The Mother of Abel Beth Maachah.

Chapter 9

Suddenly a terrifying screeching shook the air.  A dark shape flew across the kitchen and dived at the man holding Serah, burying it's talons deep in his head.  Sheba cried out in pain and tried to take hold of the creature on his head.  His attempts were met with more pain as a sharp beak tore chunks of flesh from his fingers. A few clicking sounds muttered from behind, sent the creature from the man's head to settle on the kitchen cupboard near the window.

Serah could hardly take in what was happening, but casting a quick glance at the kitchen cupboard where the creature had landed, she saw not a terrifying creature, but a beautiful majestic owl. She looked back at the blood bespeckled face of the man in front of her, just in time to see someone grab his long greasy hair and yank his head back. Then, in one swift movement his knife was lifted from his side and drawn across his throat. Blood gushed out the wound, immediately soaking the front of Sheba's tunic.

Slowly the man's knees buckled and he sank to the floor. Serah put her hands to her mouth and gasped! There standing behind the fallen body was Meadow, the bloody knife still in her hand. Her eyes were wild and with a crazed look on her face, she screamed, "Evaal, Evaal!" (Evil, evil)  Before Serah could react, Meadow got down on her knees and with a chopping motion sent the knife again into the man's neck. This time a crunching sound was heard as the warrior knife hacked through the spine. The head was still not completely severed from the body. Meadow lifted the knife again.

This was too much, Serah wanted to stop this butchery. She tried to move towards her daughter but it was as if something or someone was holding her back. With the next chop the knife easily sliced through the remaining muscle and tissue. The head flopped free of the body. Meadow looked at the knife in her hand with disgust. She threw it down on the floor and stood up. Serah hurried to console her daughter. She held her in a tight embrace and stroked her hair.

Serah glanced up and looked out the window. The sun was dipping down to meet the horizon. She hated to leave her daughter at a time like this but there was something important she had to do. She started patting Meadow lightly on the cheek. Slowly the wild look in the child's eyes began to fade. She used this method when she wanted to awaken Meadow when she had overslept. Now the child's eyes closed but the mother kept on patting her cheeks. After a short while Meadow slowly opened her eyes again and smiled at her mother. She stretched her arms and yawned loudly. She said, "Morning Mamma."

Delighted that her plan worked, Serah led her daughter out of the kitchen away from the body. At the front door she held Meadow tightly by the shoulders. She spoke softly but sternly. "Listen carefully to me Meadow. Mamma wants you to go to our friend Boah. Tell him to hitch his horse to the cart and come back to Mamma's house. You wait in the cart. Tell him there is something in the kitchen Mamma wants him to throw away. He will know what to do. Remember, you stay in the cart , only Boah must come in the house. Go now, Mamma will see you later."

When Meadow had gone, Serah rushed back inside the kitchen. She looked all around. Finally she saw what she was looking for. She grabbed the sack of flour they used to make bread and tipping the sack upside down, she emptied the contents on the floor. She then knelt near the body and carefully manipulated the head into the sack with her fingers. Swinging the sack on her back, she left the house and headed for the spot along the wall where she had climbed up earlier. She prayed that the ladder would still be there.

When she reached the spot, she breathed a sigh of relief....the ladder was still there, but there was no-one around to hold it for her. She couldn't wait, she was running out of time. The sun was setting. Fastening the sack to her girdle she started to climb the ladder. Her haste made the ladder bounce precariously but she kept on climbing. She finally reached the top. Out of breath and breathing heavily she peered over the edge. She prayed a short prayer of thanks. Joab was still there. He had dismounted from his horse and was leaning against the battering ram. Serah stood erect and started swinging the sack round and round. Just before she let go, she screamed at the top of her voice, "I keep my promises!"
The bag sailed through the air. Joab, hearing her scream, looked up. The sack fell short and some distance from him but as it hit the ground the head popped out and started rolling down the siege ramp. It kept rolling and if by some Divine guidance rolled all the way, stopping only when it reached Joab's foot. Joab looked at the head and smiled. He thought to himself, 'don't mess with a woman of God!'. He looked up and shouted, "I also keep my promises."

He turned around and summoned his standard bearer. When the youth came close, Joab gave him his orders. The standard bearer laid down his flag and climbed up the structure that held the battering ram. When he reached the top, he took hold of his horn and blew a long high pitch blast. All the soldiers reacted immediately. Some shouted and threw their helmets in the air. Some started to take off their armour. Some just sat and drank from their water bottles. The order that the horn had communicated was the order to withdraw!

When Serah had descended the ladder, Boah and Meadow were waiting in the cart. She climbed on board, sitting next to Meadow. She noticed, but said nothing of the form that the shroud at the back of the cart covered.
At their house, Serah and Meadow dismounted, wished Boah goodnight and went inside. Serah put Meadow straight to bed. She spent the next two hours scrubbing and cleaning the blood off the kitchen floor.
Eventually she crawled into bed, exhausted. She was asleep before the smoke from the extinguished candle had drifted out the window.

Next morning, before the sun rose, Serah was up and hurried to the city gates.  There she found a group of about 30 men, waiting for the gates to open.  They were the followers and family of Sheba.  With the death of their leader, they had decided to surrender to the army and accept their fate.  Serah pushed her way through the men and confronted the gatekeeper. 
"Open the gate." She said.  Although she was a member of the Council, and thus had authority to give such an order, the gatekeeper hesitated.
"It's alright my friend, do not fear.  The army will not bother us." Serah said, hoping she was correct.  The gatekeeper and his helpers slowly opened the gates.  Serah and the followers of Sheba walked out through the gateway. 

The sight that met their eyes, shocked them all.  The army had vanished.  Nothing remained, not even a used pot or broken tent peg.  Even the siege ramp had been dug up and the soil returned to the pit from which it had been excavated.  Serah thought, perhaps she had dreamt that the army had been there.  Then something caught her eye.  Standing all forlorn in a nearby field was the only piece of evidence that the army had been there.....the battering ram!

The morning sun just started to peep over the horizon.  The start of a new day.  A good day.
Serah walked up to the men who had followed Sheba.  She said, "It looks like the head of your leader was enough to satisfy Joab.  Yahweh has forgiven you and so do I.  Learn from what happened here.  In future only follow men who are loyal to God and their king.  Go now and be thankful."

Serah walked home with the sun warming her back.  She suddenly realised she was extremely hungry.  She couldn't remember when last she had eaten.  When she arrived home, she started to prepare breakfast for Meadow and herself.  She looked out the kitchen window.  Meadow was outside sporting a new leather gauntlet, that the tanner had made for her.  On her arm sat a beautiful owl, gobbling up the pieces of raw meat her daughter was feeding it.

Serah smiled, thankful that the 5 year old girl, trapped in a woman's body, would soon forget how she had saved the life of the Mother of Abel Beth Maachah.

     The End.