Remembrance of Eve *NANOWRIMO13*

Chapter 20

The harvest was in. Not only did we have baskets of grains and vegetables, we had root crops, and dried fruit. I had my bread starter, and the chickens produced extra eggs for our use. Even the cow readily shared her milk with us. There was enough food for our little family and our growing herds of animals.

With much of the work of the harvest complete, and no symptoms of the forthcoming birth of the small one likely, Adam took Absalom on an overnight walk about. He had been wanting to walk over the hill on the south side of our valley for some time. Adam rolled up two sleeping furs for them, took some dried meat, vegetables and fruit, and two larger water bags. They walked away early in the morning, Adam holding tightly to Absalom’s little hand. I laughed as Pasha ran after them, bleating and butting his head into Absalom’s little hand, waiting for his loving attention.

I would have two days alone to prepare things for the coming child. I walked to the river’s edge, and gathered mosses to absorb the blood of the birth, and to clean the child. I gathered palm fronds and hemp to weave an basket in which to place the small one. I placed my load of fronds and hemp on the grass under the trees, and sat down to weave.

I had been weaving for some time, concentrating on my work. Suddenly, I was aware of the hair on my arms and neck standing up. I glanced up. There was the destroyer, the old serpent, Lucifer, lazing by my stove, intently watching. I felt a sharp intake of my breath. He had never tried to hurt me, but Adam and his Holy Priesthood was always there, protecting me. Before I could even start to make a noise, two tall black bears, a wolf, and a pair of mountain lions slipped between us, teeth bared, and snarling. I was surprised, unsure of their intent. Then I realized the animals were facing Lucifer. He stopped leaning against the stove, eyed the animals, and turned, slipping away into the trees.

“Thank you, my friends,” I said. Each animal looked me in the eye, and quietly slipped back into the surrounding woods, in the same direction as Lucifer, following.

I bowed my head and breathed a prayer of thanksgiving to my God for his protection.

------------

The next evening, Adam and Absalom dragged back home—or, Adam dragged. Absalom was bouncing with joy. Adam showed his exhaustion.

“It will be a while before I do a walk about alone with one so young,” he sighed.

“Momma, Momma, see! My new puppy!” little Absalom cried, pulling a brown ball of fur from his father’s arm.

“A pup?” I raised my eyes in question at Adam.

“We found it today, next to his what was left of his mother. She had been protecting him from a serpent. Gave her life for him. How could I leave him behind? Absalom fell in love with him, making it harder for us. The little thing is too small to be away from his mother, and could not walk even as fast as Absalom. He fell asleep in my arms.”

“No. You could not leave him behind. Not after his mother gave her life to protect him.” Tears slipped from my eyes, remembering the protection given to me the day before. “The pup is welcome. I will get some milk from the cow for him.”

Turning to find the cow, Adam caught me, his arms gathering me into his. “What happened? You do not cry because we bring home a new animal.”

“No. A wolf joined in protecting me yesterday, and now his pup is part of our family.”

“A wolf?”

“Yes, he joined two black bears and a pair of mountain lions, standing between me and Lucifer. He did not stay, but when I saw him, there was a sneer on his face, scaring me. He stood right there, beside the stove. I was frightened, until the animals stood between us.”

“Are you sure that vile thing is gone?” he asked, looking around.

“They followed him. Oh, what if he caused the serpent to kill the pup’s mother because his father protected me? How sad for them.”

Adam held me close, as I allowed the fear and sorrow to slip out in tears.

------------

The pup was a fine addition to our little family group. I gave him milk from the cow for a short time, him sucking the milk from off my fingers, which had been dipped in the milk, until he learned to lap it from the wooden bowl Absalom had determined belonged to the pup. Absalom called the pup ‘Bark’, and he did yip and bark, chasing the chickens, yapping at the goats and sheep. Only the cow did he not chase, she was the source of his next meal, and he treated her with kindness, which for a pup meant that he did not bark at her nor nip at her heels. Though he watched her tail flip at the flies, he never chased it.

At night, we would find Bark snuggled under Absalom’s arm. The two little ones loved each other, and spent most of the time together. Pasha would ignore Bark’s yapping and chasing, ensuring that the two little ones were kept safe, near to me. The goat was a blessing, as I was becoming heavier, and moved more slowly, making it difficult to chase the two rascals. It was good that Pasha had taken that task upon himself.

These were the quiet, sweet days, between the harvest and the rains. We worked to be certain the animal house was clean and prepared with sweet grasses for beds; food gathered into the storage building, and fresh grasses filled our bed and that of Absalom and the new little one. Adam and four of the goats made a trip into the hills for two rafts of tree logs. He had plans to build stools and a table, and we needed more bowls. We would also need more wood to keep the fire in our house burning, providing essential light and warmth. I stayed with Absalom and Bark, keeping them from under the feet of the goats and Absalom. Pasha stayed behind. He had claimed the responsibility of the rascally young ones. They could wander, but never out of sight, and never into severe trouble.