An Instrument in His Hands

Part 1 Chapter 11

Part 1

Chapter 11

I watched the cook closely for the next few days until I succeeded in making a passable corn cake. The trick was to add the hot water slowly and then to cook it on a stone using low temperatures. Just learning how to heat a stone at a low temperature was quite an accomplishment for me. I was so pleased when Muloki came back from visiting with Andrew just as I finished my first successful batch.

Andrew grabbed one to eat.

‘Watch it, brother!’ Muloki said. ‘It might be poison.’

Andrew took another one.

‘Try one,’ I dared Muloki and held it out to him.

He took and it sniffed. Then he pretended to check Andrew’s temperature.

I rolled my eyes.

He popped it into his mouth.

I watched for his reaction.

‘You can marry me now,’ he smiled crookedly as he continued eating.

I giggled.

‘Na, she’s got her lures out for bigger fish,’ Andrew said as he chewed a second cake.

‘What?’ I protested.

Muloki scratched his fingers on his chin. ‘You know, I think you are right.’ he agreed. ‘All that walking out with the future king of Zarahemla…’

I stood up and protested such a notion. ‘That’s not what we do. I’m helping visit the poor, like you do. Honestly!

Muloki chuckled. ‘Oh, and that’s why he takes you himself and doesn’t send you with lowly folks like us?’

‘We visit people he can’t see without a woman present,’ I explained with exaggerated patience, as if to a child. ‘I’m just repaying him for helping our family.’

‘I’m helping your family and you don’t repay me,’ said Muloki with a twinkle in his eye.

‘Have another corn cake,’ I told him. I was not about to kiss him.

He took it. ‘Don’t you remember how jealous he was the last time you fed me your corn cake dough?’

I turned away from them to mix more batter. ‘He was not! He was just shocked you weren’t behaving like a missionary.’

Andrew added inbetween bites, ‘And Mother talks non-stop about him and has practically got the wedding planned. She can’t wait to be the “Mother of the Queen.”’

‘Oh, Mother,’ I sighed, wiping my hands on my apron. ‘Can anyone take her seriously?’

‘You’d better start taking her seriously. Father does whatever she says to keep her happy. You know that.’ He took the last of the cooked corn cakes and stuffed it into his mouth.

I did know that.

That afternoon I resolutely refused to change into extravagant clothing to go with Aaron. ‘I’m just going with him to visit poor people in the worst part of town. I'd be sure to stain or tear my robe,’ I told Mother.

‘Visit the poor? Oh, oh, oh, he’s so like his grandfather and will make a very fine King,’ Mother simpered.

I rolled my eyes.

She continued, ‘He’s so wise to take you along on his visits. That’s a fine thing for his subjects to see you doing.’

‘I’m not doing it to be seen,’ I said. ‘It doesn’t matter who sees me. In fact, the less people who see me the better.’