Ruth: Reimagined

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The night drew on, and a quiet stillness held Naomi in a tight grip. Ruth's steady breathing put her soul at ease. She turned on the bed, staring at Ruth in her sleep. It was an endearing sight. Turning back, she stared at the ceiling.Then she sat up slowly, and her feet met with the cold floor. Naomi stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her gently. And she walked out of the house.

A cold breeze met her skin. Naomi sat on the porch stairs, staring up at the sky glittered with a million stars. Her body and soul melted in peace. A slow smile adorned her face. Her eyes burnt holes at the empty space beside her, and a million memories flashed before her eyes. The moments reignited with every whish of the wind.
Elimilek, Chillion, Mahlon, Keziah, and Hannah. All of them, people in which she'd shared this spot with, talking, laughing-living.

Keziah and Hannah are still alive.

The thought dropped into her mind. She sat with it for a good minute

~🍁~

Naomi's day, after Ruth left, was spent pacing around the house like a mad woman, fading and drifting into her thoughts and memories. Certain moments, she'd snap out of it and head to the kitchen, graining the barley Ruth had gleaned-baking bread that would be enough for a week.

Depleted, she sat on the chair by the supper table, surrounded by loaves of bread and half powdered barley. Placing her arms on the table, she lay her head on them, eyes fluttering shut, the silence eating her up inside- When would Ruth be back?

Just as she was about to fall asleep, there was a knock on the door. It jolted her up. She was delirious for a second. Glory be to Yahweh!

"Ruth's back," she said, a relieved smile on her face.

She walked quickly to the door, ready to welcome the young woman in, and silence the longing and loneliness within her to escape the memories and the bitterness. To feed of of the hope, Ruth carried the past few weeks and listen to the stories she told of the people, and the land Tikvah, of the places she explored of the maidens, Of Boaz.

All of which Naomi enjoyed hearing, as she lived vicariously through her. But when she opened the door, it was not Ruth who stood there, staring at her with a smile.

"Keziah?" Naomi's face fell. She made a move to quickly shut the door, but Keziah put her hand, stopping the movement. Her eyes met with Naomi's angry, fiery ones, gentle and kind.

"Naomi, please." Keziah pleaded.

The air was charged, and memories were lit. They held each other's eyes, both of them fighting different battles. Both of them equally stubborn.

"We don't have to talk." Keziah said, "I just came to sit by you, remember those days. Those days in which we had nothing to say to each other and we would sit and eat, or sew or watch the sun set. Those days where motherhood exhausted the life out of us and when we were together we would just sit, and sometimes fall asleep on each other's shoulder and-" her eyes glittered with tears, the breath slipping past her lips shook.

It felt like she was fighting a losing battle.

Naomi's eyes flickered to the basket Keziah carried with her, the scent of sweet cake.

"Please Naomi," Keziah pleaded, and she watched Naomi's resolve breath, with the blink of an eye.

Naomi's eyes softened. She released her firm hold on the door. Her heart violently thudded against her chest.