Baara's Dreams

Chapter 14

As the days of Naaman's absence stretched into months and then the months to a year, the household returned to normal. The reconstruction was finally completed, and Baara's friends returned to the slave quarters. Although she was now alone at night, she still joined the other women to weave, and she saw Serah each morning on her trips to draw water.

Baara eventually questioned Serah about heavenly messengers. She didn't tell her about Naaman's vision, only that of Mara. Like Baara, Serah had no recollections of angels with names, but, unlike Baara, she thought Mara had been hallucinating when she saw the being rescue Zipporah.

"After all," she pointed out, "Zipporah's body was still in the rubble. She was buried after the death ritual. If a messenger had taken her, she wouldn't have been left there to bury."

"I know," Baara admitted. "Elijah disappeared body and all when God took him. But some think our soul separates from our body at death. Maybe the angel came for Zipporah's soul, leaving her unneeded body behind."

"That would be great," Serah said with a laugh. "Maybe my soul is encased in a slender frame like yours, instead of in such an ample body," she said, spreading her hands across her generous girth. "After all, this angel Mara saw had a body. Even if it was shining, it had substance. Maybe we'll be like him, all shiny and new."

"I don't think so," Baara said laughing at the idea of Serah's throaty voice coming from a dainty, shining body. "Can you imagine what a scare you'd give the angels if you spoke to them with that voice from a fragile, shining frame," she said dropping her voice and trying to imitate Serah. "Salam, there Michael. Thanks for bringing me here."

"No," Baara continued. "I don't think you'll be appearing before Yahweh in a slender, shiny body. But then, I don't know what kind of bodies we'll have or how our souls get to Yahweh. But I do believe the place of light Zipporah went in her dreams was real and that she encountered God there. A mere dream would fade and gradually fail to have significance. Zipporah never lost the peace she gained when she encountered Yahweh. She faced partial paralysis and being imprisoned in a damaged body because she knew she would one day walk upright with Yahweh in the land of light."

Shaking her head, Serah concluded, "I don't know what to think. There are no gray- bearded religious leaders here to tell us what to believe. I guess your interpretation of Zipporah's encounter with Yahweh will have to do. But I still think the idea of a shiny body that's our earthly ideal should be a part of eternity," she said impishly. "There are no religious zealots here to tell me otherwise. I think I'll just hang onto the thought of a slender Serah spending eternity in a place of light," she said, laughing and pirouetting in the street, almost dropping her water jar.

Baara grabbed Serah's arm to steady her, saying, "If you're not careful, you're going to break your water jar and cause a scene while you're at it."

When the two laughing women looked up, they saw a very silent crowd standing around the well, looking in their direction. The women were in small clusters, talking in hushed tones. As Baara and Serah approached, the women looked away, refusing to meet their eyes.

"What's going on?" Serah bellowed in her deep voice, choosing confrontation over discomfort. "The atmosphere here is more like a funeral pall than the usual boisterous babble. Come on, someone tell Serah what's up. I know my clumsy dancing in the street was not enough to cause quiet to descend on the well. So, what bit of gossip are you keeping under wraps today?" she queried.

At Serah's words, the women looked even more uncomfortable, shuffling their feet and keeping their eyes downcast. Finally one said timidly, "News has come from the battle front."

"Well, out with it," Serah commanded. "Since you fell quiet as we approached, I assume the news involves someone in one of our households."

"Well," another woman said, wetting her lips and then biting her bottom lip in vexation. "The war is over, and our troops have won. They're coming home after over a year of fighting."