Come

Solomon

Okay, last warning: everybody have tissues? Here we go.

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Nice to see you again. As you know, I am Daniel/Job/Luke/Jeremiah, known as Solomon this time. Funny, I just noticed that all these past lives that were named after books in the Bible.

Anyway, I am in Poland, at a time when Poland was under control by the Prussian, Empire (Germany I believe it's calling itself now), Russia, and the Austria-Hungary empire. Nevertheless, in this village, we didn't have any problems with them, so long as we stayed obedient. The year is 1800. And-

"Solomon!" A girl ran up to me and hugged me from behind. She had long braided blonde hair and brown eyes. She was this life's childhood friend, Anetka. She was also my descendant.

I rubbed her head. "Hi, Anetka," I said in Polish.

"It's getting chilly; come back inside Solomon."

You see, we've been living in the same house since we were kids. I work, she keeps house and the farm, one with pigs and honeybees.

Anetka had always been energetic. We were both seventeen, our parents dead, but she had not decided on a husband. Nor did I push her.

I remember that day clearly. It was a chilly November, and we went back inside. It became nighttime; Anetka was baking bread, I was reading a book.

And that's when we met him.

There had been a loud noise outside. "I'll get it," I had said.

I ran outside. The pigs were squealing at a dark figure. A man, but there was no light to tell for sure at the time.

"Back! Back! Shoo you weird creatures! " He tried pushing the pigs away from him. I realized that he was speaking in a Slavic language, so he wasn't from around here.

"And what are you doing?" I asked him in very bad Slavic. Unfortunately, there weren't many books in the Slavic language, so I learned very little of it.

He looked at me. "You understand my language?"

"A little. I read a lot. However, I speak it very poorly, for it is not the native language of this land."

He sighed happily. "But that's great! I need a place to stay for a couple months. I'll work for it."

"And may I ask why?"

He paused. "Let's say that I was accused wrongly about something. I am innocent though! But... The people in my village don't believe me."

He's telling the truth.

Thank you my Lord. "Alright. I'll have some work for you in return for shelter and food for a few months. Please come this way.

I led him into the house. "Who is this?" Anetka came in our sight.

"A man we will care for for a few months. He does not speak our language. Thankfully I know what language he does speak, so I can talk to him."

She looked at me a little. "Solomon, what did you do to make him so pale?"

I looked at him. Now that she mentioned it, he did look a little pale compared to us. He had messy brown hair and bright blue eyes, but his skin was very pale. "Have you always had pale skin?"

He nodded. "He had this before I met him Anetka."

She tapped her foot angrily, then went in the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of soup and stuffed the spoon in his mouth. "You should always eat so you wouldn't be this pale," she mothered him. "And get a lot of sleep."