Seth's Journey: Part Two

Seth tried to look normal as he walked through the house. If he looked like he was supposed to be there, no one would notice.

As he turned the corner to approach his mother's room, he heard voices. All thoughts of pretending to belong vanished. Seth flattened himself against the wall just before the turn and listened.

A man's voice spoke. "Will she be alright?" It was his father's voice, but something was different. It didn't hold the authority it usually held, but rather desperation and worry.

A sigh. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. I don't know what to do for her."

"Please! You have to do something! You've been our family's physician for years. You can't just let my wife die." The speech had gradually faded into a whisper.

"I'm sorry Scipio. There's nothing that I know to do. I'll come back every day and examine her. If anything changes, send for me immediately."

Silence.

"Thank you."

"Of course."

Footsteps slapped against the stone floor and Seth turned and ran out one of the servant's doors into the courtyard. A few of the slaves gave him odd looks.

The fact that Father was so upset unsettled Seth. He was the strong one who always had it together, no matter what. What was wrong with Mother?

He ran out of the courtyard and toward the marketplace. Seth had never really learned the lesson he was supposed to from punishments for going there. Instead, it now seemed like a secret forbidden place. Well, maybe not secret, but at least forbidden.

He wanted the anonymity of the crowds for a few hours so that he could think.

Even from a distance, the marketplace looked quiet. Upon arriving in the midst of it, Seth could tell that the teacher from the day before was there again. "Rabbis" the Jews called them. He told another story. Seth scoffed at the childishness but allowed himself to listen.

"The kingdom of Heaven is like the master of a house who hire laborors in his vineyard," the Rabbi said. "He hires some in the morning and sends them out to work in the fields. A few hours later, he goes into the marketplace again and hires more men. He sends them out to work as well. He does this two more times throughout the day."

Seth stood on tiptoe, straining to see above the crowds. He couldn't quite get a glimpse of the man.

"At the end of the day, the master paid his workers their wages. Every one of them received the same amount - those who had worked all day and those who had only worked an hour."

Righteous indignation on behalf of the workers hired in the morning rose up in Seth. He was a Roman and he knew what was just. This wasn't it.

"The workers who had worked longer grumbled and complained. When the master of the house heard about their grumbling he asked for an explanation. They told him that it was unfair that those hired late in the day should receive the same payment as those hired early." Seth nodded.

"Then the master asked them if they had not agreed to work for one day's pay. They had. He told them that he could pay the others as he liked - he had paid the first men what he agreed to pay them. It was up to him how to spend his money. He could choose to be generous with it if he liked. So the last will be first and the first will be last."

The Rabbi turned to his disciples and they moved away from the market. A few of the listeners chased after, some falling at his feet. The rest of the people went back to their business.

Seth just stood there. Every bit of justice printed into him over the years cried out against the unfair treatment of the workers. But what the master had said about it being his money and he could choose to be generous also made sense.

Seth began walking, trying to puzzle out the story. A minute later, he came upon another Rabbi. This one was gray haired and flung his arms through the air as he spoke. His disciples listened eagerly, but all of the other people on the street continued with what they were doing. Seth stopped to watch.

This one did not tell a story, but rather told what would happen if anyone disobeyed the laws of the Sabbath. Not nearly as entertaining.

Turning to walk home, Seth decided to return tomorrow. Maybe the Rabbi from the market would tell another story.


In the courtyard, he found Juliet sitting under a tree. He rushed over to tell her about the Rabbi and his story.

Juliet sniffed and wiped at her eyes when she saw him.

"What's wrong?" Seth asked.

"Sit down."

"Why?" Seth sat down.

Juliet stared up at the deep blue of the sky and took a deep shaky breath. "Mother died today."

"What?" Juliet may have spoken in a whisper, but Seth knew exactly what she said.

She turned to face him. "Mother died today. There was nothing the physician could do. He still doesn't know what happened."

Seth stood up. He paused and then walked deliberately toward the street.

"Seth? Seth! Where are you going?"

He didn't answer.

A moment later, a hand touched his shoulder, bringing him to a stop. He stared straight ahead, refusing to move or speak.

"Where are you going?" Her voice quaked.

"I'm going to ask someone a question."

"Who?"

"A Jewish Rabbi." Seth gently pulled his shoulder from her grip and walked out of the courtyard.

-Kira