The Sons of Isaac(7)
Laban had seen enough. He wanted to go through with the deal, and he realized if he watched a second more, he would be calling it off. He dismissed her with a nod and watched her go back to where the women were serving the trays of dried fruit.
Nazzim finished the meat and threw the bone on the floor, then wiped his mouth and fingers on his sleeve. “As fine a young woman as I’ve seen,” he said, turning to Laban. “You can ask your price and I’ll pay it.”
“You must give me time,” Laban said as he thought of the difficulties he would face.
“Don’t take too long. I’m an impatient man where pretty women are concerned,” Nazzim said.
The remark momentarily sickened Laban, but he quickly squelched the feeling and smiled. “Before the new moon I’ll bring you the good news.”
With that Nazzim motioned for his men, gave Laban a long, meaningful look, and then followed them out to where his mule was waiting. He had not said a word to his daughter and she had not spoken to him. She appeared silent and unmoving like a graven image. Laban moved over to sit beside her and the crowd of well-wishers shouted and clapped.
Laban would have liked to prolong the time in the courtyard, but he felt so awkward sitting beside this silent, proud woman that he was ready to bring the whole thing to a swift conclusion. To be alone with her was to face the whole bargain squarely, and then he would know just what he had to deal with.
He stood and nodded to the relatives and friends. He noted that they whispered in amazement that he was so obviously anxious to be alone with his bride. At this signal, Rebekah and her mother with the serving girls from Nazzim’s house came to lead the bride into the bridal chamber.
Laban glanced at his bride and noted that as she stood she was still holding her head high with the same arrogant air about her. “She is not one to submit to anyone for any reason,” he conjectured.
The men led Laban to the side room where he waited for a signal from his mother that the bride was ready for him. As the time passed he became more and more nervous, and the men laughed at him and gave him bits of advice. “First, you must get the veil off so you can look at her face,” one of them joked.
“Remember if it isn’t to your liking you can send her back to her father before any damage is done,” one of the others whispered.
Laban didn’t answer. No matter what she looked like, he was going to keep her. Nazzim was rich beyond belief, and with Rebekah married to him they would have control of all the wealth of Haran.
To his surprise it was Rebekah who came to get him. When he stepped outside the door, she whispered, “Your bride insists that she will not take off her veil until daylight. Even though we have made the bed and helped her in, she will not take off the veil.”
Laban shrugged. “That may be just as well. Who knows what secrets are hidden by that veil.”
* * *
As it turned out Laban was pleasantly surprised. His veiled bride was bold and passionate, with none of the giggling shyness brides were rumored to hide behind. This woman was confident and shamelessly aggressive. Laban even found himself imagining that she was ravishingly beautiful. Since there was no oil lamp and the moon did not shine into the high window of the room, he saw nothing until morning.
When the day dawned Laban woke first and took several moments to figure out where he was and what had happened. He turned and saw his bride, still hidden by the veil, and it all came back to him. Carefully he touched the gold coins that held the veil in place. Immediately Barida was awake. She sat up slowly and then tossing her head she spoke in a slow, deliberate manner, “If you find I am not to your liking, will you send me back?”
“No,” Laban answered after a slight hesitation, “I have no intention of sending you back. What made you think I might send you back?”
“I’ve been told that I am not beautiful. Most men want a woman to be beautiful.”
“Who told you that?”
“My father will not have a woman unless she is beautiful.”
Laban was quiet for a few minutes while he thought about what he should do and what he should say. He remembered that his first impression of this woman was of someone who was willful and arrogant. He must not give her the satisfaction of knowing that she pleased him in any way. Let her worry a bit about her status. Finally he said, “With me beauty isn’t everything. There are other things that matter even more.” He didn’t tell her what they were.
“Now,” he said, “it’s time to see the bride.” She lifted her head slowly and turned toward him but made no move to unfasten the coins that held the veil. Awkwardly he fumbled with the fasteners and slowly the veil dropped. He had expected her to look away but instead she faced him still with the proud lift to her jaw. She was indeed very plain. She had small eyes pinched into a permanent squint, a large nose like her father’s, and her mouth was small and pouting. “For my purposes you will do very well,” he said at last.