for so long, but it was even more exciting for Mary to think of who would be coming to their meal later. She couldn’t wait to see him. The image of Joseph’s tall, muscular physique and kind dark brown eyes hovered in her mind’s eye all day. Would he be happy to see her too? Mary waited by the door as the sun started to set. What if he didn’t come?
“Mary, please come sit, my dear. You cannot look like a desperate woman,” her mother pleaded with her.
“I’m not desperate.”
“Father is just getting to know him first. He’s not asking him tonight.”
“I know, I know.” Mary tried not to let the disappointment show in her voice. She’d known that, but in the excitement, had forgotten that it was just a visit. Her mind had been running ahead too far. She sat on her chair in the living area and sighed. She picked up some stitchwork she’d been working on for several months and tried to focus on it. Relief flooded through her as she heard male voices outside. In walked Father and Joseph, talking freely.
“Father has fixed their whole roof already. You should have seen Zidda’s face.”
“That is wonderful news, Joseph. Thank you for helping Mary home yesterday. Her brother was delayed by an important meeting and then he forgot.”
“It’s no trouble at all. I couldn’t bear to see her stranded.” He looked up, right at her, and she stood up to take his sandals.
“Thank you.” He looked at her so kindly, she blushed. She carried the shoes as if they were a pot of gold and brushed the dust off them. Then she placed them on their shoe mat neatly next to each other. She studied them for a moment. He had large feet. His shoes were fairly new. They couldn’t be poor. She cringed. How could she let that be something to draw her to the man? She shouldn’t wish for money or riches but for love.
“Come sit.” Her father invited Joseph to the sitting area. There were about four extra chairs for guests, but she felt embarrassed at the dilapidated state of their chairs. Joseph would probably have the newest, best wooden furniture in his home.
Mary listened to the conversation between her father and Joseph quietly while Abby helped mother set the table.
“I cannot believe that you haven’t found any work all these years, Jehoram? Many people are needing assistance with their gardens.”
“Times are difficult and the Romans have their own workers. They do not wish for a Jewish man to do the work. They want art in their gardens, not plants.”
“I will speak to my customers. I’m sure there is someone.”
Father sighed and stared into the distance, wearing the same morbid expression Mary had known the last few years. He’d even developed extra frown lines. Mary sometimes wondered if he didn’t want to work anymore. Maybe he was just so discouraged and had given up.
“How is the carpentry business going?” he asked.
“My father is doing well now. His business has expanded beyond Nazareth. He wishes for me to take over when I marry.”
“Are you betrothed?”
Mary held her breath.
“I’m sorry to say that I have been very busy with business. I haven’t even considered taking a wife.”
“We would be most pleased if you would consider our Mary.”
Mary’s cheeks flamed. She’d thought Father wasn’t going to ask tonight. The night had only begun and he’d already asked him. Keeping her face down, she wished that she didn’t have to be part of the conversation.
“I should leave.” She rose to help at the table.
“Don’t leave, Mary. I shall definitely consider your request and discuss with my father.”
Mary sat, wishing she could leave. She didn’t want to hear any more.
“I’m sorry if I sound so forward, Joseph,” began her father. “It’s just I have suffered long to find a suitable husband for Mary. You just seem perfect.”
It was Joseph’s turn to blush.
“Thank you, sir. I am sincerely complimented.”
Mother called them for supper. The rest of the evening was casual conversation, and Mary was glad to have a distraction from the previous discussion. She couldn’t help hanging on every word that Joseph spoke. Sometimes she noticed he had much youthful passion and enthusiasm that bordered on immaturity, but all in all, he was a good, solid young man and the handsomest in town! He would make the perfect husband, and she so wished that he would say yes to her father’s request right away.
The next few weeks after the dinner were bitter sweet for Mary. She tried to enjoy the new supply of vegetables that she had been longing for for so long, but now a new longing filled her. A longing for Joseph to speak to her father. Why had it been so long? Maybe he had forgotten. Or maybe he wanted to say no and was considering a polite way to do it. Mary tried not to wallow too much in her thoughts as she swept the outer court of their home and watered the plants.
“Mary, Mary, guess what?” Abigail came rushing out, her face flushed with excitement.
Mary knew this was it. Her hands trembled and she clung onto the broom.
“What Abby?”
“Abba has work. One of Joseph’s customers wants his whole garden done up. The whole garden and it’s huge. That should keep Abba busy the whole summer.”
Mary felt a small dip of disappointment, but then she realized what this meant for them.
“Oh, Abby, it’s wonderful. Oh, the Lord is so good to us.” She felt the tears spring to her eyes.
“And that’s not all.” Abby was almost jumping up and down with excitement. Mary braced herself. “Joseph is coming over for dinner again tonight. We’d better hurry. We have only a few hours.”
“Why is he coming?”
“I don’t know, Mary. But maybe he will ask for you.”
“I’m not setting my hopes on it. I am just content that Father has work.”
“Me too! Now I can buy the cloth I wanted to make those dresses for us.”
“Not so soon, Abby. We need to pay off our debts first.”
“Debts? Oh, no.”
“It shall be a few months still.”
“Oh.” Abby’s manner calmed considerably. Mary tried to cheer her mood the whole afternoon by allowing her to choose the menu for the night. It didn’t help. By the end Abby was crying.
“I wanted to make you a new dress for your betrothal,” she blurted out just as they added the finishing touches to the meal.
“Oh, Abby, I love you so much. But we don’t even know.”
“I know. But I had the whole design in my head.”
“You really are so creative. I wish I could do things like that.” They heard voices from the living area. Mary gasped. She wiped her face with the kitchen cloth and Abby glared at her.
“Now I have to wash it.”
“My hair’s a mess.”
“Nonsense, you look great. Men must understand when we’ve been working. They can’t expect us to look like princesses all the time.”
Mary smiled at her younger sister. Abigail’s future husband would have to understand that Abby loved work more than anything else. Mary walked into the living area. Joseph stood there by himself and smiled as she entered the room.
“Where’s Father?”
“He just went to water my horse. I rode here because I came from far today.”
“Oh, may I take your shoes?” She stretched towards him, and he removed his shoes. She put them on the mat and faced him.
“A glass of water would probably be what you need right now?”
“That would be wonderful.” He smiled at her so sweetly that she felt her heart thud in her chest. She almost ran to get his water. She hoped that he would always be so grateful for her service. She returned with the cool water.
“Oh, it’s so cool. How do you keep it so cool in this heat?”
“It’s freshly drawn.”
“Thank you.” He gulped the water down and wiped his brow with a hanky as he sat.
&nbs
p; “You have grown into a beautiful young lady, Mary,” Joseph said as he looked at her. “When I saw you at the market, I couldn’t believe how much you had changed since I saw you.”
“You too.”
“And I can see that you are a caring person too.” Where was this leading to? “The way you cared about Sarah and Zidda’s plight even though your family has had their own trials. I’m so glad that your father has found work.”
“Yes, it’s very exciting. Thank you for helping.”
“It’s my pleasure.” His face glowed with satisfaction. He obviously enjoyed helping them.
Mary thought that she now loved this man and would be totally devastated if he didn’t marry her. At that moment, her father entered.
“You have a feisty mare there, Joseph.”
“I know. She’s the only one of the family, and some days I wish we could swop her for another horse but she’s strong and that’s the most important thing.”
“Did you travel far today?”
“I have come from Nain. We are finding new customers there.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“I am nervous now. My time has come to take over my father’s business and I feel unprepared. I told my father about our previous discussion, and that I would like to take Mary to be my wife, and my father approves. Now he says that I am ready to take over the business because he wishes to open a new business in Nain with the help of my brothers.”
Mary felt like jumping up and down like Abigail did when she was excited. Her features frozen in shyness as Joseph peered at her.
“That is if she wishes to marry me. I do not wish to go against the young lady’s wishes.”
She couldn’t believe that he had the