It was two years since Gisse arrived at Naaman's home. Tomorrow Naaboth would have his third birthday, but there would be no birthday party as there had been for his first and second birthdays. Naaman, his father, was a very sick man. Naaman was not taking it too well. He couldn't accept that a man of his standing and lifestyle could be riddled with a desease that normally was associated with people who lived in the slums, and the unhygienic poorer parts of the city.
It was Gisse who first diagnosed the ailment as leprosy. A few months earlier she was sitting in the garden minding Naaboth as he played on the grass and chased the birds, who tried to peck at the seeds falling from the trees. Eadith came and sat down beside her. The anxiety on her face was quite evident. Hands clutched in her lap, she looked down at her feet not saying a word. Gisse broke the silence, "Is something the matter mistress Eadith?"
"Oh Gisse my husband is so irritable these days. The pale patches on his skin seem to be spreading. He tries to cover them up. He is very self-conscious about what people might say. He rubs ointment on the affected areas but it doesn't seem to help."
Gisse, not expecting the response she would get, innocently said, "I have seen the patches on Master's arms and face. It is the dreaded infection called leprosy!"
Eadith jumped up and exclaimed. "Oh you horrid child. How can you say something like that. Have you no respect for us. Have we not treated you well that you repay us with such insolence."
Gisse shocked by this outburst, first thought of backing down and apologising. However, knowing what she said was the truth, she continued in a calm voice,
"In the village where I lived there were many lepers. They passed by our house everyday to where they lived on the outskirts of our village. I saw what they looked like, what their skin looked like. Master Naaman's skin is the same."
Eadith, still very upset, answered. "A little slave girl should not presume to be a physician and speak so openly about such serious matters."
Having had her say, the mistress of the house stomped off inside. In the following months many doctors from far and near visited the house. The prescriptions and treatments were just as numerous. Nothing helped the infected patient. One important fact did emerge from all the tests. Gisse had been correct, Naaman had contracted leprosy.
Eadith never apologised to Gisse for her angry outburst, but did approach her in the kitchen some time afterwards, when the servants had retired to their rooms and Gisse was washing the floor. The lady of the house asked. "Tell me. You said there were many lepers in your village, did any of them get healed?"
Gisse straightened from her bent over position. Her back ached. Still holding the scrubbing brush, she replied. "When Elisha, a man of God and prophet to the living God, visited our village, he would pray to Yahweh and ask Yahweh to forgive their sins. If they repented they were made clean."
Eadith was puzzled and asked, "I don't understand.....what has forgiveness of sins got to do with being healed of leprosy?"
Gisse answered. "In our village the people believed that leprosy was a punishment for sinful behaviour. If you confessed your sins and Yahweh forgave your sins, you would be healed."
"And you believe this?" Eadith asked.
"Elisha sent a leper to me, to pray for him. I made the leper confess all his sins and then I prayed for his forgiveness. The last time I saw him, just as the raiding party was taking me away, he was completely healed. I believe!"
Eadith shook her head and said, "You are either a miracle worker, a lier or a little girl with a fanciful imagination. I think you are the latter."
Eadith strode from the kitchen but at the door she stopped. Looking at Gisse she asked, "Would you pray for my husband?" She hesitated, then not waiting for an answer she said. "Oh never mind, he would never agree to it anyway."
Gisse dipped the brush in the soapy water but before continuing with the cleaning, she said with an imploring voice, "I understand....it would be difficult for a man of master Naaman's standing to allow a mere slave girl to pray for him, but I beseech you dear mistress, please convince him to go to see the prophet Elisha. I know in my heart he will be able to help the master.
The lowly slave faced the lady of the house. In that moment they had one thing in common. Tears rolled down both their faces.
