The Bronze Bow - Elizabeth George Speare [60]
So he would begin, knowing that nothing but the whole story, just as he had told it so many times, would satisfy her.
"We were waiting on the beach. Jesus had been across the lake to visit some of the villages, he and some of his followers, and they were coming back in a boat. People had been waiting for him since before dawn, and they were hungry and hot, but they were bound they wouldn't leave before they had seen him. Finally someone saw the boat coming, and they all stood up and strained their eyes, and as it got nearer they went wild. You'd have thought he was a prince, the way they screamed and cheered. It was all Simon and James could do to make room for him to step on shore. I think Simon was trying to persuade him to get back into the boat again, the way he sometimes has to do, because for all they call him master and teacher, they lose their wits and have no regard for him at all. But just then there was a shout behind the crowd, and everyone turned around. Those in the back were pushing to make room for someone, and we saw a man trying to get through to Jesus.
"Joel whispered, 'It's Jairus,' and then people began to step on each other's toes to get out of the way. Some of them tried to hide behind the others for fear Jairus would recognize them. Jairus is one of the rulers of the synagogue. I think even Joel looked a little scared. Jesus' friends moved up close around him. No one was quite sure what was going to happen. But Jesus made a sign for them to stand aside, and he just stood quietly and waited. Jairus passed very close to me. His cloak was twisted sideways, and he was panting as though he had been running, and no one need have bothered to hide, because he did not see anyone or anything except the one man he was looking for. What happened was the last thing we expected. Jairus went down in front of Jesus like a beggar, and stretched out his hands, and his voice was so low and hoarse that only those who stood very near could understand what he said. But the word went through the crowd. His daughter was dying. The only child he had. Then Jesus said—"
"No—tell me first what Joel said."
"Oh, Joel said, 'The only child he has, poor man. She is the apple of his eye.' "
" 'The apple of his eye,' " Leah would repeat softly, caressing the words.
"Of course I felt sorry for him, but I thought too, what a chance it was for Jesus. An important man like this—a ruler. I thought if Jesus could bargain with him—but of course he would never think of that. He only reached out his hand and helped the man up and started straight for Jairus' house. The crowd let them through and then flocked after like a bunch of sheep, and me along with them, because when a crowd like that starts to move you don't stop to think. I was curious as anyone to see what would happen.
"But halfway to the synagogue we saw a man hurrying along the street, and he met Jairus and Jesus and stopped them. I could not hear what he said, but I could see his face and I knew that he had bad news. They told me afterwards that he said the girl was dead and not to bother the teacher any more. But before Jairus could speak, Jesus put his hand on the man's arm and said something quietly, and they went on again, and all of us after.
"Then we heard the women wailing, and the flutes playing, and the women in the crowd began to howl too, out of sympathy, and Jesus turned around to us and said, 'Do not weep, she is not dead but sleeping.' And none of us knew what to think. The women at the door of the house were weeping and jeering at him, both at the same time. Then Jesus told the crowd to stay back, and he gave a sign to Simon and John and James, the three who are always nearest to him, and he took them into the house with him. And in a moment all the mourners who had been wailing in the house came out. Some of them were angry and some of them were frightened, but Jairus shut the door behind them."
"I wish you had gone inside," Leah would say now.
"Well, I couldn't, and neither could any of