“Just eat.” Bethesda said.

Elion shook his head. “How could Rebecca do that to us?”

“How could we do that to them?” Bethesda responded mournfully.

“She’s dead because of that stupid religion.” Elion slammed his fist into the table.

“SHE’S DEAD BECAUSE OF US!” Bethesda screamed. Elion froze. Jacob walked in the door. “Hi Mama and Papa.”

Bethesda
smiled. Elion didn’t move an inch. She handed Jacob a bowl of lentil
soup. Jacob looked at his daddy. “Papa, why don’t you have soup?”

Elion merely shook his head no.

“Papa have soup!” Jacob reached his bowl over to his father. Elion slammed the bowl into the wall.

“Elion!”
Bethesda said angrily. Elion stormed out of the house, and slammed the
door behind him. Jacob had tears coming down his face. “Papa didn’t want
soup?”

“No, he isn’t hungry. But I am, and you need to hurry and eat because we’re going somewhere.”

~ ~ ~

Bethesda
and Jacob dodged the oncoming soldiers. She walked towards a familiar
house. She breathed in, hoping everyone would forget she betrayed them.
She knocked on the door and drew a fish.

“Who’s the leader of the group?” A voice whispered hoarsely.

“Pastor Andrew?” She responded. The door opened.

“Bethesda?
Jacob?” The voice said. It was an old friend, Maya. Bethesda smiled and
opened her arms up for a hug. Maya stood back. “I didn’t think you
would have the gull to come back but here you are.” She said grimly.
Bethesda put her arms down. “I’m sorry, we can leave.”

A young man that used to be very shy and awkward, Kaleb, stepped up. “That won’t be necessary. You are welcome to stay.”

Maya
protested. “These are the ones! These are the ones that told the Romans
where we were meeting and what sign to use to get in! Her and her
husband are the reason why-” she choked. “Why my brother, Pastor Andrew
was killed.” She frowned at Bethesda. “And his wife, and children! She
killed her own daughter! She killed so many brothers and sisters in the
faith!”

Kaleb was stunned by Maya’s emotional speech. But
finally he said, “It’s all in the past. That’s been more than a month
ago. I say we forgive, just like Jesus would do.”

Maya frowned
but didn’t protest. Another friend was Tzofia. She smiled warmly at
Bethesda. “It’s great to see you again. So much has happened! Kaleb has
become the pastor! We call him Pastor Kaleb now. Oh – and did you know
that Talma got married to Isai?”

Even though Bethesda smiled
as she heard everything new that happened, she still couldn’t stop
thinking about those words Maya said. How stupid I’ve been to think I could be forgiven. Bethesda thought.

~ ~ ~

“Mama, are we going to the meeting tonight?” Jacob asked.

“No, sweetie, we have to stay in the house.” Bethesda responded sadly.

“Where has Papa been?” Jacob asked.

“I
don’t know.” Bethesda sighed. She tried to cover the tears coming from
her eyes, but she couldn’t stop them and began balling. Jacob ran over
to his mother and hugged her. “Don’t cry Mama!”

Bethesda tried to swallow the tears. Eventually they stopped. There was an unbearable silence.

“I wish Rebecca was here.” Jacob said. Bethesda nodded sadly.

~ ~ ~

 At the meeting house, an argument was heating up.

“I’m glad that evil woman left.” Maya said angrily.

“But if you hate her that much, you are evil yourself.” Tzofia replied gravely.

“SHE IS THE REASON MY BROTHER DIED!” Maya screamed.

“She didn’t even tell the Romans. Elion did!”

“It doesn’t matter. She didn’t fight that decision.” Maya said.

“You
don’t know that!” Tzofia protested. Tzofia shook her head. “I thought
we could come together in the Spirit of Jesus. But it seems some of us
are not ready to do one thing Jesus told us to do, to forgive people.”

Maya turned her head away from Tzofia.

“I
agree with Tzofia.” Aliza, Octavia’s best friend, said. “I understand
that their family has hurt all of us, but don’t you think God has
forgiven her? Why can’t we?”

~ ~ ~

Jacob had just
fallen asleep when someone knocked on the door. Bethesda went to open
it. “I’m so sorry for the way I treated you,” Elion said. “And that way I
was mad at the Christians and Rebecca… it was my fault. It was all my
fault.”

Elion began choking up. Bethesda gave him a hug and he cried on her. She patted him on the back. “Would you like some soup?”

“Yeah.” He said, breaking the hug and sitting down. As she went to get the soup, another knock was heard on the door.

“I’ll get it.” Elion said. He opened the door. “Uh, please come in?”

“I just want to say, I’m so sorry for what I did.” Maya said.

Elion frowned, confused. “I’m not aware of what you did.” He sighed. “But I’m so sorry what I did to you and your brother.”

She smiled. “I accept your apology. Will you be coming back to the meeting?”

“I think I will come back.”