NO GREATER LOVE-A Miracle Maker Adventure

the carpenter in sepphoris

We came from the door to the outside of a city, a city that looked ancient. I realized we were in another century, and that all the citizens pouring into this city were wearing robes for that time period.

I took off my rainbow colored brooch from around my neck and with a quick flash of my Scepter, we all were dressed according to the time period.

I wore a white robe with lavender purple stripes. My sisters and cousins had robes with their favorite colors.

My aunt Joanne joined us since my parents were at an important seminar for the Beck Center for the Arts, and my aunt Tammy and Auntie Bridget were in New York on a date. She was a beautiful and svelte woman with dyed platinum blonde hair, hazel green eyes, and fair skin.

Also with Aunt Joanne was Sweeney. He was strong built, pale, eyes odd, messy black hair with a shocking white streak on one side of his head, Victorian era...you get the picture. He was wearing a white robe and a dark vest.

The Scepter I had was created by my daddy's grandfather, my great grandfather, and it was passed down from generation to generation. Daddy, some months ago, passed the Scepter to me after a fight for the Pridelands throne. 

Now I was the Sorceress, and a lot of what my majordomo told me hours prior, had made me sad and worried that I might not live up to what Daddy did before me.

"Go! Here, get a move on!" We heard a man guide some cattle into the city as we walked through the ancient city.

As we got in, we saw the hustle and bustle of merchants, carpenters all diligently working.

"Can't catch me!" We heard a boy chant to the cattle as he regarded them with silly movements.

"Go on! Get out of here!" The man guiding the cattle snapped at the boy, and the boy ran off.

We heard conversations going on around us, and Jessica, Adrienne, Alex and Ruby were getting uncomfortable with the people and the crowds. 

So Aunt Joanne steered them away to a safer spot away from the crowds, just as I looked behind me to see a father and daughter just entering the city.

The father looked to be an official from a synagogue, his dark hair was in a bowl cut, and he sported a beard. His dark eyes were concerned and focused on his daughter.

"Be careful!" The father cautioned as the girl flailed.

"I'm all right." The girl grumbled.

The girl looked to be my oldest sisters' age, maybe a year younger. She had short curly hair as soft as a newborn lamb, brown skin, dark eyes and skin built.

I came over to them.

"Are you sure you are?" I asked.

"Who are you?" The father looked at me in caution, but I knew why. They both didn't know me.

"Jairus! Jairus!"

Another man's voice called over the crowd, just as I was about to tell them my name. He looked wizened, but he never missed a step. He had brown skin, was heavier set, and wore a head covering.

"Cleopas!" The man named Jairus called back, and approached the older man, his daughter behind him.

I followed.

"Cleopas, old friend." Jairus hugged Cleopas.

"My name is Rani." I told the girl.

"Hello, Rani! It's nice to meet you." The girl said.

"Now, then...Tamar!" Cleopas turned toward the girl.

Tamar giggled.

"And who are you?" Cleopas asked me curiously. Jairus looked at me, still nervous.

"I'm Rani, sir." I answered. "I mean no harm, Jairus, honest. I was just wondering—"

"Out of the way!"

I felt a hard push, and saw a little group of Roman guards march through.

"Yikes! Are they always like this?" I wondered aloud.

"HEY! YOU MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, BUCKET HEADS!" Krishna apparently saw what the small legion did, and yelled angrily at them, temper rising.

"Hey! Krishna! This isn't 2008! Those Romans will kill as soon as you say something smart!" I took her aside.

"Oh, right." Krishna blushed, embarrassed as Tamar, Jairus and Cleopas stared in confusion.

"That's my older triplet sister, pardon her." I said. "I'm the youngest of eight."

"Hi. I'm Krishna." Krishna introduced herself to the three.

"This is Tamar, her father, Jairus, and their friend, Cleopas." I introduced the little group.

"Hello!" Tamar greeted.

"Much obliged, girls, but we really need to get going." Jairus said.

"We're going to see a doctor." Tamar said.

"Can we come and support you?" I asked.

"It would mean the world to me. Come along!" Tamar said.

"How can you live in such a place?" Jairus turned to Cleopas.

"Living is a struggle, in the country or in the city." Cleopas explained. "The doctor lives by the new synagogue. It'll be a beautiful building—a light shining for us in Sepphoris."

"Easy! Easy! Let it swing!" We overheard some men working.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a carpenter working on a door, ever so patiently and diligently.

He was maybe quite a few inches shorter than my Daddies who were both six feet, and was lean and muscular. He was wearing a white robe down to his ankles, and sandals. He had long dark hair to his shoulders and had olive skin. His dark eyes were laser focused on what he was doing. He put a nail in one of the holes and started to hammer. I kept staring on, impressed--

I heard a sudden gasp, and I whirled around fast to see Tamar almost collapse, but Jairus had caught her before she hit the ground.

"Tamar!" He exclaimed in worry.

"I'm all right! Really, father," Tamar protested as she wrenched herself away.

"Does this always happen?" I asked, while failing to hide that I was blushing.

Tamar nodded.

"How is she now, my friend?" Cleopas was even concerned.

"It comes, it goes, but each time the fever returns, it's worse." Jairus answered in hushed tones, but I heard.

With talk of fevers and their conditions, Tamar's fever reminded me of how Daddy would get when his heart would act up, and he needed to rest, and I would feel every inch of the pain, when the protective shield was down.

Ever since I was born, I had a telepathic bond with my Daddy, and since then, I knew when Daddy needed to rest and lie down, and when he needed Uncle Eli to help. Daddy had trained his mind to put up a protective barrier so that I wouldn't feel anything. It came in handy whenever things were bad.

"Hey look! It's 'Mad Mary'!"

A worker snapped me out of my musings as I saw an unkempt and scraggly woman wearing a sky blue robe, and a red shawl muttering and mumbling, screaming and spitting, wandering the streets of the old city. This woman named Mary Magdalene was definitely off kilter, but I felt bad.

I went with Tamar into the Doctor's place, and stayed outside on the steps as Jairus and Cleopas continued to talk.