Songs for Tamar

Chapter Nine

Chapter 9

(Absalom grieves when Farah dies giving birth to a daughter he names after his sister. Tamar is outraged when he consorts with prostitutes. But soon he's unusually lighthearted. Late one night he returns home to tell Tamar and Jesse that he's going away. He explains that he loved Farah too much to have gone in to prostitutes but paid them double to say so. This kept Amnon off guard up to the very moment Absalom killed him for raping Tamar. He doesn't tell her what he just did. She finds out only hours later.)

Absalom left Rizpah and her new husband Jacob to take care of his house during their journey to Geshur.

Tamar rode on a wagon with Farah, who was carrying Absalom's first child. Tamar smiled and placed her hand over her stomach. "It will be strong. If a girl, let it be beautiful as her mother is."

Farah smiled as the wagon bounced now and then over the road to Jericho. The grade from the Mount of Olives had been steep, but the strong oxen pulling the wagon were sure footed and could prevent it from running away during their descent toward the ruins of Jericho. Absalom and Jesse rode on sturdy mules alongside them. King David sent an escort of his mighty men as far as Beth Shean. From there a lone rider would forge ahead to Geshur for the king to send his own escort to bring them the remaining distance.

They stopped at Jericho to refresh themselves. There off to their left was a old mound. Tamar said, "There is the place the Lord first gave a great victory to Joshua. From there he fought from Dan to Beersheba to take the land God promised."

Farah said, "How fortunate my child will not be sacrificed to Astaroth as was my sister in Syria. What god or goddess needs a child? Are they hungry? I thought nobody believed that anymore."

Farah bent over in pain. Tamar called to Absalom, who rode so fast that he jumped from his saddle to the wagon without setting foot on the ground. He called for water. By then his beautiful Farah had lost consciousness. He laid her on the ground and cooled her with water soaked in cloth. He held her as she regained consciousness.

Farah reached out for Absalom, who took her into his arms. "Oh, Farah, from the first time I met you near this very spot I have loved you more than life itself. Would that I die rather than lose you to Sheol before your time."

Jesse had sent servants for midwives. After they had examined her and given her something to sooth her stomach, they spoke to Absalom. "We have cared for many such as your Farah. Today she has succumbed to the heat of the season, but she is not as strong as we pray that she should be. You may lose her when her time comes. But now we have her feeling better. She can travel tomorrow. From here the cool winds blow along the Jordan Valley, and the refreshing wind is ever present."

Absalom could not hide his fear for Farah. "What should I do?"

"Remain at the palace with the King of Geshur until the season becomes cooler in about two moons. Then the way back to Jerusalem will be easier for her."

Absalom asked them to remain for the food he had brought from a local inn after rewarding their skill with more than a midwife expected in wages.

Riders from Tamai, King of Geshur, met them as Beth Shean and escorted their party with uncommon friendliness when they realized that they were guarding the king's grandchildren. He was waiting them with open arms before the palace. Had they been ambassadors from Egypt, he would have had servants greet them and lead them to a small waiting room in the palace. It was the king's custom to make such "important" men wait at least half a day in order to reinforce their respect for him.

"Oh, Absalom and Tamar!" he said with a warm smile, "How I have longed to see you together even since your mother wrote me of you. King David treated my daughter with such kindness, not making her stay in his harem, but allowing her to have a house of her own." He paused to look over his two grandchildren. Then he hugged and kissed them. "You both make me pine for your mother as well."