A Short Story Collection

My Light Is Yahweh!

Genre: Historical; Biblical

Prompts: One word prompt - Ashes

Sentence prompt - A decaying heart is better than a wilted one

Word Count: 2768

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Capernaum, 31 AD

I run across the street, my feet carrying me around the market, surrounded by the hustle and bustle. Picking out the different ingredients that I need, I make sure to get the cheapest ones I find. The taxes have to be paid soon and being in debt is not a pleasant option.

The colourful stands and noise coming from the owners makes the scene so lively. Coming down here makes me feel at ease...

"Shalev! What's bringing you here to the market again?" I turn my head to face a lady with a beautiful green head covering. "Shalom (hello/peace) Zemora! Well why would I be here again? Is it that hard of a guess?" She crosses her arms, looking at me with a raised brow from among the shawls that were hung up along her stand.

"I need some vegetables." "Could've bought them yesterday." "What if I want some fresh air and a nice stroll?" Zemora just shuts her eyes and shakes her head. "Shalev, I am not stupid. Is everything alright?"

My eyes trail off, trying to come up with an excuse, but my conscience brings me back to not sin against our Creator. Eventually my eyes land on some ashes that a worker is carrying out of a restaurant behind the stands.

Ashes... a symbol of grief.

Tears start running down my cheeks silently. "Oh no, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..." Zemora comes over from behind the stand to comfort me, trying to mend what she thinks she caused. Maybe it's time for me to be honest about what's really going on.

As she rubs her hand along my back, I end up saying, "I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. I-I don't know what to do!" Zemora purses her lips and looks at me intently. She wants an explanation, so I try to think of a way to express all the emotions that I'm feeling inside.

"Come." I'm taken by my hand, and sat down on a stool amongst the woven shawls. "You know you can tell me anything right? I'm here to listen." Zemora gives me a reassuring smile that calms me down a bit. "And you know what the Proverbs say about a friend's counsel."

The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. The beautiful words of King Solomon. She is my trusted friend. I nod my head, knowing it'll be good to finally offload my burden.

"You know Uriyah?" "Well, of course I know Uriyah! How could I not?" Laughter escapes her lips, but when she sees my hardened facial expression she immediately gasps. "What happened? You're not messing around?"

That's when I burst into tears, this time uncontrollably with loud sniffles. Zemora pulls me into a hug. "My father... he wants to break the arrangement," I whisper. The hug is broken as Zemora seemingly considers what to say next. "You know how I don't really approve of the arrangement myself?" she eventually utters.

Nodding my head again, I let out another cry. He's an honest, hardworking man... Well, he was a hardworking man. "Why are you like this?" I ask. "Don't get me wrong, Shalev, it breaks my heart to see you like this!" "Does it really?" I question with genuine wonder, trying to look through my blurry eyes.

"What kind of a question is that? You know me!" "Exactly... that's the thing." Zemora rolls her eyes. "My heart is decaying Zemora! Can't you see that? It feels like it crumbled to ash and is blown away by the wind..." "You are now sounding like Solomon the poet yourself."