The Journey Begun by Bruce Judisch Read Free Book Online Page B

frowned and remained silent.
    “Zhoneh?”
    “It doesn’t matter, Mother. I’m not going anywhere.” His voice was hard, his eyes steel.
    “Don...unnershtan...” A hint of fear entered her eyes, something Jonah had never seen there before and it tore at his heart.
    “Tell her,” a voice told Jonah.
    “Mother, you can’t understand this! I—” He coughed. “I-I’m sup-posed to go...” He couldn’t finish. Heat flooded his forehead and scattered his thoughts. He didn’t know which would do his mother more harm—his refusal to answer or the answer itself. Was he being stubborn or merciful, rational or rationalizing? He honestly couldn’t tell. Jonah stared down at her fingers grasping his arm for the first time since her stroke. Her nails dug into his skin.
    His eyes edged back to meet hers. “I’m supposed to go to Nineveh, Mother. Nineveh!” he hissed. “And preach repentance!” He spat the words, his muddled emotions wishing they would infuriate her as they did him.
    Deborah released his arm and dropped her hand to her side. Her eyes softened. “Den...you...musht...go.”
    “She doesn’t understand. You don’t have to go.”
    “What? What? Did you hear what I said? Nineveh! Assyria!” Jonah stared at her in horror, his voice rising. “How can you say that?”
    Her eyes clouded. “No...choish... Adonai… callsh...He...wull...haf...
    mershy—”
    “Mercy? For Assyria?” the silky voice goaded.
    “ No! No mercy!” Jonah gritted his teeth. “I do have a choice and I will not answer this call. Adonai has no business in Assyria!” He choked on his words. “Someone else can go!”
    His mother’s hand groped for his arm. “Shun...you…musht—”
    “Don’t go!”
    “ No!” Jonah jerked back from her hand and shot to his feet, reeling back into the post behind him.
    “What’s going on? What are you doing?” Sarah burst into the room when Jonah’s raised voice penetrated the door. She stood staring, her face paling. Ehud stood at her shoulder, but Miriam paused in the doorway.
    “They must leave. Get them out.”
    “Leave us alone!” Jonah barked at his sister-in-law.
    Ignoring him, Sarah strode over to Deborah’s side and knelt. Deborah stared at the ceiling, her breath coming in short gasps.
    Sarah turned on Jonah, her eyes on fire. “What have you done?”
    “Get them out!”
    “I said out!” Pain arced through Jonah’s head, and his furor took control.
    “Jonah, calm down. What’s this all about?” Ehud stepped between his wife and his brother. Without warning, Jonah growled and pushed past his brother. Ehud stumbled over a chair next to the table and crashed to the floor. His hand closed around a piece of firewood.
    Miriam screamed and rushed to Ehud’s side.
    “Stop it! Stop it!” Sarah shielded her mother-in-law from the melee and swiped at Jonah with her free arm. “You’re killing her!” she hissed at him and turned back to Deborah, who now laid still.
    “GET THEM OUT!”
    The command expelled all reason from Jonah’s mind. “Leave me alone! Everybody out!” He kicked the overturned chair, which spun into the cook fire, scattering embers and ashes against the stone wall.
    Ehud regained his feet and advanced on his fuming brother, brandishing the piece of firewood. “You get out! You’ve gone crazy, and I’m not going to let you kill Mother. Go!”
    Jonah’s breath whistled through clenched teeth. He glared at his brother, who raised the firewood. Miriam shrank back against the front wall, her hand over her mouth. Sarah ignored them as she hovered over Deborah’s still form, patting the back of the comatose woman’s hand.
    “I…said... out!” Ehud snarled.
    “Run!”
    Jonah whirled, stomped to his sleeping mat, and grabbed a pouch containing his belongings. Slinging it over his shoulder he barged out the door without a backward look.
    “Uncle Jonah, what—?” Jesse and Joshua stared as Jonah stalked across the yard, slammed through the gate