Mother of Faith by Thom Lemmons

Author:Thom Lemmons [Lemmons, Thom]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-78076-8
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Stephanos was there when she reached the doorway. One of his younger daughters stood behind him, holding onto one of his legs and peering up at Amanis. They had just finished their supper; Herodia and the older girls were clearing the baskets and bowls from the low table the family had been reclining around. Amanis smelled the green canes Stephanos split to make his baskets. Bundles of cane and baskets of a dozen different shapes, sizes, and stages of completion were stacked in every corner of the dwelling.

There was an older woman there Amanis hadn’t seen before. The youngest boy was curled up in her lap.

“Amanis, I cannot take this child to the rabbi just now,” Stephanos was saying. “As you can see, we have a guest—”

“What do you have there?” the older woman asked, setting the little boy on the floor beside her. She stood and came toward Amanis. “Let me see.”

Amanis folded back the cloth covering the baby’s face. He was still asleep, his head to one side, his lips slightly parted.

“Ooh, what a beautiful child.” The woman glanced at Amanis. “But obviously not yours.”

Amanis looked from the woman to Stephanos. A slight smile parted his lips. “Damaris, this is Amanis,” he said. “She lives across the way. She—she finds babies that have been exposed.”

Damaris looked sharply at her. “Why would you presume to do such a thing?”

Amanis replied quietly, “Because I must.”

Damaris studied her for a long time. “I see. Come on. I’ll go to the rabbi with you.”

“But you said you were going to tell me a story about the Anointed One,” whined the little boy who had been sitting in her lap.

She turned to him and kneeled. “Hush now, Artemion. I’ll come again soon, and next time I’ll tell you two stories. I promise. I have to help this nice woman take care of the baby. You do understand, don’t you?”

Artemion stuck a finger in his mouth and nodded reluctantly.

“Good boy.” Damaris pulled him to her in a quick embrace. “Thank you for the meal, Stephanos. Grace and peace to you.”

He gave Damaris a little bow. “And to you, good sister.”

“I didn’t know Stephanos had a sister,” Amanis said as they went down the stairs. “You don’t look Jewish.”

“What? Oh, that. He didn’t mean ‘sister’ in the usual way. We are brother and sister in spirit.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“No, I wouldn’t suppose that you have,” Damaris said, smiling.

“Well, aren’t you going to tell me what you’re talking about?”

Damaris laid a hand softly on Amanis’s shoulder as they walked through the tenement’s entryway. “I’m sorry, dear. You must think me a very strange old woman.”

“I’ve seen stranger, I can tell you. I just don’t understand the meaning of the words passing between you and Stephanos.”

“Stephanos and I are both believers in the Christ, the Anointed One. This belief binds our hearts and minds to each other like members of a household.”

“I heard you speak to the little boy about this Christ. I’ve heard other Jews speak of Him, but never a Greek.

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