Kugelach Stones for a Dagger

By Lanton Hamby

Abijah is a young Jewish boy who grows up in Israel with a loving mother and a cold, distant father. At an early age, he is confronted and curious about the most important question in human history. He suffers tragedy and neglect that cause him to make a series of choices that have him spiraling down the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bookside Press
• Release date: Oct 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781998784226

Book preview

Dogs Barking

What is wrong with you, woman? Are you drunk? Put your wine away from you!

No, my lord, I am not drunk. My name is Hannah. I know that my lips are moving, but I make no noise, because I am praying in my heart. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not drunk wine or intoxicating drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not think of me as a wicked woman. I am grieving before the Lord and asking God to give me something.

Then the high priest answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant you the petition of your heart.

Then Hannah said, Let me find favor in your sight. Then Hannah went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

The next day, Hannah rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord and returned to her house at Ramah and to her husband, Elkanah. The Lord would remember Hannah’s prayer.

After some time had passed, Hannah bore a son and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked from him from the Lord.

Eema, the woman asked God to give her a baby boy.

That is right, Abijah. I am telling you this story because I was like Hannah. I was a barren woman who was lonely and longed for a child. Your father is a merchant, and he was always away on business. Like Hannah, I went to the temple and prayed and asked God to give me a child. Then God gave me you, Abijah. You are my Samuel. Samuel would grow up to be a great prophet over Israel. He would anoint Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David.

Eema, would Hannah have any more children?

Yes, she would, Mother replied.

She would have three more sons and two daughters.

Abijah, you are my only child. I want the very best for you. Soon, I will take you to the synagogue, where the rabbi will teach you how to read and write. Then you will be able to read the Torah, the prophets, and the history of our people. I want you to grow up and be an educated man, a man with a good job and loving wife and beautiful children.

But, Eema, I always want to live with you.

Mother showed her warm smile that could be seen when she was thinking of some pleasant memory. Maybe someday, we can all live together. Tomorrow, I will tell you the story of David. He was Israel’s greatest hero, but now it is getting late, and you must go to sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow.

I lay in bed thinking of the story Mother had told me and the future she wanted me to have. I had never thought about having a wife and kids. I would often hear the older boys talk about girls. One thing I want is for Mother to always be with me.

As I was thinking about all this, I could see a light shining through the cracks of my door. I could hear Mother humming a tune as she often did when she was working on something. She often hummed or sang when she was knitting. I wondered if she was making something for me.

The next morning, I woke up to a wonderful aroma. The smell of spices and roasted lamb filled the room. Mother had prepared our breakfast. I sat up in my bed, stretched, and noticed two small figures lying at the end of my bed. They were dolls. One was bigger than the other. I picked up the big one and studied it. It seemed to be a soldier. He had a shield and a sword and a grimacing look on his face. I then picked up the other doll and studied it. It seemed to be a boy. He had a staff in one hand and a sling in the other. Who were these two dolls? Did they have names? Was there a story to go with them? Then I heard my mother’s voice in the other room.

Joab, what would you like to drink with your roasted lamb?

I then heard a much lower voice reply, Goats milk and water. It was my father. He had returned home from Jerusalem.

My father never spoke too much when he was home.

Eema would spend most of her time preparing him freshly cooked meals and cleaning his clothes. She always warned me not to leave my things out and to pick up after myself when he was home. When I did leave my things out, my father would scold my mother for letting me get away with it. Mother and I were always a little nervous when Father was home, but I always knew that soon he would be leaving again to go to the city or some far-off place like Jerusalem or Joppa and things would return as they were.

My mother then poked her head in my room and said, Sweetie, I see you are up. Your father is home from his latest journey. He wants to eat with you. Quickly, pick up your room, and meet your father at the table.

This was an unusual request from my father. I always ate with my mother in the other room after she was finished waiting on my father. Father rarely spoke to me, and when he did, it was because he was unhappy about something I had done or I had failed to do. As I picked up my things and made my bed, I wondered what I could have done wrong. I felt very anxious. Anxiety was an emotion that I constantly felt. I folded the blanket I slept on very slowly because I never enjoyed talking to Father.

Then I heard him say, Come here, Abijah, I would like very much to talk to you. I slowly walked out of my room and toward the table where he was sitting. Father looked at me with a very satisfied smile. It was a look that I never received from him before. It was the same proud look he would have when he would discuss with my mother the crafty deal he had negotiated on one of his trades.

He motioned for me to sit across from him saying, Abijah, I want to talk to you about something very important. You are getting a little older now, and soon you will go to the synagogue and learn to read and write. The rabbi will teach you how to read the Torah, but I want to teach you something that will make you a very important person. One others will respect. A man who can have anything or obtain anything he wants. I want to talk to you about how life really is.

Father then placed a bag in front of him. I could tell by the sound it made when it landed on the table that it contained something hard and heavy. Father loosened the string around the bag and placed his hand inside. He pulled out two coins. He put one of the coins in front of me. It was shiny and had the image of a man who appeared to be a king.

Father said to me, Abijah, do you know what this is?

I said, It appears to be some type of coin, like the ones Mother uses when she goes to the market to buy meat and vegetables.

My father responded, "You are correct, boy. It is a coin, but this is a very special coin. It is called a denarius. It is made of silver. Do you know how long a man has to work to earn one of these?

I answered. Sir, I have never seen this coin before. I do not know how long a man must work to earn one.

Father explained, A man must work a whole day before he can receive one of these. Three days ago, I earned forty denarii in one day.

I thought to myself, I have never seen my father work at all around here, so how did he earn forty of these coins in one day?

I inquired, Father, how did you earn this money? Did you steal it?

My father laughed and responded, Of course I didn’t steal it, I earn all my money honestly.

I then heard Mother snicker under her breath. A sound my father ignored. Father then looked at me very seriously.

He said, The person who earns the most money is not the one who always works the hardest or the person who breaks his back laboring in someone else’s field. The person who makes the most money is the person who works the smartest. You see, something that is worth very little to one man might be very valuable to another. I bought twenty lambs from a starving farmer in Emmaus. Two weeks later during Passover, I sold each lamb for ten times what I paid for it in Jerusalem. I insisted that I be paid with half shekels. Then I stood outside the temple and charged the people a fee to exchange their denarii into half shekels. Abijah, do you see the image of the man on the denarius?

I took the coin from Father and inspected the image closely. I saw a very muscular and prominent face of a man. It appeared to have wings coming out of the side of his head as if he were an angel.

I answered, Yes, I see the man.

This is the image of Caesar Augustus. He is the most powerful man on the earth.

I looked at my father curiously and said, Is he more powerful than our great king Herod?

I said this jokingly. Father always referred to Herod as our great king. He always said it mockingly. He really despised the king. I could tell by Father’s grin that he understood my sarcasm.

His eyes became bigger as he said, He is even more powerful and greater than King Herod the Great. Herod is king of Israel, but Caesar is king of the whole world. Jewish law states that no graven image can be taken into the temple. The people are required to pay a temple tax of a half shekel. Father then took the other coin and showed it to me. This is a half-shekel. The people must exchange their Roman money for half shekels before they enter the temple. Then a big mischievous smile spread across Father’s face. I help the people to do this, of course, for a small fee. It is a very important service I offer."

I had to admit that my father is a very clever businessman.

Money, money, money, that is all you talk about. Is there something else you can impart to our son? Mother shouted.

Someday, the boy will leave my home to make a home for himself, and it is important that he learn from an early age what life is really like, Father chided.

I have already talked to the rabbi about the boy’s future, Mother retorted. The rabbi explained ‘that next year the boy can come to the synagogue with the other children and learn how to read and write.’ Our son will not grow up to be someone who has to swindle other people out of their money. He is going to be an educated man, a doctor or scribe or maybe even a Pharisee.

Now that is funny, Father blurted.

There are no greater thieves in Judea than the Pharisees. What do the Pharisees and priests do for me? Nothing! The boy might as well grow up and become a tax collector for Rome. That’s it! A Roman tax collector! He can charge whatever taxes he wants and have the Roman soldiers protect him.

That is enough talk about tax collectors, thieves, and money, Mother declared. Abijah and I must go to the market and buy food for tonight’s meal. I know how much you like raisin bread with your meal. I also need to buy the spices you like in your meat stew.

Father then reluctantly placed his hand in his money bag and pulled out several different coins of different sizes. He then looked at his hand and studied the coins, as if he was trying to decide which one he was willing to part with. He then grudgingly handed Mother two of the smaller coins. Mother quickly took the coins out of his hand and stared at them.

There will be three of us eating tonight, Joab, not just you.

Father then grabbed another coin out of his bag and handed it to her.

Mother looked at me and said, Quickly wash your hands and face and change your robe.

Yes, Eema, I said enthusiastically.

I dashed to the washbowl to clean my hands. I loved going to the market. Mother would always buy me some grapes or a fig to eat.

One day Father had drunk much wine and handed my mother his whole purse and mumbled, Buy what you need and get me some more wine.

Mother and I bought some honey on freshly baked bread. Honey is expensive and, therefore, a rare treat. We both laughed as we ate it. It was the sweetest thing I had ever eaten. I knew Mother didn’t have the money today for honey, but she always had some money for some dried fruit, some dates or a fig. When Mother was finished buying the food, she would take me to the market square. There were always other children there playing. She would sit and watch me run, jump, and play with the other children. We would play chase or throw a ball made of yarn to one another. I would occasionally glance at my mother, and she would just look at me and smile as if she was enjoying watching me play.

I quickly scrubbed my face and hands and announced, Eema, I am clean.

Mother came over and turned my head with my chin and inspected my face like she was inspecting some livestock at the market. She grabbed a wet cloth and rubbed twice on the left side of my face.

She took my hands and looked at them and said, Abijah, you always forget to clean your fingernails. Your fingers look like you have been digging holes in the ground with your hands.

Mother took me back to the washbowl and grabbed a sharp piece of wood. She began to use the wood to dig under each nail.

It hurt a little bit. I begged, Eema, I am not a baby, I can do it myself.

Mother agreed, You are right, you are a big boy now and should be able to do it yourself.

She handed me the sharp piece of wood, and I began digging underneath my nails. I then presented all ten fingers to my mother, and she inspected them closely as she did before.

She insisted, That will do for now, but they are getting long again. This afternoon we will trim them. Go get your robe, we need to go. The ripest fruit sells very quickly.

As we walked down the road to the market, Mother took my hand as she always did. Occasionally a man on horse- or oxen-pulled cart would come by. Mother gripped my hand tighter as she would pull me clear of the approaching animal.

I heard a lot of yelling and arguing going on and noticed a long line of people in front of a table. Sitting there was a man wearing fine clothes. He appeared to be a Roman tax collector. There were also several Roman guards standing near. I then remembered the conversation I had with my father at breakfast. There were several cows and lambs, bags of wheat and barley next to the man wearing fine clothes. There was also a man with his hands and legs bound with shackles with a rope around his neck that was held by one of the Roman soldiers. I thought to myself, What could this man of done to deserve this? What crime had he committed?

I felt Mother tighten her grip on my hand. She began to walk faster. Soldiers always made Mother nervous.

I asked Mother, Why is that man tied up? Did he commit a crime?

Mother answered, His crime was being poor. When people have no money to pay their taxes and have nothing to sell, then they are thrown in prison until someone pays. If no one does, then they are sold as slaves in order to make payment to Rome. Tax collectors are the most hated people in our country. They are not allowed in the synagogues, and the rabbis told us that it is a sin to even allow them in our homes. This Caesar Augustus is a very cruel ruler. He has made being poor a crime.

The market was a rectangular-sized open space with all types of vendors stationed on its edges. The items sold varied from fruit and other produce, to robes, tunics, and pottery. The center was an open space where children played, or people would sit on a blanket to visit and eat whatever edible treat they had bought from a solicitor. As Mother and I entered the market square, I quickly noticed a group of children that were playing. I didn’t recognize most of them, but two of them were boys that I had played with before. One of them looked at me and yelled, Abijah, you are here!

I looked at the boy and then turned around to Mother and pleaded, Can I go play with my friends?

Mother responded, Abijah, you can play in a minute, we have to go to the fruit stand before the best fruit is gone.

I saw the other people in the market buying and selling. I saw the coins that were being exchanged. Some of them appeared to look like the coin that my father showed me. I thought again about the conversation I had with my father during breakfast this morning. I noticed the money purses of the people buying the best fruit. Their carts were full of the finest food, and they had on colorful, shiny clothes. I started thinking about that poor man in chains because he had no money to pay his taxes. I knew I didn’t want to end up like him. I believe my father is right. It is important to work smart and make a lot of money. I then noticed Mother picking up each pomegranate and inspecting it for any defect or blemish the same way she studied my face and hands after I washed. I thought about my mother, how she would tell me stories at night. I recalled how she would look into my eyes when she would tell me something I had done wrong, like not picking up after myself or picking on Joel, a little boy that lives across the road. Then her eyes would sparkle with kindness when I told her I would do better. I know she has hopes and dreams for me that are different from my father’s, but I know she loves me and wants the best for me. My mother then picked up another piece of fruit. She seemed to find a piece that she liked and asked the trader when it was picked from the fields. I couldn’t hear what the trader said, but my mother responded with an approving nod and put the fruit in her bag with five others. She then handed the man one of the coins my father had given her.

She turned her eyes toward me and instructed, Abijah, I have to go buy the spices for our meat stew. Go play with the other children at the market, but do not talk to any strangers or go anywhere else, and don’t get your clothes dirty. I will return in a few minutes.

You boys stop running around and throwing that ball at each other! Silas mother yelled.

Silas would usually bring his ball to the market with him. His mother made it out of leather, sewed it with string, and put seed in it to make it soft so no one would get hurt. When you were hit by the ball, it was your turn to throw the ball at one of the other players. The problem was that in order to avoid being hit, we would frequently run outside the market square and shield ourselves around some adult stranger. They would yell at us and then ask the crowd whose child you were. Then the game was over. It was fun while it lasted, but it never lasted very long. We would usually end up playing kugelach.

Silas didn’t like kugelach as much as I did, probably because I was a much better player than he was.

An older boy taught me how to play about a year ago in the market. You play with five stones, but you don’t want to play with five ordinary stones. They need to have a flat surface to make it easy to catch with the back of your hand. I am always looking on the ground to find the perfect kugelach stone. Sandstone is the best type of rock for kugelach. It is a soft stone, so you can rub the edges together to flatten them out.

Mother made me a small leather bag to keep my stones in. It was a gift for the Festival of Lights. I always take the bag with me when I go somewhere with my mother so I can practice catching the stones with the back of my hand. Each player starts with all five stones on the ground. You pick up one and toss it into the air while quickly picking up one of the stones so to allow time to catch the falling stone. You continue until you have picked up all five stones. This is called onesies. Then you toss all five stones on the ground and pick one up and toss it in the air while picking up two stones in time to catch the one you tossed. You toss the stone in the air again while picking up the two remaining stones before catching the falling stone. This is called twosies. With threesies, you pick up either one or three stones before you catch the stone then pick up the remaining stones with your next toss. With foursies, you pick up all the stones before you catch the stone you tossed. Then with fivesies, you toss all the stones and catch them with the back of your hand. Toss them again and catch them with the palm of your hand. If you miss one, you pick it up and put it on the back of your hand with the others and toss the five stones up and catch them with the palm of your hand. If you only catch two or three, you have to let all except one of them drop to the ground. Toss the remaining stone and pick up either two or three and catch. Toss again and place the stones in your hand near the other stone and catch. Finally, the player tosses and picks up all the stones and catches. I am now able to get up to threesies pretty consistently without failing to catch a stone. Silas can only get up to twosies.

Silas, you go first, I ordered.

I handed him my kugelach bag with all five stones inside. Silas pulled each rock out one by one and studied each one like a jeweler studying a precious stone for some defect. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a girl holding a clay doll like a mother holding her infant. The girl was rocking the doll back and forth. Then Isaac, one of the boys that we played ball with, grabbed the doll from her hands.

The girl cried, Give me back my baby!

She stood up and started chasing the boy with her little legs. Isaac started running with the doll, laughing, and yelled, If you want it, then come and get it!

He shouted, Jacob, catch! He tossed the figurine to my friend Jacob. Jacob dodged around the girl while extending the doll toward her as if he was going to give it back to her. As the girl reached for her toy, he threw it back to Isaac.

I couldn’t resist the fun. I countered, Throw me the doll.

Jacob threw me the doll. I caught it and started running with it, with the little girl chasing me and pleading for me to return it. I slowed down to tease her into thinking she was going to catch me.

Right before she caught me, I roared, Silas, catch!

I threw the doll to Silas. Silas was still studying my kugelach stones, completely unaware of the fun going around him. He made no effort to even look at the doll as it flew over his head. The doll bounced off the ground in two different pieces with the head and body separated.

My baby! the girl screamed.

She ran over to the two broken pieces and cried. She picked the head of the doll up and tried to attach it back to the body. The head fell off, and she cried even louder.

Then I heard a voice, Abijah, what are you doing?

I knew who it was without turning around to see.

Mother, I said. We were just playing.

Mother walked toward me at a quick, serious pace. She stood over me with a grave stare covering her face.

Abijah, did you break this girl’s doll?

Yes, Mother, but I didn’t mean to break it. We were just playing with it, I replied.

Ma’am, can you fix Deborah? said the little girl while extending both remains of the doll to Mother.

I don’t know, my dear, Mother said while taking the doll from her and studying it. But if I can’t, he will make you a new one, Mom said while giving me the same serious glare. We will return this doll or a brand new one to you tomorrow. Mother said as she put both the head and body of the doll into her bag.

But I don’t want another doll, I want Deborah back, the little girl replied.

Then Abijah will fix Deborah tonight, Mother said reassuringly.

But, Mom, it can’t be fixed, I said. Mom studied both the doll’s head and body.

With a little clay and a few hours under the hot sun, I think we can make Deborah look good as new.

The little girl smiled. My mother wiped away a remaining tear on her face with her finger and said, We will see you here in the morning.

Abijah, I have bought the meat and spices for today’s meal. I want to talk to you before we arrive home. We will stop at the big sycamore tree outside the village and feed the birds as they land. Mother loves to stop by this tree and feed the birds. She would never throw away any old bread in our house but tear it into very small pieces and put them in a pouch. She would save the pieces of bread for the birds. I did have fun feeding the birds with her, but I would much rather be in the market square playing with my friends. This time I could tell that it wasn’t going to be fun feeding the birds. Mother was very upset about me breaking that girl’s doll, and she was going to let me have it.

We finally arrived at the big tree. Mother sat on the same large stone she always sat on. She poured in my hand some bread pieces from the pouch. I turned around and noticed five or six birds on the ground awaiting their treat.

I don’t think there are as many birds here today as there was last week, I said.

I was trying to change the subject and get Mom to forget about how upset she was about the broken doll. Mother glanced at the fowls but remained in her thoughtful silence.

Mother, that lamb you cooked for breakfast sure was good. I think it was the best meal you have ever cooked for breakfast.

A slight exaggeration, but Mother loved it when I praised her cooking. Actually, everything she cooked came out pretty good. Father never praised her cooking, but he ate everything Mother set before him. Still, Mother remained alone in her thoughts. She must be really upset. What could I say to cause her to forget that silly doll I broke? Then I thought of it. Mother, would you tell me more about Hannah and her son, Samuel. Did he kill a lot of Philistines like Samson or free the people from slavery like Moses? I tossed a piece of bread in front of the birds and watched them race for it. Then they walked toward me a little closer, awaiting the next piece.

Mother then spoke, Abijah.

Yes, Eema, I answered. I sensed a friendly tone from Mother.

I want to talk to you about the conversation you had with your father this morning. I am happy that your father is suddenly taking more of an interest in you, but I don’t approve of everything your father does.

I felt a sense of relief. I thought Mother was going to continue to lecture me about breaking the Deborah doll. Mother lowered herself down to my eye level. She always did this when she had something real serious to tell me, like how to be a better person or make better choices.

Abijah, my mother said, gazing in my eyes, I don’t believe your father always acquires the money he makes honestly. Despite what your father says, the amount of money a man makes is not the measure of a person. It is better to work hard and to earn your money honestly than to make it dishonestly with cunning and trickery. Abijah, it is not that important to make a lot of money. The rich men you see in the market and the tax collectors you see on the road, they are not happy. I can see it in their eyes. Your father isn’t happy. I just want you to be a good man. The happiest people I know are God-fearing, hardworking people who acquire their money honestly.

Eema, I said. Why doesn’t Father come with us to the market? I think if he were to see how much fun we have when we are not with him, maybe he would change. You know, maybe, he would be more fun to be around.

Your father thinks playing in the market and feeding the birds is foolishness. Abijah, someday when you are older, I will explain to you why your father is the way he is towards us. This is not important now. Mother then grabbed the bag with the items she bought at the market. I forgot something. She reached into the bag and pulled out two ripe figs. They were the softest ones on sale.

We ate the figs and gave the birds the remaining bread crumbs. Mother then took my hand with hers and grabbed the bag with the things she had bought at the market with the other hand. She clenched my hand a little tighter than she usually did and walked a little quicker than before, as if she had something urgently important to do at home.

That afternoon my mother prepared the evening meal for my father. She cooked the meat stew. The aroma of the soup filled our home the way the smell of fresh bread fills a bakery in the morning. Father would eat first and then leave to join his friends at the tavern. Mother never approved of my father going to the tavern, but I was always happy to see him leave, no matter what the reason was. Then Mother and I would eat our supper.

When we were finished eating, Mother suggested, Let’s clean up and do something fun.

We quickly rinsed and washed the bowls, plates, and cooking pots. We always cleaned them promptly because it was the last work we would have to do that day before we could relax and have fun. As I was washing the last bowl, a company of dogs outside our home began to bark. They habituate our street, waiting for people to throw out scraps after their evening meal.

I then heard someone say, Bethany, are you home? I thought I saw the master leave.

Come on in, Martha, He has gone to the tavern, Mother replied. It was our neighbor Martha. She was the eyes and ears of the houses on our road. She knew everyone’s comings and goings. Her husband’s name was Eli, and he was always right behind her, carrying a clay jug. They would only come over when my father was gone. I don’t think Father liked them very much, and I think they knew it. Martha was big for a woman. She had a loud voice and loved to talk. Every once in a while, when things got real quite at our house, I could hear her talking all the way from their house.

Momma would say jokingly, Martha is an expert at everything and wants everyone to know it, cleaning, cooking, sewing, and what to buy at the market. Whatever the subject was, Martha was the authority.

She did tell some real funny stories. Eli wasn’t like Martha at all. He was a short skinny man. He only had hair around the edges of his head, and his beard wasn’t near as long as most men his age. He didn’t talk much, but when he did, he seemed to struggle a bit. He had a real high-pitched voice, like a woman or a child. He had a hard time pushing his words out of his mouth, as if his tongue didn’t work, and he had to pronounce the words with the rest of his mouth. He usually spit all over the place when he talked to you. You always kept your distance when he had something to say. He caught me right square in the eye several times with his slobber. He would then turn red and look all embarrassed. He usually just smiled a lot and nodded his head at you when you looked at him.

Bethany, you have to be exhausted, going to the market, cooking for Joab, and cleaning up after him. It is time for you to relax and have some fun. Eli has just made a new batch of sweet wine, Martha declared

Eli had a small orchard of red grapes outside town. Making the perfect brew of good wine was always an unending quest for Eli.

Martha then looked at me and said, Abijah, do you still have your kugelach stones?

Yes, I sure do, I said excitedly.

Then get them out and let’s play. What this house needs is some fun, games, and good drink, Martha announced.

Mother seemed reluctant at first, but I knew she wouldn’t want to hurt Martha’s and Eli’s feelings. Immediately Eli poured a cup of wine and handed it to my mother.

Taste, Bethany, I aaaged it longer.

Mother took the cup from Eli and took a small sip. She then closed her eyes as if she was savoring something that was truly delicious.

This is truly the best wine I have ever tasted, Eli. You will have to let me buy some from you, Mother complimented with a little exaggeration.

Eli’s face would shine with pride. This was a conversation that Mother and Eli replayed over and over again every time Eli brought a new batch to the house.

I then handed my kugelach bag to Martha. She opened the bag and rolled the stones on the floor. Mother, Eli, and Martha all sipped Eli’s sweet wine, while I sipped on the rest of Father’s goat’s milk. Kugelach was a lot of fun when Martha and Eli came over. Watching them toss the stone in the air and then grabbing the remaining ones. Every time someone missed the stone, everyone broke out in a roar of laughter. I never saw Mama laugh so hard. She tossed the stone in the air and then tried to pick up three or four stones on the ground and then caught the stone she tossed with her hand. She could usually pick up the first two but rarely get the third and would always bust a gut laughing.

Then Mother said, Abijah, it is time for you to go to bed.

Ah, Eema, I replied. Eli and Martha just got here, and we are having such a good time.

Eli and I have a big day tomorrow. We need to be leaving anyway, Martha replied.

Weeeee ha-have to go noowh, Eli stuttered.

I think your father will be home soon, and it is getting late. Martha finished Eli’s sentence for him. She did that a lot.

Martha gave both Mother and me a hug, and Eli followed her with his hand extended.

Mother took his hand with both of hers and said, Good night, Eli, and bring me some more of that wine. I do want to buy a wineskin of it.

Not attempting to talk, Eli just nodded his head with a big grin on his face. As they left, the same dogs that announced their arrival began barking to indicate their departure.

Time for bed, Abijah, tomorrow we have a busy day, and your father will be home soon. He will be upset if you are not in bed.

All right, I said reluctantly as I walked toward my