her to open the door, and was not ready to leave until she does, Zity later opened the door, and I watched as he gently drew Zity into his arms, he was crying, just knowing that he was truly going to be a father again, Zity acted cold but she did not pull back from Adolfo as he held her, I watched with a smile as she later relaxed back into his arm, I left to the garden, I couldn’t seat because my heart was gladden, I just knelt down there and sing out my thanks to God, seeing how happy Adolfo is, made my heart so glad, all I could do in the garden was just thanksgiving, when Eura joined me, we praised God quietly so that we don’t attract attention to ourselves, and I shed some tears as I marvel at God’s mighty work,
Zity started acting fine as Okra stopped coming around her, I help her through every of her difficult moment, sometimes I will s**k her swollen feet in a warm water and dry them up after sometime, The day Vim came again I was in Adolfo’s study, he was writing a new theory, and wanted me to tell him one of those biblical stories I do tell Zity, while I told him, he translate it into his own theory and write it down, he didn’t even know it was a story I got from the bible but he was impress with the story, it was one of those stories I was telling him when Vim came in, he greeted Adolfo, he avoided looking at me and focused on Adolfo, I stood up, bow and excused myself out,
I was at the garden with Eura when Vim came, he asked Eura to leave she bow and quickly left
“ I learnt that Zity is with a child, you should be looking after her not her husband, is he also marrying my sister and you too,
“my lord, Lady Zity doesn’t need me now, I checked up on her before leaving to Adolfo’s study, she also sometime send me to go and check on Adolfo, I was only listening to his theory and was telling him some of the little I know, I hav…
“enough, I saw you so close to him, and heard you two laugh, he seem to be taken by you can’t you see, or do you like him too…
I frowned at the question, and kept my head bow, it was an insult to Adolfo who has never thought of such, I wanted to reply but kept quiet, wisdom is profitable to direct as Abel will say, so I try to change the atmosphere
“Adolfo is a good man, my lord, and everybody likes him, I’m not exceptional, I’m glad to see you my lord, you look good, how is the master and the mistress, hope every one is in good health
“I’m…I’m glad to see that you are happy here too, I thank the gods for blessing my sister and Adolfo with a child, though not yet born but I’m happy to know that Zity will soon be a mother, mother will be thrilled at the news, father’s heart will be gladden, a child will keep Zity busy, I don’t like the kind of friends she keeps, I told her of it the last time I visited, especial one merchant’s wife, but now Zity will have better thing to occupy her mind, yes everyone is in good health back home, you didn’t ask of Abel, although he is fine, and he sent his greetings when I told him I was coming down here.
“I’m glad to know that my lord.
Vim wanted to say something but held back again, he looked at my hands and then back to my face and to my mouth,
“Look at me Tamar, stop bowing your head, we all miss you back home, maybe, i… Abel… miss you more…
“I miss everyone too, but I’m glad to be here, to serve my Lady, she needs me more now than before, my lord.
I looked up at him as he smile, I was fully looking straight to his face now, seeing the man sitting beside me, he was truly a handsome young man even more with those smile of his, he looks like one of those athletic men, I understand why Obia wanted to kill herself over him, and many of the kingdom maidens were dying to be with him before he started avoiding them, which nobody seem to know or understand why he suddenly changed,
He was looking into my eyes and then back to my mouth, he swallowed heard before standing up to leave, I asked him to extend my kind greeting to everyone and also to Abel and he promised to do that.
i was grateful to God must especially for Zity as i prayed that she will deliver like the Hebrew women when she is due, my heart is so joyful as i marvel at God’s wonderful works in my life.
i wish i can sit and talk with Abel, i want to tell him about everything that was going on around here, he will be so happy too.
