The Sons of Isaac(35)
Isaac was charmed and delighted with the turn of events. As he answered her many questions, he was aware of a steady parade of impressions going through his mind. He had hoped for a pretty wife and instead he had been given this fascinating young woman. She was interested in everything and had an exuberant joy even his mother had not had. He couldn’t have explained her to anyone. You wouldn’t say she was pretty. That was too tame and too prosaic. She was so much more than pretty. Just to see her smile was more beautiful than any sunrise he had ever seen. Most of all she obviously liked him. He had read it in her eyes just before she kissed him. His cheeks still tingled with her kiss and her subtle perfume floated on the air around them.
All too soon they were met with tambourines, drums, and flutes being played by a jolly procession of young men and women from Abraham’s camp. They guided them into the center of the dark tents, and there Isaac was helped down and led away to the men’s guest tent while Rebekah was welcomed by the women. Before they were parted, Isaac had paused just long enough to smile at her. As he did so he noticed that one of the coins that cascaded down from the caplet that she wore was missing. Again he was deeply moved. At that moment he knew that he loved her as much if not more than he had loved his mother.
* * *
Over in the city of Gerar, Anatah paced back and forth in terrible frustration. She had been hearing for weeks that the servant of the desert prince, Abraham, had gone back to the family in Haran to find a bride for Isaac. She had comforted herself with the thought that no young woman would choose to travel such a long distance to marry a man she didn’t know. If such a person did come, she was sure to be ugly and old. Too old to get a husband any other way.
When her informant came running to tell her that a caravan had arrived with elegant trappings and a young bride for Isaac, she was furious. She had entertained thoughts of bribing someone to make friends with the young bride and then make sure that nothing she did succeeded. If she went riding, they were to see that she came home covered with mud from a mysterious accident, or if she baked something, they were to secretly put the powder of bitter herbs in the mix. She even thought briefly of poisoning her.
She had hoped to carry out these plots before the marriage was consummated. When she heard that Isaac had taken his young bride to his mother’s tent, she knew there was nothing she could do except wait and see if the marriage succeeded.
From the report of his happiness and her joy, there was no chance of the marriage proving to be a failure unless they were childless. Children would be very important in this marriage. She knew that the father, Abraham, had a promise from his God that he would be the father of multitudes. If this marriage did not produce an heir right away, then surely Isaac’s love for her would fade and he would send her home to her family.
She determined to give the earth goddess one last chance. In desperation she hurried to the niche beside the lily pond and confronted the ugly little image. “You must know already of your failure,” she said. “Isaac has married the woman. If he has a child by her, I will have lost him forever. You must see that she is never with child. She must never conceive.”
With that she felt much better. She gave the little image a hard look before turning and heading back to the receiving room. Her brother Abimelech, who had taken over the title and the crown after his father’s death, was hearing some complaints from his shepherds.
She listened only long enough to hear that their complaint was against the shepherds of the great and wealthy Abraham. He had too many animals and was right at that moment digging more wells to obtain the water they needed. “There is a law that if anyone digs a well, they can claim the land around the well,” said the king. “This Abraham and his son Isaac are going too far.”
Anatah waited to hear no more. She had all the information she needed. She would get at Rebekah through her faithful informants and at Isaac through her brother Abimelech.
“Let his God bless him,” she muttered. “The more he is blessed, the more crowded the land will become, and the sooner he will be driven out.” If our gods and our people are not good enough for him, then he should be forced out one way or another.
Just as the moon rose over the distant mountains, Isaac brought Rebekah to his mother’s tent. “It is our custom here for the bride and groom to remain secluded for eight days,” he said. “Is this also your custom in Haran?”
She was sitting on a soft, fringed cushion looking over a round tray woven of the stiff, broad grasses from the brook and piled with dried dates and figs. He was surprised that she didn’t seem frightened or shy. She glanced at him and then went back to looking at the dates. Her gold bracelets jangled as she reached out and plucked the date of her choice and then took a small bite before again looking at him. “Of course. The old women say it’s to give time for the trouble-causing demons to leave.”