Three months had passed and Dinah's time had nearly come. When answering Seleikha's inquiry, Dinah had given an abbreviated account of how she had landed up in Egypt. Leaving out the more disgraceful and damaging details she merely said that the father of the child had passed away before they could wed and the next eldest brother, who needed to marry her to save the reputation of the family, loved someone else and really did not want to marry her. To save everyone from life long misery, Dinah had decided to go away and have the baby somewhere else. She would return home without encumberances.
Seleikha couldn't believe how Ra had answered her prayers. She was barren and the doctors informed her that she would never have children of her own.
On the day after the two women had arrived, Horus, being a student of the heavens, an astrologer no less, and adviser to Potiphera, had announced that certain stars had aligned in a way that formed a mysterious symbol. He did not know what it meant, but he was sure it meant something important was going to happen.
On hearing this, Seleikha immediately took it to mean something that involved her. That it might mean something totally different didn't even enter her mind. It mattered little what Horus or her husband said. It was her sign, she just knew it.
Seleikha had been hatching a plan ever since the two jewish women arrived. First it was just a fantasy, a dream she had every night, but it had grown into a full scale manoeuvre as every hurdle was surmounted. Asking Potiphera was the second most difficult task. Surprisingly it had gone off with only some minor reservations on his part. Now, with the impending birth only days away she had to confront Dinah. This was the difficult part, everything hinged on the outcome of this dialogue. Tomorrow was the day.
Fate played into her hands. Horus arrived early to take Lemah out. His interest in Lemah was now common knowledge. The servants going as far as to call them the love birds!
Potiphera was at the temple. Seleikha had Dinah all to herself. She had arranged refreshments in the courtyard and sent for Dinah to join her. Dinah waddled in and sat down with a plop! She was sweating and the cool breeze was refreshing. To make conversation she started, "My but Horus and Lemah certainly seem to be enjoying each other's company." Seleikha answered, "I am very pleased, especially for Horus. He is such a sweet and kind young man. He has been quite lonely and doesn't have many friends. All Potiphera's advisors are old men and Horus doesn't really socialise with them."
Seleikha took a deep breath, and continued,
"My dear Dinah, there is something on my mind that I would like to discuss with you, but first let me tell you a true story.
When Potiphera and I were married and moved into this house, there was a great white owl that sat under the eaves and hoo, hoo-ed every night. They are very rare and seldom seen in the city. We were very happy that it made it's home here in our house.
As time went on and I didn't fall pregnant, we went to the doctors and they carried out many tests, and we waited patiently for the results.
During the festival celebrating Bastet, our catlike Godess, we were invited into a sacred garden situated within her temple grounds. There, young married couples who were struggling to conceive, would disrobe and sit on the lawns exposing their genitals to the sun. Amun-Ra the sun god would bless the couples with his sunbeams. A priestess from the Bastet temple would walk from couple to couple rubbing fragrant oils on their genitals to help increase fertility. The couples would then go home and lay with each other and hopefully if the sun god Ra favoured their union, the wife would fall pregnant.
We attended one of these sessions and being full of hope, came home to try again. On opening the door, we found a letter from the doctors on the floor that had been pushed under the door in our absence. The tests confirmed that I could not have any children.
I cried myself to sleep for three nights in a row.
I was devastated.
The next day, after receiving the results from the tests, something just as troubling happened....the great white owl disappeared.
It was not seen at our house again, that is until you arrived here. Suddenly the great white owl was back, and not alone this time, but it had brought a mate with to share it's perch. Soon their were 4 little owlets in the nest. A few weeks ago, the servants found 3 of the owlets dead on the ground below the nest. We don't know why or how it happened. Needless to say we were all very disappointed. However, we have been keenly watching the remaining owlet. This chick is doing well and growing quickly, becoming stronger and bigger every day. I tell you this story because I believe that it is a sign that the hope of new life has returned to this house. I know you cannot return home with a child in your arms, so I have a proposition for you. Please would you consider letting myself and my husband adopt your baby. I promise you we will look after and love the child as our own. He or she will want for nothing. You may stay here with the infant and breastfeed the child. I will, however, become more and more the mother of the baby. When you are not required to feed the baby anymore, you may leave. Do not answer in haste, think about the proposal, pray about your decision, and let me know when you are ready.
There is one condition that comes with my request. If you decide that we can become the parents of the little one, you must promise never to see the child again. If our paths do happen to cross, you will not mention or indicate in any manner that you are the birth mother of the child. You will accept totally that the child is ours and act accordingly.
I will leave you now, you have much to think about."
Seleikha arose from the couch and summoned the servants to clear the drinks. Dinah had also finished hers while listening to Seleikha's proposal. Dinah slowly looked up, and before Seleikha had taken a few steps, said, "Please sit a while longer. You have opened your heart to me, now it is my turn to tell you what has been on my mind of late."
Dinah waited to hear Seleikha's answer, and indeed, see if she would sit down again. Seleikha turned her head, gazed deep into Dinah's eyes, as if to learn what the pregnant woman was going to say without having to listen to the actual words. Not showing any emotion, and not saying a word, she turned around and sat down on the couch again. Placing her hands in her lap and cocking her head ever so slightly to one side, indicating that her companion should proceed. Dinah reading this reaction correctly, proceeded,
"Firstly let me say how truly sorry I am for your situation. What a pair we are! The one longing to be a mother, but childless with no offspring to share her love with ; the other, with child, but not in a position to enjoy motherhood because of family opposition. "
Seleikha nodded her head but remained silent, so Dinah continued, "You spoke of signs, owls, and Horus has spoken of signs in the stars, well my God has also spoken. To be truthful, and please don't be offended, I didn't like the idea of leaving my child with people, no matter how kind and loving, of a different religion. My God spoke to me in a vision, and instead of agreeing with me, He reproved me, saying that I should not question his plans for this child. He has chosen Egyptian parents and neither they nor I will alter His plans for the child, for the child will be blessed and return to her faith when the time is right.
So my dear Seleikha, I do not have to wait and think and ponder on these things to give you an answer. All my God requires of me is to obey His will, which happens to be exactly the words of your proposal. I will do as you requested, I will wean the child, your child, God's child and then I will return home.
One thing more. I also have a condition to this adoption. I have a locket, given by my father for the child. When the baby is old enough and big enough, you will place it around the child's neck with the request that the child should not remove it. It contains a sign that the heavens are looking after the child, and that he or she is holy to God."
