Ultimate Sacrifice

🎄 4 🎄

"You're telling me that you saw what? An actual angel?" you splutter, your words a mixture of incredulity and annoyance.

"Not just an angel, darling. A host! Resplendent in dazzling white robes and wings! Keren, they had wings and the most melodious voices! They filled the entire night sky. I thought I would pee in my pants... They spoke of the long-awaited prophecy being fulfilled. They led me to the place where they said the promised Christos was born."

You squint and look carefully at your husband. You know he has never told you a lie, but you're seriously considering the possibility that he is suffering from an episode of delirium.

"You have to believe me, Keren! He is here. The Christos is really  here!"

"Wow! I never imagined our great Christos would come as a babe needing pampering. This is the figure who is supposed to save us from our oppressors and usher us into the New Kingdom Adonai has promised us."

"Well, what can we say? God's ways are mysterious. Maybe God wants to prove a point by obeying natural laws."

You shake your head and internally facepalm, scoffing silently at the fact that your husband is so convinced that whatever apparition believes he saw was real that he didn't catch on to your sarcastic tone. But you are unprepared for the next bomb he throws at you.

Corban keeps up his high-speed pacing as he runs his finger over and over through his dark hair.
"And, oh boy, Keren, you won't believe the surrogate parents of the Christos!"

You raise a brow and look at him, urging him to get it over with so you can tend to Noah.

"It's your brother and his fiancee! Japheth and Michelle."

The mention of their names causes your eyes to expand.

"What?"

"I'm telling you! I was more surprised, more shocked than you are. Japheth told me they came for the census but then Michelle's labour was induced earlier than they expected."

"Japheth is in Bethlehem and he couldn't come over to my place! Wow!"

"I'm sure it isn't like that. But, honestly, I wouldn't have believed it had the angels not appeared to me. And the child, our Christos, he was so—"

"Stop! Stop this nonsense at once. I'm sick and tired of hearing this concocted tale!"

"But—"

"Look, Corban, I honour and respect you, but please don't push me off the cliff."

With that, you stand abruptly, partly deaf to the hungry whines of your little Noah, and enter your room where you go to sob your eyes out.