During the early days the leper's wife came out to the gate to see her husband. With a child in her arms and one by the hand she stood outside the gate waiting to see him. As they waited and he approached them he was forced to cry out his curse. The first time his children heard him and then saw what a wretch he was they cowered and cried in front of him. In that moment his heart broke and he ran and hid in a shadow of the wall. bitter tears of pain and distress ran down his cheeks for hours. Days later his wife brought them back. this time they stood at a distance and held out their arms and asked their daddy to come and hold them. Their mom told them that right now he couldn't pick them up because he was sick, but someday soon he would be able to pick them up in his strong arms and tickle them and squeeze them tight. Their tiny tears told him how much they loved him and his heartache was beyond speaking.
Her visits became so painful that he asked her not to come back. He wanted his children to remember him before the damned curse covered his body. He wanted her to remember him when he was strong and could sweep her up into his arms with little effort. He wanted her to remember how hard he worked to provide for her and the children. She used to comment on how she could recognize him even if she were blind. She told him that he had a fragrance about him that she knew and loved. With tear covered cheeks she promised not to return to see him until he sent word for her.
No comments:
Post a Comment