Tales of Light

THE CROSSING

#Reedsyblog prompt:  Write a historical fiction about a child witnessing a major historical event.

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14th Nisan, about 1450BC

Goshen, Ancient Egypt

Young Eleazar sat huddled beside his mother, Elisheba, on the Passover table.
He could feel a certain terror lurking, hovering beyond the borders of their bloodied door, ever ready to pounce upon its unsuspecting victim.

His mind could not fully fathom why they were up at night, fully clothed and eating this queer meal.

His heart had been shattered when they had slain his best lamb, Korban, that evening.
As they splattered the blood of the innocent creature over the lintel and doorpost of their little home, his father, Aaron, explained the necessity of the ritual.

"The Lord will descend to pour wrath upon the whole of Egypt and their gods. We must do this so that the Angel of death will pass over us when he sees the blood mark."

Now, Eleazar stared at the roasted lamb meat of his dear Korban lying on a big plate, garnished with bitter herbs–maror: parsley, horseradish, lettuce. Flat pieces of unleavened bread–matzo were in another earthen dish on the table.

Uncle Moses was seated beside his father. Uncle Moses was a man of few words but Eleazar liked him.
He had once heard him try to speak to the stubborn and unbelieving elders of Israel to pacify them after Pharaoh had increased their labour. He had a slight stutter and Eleazar guessed that that was why his father took the role of a spokesman for him. Eleazar thought they made quite a pair.

"Boys, eat up. Not a crumb must remain till tomorrow," Elisheba, his mother prompted, shoving yet another piece of roasted lamb towards him.

Nadab and Abihu, his elder brothers did as they were told, diving with joy into the food. When was the last time mother gave them such liberty to eat as much meat as they wanted?
Eleazar followed suit, eating the roasted lamb solemnly, discreetly avoiding the bitter herbs, all the while listening yet again to the fascinating story Uncle Moses told of his encounter with I AM in the burning bush on Mount Horeb.

"He said to me, remove your sandals for where you stand is holy ground..."

At midnight, a deathly silence settled upon the whole of Egypt. Eleazar could feel all the hairs on his skin bristle as goosebumps covered him. The Angel of death. Was this what he felt like?

"It is done," Uncle Moses said after a second of silence.

Almost immediately, a horrifying, heart-wrenching cacophony of wails, laments, tears, and curses on the gods of Egypt and Pharaoh arose from every Egyptian house, save for the Hebrews in Goshen who listened.

The distant howling of several dogs could be heard interjecting the human cries on this moonless night.

An hour later, a bronzed, muscular man raced, breathless and trembling, into their house startling them. Worst of all, he was a royal Egyptian guard.

"Pharaoh seeks your audience, Sir Moses." 

Eleazar almost burst into hysterical laughter. Sir Moses? From the mouth of a taskmaster? Indeed, I AM was a God to be feared.

By the time Uncle Moses and Aaron got back from the palace, it was time to leave.
It was all done in a hurry.
No wonder Mother had insisted that they wore their sandals and girded their tunic while they ate the Passover feast.

Asses were laden with kneading bowls, filled with unleavened dough. Bundles containing clothes and household stuff were carried too.

Mother had gotten a chest full of jewellery that their Egyptian neighbours had willing given in a bid to get them to hasten their exile.