Juan Ramon Sereno: The Wise Slave

Chapter 22: Potiphar

It always takes me three days to get well everytime I get a fever. As a result, I had to wait for three days inside the ward before Orloff allowed me to stand up and go back to my duties that Joseph must have handled while I couldn't. It also happens that this day is our day-off.

Joseph and Asenath would like to go out with Manasseh and Ephraim by themselves for today so Bis, Orloff, and I could go anywhere we would want. I just didn't know where Bis would go, but he immediately bid us farewell and rushed to the direction where the Nile River is. I would have wanted to go with him because it's been a long while since I last went to the Nile, but I just let him leave because he might have a good reason to go alone. I was already preparing myself because Orloff would certainly drag me to one of his activities, such as lifting heavy objects or climbing trees, which I know only he would be able to do, but it appears he was going somewhere else.

"John, listen," he began. "Uh, you shouldn't go with me for now because..."

"Um, Orloff, not that I'm pouring cold water at you, but I definitely didn't have any plans of going –"

Orloff pulled me to a corner as if he didn't want anyone else to hear what he's about to say, despite the fact that it's only the two of us that were left inside Joseph's palace.

"Hang on!" I blurted out. "What's up with you pulling me here when there's no one in here except for us?"

"There is a woman who wants to see me today," Orloff whispered. His whisper was so loud and I really think someone would hear if there is someone in this palace right now. "I think she already fancies me, but I don't know if I like her or what. I think she's a bit too... passionate for me. You may have noticed what she did to me neck the other day, haven't you?"

"Wait, what? So you're saying that it wasn't a bee sting?" I asked him even though I already know what that was because I wanted to hear the truth from his own mouth.

"That was no bee sting," he whispered to me again. "That woman is something else. I've never seen anyone like her."

I felt as though Orloff's joking face has transferred to mine at this point.

"Oh my, my dear friend Orloff is already growing up and finally found the woman of his dreams," I snickered as I saw him glow pink because of embarrassment.

Before he can think of something to retaliate to me, I made him bow down so I could reach his neck and put my arm around there and said, "Orloff, my friend, how would you really get to know that beautiful woman if you don't go with her on a date? Who knows, you two might tie the knot someday. It's up to you, but Bis might even beat you to having the love of his life."

Orloff thought for a moment before answering, "Okay, if you say so."

Orloff was still having second thoughts as he was going out of the palace. I was the only one left inside the palace, which means only one thing. I could go wherever the heck I want in Egypt. That is, before the appointed time late this afternoon.

While waiting for that appointed time, I guess I can still have a look around. To be honest, my plans for today were just rubbish up until this afternoon. I could actually just go back to my room and sleep again or maybe mull over certain things, but I don't want to waste this day when we don't need to work. I then decided to look around the marketplace.

I've roamed the marketplace for a few hours. But even if I can say that there are a lot of interesting things to see in the marketplace, I couldn't really linger because I had no plans of buying anything and I might even bother some shoppers. I got tired of what I was doing so I decided to go back to Joseph's house to try and come up with something. Or I could probably go to the Nile and make sure that Bis and I wouldn't meet because I really don't want to bother him.