Delilah

Chapter 5

I had discarded my wedding finery, combed out my hair, and prepared myself for bed when there came a knock at the door to my back courtyard. This was the door where men, for whom discretion was important, entered my home. I heard the voice of the local physician, who was one of the richest and most influential men in the village. I dared not ignore his summons.

Opening the gate, I was surprised to find the physician, the banker, and the local purple dye merchant awaiting entrance. I had never participated in orgies, though more than one man had suggested it in the past. I could tell these men were not drunk and all three were frequent customers, so I knew they were not there for my sexual favors. They knew I would not perform with more than one man present. 

Looking over their shoulders, the three slipped through the gate, stopping just inside the wall where the light from the small lamp in my window would not illuminate them. In a whisper, Helez, the physician spoke.

"We saw your brief encounter with the Israelite. I am sure you have heard the stories of how he has humiliated the Philistines over and over again. One man cannot match his unrivaled strength. The legends of his feats are not exaggerated. If anything they are too tame. Perhaps you have also heard that he has a weakness for pretty women. Once we almost surprised him in the house of a Philistine courtesan, but he outsmarted us. Tonight he was enthralled with your beauty. We are sending him here for lodging. We will tell him you are a widow who takes in borders for a living. Keep your head covered and act like a lady until you are sure he is besotted with your beauty. Once he is under your power, we want you to lure him into revealing the source of his great strength and deliver him into our hands. If you accomplish this, each of us, plus each of the five Lords of the Philistines, will give you 1100 shekels of silver. With this amount of money, you could retire and start life afresh elsewhere as a rich widow."

With visions of wealth dancing in my head, I agreed to their scheme. But remembering Samson's eyes and the shock of his touch, I hedged, "It might take time to ensnare such a cunning man. Do not rush me. I will contact you when I am ready. As long as he is lodging in my home, I cannot entertain other men. I will need you to pay something for my loss of wages. I will need enough money to buy food so I can offer him delectable tidbits until I am ready to offer my own sweet nectar."

Each of the men took out 100 shekels of silver and turned them over to me. The banker added 100 for each of the five Lords who were not present. Closing the gate, I entered my home and waited for Samson to knock.

Not long after the city rulers left, a knock came on my front gate followed by the traditional request of, "Open."

Donning a headpiece and veil, I picked up my oil lamp and proceeded to the front of the courtyard and called out, "Who?"

"You do not know me, Mistress Delilah," the familiar deep voice rumbled. "My name is Samson. I am an Israelite traveler seeking lodging. The physician Helez sent me. He said you are a widow who offers hospitality for a fee so that you can be fed and clothed. I am prepared to pay handsomely for a night's lodging. I journeyed for days to get here. I am tired and would rather not sleep another night devoid of comfort."

"Very well," I replied. "If Helez sent you, you can be trusted."

I unlocked the gate and opened it, holding up my light. I heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by, "You!"

The startled Samson simply stood outside my gate for a moment while a smile slowly spread across his face, beginning on the right side as the corner of his mouth turned up followed languidly by the other corner. As a dimple creased his left cheek, the smile reached his eyes and they glowed like banked coals igniting under a puff of air. It was as though I had just watched the equivalent of a sunrise transform his craggy face, as a beam of sunlight from an overhead crack can turn a cavernous, frightening cave into an awesome light-filled chamber.