The Gospel of Ariel: Volume II

XXXV

My younger brother left us then to tell Camilla what had happened. When he entered Theophilus house, he came to her room where he had left her, and found her lying in bed, weeping softly. And my brother looked at her and loved her,

"Camilla? Oh, good, you are awake! Are you alright? I have something just for you from Rabba Yoshabel. Shall we share it? We must not let your abba know, or he will eat it all. Can I lie with you?"

And my brother sat beside her on her bed, and gave her warm goat's milk with fig honey and spices, and goat cheese, and seeds of the pomegranate, and dates, which she always craved. She asked him,

"Ahi, is Rabba Yoshabel still sleeping?"

"Yes", he answered her, fighting back tears. "Camilla, can you tell me where your uncles and aunt are, and your abba's baby niece?"

She answered him matter-of-factly,

"In Hades, where all the dead go."

"Show me," he said.

Taking a writing tablet and stylus, she drew for him elysium, where the souls of the blessed dwell, and all Hades' rivers, and tartarus, where the titans are chained. When she finished, he said to her,

/

"Very good, little one! Quite the artist! May i keep this?"

"Yes", she said. To this day, my brother has that tablet. Always questioning, Camilla asked my brother,

"Why did you ask me?"

"Come here, little one," he said.

My brother held her close in anticipation of what he must tell her,

"Because- " a lump caught in his throat, "because, Camilla, that's where Rabba Yoshabel went tonight."

"I know." she responded, But why?"

My brother drew her closer still, wiping the tears from both their faces, as he said, gently,

" That's why you couldn't leave her, isn't it? Your burdens are heavy, little one. I wish it were not so! To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.. It's the way of the world, sweet one. We're not meant to live forever, and we don't know our time. She was very sick, darling, and sometimes when we are very sick or old or tired, the Lord takes us to him. She bid me tell you to be good, to honor your abba and your ima, to follow God's ways, and that she loves you as God does, as I do."

But Camilla was troubled, and asked him,

"But why didn't she want me with her? Have I done wrong?"

My brother's heart melted as he said,

"Oh, sweetheart, no! Of course not. Quite the opposite, Camilla! She only wouldn't have you grieve. You are little yet, and she would have you happy when you remember her. She bid us rejoice for her, because she went to God, not be sad because she left us. It's because she loves you that she didn't have you with us then. She knew you'd be sad to see her leave this world. She doesn't want you to be sad.Do you understand?"

But she said, simply,

"I'm sad now."

"I know, I know," he said, softly. So am I. But we must be happy for all the time she had with us. We will see her again."

Looking him full in the face then, her countenance as grave as a philosopher's, she asked my brother,

"Will I?"

He had not expected this. Taken aback, he responded,

"Yes of course, beloved! What do you mean?"

Then, she asked him,