The Esther Paradigm (A Contemporary Christian Romance) Read online

  Maybe not him, but who was to say another wouldn’t take his place? Maybe one more violent? And hand in hand with that thought, I hadn’t forgotten the noises outside the tent the night before. Someone or something had eavesdropped on our Bible study. If a someone… My heart stalled.

  And then started again.

  God was in control of all. I had but to be faithful to what He put before me.

  Children’s voices skipped along the arid air, and I was surprised again at how full the school tent was. With the side walls rolled up, students spilled even beyond the shadow of the canopy.

  I greeted them all with a smile, crouched down to meet the smallest face to face. Some brave with curiosity reached out dirty fingers and stroked my cheek and eyebrows. They had probably never seen a white woman with pale skin and blond hair before. I stifled a giggle as I imagined their reaction if I unwound my hijab and let my hair fall down my back. Already their eyes rounded as they stared into mine, mesmerized by the strange blueness of my irises.

  In a way, they reminded me of Karim and his instant fascination upon laying eyes on me. My cheeks warmed at the remembrance of his gaze on our wedding night. Heated with desire yet tender with amazement. I’d felt like the treasure he’d always called me.

  Lest caught in a daydream that could lead to nowhere, I directed the children to sit and stepped to the front of the class to begin teaching.

  Two hours later with equal parts exhaustion and invigoration, I waved goodbye to the last student who ran down the dusty trail back to the village. I smiled and shook my head, amazed that the heat couldn’t sap the energy out of the little ones like it did me. I turned back around to clean up the supplies from the day, when my eyes snagged on a bright piece of red material lying on the ground off to the side. Had someone ripped their clothing?

  Not a dress in need of mending. I bent and picked up the object, fingered the dark yarn twisted into a braid that ran down the back. A beloved doll. One I’d seen before in a precious little girl’s arms.

  I held up the doll to Radina, who’d stayed to help me clean up before meeting at my parents’ tent for another Bible study. “My friend Yara’s daughter left her doll here. If I hurry, I can return it to her mother before the meeting.”

  “Of course. I’ll see you at your mother’s tent shortly.”

  I watched Radina go, then lowered the sides along the perimeter of the tent to secure it for the night. Ensured that all would be safe until the next day, I lengthened my stride toward the pastures Karim had rented from Daher during our stay on his lands. Yara should be among the sheep at this time.

  A small knoll separated from where they’d pitched the schoolroom to where the animals grazed. Standing on the top, I rested with my hands on my hips and surveyed the land. White sheep dotted a lush green field, one Daher must irrigate with the water dammed deep under the adjacent mountain. Surely with all this fresh vegetation, the livestock must be getting better.

  I let gravity pull me down the hill while scanning the fields for Yara’s signature purple headdress. Her favorite color, she wore it daily.

  No fence enclosed the animals, and as I walked among them, they made their way to my side. My spirits sank. Still, their skin clung to their bones in an unnatural way, their eyes droopy and leaking. Instead of them kicking up their heels and prancing around, they either stood in a trancelike stillness or lumbered and stumbled to reach me.

  Overcome, I fell to my knees and hugged the closest ewe around her neck, tears in my eyes. They didn’t deserve this, innocent animals as they were. Whatever this was. It baffled me how no one understood this illness. People who had spent their entire lives around sheep, learned about them and their care from their parents and grandparents, didn’t have a clue as to cause or cure.

  Mischievous lips brushed against my shoulder, followed by the graze of teeth as the ewe sought to take a bite out of my clothing. With a laugh, I pushed her aside and then swiped at my eyes.

  My laughter died, replaced by hopelessness. How long had the sheep been like this? No wonder Karim found little reason to smile, that the lines in his face had nothing to do with humor. I wanted to help, but how? Maybe one of my classmates who had majored in veterinary science would like to have an adventure and see this as an opportunity for a short-term mission trip. Surely someone familiar with modern science would know how to heal our herd. I’d have to talk to Karim about it when he returned.

  I patted the ewe’s head, then stepped around her. If I didn’t hurry, the ladies would be waiting for me. Thankfully, I spotted her bright head cover a minute later and waved. She smiled and waved in return, then met me halfway.

  I held out the doll. “I thought someone might miss this if not returned promptly.”

  “Ack! Thank you.” She held the doll to her chest. “I hate to think what bedtime would be like without the doll. My daughter can’t sleep without it. Thank you for returning her.”

  “No problem. I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to be heading back.” I reached to give her a hug. “Soon, though, we need to sit and catch up. I feel like we haven’t talked at all since…” My cheeks heated. “Well, since the wedding.”

  Yara smiled with glee. “And I’ve been dying to hear how married life is for you.”

  Laughing, the heat in my face reached volcanic proportions. “Soon.” I turned and walked away to the sound of her giggles.

  My mind wandered as I trekked across the field, not really paying attention to much except my feet in front of me so I didn’t stumble over a loose rock.

  “And I’m telling you, they can’t handle any more. If you continue with this, they will all die and we along with them!”

  Angry voices brought my head up. Two men gestured wildly a dozen and a half paces to my right. Ahead, a small, squat tree beckoned. I nearly dove behind its protection. With tempers as high as they were, little doubt remained that whatever the men discussed, they did not wish for it to be overheard.

  The other man spat. “Then so be it. You focus too much on the small picture, which is of no consequence. You must broaden your scope. We fight a great war for Allah, and in battles there are casualties. Karim has brought this upon himself for first allowing the infidels to live among us, polluting us with their heresy, and then adding insult by marrying one of them.”

  My stomach bucked and rose to my throat, but I held my breath. Though I wanted to dash away, I dared not even stir lest the slight movement attract their attention. I’d be no better than an antelope in the scope of a rifle.

  Bang! Hannah’s dead.

  But if I could remain undetected, maybe I could learn what the two had schemed and report back to Daher and Karim. Maybe the threat to my family would finally end and the sheep that we all depended on would begin to be restored to health.

  “What of our families? If you continue to poison the sheep, Samlil, our way of life will be over. We’ll be forced into the confines of the city, and the voices of our ancestors will cry out in our souls. We’ll rot for need of space and freedom.”

  It couldn’t be. Samlil? The same boy who once taught me how to play mancala and who had mesmerized me with his retelling of Aladdin time and time again? Karim’s best friend?

  But…why?

  I asked the question, but I also knew the answer. Just as he’d poisoned the sheep, he too had been poisoned by the propaganda of the extremist groups. Those who claimed to be hanif, a true and pure believer who rejected idolatry and upheld and protected true Islam. His vision of a loving Allah had been clouded with hatred and intolerance. The same pit any could fall in, no matter what religion they professed to believe.

  Tiny feet scuttled across my sandal, increasing my heartbeat as I glanced down and swallowed a scream. Large pinchers and a bent tail that ended in a sharp point that I remembered with clarity stood in the small space between my feet. My lungs constricted as I stumbled backward without thinking. Then froze. Samlil and his crony presented more of a threat than the scorpion.


  But it was too late. Already their conversation ceased.

  I held my breath, hoping they’d attribute whatever noise I’d made to an animal.

  Which was exactly what the other man did.

  I squeezed my eyes, relief wedging between the invisible band around my chest so I could breathe easier.

  “I’m going to make sure,” Samlil said before the sound of his sandals digging into the sand as he walked filled the wake of his plotting.

  Go! Run! I had no other choice. If I stayed, I’d be no better than a sitting duck. If I ran, I’d at least have a slim chance of escaping.

  My feet betrayed me and slipped as I stumbled forward. Go! My brain screamed at me.

  Too long before the balls of my feet found passage on the shifting ground and dug in, flipping the grains behind me as I ran with all my worth.

  Samlil cursed behind me.

  Too close behind me.

  “Hannah! Stop!”

  Did he think I was crazy? I’d overheard his entire scheme and he thought I’d just stop so we could have a friendly chat? My parents’ beating, the knife under my camel’s saddle…Samlil had been behind it all.

  “Stop!”

  My lungs and thighs begged the same, but I couldn’t. Not when the man who wanted me and my parents dead was right on my heels.

  Chapter 27

  Karim

  I was surprised to see Ethan standing outside the hospital entrance and smiled in greeting. But when his gaze collided with mine, my smile fell. Worry etched deep into his features, making him seem years older.

  Mother.

  The bags in my hand dropped to the ground, and I ran the remaining distance. My legs felt wobbly beneath me, so I gripped Ethan’s shoulder all the while cursing myself at the weakness.

  “What happened?” If she’d taken a turn for the worse while I was gone, I’d never forgive myself.

  “Calm down. Your mother’s health is stable.”

  “Then…” Why did anxiety cling to him like fleas to an animal?

  Ethan shook his head. “Go see her.” He patted my back as he stepped beyond me. “I’ll gather the bags you dropped.”

  I didn’t need a second invitation. Whatever Mother had to say must be serious if she’d sent Ethan as a lookout. My nerves stood like little soldiers at attention awaiting a command. I took a deep breath before pulling back the curtain partition to her space. If she was agitated for some reason, I needed to stay calm and not let her get too worked up.

  She bolted up in her bed the minute the metal hooks holding up the curtain slid across the metal rod.

  “My son…” She reached her hands to me. Her damp cheeks bore witness of the tears she’d shed, the reddening of her nose saying those tears might not be over.

  I took her hands in mine and knelt beside her bed. “What is it, Mother?”

  “I have had a terrible dream. You must go back. Now. You’ve not a second to lose.”

  I stroked the back of her hand and looked at the machine she’d been hooked up to. The numbers seemed higher than I’d noticed before. Couldn’t be a good thing. “Shh. Calm down, Mother. Tell me your dream.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. Tears leaked out of the corners. “It was awful. Simply awful.” Her eyes flashed open. “You have to save her, Karim. Quickly. Before it’s too late.”

  “Save who, ’Ami?”

  “Hannah.” Her grip tightened on my hand. “Save Hannah.”

  I jumped to my feet. My mother’s hand still in mine jerked with the sudden movement. I gentled my clasp and laid her hand back on the bed. Gave it a pat.

  My muscles coiled until I thought I’d snap if I didn’t move. Three steps brought me to the end of the room, and I turned and paced three more steps. Back and forth. I looked to my mother. “It was just a dream, right?”

  “It was a warning, my son. She is in grave danger. You must go to her.”

  My heart ripped in two. Love for my mother and her need of me tugged with my love for Hannah.

  “I will be fine. Ethan will stay with me and we will hire a driver when they let me out of the hospital. Do not delay a second longer.” She made a shooing motion with her hand. “Go!”

  I kissed her on the crown of her head and whispered an “I love you” and then raced out of the room.

  * * *

  Hannah

  A hand grabbed a fistful of my clothing and yanked me backward until I fell hard to the ground. Samlil blocked the sun as he towered over me, the sneer to his lips complementing the victory in his eyes.

  “Allah has looked favorably upon me this day.”

  I opened my mouth only to have it slammed closed by Samlil’s open palm. Pain exploded from my jaw and fissured around my head.

  “Tsk, tsk. Even after all these years, you haven’t learned the submissive role of women.” His body moved to the side, and the sun blinded me. I blinked several times. Raised a hand to shield the glare.

  “On your feet.”

  What was he going to do with me? I wanted to ask but dared not. The whole left side of my face throbbed with my pulse, a constant reminder of his lesson in submission. I covered the sting with my palm and attempted to push myself up off the ground with my other hand. My arm shook with my weight, my energy drained from my mad sprint to the illusion of safety.

  A foot connected with my stomach, and I landed on my side. Curled into the fetal position. A groan escaped my mouth along with all the air in my lungs. I coughed and heaved. Silently prayed for a miracle.

  “When I give a command, you obey. Now, on your feet.”

  Still attempting to suck air, I managed to make it to my hands and knees.

  Not quick enough.

  Samlil’s hands were on me again, pressing against my head and fisting my hijab and large chunks of hair. He yanked, and I cried out from the shooting needles of pain. I was on my feet, head covering askew and body aching like I’d never felt before. His fingers covered my upper arm in a vice, bruising the tender flesh there. He jerked me forward. I stumbled behind.

  The other man trotted up, his full beard rising and falling as his mouth opened and closed. His eyes moved from me to Samlil a few times before resting on Samlil. “What are you going to do with her?”

  Samlil stopped. The gleam that twisted his features caused my blood to cool.

  “I overheard her last night breaking the law. Blasphemy against Islam and proselytizing to get Muslims to convert from Islam is punishable by death.” He pinched my chin and rattled my head back and forth a few times. “I am a law-abiding citizen. For the sake of Islam, she will be a warning to any who dare to even think of converting to Christianity.”

  My vision blurred as my pulse quickened. This was it. I was going to die. The grave would swallow me before I had a chance to tell Karim how I felt about him. How much I loved him. Before I got to tell my parents goodbye.

  My chin trembled, every muscle in by body tightening in preparation. But then, just as quickly, as if a supernatural blanket of peace was draped over my shoulders, my fear drained away. My shallow breathing deepened, racing heartbeat slowed.

  In the name of Christ.

  “Death where is your sting, grave where is your victory.” The verse from First Corinthians escaped my lips on a whisper but contained within it the power of a roaring lion.

  Samlil shook me. “Shut up, whore.”

  Though logic said otherwise, demanded that I not do anything to anger this madman further, submit as he wished, humble myself in a slim chance he’d show mercy, I lifted my head. And looked him straight in the eye. “You may kill my body, but you can never destroy my soul. Like martyrs throughout history, my blood will be the water that nourishes the planted seeds. You may try, but you cannot stop the work of Christ.” Like Stephen, Lord, let me see heaven. Let my death be not in vain but a means for your eternal harvest.

  Samlil laughed, the sound as rancid as the garlic and onions on his breath. “When you die, Islam wins. Your voice cannot be heard from the g
rave.”

  My body hurt and naturally folded in on itself from the fatigue and pain. Inch by inch I straightened my spine and forced my shoulders back. “I serve a Father God who is the resurrection and life. All who believe in him will never die.”

  A vicious tug on my hair caused me to cry out, my back and neck bending at an odd angle to try and alleviate the pain. My beautiful head covering slid down my back.

  “Oh, you will die, make no mistake of that. Karim, fool that he is, is not here to save you.” He bent over me until his hooked nose almost touched mine. “Not even your God could save you now.”

  I stumbled after him, and he pulled me by my hair to the center of Daher’s village. He threw me to the ground and lifted his voice. “Brothers and sisters! Gather around and witness the fate of any who wish to turn their back on Islam.”

  My knees and palms stung where they’d slid into the hard-packed dirt. Small pebbles embedded themselves into my flesh. I raised my head and looked around at the crowd that had gathered in a circle around Samlil and me. Some faces familiar from our own tribe. Others I recognized from the few days we’d camped and worked among them. I could hear my heartbeat, but still it remained calm. Assurance rested in my breast, and I closed my eyes and savored the feeling.

  Pain exploded in my shoulder, a hard blow knocking me back to the ground. My cheek rested against the hot surface, and I raised my eyes to the crowd again, searching out Radina. She had to know Jesus held me in his hands, cradled me like a loving mother does a newborn child. One by one my gaze landed on the spectators’ faces. Some of the women turned away, horror in their eyes. Some faces hardened, obviously displeased with the display yet not willing to say anything against it. A few did little to hide the delight in their expressions.

  Another blow landed on my lower back, skin tearing. Dizziness brought on by pain fogged my brain, had me reaching and groping for the stillness of calm that had surrounded me.