When we announced our plans to the household, the air buzzed with excitement. Myra and Naomi immediately began discussing my wedding attire. Judith and Matred conferred concerning the delicacies they wanted to concoct for the feast days. Sallu told Talmai that it appeared he would be looking for a new residence.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute," Alian called.
When quite resumed, he explained that we had chosen a nontraditional wedding. He informed Judith and Matred that there would no be feast days, only a feast day. He addressed Sallu's presumption that he and Myra would need to move.
"Unless you and Myra just want to leave, Salome and I will occupy her room and you two can stay where you are. If you are blessed with children, you can decide then what will be best for your growing family," he concluded.
"By that time, my room may be vacant," Naomi inserted dryly.
I quickly interjected that my bridal attire need not be elaborate. While we would observe the tradition of a feast and the marital benediction, I planned to invite only a few, our former boarders and their families. I explained that there would be no bridal processional.
"We don't plan to do away with the tradition of the bride being taken to her chamber and prepared for the coming of her groom, though," Alian said.
I could imagine the mischievous gleam in his eye, because I could hear it in his tone.
As the laughter died, Alian took my hand in his and slipped something onto my finger.
"See by this ring you are set aside for me, according to the Law of Moses and Israel," he intoned the solemn words of the betrothal vow.
This took me completely by surprise. I sucked in my breath and reached over with my free hand to feel the band he had placed on my finger. As I traced the simple design on the band, I gasped aloud. Naomi's voice penetrated my wonder.
"Yes, Salome, the band is the gold one I have worn since my beloved gave it to me on our betrothal day. I urged Alian to accept it to give to you. If I had a daughter, I would have given it to her to wear as part of her wedding attire."
"I will cherish it forever," I said softly, still gently caressing the familiar design with my fingertip.
"Well," Alain said brightly, "now that the formality of the betrothal is complete, let me warn you all that we plan a nontraditional betrothal as well. We will only observe about a 30 day betrothal period, instead of the traditional year. We intend to wed when the moon is full at the completion of this cycle."
At this, the babble of astonished voices rose around us once again.
The days seemed to fly by. Naomi and Myra insisted that I had to be attired as was befitting a bride. Realizing it would do no good to protest, I allowed them to measure and fuss. I accompanied them to the market to select material. I knew what I wanted the material to feel like and I trusted them to pick a becoming color.
Judith and Matred kept pestering me to taste various delectable dishes they were experimenting with for the feast. They seemed determined that everyone would go home envious of the scrumptious spread, if they only had one night to exhibit their culinary skills.
I heard whispered conversations concerning wedding gifts, but I pretended not to have heard, knowing no one fully understood the heightened quality of my hearing since I lost my sight. Even Alian was busy preparing for the big day. I knew he was planning a wedding surprise for me; I just did not know what it was.
Wanting to do something special for Alian, I decided to sneak away early one morning and confer with Jacob the carpenter. I let Naomi know where I was going so that she could try to keep Alian from knowledge of my errand. I slipped out the gate. Using my cane, I felt my way along the nearly empty street. My plan was to make it to Jacob's house before the city became busy. I would get Rachel to accompany me back home.
The trip to the carpenter's shop was uneventful, but because of the early hour, Jacob had not yet arrived. I sat on a bench positioned under a tree near the shop gate, with my back to the street. I do not know if the women passing by did not notice that I was there, or if they did not recognize me, or if they deliberately spoke cruel words intended for my ears. As I sat, their gossip assaulted my mind.
"I cannot believe Alian is marrying that betraying hussy," one said. "I thought he was quite a catch: handsome, well off, hardworking, and pious. I believe that witch Delilah is in league with the devil. She casts her spell and snatches the men of her desire right out from under our noses."
"Hmph," another sniffed. "Men are such fools. She will simply discard Alian when he no longer meets her needs, as she did Samson."
"I heard she made him sell his farm," another chimed in. "She is a gold digger."
"I heard he sold it because he can never take his bride there," the first added. "If he took her outside the city gates, Manoah would grab her and execute her. He has spies watching the gates around the clock. He is just biding his time, waiting for Alian to leave her unguarded."
"It's no wonder he needs money. He is going to have to hire servants to fetch her water from the well outside the gate, and do her cleaning, and . . ."
Their voices faded as they continued down the street, but their words played over and over in my mind. Rising from my bench, I intended to abandon my errand, but I heard Rachel's cheerful voice call to me.
Unable to exit gracefully, I stayed and talked to Jacob about making an ornate wooden trunk for Alian. I explained that I wanted a scene on the lid of an eagle flying over a vast desert with the limp form of a woman hanging from his claws. On a cliff near the edge of the desert, would be an eagle's nest. Nestled in the nest, under the protective wings of the eagle's mate, would be a man.
Rachel chattered incessantly as we walked home. I was glad that I did not need to say much, but could just insert the occasional "uh-huh." When we got home, I left Rachel with Myra, pleading tiredness, and retired to my rooftop. I was leaning back against the wall wondering what I should do when Alian came whistling up the stairs. His cheerful tune shrieked to a halt when he spotted my face. Rushing to my side, he dropped to his knees, exclaiming, "What is wrong, Salome? You are pale. Are you sick?"
"Is it true?" I burst out harshly. "Did you decide to get rid of your farm because I could never accompany you there? Is Manoah really watching the gates of the city, waiting for an opportunity to accost me? Am I chaining you to Hebron with our marriage? Are you in exile here?"
I could feel the shock to Alian's spirit as he recoiled under my angry onslaught.
"Whoa, Salome," he said. "Who has been filling your head with this poison?"
"It doesn't matter who," I said. "What matters is the truth. How can I ask you to forfeit so much because of my mistakes?"
"You did not ask me," Alian responded gently. "If I am exiled to Hebron, it is an exile of my choosing."
"How long before that choice will grow old?" I asked. "They say I'm in league with the devil," I continued. "They claim I am marrying you for your wealth and will betray you when I have used you up."
"What they think matters not, Salome. What matters is what you and I know. Do not let the words of envious women with hatred in their hearts pollute your mind. They despair of ever having a man to love them the way I love you, or even the way Samson was reputed to have loved you. If they can spoil that love with venomous words, they will. Pity them; pray for them, but don't waste a minute worrying about what they believe about us."
"I am sorry, Alian," I said. "I do know you love me, and I reciprocate that love. Even though I have accepted your forgiveness and that of Yahweh, harsh words still cause me to retreat into doubt. It is a habit begun in childhood. As an adult, I have always flouted public opinion, but deep inside, I have wanted acceptance and respectability. Now that Yahweh has chipped away my protective outer shell, I hurt when others see the old Delilah instead of the changed Salome."
I was surprised to feel Alian scoop me up, so that I was sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around me, crushing me to his chest. His lips gently touched the top of my head in a delicate kiss. Then he began to rock and sing softly, "He found her in a desert land..."
Sitting in Alian's protective arms, I felt safe and loved, so very loved. I knew that I did not deserve his love. In a sudden epiphany, I knew, too, that I could quench that love with doubts and bitterness or I could nurture it with acceptance and joy.
Putting both arms around Alian, I held him tight and joined him in song with, "You kept her as the apple of Your eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so You alone led her."
As our voices died out, I felt Alian's fingers lift my chin. His mouth covered mine in our first kiss. His lips were gentle, yet demanding. For one sweet moment, he poured all of the emotion he felt into me through our locked lips. When the pressure of his mouth released mine, every fiber of my being knew how much he adored me. Even though I was a seasoned courtesan, nothing had prepared me for the sensation of an unguarded, unconditional love. Alian had done the one thing that would silence the voices in my head. Never again would I question whether we should wed. That kiss melded our souls together. We had yet to share a marriage bed, but I knew what God meant when he said "the two shall become one flesh." Alian now owned my heart completely.
Soon our wedding day dawned. Myra and Naomi bathed me. They perfumed my body and hair. Perfume was something I had left behind when I fled Gaza. I considered it the talisman of the prostitute and the temple priestess. I had vowed never to douse myself with it again. Now I gladly allowed them to apply the sweet fragrance, wanting to be the perfect bride for Alian.
My hair flowed only to my shoulders because I had been shaved following the beating. I thought to cover it rather than leaving it free, as a bride customarily does. I feared the short locks would remind of my sordid past. Alian, however, pled with me to leave it free. He said he wanted all to know there was no shame left to taint our marriage. My short hair would remind them of the redemption of Yahweh and His censure of those who had sought my death.
A veil hid my face from my groom. My beautiful new wedding dress and mantle caressed my skin. Jewels shown in the crown I wore for the ceremony and gleamed on my neck and wrists. As I stood in my finery, Myra told me softly that I was the most radiant bride she had ever beheld, but it wasn't her opinion I wanted. I waited for the accolades of the groom.
I heard voices in the courtyard. Then a loud rap came on the door. I felt Alian's presence. Silence reigned in the room until I heard him say, "Salome, you are beautiful. Your attire is stunning. Your jewels are dazzling. But the most striking thing is the radiance that comes from within. Come, my beauty. Let us get the formalities out of the way. Tonight you and I begin a journey that promises to be spectacular."
Tucking my hand into the crook of his arm, Alian led me out of my bedchamber and through the inner courtyard. As we progressed through the archway into the larger outer courtyard, loud applause washed over us. When the clapping finally subsided, Naomi's dear voice pronounced the perfect benediction.
"May Yahweh bless this home with an abundance of spiritual children whose bruised souls are nurtured back into wholeness. May He reward Salome's faithfulness as he did Rahab's. May the outer beauty she exhibits be overshadowed by the beauty of a soul that continually hungers to know Yahweh more. May Alian's love protect Salome, cocooning her against the harshness of an imperfect world. May Alian exhibit the loyalty of Samson with none of his rebellion. May the two of you serve Yahweh all the days of your life together. May you never forget the Psalm that has provided comfort in your times of greatest need."
On cue, Alian and I joined Naomi in the Psalm that had come to mean so much to us. As the final strains of the song dissipated into the night, Sallu called out, "Something sweet and something sharp bring both pleasure and pain. Joy may only come after tears fall like rain." The riddles of the night began with the one Samson had used to challenge me. This time no searing pain came when the words were spoken. The tears had fallen. Joy reigned supreme.
Naomi and Judith escorted me to the bridal canopy and then platted and veiled my shorn locks, as was the custom. Afterwards, Alian and I talked with each guest individually. There was a lot of laughter and teasing. Good food and drink were plenteous. The staff joined us as family. I found this small, intimate wedding feast much more to my liking than the large, week-long celebrations.
Alian had excused himself for a minute, and I sat alone under the bridal canopy enjoying the sounds of festivity. Suddenly, I felt Talmai lift me from my chair and sling me over his shoulder. The two of us were surrounded by giggling women, and the group surged into the street. I began to struggle and beat on Talmai's back and demand that he put me down.
"Myra!" I cried to the girl, who I could hear in the crowd. "What is going on here? Where am I being taken?"
"It is time to prepare you for your groom," she responded with a giggle.
A few minutes later, Talmai deposited me unceremoniously on the ground, saying, "She's all yours girls." My nostrils were overpowered by the distinctive odor of the Shittah tree in full bloom.
"Why are we at Naomi's house?" I asked.
"You'll have to ask Alian that question," Rachel answered. "We were just instructed where to bring you in preparation for your wedding night."
The girls led me to a large bed in the far back corner of the room. They sat me down and began the preparations. They removed the veil and loosened my hair. One of them began to comb it, while another washed my feet. They removed all of my clothing except the thin silk tunic underneath. Someone refreshed my perfume. Finally satisfied, they bid me farewell and left, talking and giggling as they went.
I sat for a moment on the bed, but then arose and began to feel my way around the room. I had been in the room many times before when Naomi and I lived there. I knew no large bed had been in the back corner. I was curious as to what other changes may have been made. I could smell the odor of fresh wood and so knew there must be other modifications. The last I heard, Naomi had been renting her home out. I assumed the renters were responsible for the new arrangement and fittings. I wondered what Alian had to pay to get them to leave for our wedding night.
I did not get far before I heard the raucous approach of the men escorting Alian to the bridal chamber. Suddenly overcome with shyness, I hurriedly felt my way back to the bed and climbed in, pulling the covering up under my chin. I realized that the girls must have anointed my bridal bed with perfume, as a fresh wave of scent overtook my senses. The guys were singing a somewhat bawdy song reserved for weddings. As they arrived outside, I heard them calling out lewd instructions to my groom.
I heard the door open and shut again. I felt Alian's electric presence in the room. His odor mingled with that of the Shittah tree and the heady perfume with which the women had liberally doused the bridal bed. I heard him softly cross the room. His footsteps were accompanied by the rhythmic stomping of the crowd outside. As they stomped, they chanted some foolishness about the groom showing his woman what he desired in a bed partner. A dog began to howl an accompaniment to their tomfoolery. A baby began to wail. I heard an irate neighbor shout for the guys to quieten down. As a hush descended, Alian spoke from beside the bed.
"Why are you cowering under the covers?" he asked, a smile in his voice.
I felt the heat rise in my face as I answered flippantly, "Always a member of the wedding party, never a bride." Then I added honestly, "I cannot practice the wiles of the courtesan with you, Alian, and I do not know how to be a bride."
"From what I've been told, you're doing a pretty good job just as you are," he said with a chuckle. "I have heard that women tend to cower in the bed, uncertain of what to expect."
"Oh, I know what to expect physically," I responded. "But I am not sure about the rest. When you kissed me the other day, it was as though I had never been kissed before. Nothing, not even the love of Samson, prepared me for a kiss that illuminated the secret places of the heart and melded my soul with that of another. I am vulnerable to you, Alian, in a way I have never been vulnerable before. Your love has breached all of my defenses. And so I cower because I am afraid that I will disappoint the man that peered into me, recognized my strengths and my weaknesses, and loved me anyway."
I felt Alian's weight as he sat on the bed. I was scorched by the heat of his nearness. He placed his hand on the covering over my leg. Then he said softly, "Oh, you will disappoint me from time to time, as I will disappoint you. Only Yahweh is perfect, Salome. No man or woman can meet all of the expectations or needs of another. The important thing is that our souls have become one and so we can overcome disappointment. We can forgive one another and choose to remember-no-more the hurts that will come, and then be banished by our need for one another. This necessity for us to learn how to be 'one' is why I have brought you here."
"I wondered about that," I said, my fear evicted by his words. Sitting up and releasing my death grip on the covering, I asked, "How did you get the renters to let us spend the night here?"
"I didn't," he said. "This house is my wedding gift to you."
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.
Apparently a fortnight before Myra and Sallu had wed, the couple who had been renting the house had bought a place of their own. Naomi had sent word to Alian. He had met her at the house to see if any repairs needed to be made before they looked for new renters. He had told Naomi of his plan to win my love once he returned for the wedding. He had asked her to give him permission to renovate the house so we could spend our wedding days there. She told him the house would be his one day and that he could do whatever he wanted with it. She was not concerned about the loss of the rental income, since her every need was met in our household. He moved into the house that week and began renovations. He had been late to the wedding because he was waiting for a delivery of wood.
"You were that sure you could win my love?" I asked in surprise.
"Not exactly," he admitted. "I had prayed. I knew that Yahweh would bless our union if you consented. I could not believe that you would never let me back into your life. I decided that whether you accepted my love or only my friendship, I would fix up the house. If you accepted me only as a friend, I would move in here and reenter the world of business. If you accepted me as a husband, I planned to bring you here for a year while we cemented our commitment to one another."
"A year!" I exclaimed.
"A year is Yahweh's ideal for a man and woman to live together without interference of work. I knew that if we stayed in the refuge, we would be unable to avoid assuming some responsibilities. I also selfishly wanted you for myself. In our crowded home, it would be difficult for us to explore one another's minds and bodies the way I want. We would never be far from prying eyes or listening ears. Any disagreements we had would be public knowledge. It would be too easy for us to seek a sympathetic ear to reinforce our position, so that the two of us would not work on an appropriate compromise," he finished earnestly.
"But a year, Alian?" I questioned. "A lot can happen in a year."
"We won't be isolated for the year," he said with a chuckle. "They will visit us here, and we will drop in on them from time to time. We just will live in a separate household and any work we choose to do will be a joint effort. You asked if my business in Hebron was seeking a new business partner. It was. You are the business partner I sought, only I had much more in mind than mere business. Perhaps we will learn that we like making fine furniture or that we have culinary skills to rival those of Matred."
"Or that we are domestic idiots who might as well go into the pottery shards business," I added sardonically, remembering my dropping the drinking gourd on Alian's head and then picturing a blind woman shattering pottery dishes as she tried to fulfill her domestic duties.
Alian burst out laughing. "There is always that possibility. Let me give you a tour of your new home," he said, now. "I think you will find the layout compatible with your handicap. I came in here, tied a blindfold around my eyes and walked around, trying to discover the obstacles and determine what layout would be beneficial. For days I sported the bruises on my shins to prove that I definitely discovered the obstacles."
And so, Alian gave me the grand tour of the one-room home that would be ours for the next year. He was right. He had found a floor plan that allowed for minimal obstacles, and one where I could easily navigate. The room was efficient, yet homey. He let me feel the scarred table top that had served Naomi for so many years. The chairs, though, were new and had freshly woven reed seats. As we completed the tour by the back door that led into the courtyard, I suddenly remembered the wooden chest Jacob had made for me to give Alian.
"Oh, no!" I exclaimed. "Your wedding gift is in the room I thought would be our bridal chamber."
"No, it isn't," Alian said. "Talmai told me he arranged for it to be brought here and placed on the roof."
"Why on the roof?" I asked.
"Because that is where I plan for us to spend our wedding night," he said. "That is where our relationship began and that is where I want to consummate it. I think you will like what I have done with the roof."
As we mounted the staircase from the courtyard, I smelled the fragrance of roses. It was as though I were ensconced in a room filled with the fragrant blooms. Even the pungent smell of the Shittah tree was drowned out by the aroma.
"What is it?" I asked. "Have you bought out all the flower stalls in the market?"
"No, Salome," he said. "On all sides, the roof is surrounded by five-foot lattices. Rose vines are growing from deep boxes at the bottoms. The vines cover the lattices and they are in full bloom. Your wedding bower is literally laid in the Rose Room."
"The Rose Room," I repeated softly. "You are right, Alian. I like what you have done to the roof. It is only fitting that the flower that brought me to this place be the fragrance that marks the beginning of our relationship."
Alian led me to the place where the trunk was concealed beneath a cloth. He told me that the moon was bright enough that he would not need a lantern to examine my present. I made him squat in front of the gift. I covered his eyes with my hands while he removed the covering. The main reason I did this was so my hands would be on his face when he beheld the carving. My hands served as my eyes to judge his reaction. I was not disappointed. I felt the slow smile spread across his face and a hot tear fell onto my hand.
"It is perfect, Salome," he said in a choked voice.
Standing up, he pulled me into his arms. I lifted my face for his kiss. When our lips finally parted, I lay my cheek against his chest. While I listened to the accompanying beat of his heart, together we sang the Psalm the box depicted.
My search was over. The child Delilah no longer cowered in my heart. She had been set free. Her tormentor, the hardened prostitute, was exiled forever. Alian's kiss was Yahweh's seal on the name I had chosen. I had found peace. I was delivered on the wings of the eagle from the desert of shame into the garden of forgiveness. My journey from rebellion to redemption was complete.