Baara's Dreams

Chapter 23

The next morning, Bunah told Naaman of Baara's invitation and asked to impose on his hospitality for another day. Naaman was delighted for him to stay for the betrothal, even extending an invitation for him to remain for a fortnight until time for the wedding feast. Bunah demurred, indicating that he needed to return home and extend Baara's invitation to his brother and nephew.

"I will return in my wedding finery," Bunah said with a grin. Then sobering he added, "I don't really think Pallu will come. He is so preoccupied with business; it is difficult to pry him away. I don't even know if he will be home when I get there. I told this to Baara, but I don't think she believed me. Try to encourage her not to get her hopes up."

While Naaman picked Bunah's brain concerning the worship of Yahweh, Maacah took Baara into the sleeping tent. Opening a camel's saddle she took out a dress of beautiful, wine- colored silk. The bodice of the dress had strips of cream lace sewn in a geometric pattern. The sleeves were long and wide, coming to a point six inches below the hand on the side nearest the body. The girdle was a foot in width, smooth and fitted, not twisted cloth like those worn by most women for daily wear. It was cream colored with tiny burgundy flowers embroidered in a vine pattern across it. Green stems and leaves were intricately interwoven. Sewn into a band at the top and bottom of the girdle were squares of gold. The headpiece matched the girdle, rather than the vest. It had a tall cap in the front and a band that would fit tightly across the forehead. Sewn into and adorning the band were eight squares of gold identical to those encircling the waist on the girdle. The veil was a soft lace in the same cream color of the girdle and headpiece. This lacy piece was attached to the headpiece on one side so it could be left free or pulled across the face. Veils and headpieces for poorer women were always one and the same. The woman simply pulled the headpiece across the bottom of her face when in public. The style and adornment of this dress definitely proclaimed wealth.

As Maacah held up the dress, girdle and veil, Baara gasped, "It is beautiful, mistress. Is this what you plan to wear for the wedding?"

With a smile Maacah said, "What? And outshine the bride on her day of days? Hardly, Baara. This is your wedding dress."

At this pronouncement, Baara gulped, turned pale, and sat down abruptly on the camel stool behind her. Her movement was so quick and unexpected that she was unable to hold her seat and ended up sprawled askew on the ground. Laughing at herself, Baara sat up and peered up at her startled mistress.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Did you say that beautiful, gold adorned outfit is to be my wedding dress?"

"That's right," Maacah said with a smile. "I sewed the golden squares into the girdle and headband myself. Don't you like it?"

"It's beautiful," Baara breathed out in awe. "But to give me such a wedding dress is far too generous. You and Naaman have done more than enough bringing me here. I don't want you to go to further expense."

"Baara," Maacah responded laughing, "don't you remember I told you that Naaman would use the reward money the Prophet Elisha turned down as a reverse dowry of sorts. That means you have a lot of gold and silver. There are also eight sets of men's clothes that you can give Ophiram and his brothers."

"When you said it would be a dowry, I thought you meant you would pay it to the family of whomever I marry," Baara replied. "I thought Naaman would have to pay someone to marry an ex-slave."

"Well, that is what we thought, too, at first," Maacah acknowledged. "And had we stayed in Damascus, that probably would have been the case. But when we brought you here, things changed. You are no longer a destitute slave. You are considered a sort of adopted child of a wealthy and important man. You are also a landowner, since you will inherit your father's property. But even if you had married in Damascus, you would not have gone into marriage a pauper. I had already taken this gold from the stash and sewn it into the garment. After all, a woman has to have protection in case something happens and she is widowed or divorced. Besides," Maacah said, running her hand over the gold in the girdle, "this is only a small part of the dowry. There are still thousands of shekels of gold and six talents of silver left."