Coming Home

The Prologue of the first story, “Jakobi”:

Eliakim struggled to pull his 11-year old brother from the muddy ditch. He tried to tell Jakobi the area was much too muddy for him to run very fast. His sandals were made for indoors, not for the hilly ground and mud that was filled with puddles from the recent rain. As for himself, he wore comfortable laced sandals that wound around his calf.

“Ah,” he thought, “you can’t tell this boy anything, because he will not listen. I told him to either wear laced sandals that would allow him to go up into the hills or to be barefoot. Will he ever learn?”

Eliakim gave a great sigh as he continued to try to free the boy from the mud.

“Jakobi, dig your toes into the mud and push your body upward so I can lift you out! You’re way too heavy to lift!”

His younger brother finally did as he was told and Eliakim pulled him out of the thick mud. Jakobi smiled to himself as the mud released him, making a loud sucking noise. He stomped his feet a few times to try to eliminate the thick globs that were plastered around his toes. Laughing, he continued beside his elder brother as they walked the lane to the inner fields and headed toward home.

The shepherds stopped what they were doing and smiled as they watched the two brothers leave the hillside and head toward home. The saw the elder boy reach over and touched the younger brother’s head to rumple his hair lovingly as they walked.

Eliakim pointed to the hillside and smiled. “Look, the new lambs are next to their mothers. Aren’t they a beautiful sight? That spotted one next to the tree is a ram and will help to give me a healthy herd. See the fluffy ewe where the shepherd is standing? That’s another one I’ve already picked out. I’ve already told father that I’m ready.”

Jakobi nodded, but did not say anything. You’d think Eliakim had nothing else to do but look at different sized sheep. Just because he was six years older than himself did not mean he was stupid about raising sheep.

“I know what you’re thinking, little brother, but one day I’ll have many sheep on my hills also. Did I tell you I finally saved up enough of my allowance and have purchased property on the border of father’s land? Father said when I am able to purchase the land, he would give me a small amount of sheep to start my own herd. He has even allowed me to pick the ones I want.” His brother’s happiness was overflowing.

Jakobi smiled and jokingly asked, “Have you named each of the sheep you’ve already picked?”

Eliakim smiled in return and quickly replied, “Well, some I have. Laugh if you wish, but soon I’ll have enough land and herds to marry Hannah.”

“You haven’t even talked to father about this yet,” replied Jakobi. “Has he spoken with Hannah’s family yet?”

“No, but both of our parents know we’re in favor of the alliance. I know Mother will be more than pleased for she and Hannah’s mother are great friends. And Hannah is beautiful and smart and knows as many things as her brothers. I believe she must have been listening when her brothers were being taught business matters. She is certainly a prize!”

Eliakim rambled on and on about Hannah’s beauty and virtues until Jakobi’s mind began to block him out. He sighed and continued trudging along, following his brother.

“Are we going to be on this hillside for long? I hope not because I’m hungry and my backside is wet and my feet are beginning to feel squishy.” Jakobi swiped at the plastered mud on his robe and bent to remove more of it from his sandals.

“No, we had better return home now. I can see you’re very uncomfortable in your robe. You’d better see if Gupta will be able to have one of the servants try to repair those sandals.”

Slowly, the two started back down the hillside, trying to remain upright on the grassy knoll. Reaching the bottom, they entered the house from the rear so as not to be seen by their mother, Zyama. The robe Jakobi wore was one of the newer ones his mother recently purchased from the traders and he did not want to run into her until he and his brother were free of mud.

The head servant, Gupta, looked over at the two and shook his head. He called for one of the women servants who came and stood ready with a change of clothing for both Eliakim and Jakobi as the two entered the back room where their feet could be washed by another servant. A bath would be prepared for them both in the back dressing room.

“As soon as I’m able, I’ll hire a few servants, too.” Eliakim mused, more to himself, than to his brother. “A household needs at least a few servants. I won’t need as many as our parents have, but I will need a few.”

Again, Jakobi smiled but did not say anything, knowing his brother did not expect a response.

Let Eliakim have his dreams, he thought.