Facing Death
Her stomach turned as the smell of roasting meat wafted by. The nausea hadn’t let up in days and she had missed her monthly cycle.
It was time to be honest with herself. Hadn’t she watched for these very signs, waited for them, every month during her marriage to Uriah? And, now, Uriah was going to be so angry with her.
He was a strict adherent to the laws. He was a kind man, normally, but as both a soldier and a convert, he believed in laws and order. He lived by a code of honor – and if the punishment for a sin was death…
That’s what she was facing. Death.
Why had she gone to David? What kind of fool had she been? Her father, her sisters, no one could help her against the righteous anger of her husband. The only hope she had was that she had heard David loved his children almost to a fault. If she could get word to him… if he would protect her for the sake of her child, and his..
She hastily went to her room and scribbled on a piece of parchment. No names. Nothing to identify either the sender or receiver just “I am pregnant”. He would know what that meant. Uriah had been gone far too long for the baby to be his. She sent for her maid. “I need you to be discreet. This needs to reach the King. ONLY the King – and no one can know.”
She didn’t know if he would receive it. She didn’t know if he would help her – perhaps he would deny everything to escape the scandal, but it was the only hope she had. She lay down on the bed and stared at the wall. “Oh, God, what have I done? Oh, God, help me.”
It was time to be honest with herself. Hadn’t she watched for these very signs, waited for them, every month during her marriage to Uriah? And, now, Uriah was going to be so angry with her.
He was a strict adherent to the laws. He was a kind man, normally, but as both a soldier and a convert, he believed in laws and order. He lived by a code of honor – and if the punishment for a sin was death…
That’s what she was facing. Death.
Why had she gone to David? What kind of fool had she been? Her father, her sisters, no one could help her against the righteous anger of her husband. The only hope she had was that she had heard David loved his children almost to a fault. If she could get word to him… if he would protect her for the sake of her child, and his..
She hastily went to her room and scribbled on a piece of parchment. No names. Nothing to identify either the sender or receiver just “I am pregnant”. He would know what that meant. Uriah had been gone far too long for the baby to be his. She sent for her maid. “I need you to be discreet. This needs to reach the King. ONLY the King – and no one can know.”
She didn’t know if he would receive it. She didn’t know if he would help her – perhaps he would deny everything to escape the scandal, but it was the only hope she had. She lay down on the bed and stared at the wall. “Oh, God, what have I done? Oh, God, help me.”
Comments
Post a Comment