An Instrument in His Hands

Part 1 Chapter 22

Part 1

Chapter 22

We walked out into the main room. Muloki folded his arms across his chest. ‘This is all against my better judgment.’

‘You saw the angel!’ I told him. ‘You made me promise to obey!’

‘I hurt for my friend.’

I put my hand on his stubborn arm. ‘Then you shall be the one to comfort him.’ When he did not relax, I added, ‘Listen, I will write him a letter and tell all that the angel said to me – every word. You will testify of the angel. Will he not accept God’s will and be comforted? Is not God’s plan for us always kind? Perhaps it will be only a short delay.’

Muloki lowered his eyes and relaxed his taunt muscles.

I bent down and peeked into his eyes. ‘Do you not think that this hurts me too?’

He gave in. ‘What can I do to help you?’

I went to my trunk, rooted about, and returned. ‘Here, take this fancy robe to the market and sell it for the best price, then take a coin and buy me a large supply of henna. Do you know what henna is?’

‘I have a sister.’

I reached for a sheet of paper. ‘While you are gone, I will write Aaron a missive for you to take to him when you come back from the market. Perhaps you can catch up with him on his journey. He must know this before he returns.’

‘To Manti?’

‘Manti will be a good place for you to be for a few weeks,’ I said as I glanced down the hall towards Mother’s door. It would keep him from following after me also.

‘How do you know all this?’

I raised an eyebrow at him. ‘The Holy Spirit. Don’t worry about me, Muloki. Angels are all about us, helping! Now, go with God.’

‘Dearest Aaron,’ I wrote. ‘Muloki has probably told you by this time that he was witness to my seeing an angel of God in answer to my prayer about signing our betrothal papers. As your friend and faithful missionary, he urged me to ask the Lord in faith for confirmation of your desires. This is the answer that I received.’ Then I quoted the angel verbatim, as I remembered his words.

‘I must obey. The work God has for you must be so very great. I will pray for your success and health and happiness daily. I do not undertake my journey without regret, for I love you dearly and will miss you sorely. But, as always, the Lord is kind, and sees our best interest for our good. Until we meet again, I am always, your little good luck charm, Abigail.’

‘Please see that your loyal friend, Muloki, is exonerated from any accusations my mother may make against him. As usual, she is completely misinformed.’

I then sliced off a goodly and long chunk of my golden braid, tied it up in cloth strips, and placed it inside the package with the letter to Aaron.

I was ready for Muloki when he returned from the market. ‘Go quickly to Aaron,’ I told him when we exchanged packages. ‘Do not fail to deliver this to him.’

He held onto the henna package a bit longer as if bargaining with me. ‘Will you be here when he returns?’

I quickly shook my head. ‘I think not.’

He lowered his brows. ‘Where will you go?’

‘That has not yet been revealed to me.’

‘How will you travel?’ he said gruffly.

‘Secretly,’ I whispered. I tugged on the wrapped henna package.

He held on. ‘You know that Aaron will follow you. Perhaps your father will also.’

I nodded and gave the package a tug again. ‘They will not find me until it is the Lord’s time. It is His plan.’

‘I should follow you! Aaron will have my hide if I don’t.’

I looked at him earnestly. ‘But you won’t, will you? You trust the angel, don’t you?’

He had to give in. I hid the package of henna behind my back.

‘Promise me, Muloki, that you will take care of Aaron, and yourself? For I will miss you too.’

Muloki promised me to watch over Aaron.

After I sent Muloki away, telling him to go to Aaron quickly, I gathered the money, clothing, sacred writings, and other essentials into a travel pack. Then I set to work on myself. I cut off the rest of my golden hair and placed it in my pack along with the rabbit’s foot. Then I transformed myself, with henna, into a Lamanitish woman, coloring my hands and arms, my feet and legs, and my neck and face and hair.

I could not be recognized.

I put on old garments and went to my mother’s door. ‘Mother,’ I spoke through the wood. She was sobbing. ‘I’m leaving. The servants will be here soon to see to your needs.’

She did not scream back at me, so I went on. ‘Father is seeking after Andrew for he has returned to his drunkenness.’

‘Andrew!’ she wailed. ‘But I have him an interview with the Governor of Gideon.’

‘Mother.’ I continued firmly. ‘Listen to me! I will only say this once. You can read the rest in my letter to Father. I am not marrying Aaron.’

‘I know, it’s that dreadful Muloki!’

‘No, Mother, Muloki did not touch me.’

‘Yes it is! And if he ever touches you again I will go out to the cook fire and stick  my head right in it! He’s only a carpenter! He makes stools and sells them in the market!’

I rolled my eyes, and repeated, ‘Muloki did not touch me, and I am not marrying Aaron.’

‘You will marry Aaron if it’s the last thing I do!!!! I’ve worked my whole life to make you worthy to be the queen of Zarahemla! I’ve kept your hands pink and pretty, and sent you to the best school. I urged your father in his profession, and your brother to succeed - all to give you this chance.’

‘I don’t want the chance, Mother.’

‘I want it! I want to be the queen Mother. If I couldn’t be queen myself, at least I can be that!’

Had mother once wanted to marry king Mosiah???? This was getting weirder.

‘I will kill myself if you don’t do as I say!!!! I will stick my head in the cook fire.’

When I did not answer, Mother screamed wildly and began to kick the wall, then suddenly stopped. ‘You say that Andrew returned to his drunkenness? Well, I’m telling you, YOU, that you are a greater disappointment to me than Andrew!!’ she hissed with venom.

That hurt deeply, after all I had done to nurse her over the years. Again, I did not reply, and walked down the hall to the front room, her spiteful remarks ringing in my ears. I decided not to tell her that I was leaving home, but left the note in a prominent place for my father to find. She would know soon enough.

Thank goodness the Lord commanded me to leave home!

I stood at the gate to and looked back. I would not regret leaving it.  My mother would not regret my leaving it. She would only regret the loss of her misdirected ambitions. Quickly, before the servants arrived and found a strange Lamanitish woman in the yard, I turned and walked away.  

Down my street I spied Muloki waiting behind a tree, probably meaning to follow me. He was so loyal to Aaron.

I pulled the old brown cloak up around my head. Would he recognize me? Would he know that I was covered with the henna he had purchased? My hair was now short and brown, as was my skin. To look different, I hunched my shoulders and gave him a sultry stare as I walked by, two things Miss Deborah would never bid me do.

Muloki winked back at me.

He knew!