The Fig tree, the Olive tree, the Vine and the Bramble bush.

Chapter 2

Cia looked up from where she was sitting in the kitchen, a sceptical expression on her face. Trumah repeated her instruction.
"Come on, come on! Don't just sit there. You're coming with us."
"Who's us?"
"The master and me."
"Why?"
"For goodness sake child, must we have all these questions?......I want you to help me carry the foodstuff from the shops!"
Cia shrugged her shoulders and followed behind the grown-ups, slunking and dragging her feet. This lasted for some distance, but slowly the realisation that this unexpected freedom gave her the opportunity to savour the sights and sounds of the world around her. Everything caught her attention and her inquisitive mind, made her totally forget her initial unwillingness to come along. Her youthful exuberance soon got the upper hand. Cia started skipping and hopping and very soon passed Gideon and Drumah going on in front of them.
Cia loved clothes, and especially the material they were made of. She would stretch out her hand to feel the fabric of people's clothes. Most passers-by would slap her hand away, highly annoyed at her brazen behaviour. The few that tolerated her actions were greeted with a childlike smile and sometimes a soft exclamation of 'It's lovely!'
This behaviour did not go unnoticed. Gideon kept watch out the corner of his eye, initially fearful that this young girl, now in his charge, was getting up to no good. Soon though, he realised her interest in what people were wearing, especially the more quality items of clothing, was genuine. The whole episode of Cia's performance came to a head when she came to a stall selling material, fabrics and cloth. She stood mesmerised by the colourful sight before her eyes. The tolerant shopkeeper, stood and smiled, allowing Cia to take the end of rolls and hold them in front of her, while she swayed from side to side, mimicking the wearing of a dress made from that fabric.
Gideon stopped walking and stretched out his arm to the side, thus bringing Trumah also to a halt.
"What is it. Is something wrong?" Trumah asked.
"No, nothing." Gideon answered. Never taking his eyes off his servant girl. "Would you do me a favour?" He asked.
"Depends!"
I want you to go to that stall where Cia is, and take some of the food money I gave you, and buy some material there.
Rather confused, Trumah inquired, "Which material?"
"Any fabric that Cia wants!"
Trumah put her hands on her hips, turned and faced Gideon. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"She's a servant girl......now you're buying fabric for that youngster that just a few moments ago you called a nosey parker!"
"Exactly! She's a servant in my household.....I can't have her looking like a......like a...err...orphan. I've an image to upkeep!"
"Oh, hogslop! You've got 70 sons and...I don't know how many daughters...and I have not heard that you bought them anything, without them begging you. Or at least your wives demanding it!"
"This is different."
"How, please enlighten me?"
"My children want for nothing. Sometimes I don't have any food on my plate , but I give them what they want. Do they deserve it?....No! Are they grateful?....No! If I give my ungrateful children what they want, how much more do I feel like giving someone who has so little, something that will brighten her day. Whether she is grateful or not is of no consequence. The look on her face will be my reward."
Trumah's hard expression gave way to a broad smile. "Now I know why I lo....like you so much. She stepped forward, meaning to kiss him but realised quickly where they were, and what their relationship was supposed to be. So she merely said,
"How much?"
"Enough to make her a dress."
Trumah nodded and started walking towards the stall.
Gideon called after her.
"And some material for a work tunic. That tunic she wears is so threadbare, you can see right through it. She will soon develop and have a woman's body, it's not proper to wear such revealing clothes!"
Again Trumah nodded and made to walk on.
"Purchase enough for two tunics" Gideon shouted again, "She can wear one and wash the other."
This time Trumah just lifted her hand in acknowledgement but kept on walking, mumbling to herself....'Men!'
When Trumah reached the stall, before she could say anything, Cia, fearing a reprimand, started to move away. Trumah, frustrated, but knowing all too well how a servant would feel, having taken the liberty of indulging in a bit of freedom, when she should be working.
"Come here, Cia, please."
"Why? I haven't done anything. Truthfully....I haven't stolen anything.....ask the storekeeper!"
"Please come here, I need your advice."
"You're just saying that to trick me. No one ever asks for my advice. You want to box me on my ears."
"Now why would I want to do that? You silly girl!
"Because that's what the master's other wives would do!"
"Have they really done that?
"Yes."
"Well you see, I'm not a wife!"
"What are you then?"
"I'm a lot like you actually, the master's wives order me around, they don't like me , especially because the master always calls me when he has problems.
"But you're not a servant are you?"
"More like a nurse or caregiver. Now please come and help me. We haven't bought any food yet and it's nearly time to go home. Come and tell me what you think?"
Cia warily came and stood next to Trumah. The older woman gathered some material in her hands and asked. "The master has instructed that you should have some new work tunics. What material would you like?
Cia ran her fingers over the rolls of material. Stopping at a very finely woven and gaudy material. "I like this one!"
Trumah's eyes went big as she exclaimed, "You jest child, surely! There's no way I'm buying you that. Just imagine spilling oil or blood or wine all over that expensive material, the master would have a fit. Not to mention the colour....it's hideous! Trumah wanted to continue with her ranting and raving but out the corner of her eye she noticed Cia, next to her, with her one hand over her mouth and the other holding her stomach, turning red as she tried to keep herself from bursting out laughing. Immediately the older woman realised she was the victim of the young girl's childish prank. Feigning anger, she made a lunge at the young girl, who bounded away, screeching and giggling.

Cia slowly came alongside Trumah again. Her eyes bright with leftover mischief.
"Have you quite finished, miss?"
Trumah said as she bumped Cia with her hip.
"Let's rap this up, which material do you choose for your tunic?"
Cia tried hard to focus after all the merriment. She chose some plain, heavy weave material, Trumah was impressed that the girl had chosen wisely and proceeded to purchase enough material for 2 tunics. With the first half of her instruction from Gideon completed, she tactfully proceeded with her next task. Turning to Cia she asked.
"Cia, if we were to pretend that you were going to a very important occasion, let's say your twelveth birthday party, and you had a beautiful dress that you were going to wear, what would it look like?"
"I don't know. I've never had a pretty dress before."
Cia answered.
"Wrap the material from one of the rolls around you, like you did before I came. But remember it must be a material that you like."
"Did you see me? Were you spying on me?
"No I wasn't spying on you!"
"Why did you take notice of me then?
"Because it's something I would have done....in fact I still like to do it!"
"Really?"
"Yes really. Now pick out some fabric....I want to see if the colour and pattern will suit you?"

Cia picked out a material and wrapped it around her and paraded up and down as far as the material allowed. Trumah took note of the material.
"It looks nice, you have good taste, put it back, we'd better go." Trumah said. Then she added. "I must pay for the tunic material, won't you go and find the master and tell him we are finished."
When Cia skipped away up the street, Trumah quickly instructed the storekeeper to add 3 metres of the material Cia had just chosen to the tunic cloth and wrap it up so it could not be seen. She paid for the material and hastened after the girl. She caught up with Cia, who was looking everywhere for Gideon, who seemed to have vanished. They decided to just stroll along and let Gideon find them. They would do some food shopping in the meantime.

"Can I ask you something?" Cia asked as they came out of the second store where they had bought food.
"Yes of course." Trumah answered.
"Why do we always buy from the small poor, decrepit looking shops that have nearly no stock, and we pass all the nice shops, with lots of nice things to buy?"
"Well you see, Cia, the so-called nice shops are owned by Midianites. They are our enemies. They have taken over our country. They are thieves and cheats. The goods they sell actually belong to the Israelites. Our poor farmers till the soil, plant the seeds, water the plants, then when it's time to harvest the crop, the Midianites come and kill or chase our farmers away and take their crops. In some areas the Israelite people live in caves to escape being hurt or killed. That's why we like to support the stores and stalls of our own people."

"Why don't we do something.?" Cia inquired.
"There's just so many of them. We don't stand a chance." Trumah answered with sadness in her eyes.
"We need someone big and strong." Answered the young girl enthusiastically.
"We do have someone who is doing something about the situation." Answered Trumah, in a hushed voice as if someone might hear her.
Cia got all excited and holding onto Trumah's arm jumped up and down. "Who, who, who is he? She exclaimed.
Trumah stopped, bent down to the girl's level, looked around and said. "It's Gideon, your master."

The servant girl's face dropped in disappointment and she stopped jumping up and down.
"What's the matter?" Trumah asked
Cia looked down at the ground and mumbled, "He's not a warrior, he's not big and strong, we'll never get rid of the Midianites now."
"I don't think you're being fair. Gideon is a judge of the Hebrew people and he is doing something about the Midianites as we speak"
"But he is so.....weak and stressed out. He can't even manage his own household."
"That's why I came to help. You didn't really think I came only to help Andrica, did you? That was only an excuse to come and help your master. We are old friends and when I treat him he feels better and can think clearly again."
"Are you a doctor?"
"No I am not"
"How do you treat him then?"
"Questions, questions, questions! You really are a nosey Parker."
"Please......please tell me."
Trumah sighed deeply. Would Gideon not come and rescue her. She looked about.....no Gideon. So she answered.
"I use my hands and fingers and certain oils to massage the skin and certain parts of the body. It relaxes people and helps them to think clearly."
"What's massage?"
Trumah felt completely exasperated and in need of her own treatment. She looked up and saw Gideon coming towards them. Relief flooded her whole being. So she answered Cia.
"Oh look here comes the master.....I'll tell you more some other time."