Baara's Dreams

Chapter 9

Everyone in the room stood as though paralyzed by the poison only Zipporah had ingested. When no obvious reaction occurred, Maacah finally sprang into action.

Turning to her sons, she said, "Take her, forcibly if you must, and place her on the sleeping couch where Naaman normally rests. He will not be home for several days. Tie her down so she won't be able to leave the bed. The poison she has taken evidently is not fast acting. Perhaps we can still save her life."

At this Zipporah began to laugh. The sound was more of an evil cackle than a sound of mirth.

"Tying me down might be wise," she said, "the poison may cause delirium. But then you may simply hasten my death. The body may make a valiant effort to rid itself of this particular poison, and I could drown in my own vomit."

As she spoke, Zipporah's bravado seemed to lessen and then she abruptly sat down on the side of the couch, claiming, "I think perhaps it's time to sleep." Then looking directly at Maacah, she concluded, "It'll do you no good to seek an antidote. I took all of the poison I have. You have no way of knowing what it was. By the time a healer can figure it out, I'll be dead."

With a wraithlike smile, she laid down on the hard couch without benefit of a sleeping mat. She looked around at the group with hugely dilated pupils and said calmly, "Perhaps you would like to shade the lamp. The light is causing my head to ache."

Turning to her sons, Maacah motioned and said, "Arisai, Shepho. . ."

As they moved to the girl and began to tie her to the couch, Maacah turned to Hegai.

"Go and summon the healer," she said. "We must try, no matter what the girl said."

Then to Baara, "You stay with her, child. Tirzah and I will see what we can deduce about the poison."

As the two women left, Baara slumped down on the other sleeping couch, burying her face in her hands. Feelings of horror and relief mingled as she struggled with her emotions. Zipporah had harbored nothing but hatred for her; but still, some part of Baara found her probable death abhorrent. At the same time another part rejoiced that her tormentor would no longer be there to taunt her.

In despair, Baara inadvertently spoke aloud, "Oh, Yahweh, she is my enemy; why can't I simply feel relief?"

Zipporah began to laugh mockingly, crying, "You are such a weakling. Must you get permission from your God even to hate?"

Even as Zipporah taunted, words from King Solomon echoed in Baara's mind: "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn His wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18) If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." (Proverbs 25:21-22)

Advancing to the edge of the couch where Zipporah lay, Baara said quietly, "There is no weakness in submitting to the God of the universe. Only a fool refuses to acknowledge the presence of God. And, no, I needn't seek His permission to hate, for He won't grant it. Hating you would only make me a prisoner, your prisoner. I would be consumed with bitterness, and you would continue to control my emotions and make me into someone like yourself. If I hate, your death would not free me. I would continue to be enslaved by the emotion. No, I choose not to hate you. I have given Yahweh my hate and asked him to replace it with something good, of His making."

Zipporah began to laugh mockingly, but the laugh died as she began to choke and then to wretch. Baara immediately went to her with a basin, turning her head to the side and allowing her to vomit into it. She then began to methodically clean up the stinking mess, bathing it off of Zipporah.