Desired The Untold Story of Samson and D - By Ginger Garrett Page 0,4
have given him yours.”
We sat until our legs burned and cramped from holding one position so carefully. I decided I had been mistaken about his smile. It could have been an evil leer. Street torches cast unreliable shadows.
With great caution, we unfolded our legs and moved to rest on our pallets, our eyes still wide as we watched each other’s faces and listened. We heard nothing for the remainder of the night but the sound of children playing and women singing drunkards’ songs.
By the hour when dawn began to glow pink on the horizon, Astra had fallen asleep, her mouth wide open, her black eyelashes fluttering against her soft cheeks. I edged closer to her and stroked her hair, which fell from her smooth forehead. I shook my head though she could not see my rebuke. She was filled with terrible mischief, true enough, but she had the pure heart of a child. I prayed Dagon would be patient with her and bring her a gentle husband.
Knowing that Astra would not wake, I slipped down the stairs and crept through the house. Its wooden floor made small groans and creaks. Father had not yet returned from the temple, but that was of no concern. Mother snored loudly, sprawled across her straw pallet. I pulled the blanket up from her feet, where it had gotten tangled, and draped it over her before sneaking toward the front door.
I peeked in our large clay jar of oil near the door. It was almost empty. We would need money, and soon, if it were to be filled again.
Babies were just awakening, and adults were just beginning to sleep. The festival changed everyone’s sleeping schedule, except for the infants. Infants were unmoved by our celebration of Dagon. Their god was still milk. I loved the morning music of our streets; the newborns with their cracking cries, the donkeys that snorted and kicked at their bedding, the lambs that bleated for breakfast at the first sound of footsteps outside their pen. There was the sound of carts being wheeled through the streets, of merchants going to market to set up, of groans and sighs and angry roosters.
I sneaked into the street, gathering my tunic in my hands, lifting it away from my feet as I bent over. I wanted to see the street, to see if I could find any trace of the man’s footprints.
I found them at the edge of the path just under our roof, where he must have stood to peer up at me when he was deciding whether to kill us. His footsteps were huge. I slipped my own foot out of my sandal and rested it inside one of his footprints. His footprint was twice the size of mine.
I heard my father coming, whistling the same song to Dagon that he always sang in the morning. I erased the footprints of the man with my toes, turning to greet my father.
“Darling one,” my father said, grabbing me for a little peck on the top of the head as I ran to him and fell into step beside him. “How was your night at home with Astra?”
“Fine.”
I glanced up at his face, but he did not frown or doubt me. He had big bushy eyebrows like two feral dogs that arched and lunged at each other as he talked. Long dimples ran down each cheek, deepening when he grinned, which he did often. My mother said he was a handsome man. I could not judge him as such. He was simply my father.
Other girls’ fathers treated them with strict order verging on contempt, but my father treated me with leniency, despite my gender. He did not worry or threaten as other fathers did, and he did not mind when I discussed matters such as temple politics or money. But even so, I was careful not to abuse my privilege.
“And your mother?”
“Sleeping inside. Shall I start your breakfast?”
“Let’s wait for your mother. I’d like to talk to you.” He stood in the doorway. I looked around to be sure there was no sign of more footprints.
I saw it then, and almost died of terror.
A long red scarf had been tied to the top of our doorpost. The Hebrew had marked our house. He wanted to remember where we lived.
“You know that I love you as much as any father can love a daughter.”
I could not focus on what he was saying. I only saw red.