Day 14

Day 14

March 14th, 2009

30-Day Challenge

Picture submitted by Cerena Humphreys

Basic idea blurted out by a very tired Mike after I told him my idea, and then I laughed at it, and then expanded it, because I’m tired (I am, by the way, feeling a little . . . wordy . . . today)

We Traverse Afar

The smell of camel, of horse, of sweat, and of spices mingle in the heavy air.  They move forward, leaving an invisible trail of odors behind them, as well as a visible trail of many prints.  They are a small company, only a few wise men and their faithful servants.  They carry with them enough money for a long trip, as well as supplies of food and water for several months.  Unsure of how long they must travel, or even where, they carry with them weapons and maps, as well.  After all, their most precious cargo must arrive untouched to their final destination.  They check, every so often, to make reassure their weary minds that the gifts still lay in peace—gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 

They travel for nearly two months, through cities, towns, and villages.  Sometimes, people watch them go by, suspicion in their eyes.  They don’t trust foreigners, and especially the kind with skin so dark and costume so exotic.  Some of the foreigners even have beards, combed with scented oils.  Mostly, people watch them go by in awe.  Men of the Orient rarely come this far.  Whispers travel among the people, and many come out to watch the caravan wander through the streets at night.  Why do they travel at night?  More whispers sweep across the city.  Men of the Orient sleep during the day, and travel at night.  Smiling secretly, the wise men keep their thoughts to themselves.  Oddly enough, traveling through the cities is the nice part of their journey.  Here, at least, they may send their servants during the day to buy and barter for supplies.

When they travel the wilderness their tempers are tested.  Many days of shorter rations make shorter tempers.  Some nights, they yell at each other for fear that some misinterpretation has occurred, and they have been follow the wrong star.  The nights are bitter cold, and sleeping in the heat of the day makes them sweaty and disgruntled.  They must fight off, every so often, wild animals like wolves and lions.  They must also fight off thieves, for their wealth has not gone unnoticed.  Fight they do, and their cargo survives, if their health does not.  One servant falls ill, and they must carry his useless weight, as well as stop at the nearest town for medicines.  They eagerly look forward to arriving in Jerusalem, where they will once again find the comforts of society.

When they do arrive in Jerusalem, they begin asking the people, for they know they are nearing their goal.  “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him,” they ask, and they say.  No one knows, and everyone fears to answer.  Word reaches the ears of King Herod who, unbeknownst to the wise men, is a most jealous monarch.  He calls them in secret, and interrogates them feverishly.  “When did this star appear?” he questions.  They tell him, and he changes his demeanor, as if thinking.  “Go and make a careful search for the child,” he tells them, “As soon as you have found him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  But these are wise men, and they are not fooled.  They assure the petty ruler that they will return, and leave to renew their search.

The star appears more brightly than ever, and they follow it to a house.  The angle tells them that they have arrived to the exact place where the King lays.  Although they have not oiled their beards, or changed into their best clothes, they enter the house.  Within they find a father and his wife, and in her arms, a baby.  The many months of hardship have paid off at last, for here is the King of Kings . . .

Tamara snapped out her reverie, perched atop her stubborn camel.  She kicked her legs against its flanks, only managing to elicit an annoyed flick of its ears.  She glanced at her friend, who seemed to be having the same kinds of problems.  The lines of an old Christmas song came to her.  “Bearing gifts, we traverse afar.”  She sighed and muttered, “They went through so much, and here I can’t get to yonder pyramid.”  She huffed, and her camel spit.