Beauty For Ashes

Part 1

A young woman, dealing with an issue.

A big issue.

A colossal issue that ruined her.

Doctors were clueless and even less helpful.

Friends had abandoned her. For 12 long years she was "unclean" thus avoided by the Jewish populous. Everywhere she turned she was looked down on and scorned. Everyone shook their heads with dismay at her or her parents huge mistake. After all, they reasoned, she was the way she was because Jehovah was punishing her for her or her parents hidden sins.

Completely desperate and destitute, terror filled her being. Her life was finished before it really started. She was penniless and ready to take her own life. Nothing could help her now.

 "The world would be better off without me," she whispered as she wandered thru the hillside, feasting on the little bits of food passed over by others, a hard olive, a scant handful of berries. 

Yet she knew she had to find someplace to sleep at night or else the wandering robber bands would overtake and kill her. Desperation put speed to her feet. She scanned the village below her with a practiced eye, looking or anything old or abandoned. There! There lay a stable, old and unused. She slipped down to the street, her tattered dress swooshing around her ankles.

She kept her eyes glued to the ground. As she walked past a stately courtyard, she heard the burst of children's laughter. It tore at her heart. That would never be her own. She would never have a husband. Never have a small bundle to cradle in her arms. Never would she explain to her own about the glory of the temple. Her heart ripped and tore. Inwardly she stiffled a cry of rage! Why had Yahweh forsaken her?! 

A young lady's voice caught her attention. Unconsciously she looked up. Tears pricked her eyes.

There at the corner of the dirt street stood her childhood friend for the first ten years of her life. The girl she had done everything with until they had moved out into the country.

Tirzah was chattering with a young man. Her head only came to his broad shoulder. Sarah watched as Tirzah laughed. Oh, to have that carefree feeling of youthfulness. Her feet were drawing her nearer and nearer to the pair. Tirzah's eyes met hers. In an instant recognition dawned on her beautiful, petite features. A smile lit her face.

"Sarah!" burst from her lips. She moved towards the distraught woman. 

With a groan, Sarah stopped her. "No, Tirzah. Unclean!” 

Tirzah stood dumbfounded.

Sarah dropped her pain-filled eyes to ground. "I'm sorry. You must not greet me. Your husband would have me killed." 

Tirzah shook her head. "Sarah, where are you going?" 

Sarah crossed the street and walked past her friend. Sobs wracked her body, her heart ripped open. She cared not who saw her tears. She dodged down a side street and found the stable she had spotted. She tossed her body on top of the musty straw. Her body screamed in pain but she paid no heed, the pain in her heart hurt much much worse. As the stars twinkled above the abandoned stable, Sarah fell into a restless sleep.