A SCARLET ROPE PT2.

  It was late afternoon, around 3:00 pm. The inn was up and running. Men sat around tables in the sitting area drinking and making merry. Servants were seen running to get orders for the clientele. Rahab was seen behind a counter engaging in luscious conversation with a man.

Two men walked in silently. They had cloaks around them. They went into a corner of the inn and sat. It was obvious they were strangers. A servant girl came to them and offered them water and wine. Rahab watched all this from a distance. They really weren’t from around here. But they also looked like potential clients. Rahab walked to them and inclined at their table.

“Who are you?” She questioned.” I can see you are not from around here.” “You must be very tired from your journey”.” I am Rahab, at your service.”

“We are men from Shittim, may we speak to you privately instead”. One man spoke. This brought a gleam to Rahab’s eyes. More clients meant more money.

She got up from the table and asked them to follow her. She led the way towards the back of the inn where her house actually was. She swung her hips seductively as she led them. If these men wanted services, services they would get. She knew her job and she was good at it. She grinned.

Her profession brought her lots of money, coupled with the running of the inn. This thought also brought with it that age old familiar sadness back into her heart. Her parents were against her profession. Her siblings looked at her with disdain and wouldn’t come close to her. They all lived in the same town but she couldn’t remember the last time a sibling came to visit her. All her siblings were married; they had children, fields and other properties. So her parents were proud of them. But not her; after it became apparent that she possessed a mind of her own. They left her to her own devices. However the annual gifts she lavished on her parents were never rejected.

She was still unmarried. She had the looks that were the envy of all women. Her eye lashes were long and dense as a thicket. Her tender face and lovely mouth that always had that smile that lured men away. She was endowed with young tender breast, skin and backside then never seemed to sag or age with time. But who would want to marry a prostitute?
 As she opened the door to her house, one of the men quickly pushed her into the room, covered her mouth from screaming.

One said ‘We are spies sent by our leader to spy the land.” “Tell us about this place and we won’t kill you if you oblige”. What do you know about this place?” “You are a native, aren’t you?”

The barrage of questions seems endless. This was no joke and no foreplay either. Their demeanor had changed. A sudden fear gripped her.

What was she going to do? There was nobody around to help her escape. She kept stealing glances around to see if there was something she could use to escape.

She heard one man say “woman! Do not fear because we are Israelites, from the land of Egypt.”

That statement made her relax. She’s heard about them. Actually the whole city had. She looked at the men. These weren’t men drawn to lust and wickedness like those she knew. How come she didn’t notice that earlier before? She relaxed a bit more this time around.

She took in a deep breath. “Please let’s sit. I would like to know more about your mission and how I can help you” she spoke softly to them.

-----------------------------------------&----------------------------to be continued