Two chapters from book one of a Trilogy.
Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2006 1:49 pm
Hi all,
Clare asked me to place something on site about the book my friend and I have written. So here is the synopsis that I sent to the agent to let him know what the book was about, and the first two chapters.
Synopsis for the story
THE IMMORTAL THIRTEENTH DESCIPLE.
By Derek Sutton and John A Silkstone
This is the story of a young man called Kaine who meets Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago.
Jesus cures ‘the cripples and heals the sick. However, he gives Kaine the greatest gift of all, that of immortality. With it, comes a quest to save the future of mankind from its own destruction.
Kaine spends over 2000 years travelling the world with each day bringing yet another adventure. These journeys lead him to the lost city of Atlantis which is suspended in a future time. Here he learns about the Atlantians themselves who left Earth seeking a new home after the total destruction of the planet. He also learned about the four golden keys that will bring Atlantis back into the present time.
This science fiction story, that staggers the imagination, unfolds the mystery of the people Kaine helps throughout his historic travels, people like: Leonardo da Vinci, Nostradamus, H. G. Wells and John F Kennedy, just to name a few. However, it’s not until he is given his final quest in the year 2079 that Kaine discover what Earth is all about, and who he really is.
The next book in the trilogy: ‘The Four Keys to Atlantis’; is another science fiction adventure story in which Kaine befriends a girl and together they search the world for the four golden keys of Atlantis. On their journey they stumble on lost treasures and find port-holes ‘that take them 10 million years into the past and 10000 years into its future, as well as a mystery trip through the Bermuda Triangle. Book three is about the events that happened in the Bermuda Triangle.
Books one two are complete.
Book three is near completion.
My friend Derek came up with the idea of someone being immortal who moves through time and helps people with there work. We decided that the main character would have healing powers and that when he healed a person that person’s creativity would enhance.
Derek is not a writer and I have been writing short stories and poetry for the last six years and have had many publications in small press magazines. However, this is my first book and I’m also just finishing a book of anecdotes about my time in the Army from 1956 -1981.
Now being retired I have more time to help promote any writing that I do.
Yours sincerely
John A Silkstone
THE IMMORTAL THIRTEENTH DESCIPLE.
By
Derek Sutton & John A Silkstone
Chapter (1)
STRANGE TRAVELLERS
Kaine sat on the hill overlooking the ruined village of El Echad; slowly he lent back to lie on the ground, while doing so, he allowed his memories to rewind over two thousand years to the day he first saw the strangers.
* * *
“Kaine!†shouted his mother Miriam. “Get out of bed, the sun is up and your father’s been at work for ages.â€
Kaine swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms. Dressing without delay, he went for breakfast
To Kaine, this was just another day, however what he didn’t know, was that this day was going to be the day that would change future history, leaving the survival of the world in his hands.
The sun was well past its high point as Kaine put away his carpentry tools. He was a well-built young man of nineteen years, standing over four cubits in height with a strong muscular body, and a crop of shoulder length fair hair which was so unlike the jet black hair of his parents.
El Echad had always been a small village. The forty-seven houses were bisected, almost in equal proportion, by the main road that ran through its centre. But what made El Echad different from other villages in Judea was that is was on the main caravan route.
Kaine walked from the work shed to enter the house. Inside the kitchen his mother was busy by the stove, he strolled across the room and standing behind her placed a hand on each of her shoulders, then bending forward he plant a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
“I’m off to the river for a swim mother; I’ll be back in time for the evening meal.â€
Miriam replied, “Your father will be home soon, so don’t be late back.â€
Leaving the house, Kaine saw a band of travellers leaving the village. They looked dusty and weary as if they had been on the road for several days. The sighting intrigued him, it wasn’t often that a small group of travellers passed through the village, they usually travelled with the caravans for safety.
Quickening his pace, Kaine got close enough to hear what they were saying, yet far enough away to be discrete.
A tall man, nearly as tall as Kaine, walked slightly in front of the other five; he was casual and appeared relaxed as he looked around him to take in all the scenery, even though it was mostly light-brown barren wasteland and looked the same in every direction.
He was dressed in long off-white coloured flowing garment that was ragged around the hem where it had frayed as it touched the ground. After wrapping the body of the garment around him, he’d thrown the end over his head to keep the hot sun off his face.
Kaine listened while the five men talked among themselves; they spoke of the deeds the tall man had performed, things like; healing, forgiveness, and compassion towards one’s fellow man. They also talked about a new kingdom, but Kaine couldn’t hear every word as the sound of their feet on the dry dusty ground occasionally covered their words.
Could it be that the tall man was a healer or maybe a rabbi? Thought Kaine
He was even more intrigued now for he’d never seen a healer before. In the village, it was Ruth the old lady who cared for the villagers if they were sick. Her herbal skills had been learnt from her mother and her mother’s mother before her, she’d always made it known that her skills had been passed down through each generation.
Healers were men who were greatly respected, and throughout his early life Kaine had often daydreamed of becoming a healer himself. But his dreams remained just that, for in time he had come to work for his father. Joinery was a good skill, and with the passage of time he came to enjoy the work as much as he loved the smell of freshly cut timber.
Reaching the banks of the stream, the travellers finally came to rest. The stream was about twenty feet wide at this point with a shallow ford crossing.
On the outer edges of the ford was a deep hole in the bedrock. It was there where Kaine sometimes stood with his chin resting on the slow moving waters, cooling himself from the heat of the day.
Among the many bushes that grew along the banks of the stream, a large Cyprus tree cast a cool shadow beneath where it was rather pleasant to sit. The sand was fine and white with just a hint of yellow in it. The grass that grew in the shadow was light green in colour, while the surrounding vegetation was a scorched brown colour, clearly the effects of an unforgiving sun.
There were several clumps of tall grassy mounds in the area and Kaine hid behind one that was close to the travellers. The band of men looked harmless but one could never be sure if they were robbers, murderers, or even slavers.
The traveller’s removed the blankets they carried wrapped around their shoulders and spread them upon the ground before sitting on them.
As they settled down it occurred to Kaine that they had stopped at his favourite bathing spot on the whole river.
The five men continued to talk of the good deeds the tall man had performed in weeks gone by, Kaine’s took in and relishing, everything they said.
The tall man filled a goatskin flask with water from the stream and passed it amongst the five men. He then passed around a small piece of bread, which surprisingly seemed to go an awful long way; Kaine was astonished that such a small piece of bread would feed them all. He could eat twice as much at home and still be hungry.
Then Kaine strained his ears. Had he hear right? The tall man had cured an old man of blindness and a young girl’s crippled leg? This was indeed strange. The tall man, who obviously had to be the leader, now began talking about his father in the Kingdom of Heaven. Listening to the stranger talking about his father, who appeared to live in a land he had never heard of, made Kaine’s eyes open wider in astonishment. When the man talked of his father, he made it sound as if he was some great and very rich noble man, maybe even a ruler! Yet if this were so, then why would his son be dressed like a common traveller?
The tall man spoke with a soothing voice that flowed in waves around Kaine and brought him piece of mind.
From time to time, the men would call the tall man master.
“I wondered why they call him master; they don’t appear to be slaves.†He whispered to himself
Kaine felt the coolness of a shadow fall over him. He turned in fright to see who stood behind him. A sigh of relieve escaped his lips as he saw one of the boys from the village standing there.
“What are you up too Kaine?†he said in a loud voice.
“Go away†whispered Kaine.
But it was too late; the group of men had seen them. The tall man stood and spoke.
“Welcome, please do not be afraid, pray don’t hide behind that mound, come and join us.â€
The boy ran off immediately when he spied the travellers, and Kaine climbed to his feet and stood quickly to attention like a Roman soldier who was being reprimanded.
“I was doing nothing sir, I was only listening to you†said Kaine, with a slight tremble detectable in his voice.
The tall man walked slowly forward so as not to frighten Kaine.
As the stranger advanced, Kaine slowly moved backwards. He thought, they don’t look like robbers and by the conversations he had overheard, he was pretty sure he would not be harmed, yet still he couldn’t stop himself from backing away from the tall man.
“Don’t be afraid young man, come, sit with us,†said the stranger with a waving gesture of his hand.
“I don’t know if I should.â€
“You have nothing to fear.†said the stranger.
“Can I ask you a question,†Kaine said with a cautious tremor in his voice, “you were speaking of strange things, how can you make a blind man see. Are you a healer?â€
“Please don’t be nervous young fellow; you might say the man cured himself.â€
As the gap between Kaine and the stranger narrowed, he became less frightened. The stranger’s voice had a calming effect on him and so he allowed himself to be led across to the group.
The tall man said with a sweeping gesture of his hand. “Sit beside me.â€
Kaine sat down and looked deeply at the stranger’s suntanned dusty face, he could see this man was well travelled and each line in his face appeared to smile at him and put him as ease.
Kaine repeated his question, “Are you a healer?â€
“No I am not, the blind man was helped by his own faith in God, but mainly he had faith in himself, and that’s what cured him. What’s your name?†He asked.
“My name is Kaine; I’m the son of Nathan the carpenter, I live in that last village you passed through, the village of El Echadâ€.
The tall man replied. “My father taught me to be a carpenter.â€
“It’s a good profession, and my father is teaching me all he knows.†said Kaine
Sitting on the blanket beside the strangers, Kaine felt quite at ease and his fears had disappeared, it was as if he’d know the stranger all his life.
The tall man talked to the others in turn, and as he spoke he called them each by name, first Simon, who was a strong looking man with a broad torso, his jet black wavy hair fell well below his shoulders, his face was well worn because of the travelling and the coat he wore was dark brown with a large black stripe that ran down the centre of the back, It was tied off with a piece of rope around his waist.
Then there was John, a thin man who also had a brown coat, but his had lots of thin black stripes that ran through it and his coat had a hood that he could pull over his head to keep the hot sun off his face, he had a very prominent bony nose and dark eyes.
Mathew had a slight stutter in his voice, he was light hearted man who was always happy and full of talk, he wore a white wrap that was wound around his body and like the tall man, he threw the end of the garment over his head to act as a hood.
Mark was the quite one among the group. Kaine only heard him speak the once and suspect he was more of a listener than a talker. Mark wore several layers of light cloth almost yellow in colour and the bottom was trimmed with a brown piece of blanket. Kaine assumed it was to stop it fraying.
This left Judas, Judas was always moaning or mumbling to himself whenever he spoke, which seemed constantly. One of the men would say, “Speak up Judas†and he’d have to repeat himself.
Never before had Kaine listened to a group of people with such interest, story after story was told, and these stories the tall man called parables. The group of men had been together for over three years now, and this giving voice to their experiences and adventures they’d been on.
It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to casting long shadows across the land, Kaine told them that he would have to go as it was time for his evening meal.
“Will you be here in the morning?’ inquired Kaine.
“Yes,†said the tall man, “we will still be here.â€
Kaine set off running for home, at the top of a small mound he turned and now running backwards, he shouted. “What is your name?†addressing himself to the tall man.
“Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth.†was the name that echoed back to him.
Chapter (2)
THE STORM
The pink glow of dawn painted the morning sky as Kaine rose from his cot.
“I wonder if Jesus and his friends are still by the stream.†He said softly to himself.
Yes they would be there for Jesus didn’t appear to be a man that would go back on his word and he said they would still be there. He thought.
Kaine quickly dressed and ran out of his small bedroom and into the kitchen; he slipped his feet into his worn leather sandals and made a dash for the door when his mother shouted. “Mind that pan of boiling water!â€
Miriam always worried about her son, and fussed over him like any good mother would do. She was a good looking woman for her age, having just celebrated her forty first birthday; she was fit and healthy and never had a sick day in her life. She put it all down to hard work.
“And where are you going in such a hurry†she said in her usually fussy voice.
This stopped Kaine in his tracks. “Out to meet my new friends by the stream,†he replied.
“This early in the morning, such enthusiasm you have, you can have some food first?†she said.
“But mother, I’m not hungry.â€
“Not hungry! Are you sickening for something? You are always hungry, shall I get Ruth to see what ails you?†said Miriam sarcastically.
“Mother you still treat me like a little boy.†Kaine replied.
“I can only say you will always be my little boy,†said Miriam, the smile showing her deep love for the young man before her, “We adopted you, when you were a small baby and my small boy you will always remain.â€
Miriam and her husband Nathan had been desperate for a child of their own. They have received their bundle of joy from Kaine’s real father, who had been a travelling man, he said his wife had passed on, so he could not give the child all the love and care he needed.
“You are right as usual mother, some food would be nice.†He relented only because he didn’t like the herbs that old Ruth gives out, they always taste horrible and he also wanted to be off.
His mother put a big bowl of softened oats in front of him and a large cup of goat’s milk, which he quickly gulped down.
“Can I go out now mother please?†He asked when he had finished.
“Of course you can, and save some of that energy for helping your father, I want you back for midday, for you are to help your father to move the new wood into the loft.†She reminded him.
“Yes mother,†Kaine shouted, as he was rushing out of the house.
At the door he stopped and turning around he said “Mother can I take the wooden cup I made and give it to Jesus as a present; they don’t have anything to drink from?â€
“That was the first thing you ever made, your father was proud of you the day you finished it.â€
There was silence for a few seconds, and then Miriam said “well if you are sure, after all it is your cup.â€
Kaine collected the cup and hastily made his way to the stream, hoping upon hope; that Jesus had not moved on.
As he approached the stream the wind began to blow and the sky quickly turn a slate grey in colour. Kaine was inwardly overjoyed at the sight of Jesus and his friends in the distance and so he started to run.
On arrival, he noticed that they had just finished their morning wash, for he could see small droplets of water attached to their beards still.
“Good morning Jesus, Mark, John, Simon, Mathew, and Judas.â€
They each replied in turn.
“What are you going to do today Jesus?†said Kaine.
“We will continue onwards with our journey, to Jerusalem, for our destiny lies there, but now we are wait for Luke to arrive and then we shall continue on our way.†said Jesus with an air of mystery about him.
“Will you be telling more stories first?†Kaine asked excitingly.
“You sound very interested in the parables?†said Jesus, and then turning to the group he said. “Simon and John, you two were going to look around the village first weren’t you? And you Mathew and Mark, you were going across to that far hill to see if Luke was in sight.†Jesus then turned to Kaine and Judas and said in a soft, almost whispered voice.
“It looks as if you and Judas will be the only ones keeping me company for a while.†Jesus then looked up into the sky with a critical eye; it was getting very dark and cloudier. “There’s a great storm coming,†he said
“It will help the crops to grow we are always short of rain on the fields.†replied Kaine.
As the others moved off Jesus said. “Come Kaine sit under this bush, you too Judas, and place your blanket over the bush to give us a shelter should it start to rain.â€
“Yes Master.†replied Judas.
Once settle; Jesus started to tell more of the stories that he called parables. A fine drizzle started to fall, which soon developed into larger droplets of rain. The thick black clouds, that were rolling and boiling above the village, continued to head towards them. Soon the heavy rain clouds covered the whole sky and it got very dark, the wind started to blow with a ferocity that Kaine had never known before. He instinctively hutched a little closer to Jesus for comfort and protection.
The sky above them exploded in a fusion of light and a few second later a loud bang followed by a continuing rumbling sound rolled over the ground towards them. The rain started to fall faster and heavier. Kaine sat and watched the rain drops hit the earth and bounce back up again into the air. The ground soon turned to mud and small rivulets of rainwater began to join each other and form meandering streams that crossed the landscape to join the swelling stream.
Jesus said. “Do not be frightened, it will soon pass.â€
Kaine looked at Jesus and replied. “We don’t get thunder and lightning very often, my young friend Joseph said this only happens when God is angry, is that true Jesus?â€
“No Kaine, the rain is what makes all the seeds grow, then the sun comes out to shine upon the refreshed plants and everything is beautiful. However, on this day, a special seed will be planted which will grow and flourish.â€
Bang! Crack! The ear splitting sounds of the thunderclap explodes and reverberated above and around them making the air thick and heave and smelling of ozone. Fingers of lightening crackle, and the atmosphere was getting more and more intense,
Judas looked in amazement at the hairs on his arms as they stood up, this terrified him and as the lightening flashed and flashed again he became so nervous that he jumped to his feet and spoke in a hurried voice. “Master I will go and look for Simon and John in the village.†And he was off and running towards the village before Jesus could speak.
Kaine thought Judas was just frightened by the heavy storm, and knew he had used Simon and John as an excuse to go and shelter in the village.
The sky lit up once more as a streak of white lightning struck the ground not more than a hundred cubits away. The thunder was deafening and Kaine leaned into Jesus who put his arm around him saying. “Do not worry Kaine, nothing will harm you.â€
Then there was a mighty flash as an unusually bolt of blue lightning struck the bush they where sitting under. The lightning strike shook the ground and lifted them into the air for a brief second or two. Kaine felt a tingle as the electricity engulfed them both, it ran through their bodies and made them both glow with a bright luminescent blue light. With fear in his heart, Kaine clung on even tighter to Jesus in fright.
“Nothing will harm you Kaine,†said the soft soothing voice, and with that Kaine was again put at ease. The thunder and lightning started to subside and the storm began to grow quieter, and quieter, while the blue glow began to fade from their bodies.
The rain stopped as quickly as it started; the clouds started to break and a bright blue sky widened out above them. As the dark clouds drifted out of sight, the hot sun caused steam to rise up from the saturated ground.
“Phew!†Gasped Kaine, he was glad that the storm had passed. Never in all his life had he seen or felt such a storm, he was amazed that the lightning had not killed them both.
Emerging from under the bush, Kaine was astonished to see that the foliage had not been damaged; it was as if it had never been struck by lightning and was as fresh and green as it normally was.
Within a few minutes there was no sign of any clouds and everything looked so bright and beautiful, the air was filled with that fresh aromatic smell that comes after a rainfall
“I shall have to go home Jesus, my mother and father will be worried, I will have to let them know that I’m safe.†Kaine said.
“Yes Kaine, I understand.â€
“Thank you Jesus, I suppose you will now be continuing your journey to Jerusalem?â€
“Yes we will,†Jesus said, then smiled, his blue eyes giving faith to his happiness.
“Thank you again for looking after meâ€
“Be good young Kaine I will, see you again one day,†said Jesus with a great emphasis on the word will.
Kaine then remembered that he still had the cup, removing it from his clothing he handed it to Jesus saying “I wish you to have this small gift that I made.†And he held it out to Jesus.
“Thank you Kaine, this cup will be a treasure for all time.â€
As he turned to walk away, he saw Simon and John in the far distance with Judas dragging his heels behind them. As Kaine got nearer to the trio, he was surprised to see that they were all dry, and Kaine thought they must have taken shelter in one of the houses.
When they met, Simon said “We took shelter in your father’s house for we remembered you said he was a carpenter. We told him that you would be safe in the storm with Jesus.â€
“Thank you Simon and I wish you all a safe journey†said Kaine.
John pointed behind Kaine, who turning to follow the pointing finger, Kaine saw in the far distance three small figures who he assumed to be Mathew and Mark, with their missing friend Luke.
On arriving home, Kaine’s mother reached up and put here arms around him. She gave him a big hug. With tears in her eyes she said. “I was frightened Kaine, never have we heard such thunder and seen such lightning in all the years we have lived here. Two strangers stopped to tell us where you where. A short time later a third man appeared to say you were safe; he was soaking wet so he dried off in front of the fire. I gave them all shelter until the rains ceased.â€
Miriam sat Kaine down and said. “Now have some hot soup with this fresh bread that has just come out of the oven, then you can help your father with moving the wood to the loft.â€
“Thank you mother, the storm has made me very hungryâ€
As he ate his soup, Nathan entered the house and sat at the table. While they ate, Kaine told his parents what had happened and how the lightning had struck the bush. The one under which he and Jesus were sitting. How it made their skin glow blue. Both his mother and father gave a little light laugh, as if Kaine was telling a tall story.
Clare asked me to place something on site about the book my friend and I have written. So here is the synopsis that I sent to the agent to let him know what the book was about, and the first two chapters.
Synopsis for the story
THE IMMORTAL THIRTEENTH DESCIPLE.
By Derek Sutton and John A Silkstone
This is the story of a young man called Kaine who meets Jesus Christ some 2000 years ago.
Jesus cures ‘the cripples and heals the sick. However, he gives Kaine the greatest gift of all, that of immortality. With it, comes a quest to save the future of mankind from its own destruction.
Kaine spends over 2000 years travelling the world with each day bringing yet another adventure. These journeys lead him to the lost city of Atlantis which is suspended in a future time. Here he learns about the Atlantians themselves who left Earth seeking a new home after the total destruction of the planet. He also learned about the four golden keys that will bring Atlantis back into the present time.
This science fiction story, that staggers the imagination, unfolds the mystery of the people Kaine helps throughout his historic travels, people like: Leonardo da Vinci, Nostradamus, H. G. Wells and John F Kennedy, just to name a few. However, it’s not until he is given his final quest in the year 2079 that Kaine discover what Earth is all about, and who he really is.
The next book in the trilogy: ‘The Four Keys to Atlantis’; is another science fiction adventure story in which Kaine befriends a girl and together they search the world for the four golden keys of Atlantis. On their journey they stumble on lost treasures and find port-holes ‘that take them 10 million years into the past and 10000 years into its future, as well as a mystery trip through the Bermuda Triangle. Book three is about the events that happened in the Bermuda Triangle.
Books one two are complete.
Book three is near completion.
My friend Derek came up with the idea of someone being immortal who moves through time and helps people with there work. We decided that the main character would have healing powers and that when he healed a person that person’s creativity would enhance.
Derek is not a writer and I have been writing short stories and poetry for the last six years and have had many publications in small press magazines. However, this is my first book and I’m also just finishing a book of anecdotes about my time in the Army from 1956 -1981.
Now being retired I have more time to help promote any writing that I do.
Yours sincerely
John A Silkstone
THE IMMORTAL THIRTEENTH DESCIPLE.
By
Derek Sutton & John A Silkstone
Chapter (1)
STRANGE TRAVELLERS
Kaine sat on the hill overlooking the ruined village of El Echad; slowly he lent back to lie on the ground, while doing so, he allowed his memories to rewind over two thousand years to the day he first saw the strangers.
* * *
“Kaine!†shouted his mother Miriam. “Get out of bed, the sun is up and your father’s been at work for ages.â€
Kaine swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms. Dressing without delay, he went for breakfast
To Kaine, this was just another day, however what he didn’t know, was that this day was going to be the day that would change future history, leaving the survival of the world in his hands.
The sun was well past its high point as Kaine put away his carpentry tools. He was a well-built young man of nineteen years, standing over four cubits in height with a strong muscular body, and a crop of shoulder length fair hair which was so unlike the jet black hair of his parents.
El Echad had always been a small village. The forty-seven houses were bisected, almost in equal proportion, by the main road that ran through its centre. But what made El Echad different from other villages in Judea was that is was on the main caravan route.
Kaine walked from the work shed to enter the house. Inside the kitchen his mother was busy by the stove, he strolled across the room and standing behind her placed a hand on each of her shoulders, then bending forward he plant a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
“I’m off to the river for a swim mother; I’ll be back in time for the evening meal.â€
Miriam replied, “Your father will be home soon, so don’t be late back.â€
Leaving the house, Kaine saw a band of travellers leaving the village. They looked dusty and weary as if they had been on the road for several days. The sighting intrigued him, it wasn’t often that a small group of travellers passed through the village, they usually travelled with the caravans for safety.
Quickening his pace, Kaine got close enough to hear what they were saying, yet far enough away to be discrete.
A tall man, nearly as tall as Kaine, walked slightly in front of the other five; he was casual and appeared relaxed as he looked around him to take in all the scenery, even though it was mostly light-brown barren wasteland and looked the same in every direction.
He was dressed in long off-white coloured flowing garment that was ragged around the hem where it had frayed as it touched the ground. After wrapping the body of the garment around him, he’d thrown the end over his head to keep the hot sun off his face.
Kaine listened while the five men talked among themselves; they spoke of the deeds the tall man had performed, things like; healing, forgiveness, and compassion towards one’s fellow man. They also talked about a new kingdom, but Kaine couldn’t hear every word as the sound of their feet on the dry dusty ground occasionally covered their words.
Could it be that the tall man was a healer or maybe a rabbi? Thought Kaine
He was even more intrigued now for he’d never seen a healer before. In the village, it was Ruth the old lady who cared for the villagers if they were sick. Her herbal skills had been learnt from her mother and her mother’s mother before her, she’d always made it known that her skills had been passed down through each generation.
Healers were men who were greatly respected, and throughout his early life Kaine had often daydreamed of becoming a healer himself. But his dreams remained just that, for in time he had come to work for his father. Joinery was a good skill, and with the passage of time he came to enjoy the work as much as he loved the smell of freshly cut timber.
Reaching the banks of the stream, the travellers finally came to rest. The stream was about twenty feet wide at this point with a shallow ford crossing.
On the outer edges of the ford was a deep hole in the bedrock. It was there where Kaine sometimes stood with his chin resting on the slow moving waters, cooling himself from the heat of the day.
Among the many bushes that grew along the banks of the stream, a large Cyprus tree cast a cool shadow beneath where it was rather pleasant to sit. The sand was fine and white with just a hint of yellow in it. The grass that grew in the shadow was light green in colour, while the surrounding vegetation was a scorched brown colour, clearly the effects of an unforgiving sun.
There were several clumps of tall grassy mounds in the area and Kaine hid behind one that was close to the travellers. The band of men looked harmless but one could never be sure if they were robbers, murderers, or even slavers.
The traveller’s removed the blankets they carried wrapped around their shoulders and spread them upon the ground before sitting on them.
As they settled down it occurred to Kaine that they had stopped at his favourite bathing spot on the whole river.
The five men continued to talk of the good deeds the tall man had performed in weeks gone by, Kaine’s took in and relishing, everything they said.
The tall man filled a goatskin flask with water from the stream and passed it amongst the five men. He then passed around a small piece of bread, which surprisingly seemed to go an awful long way; Kaine was astonished that such a small piece of bread would feed them all. He could eat twice as much at home and still be hungry.
Then Kaine strained his ears. Had he hear right? The tall man had cured an old man of blindness and a young girl’s crippled leg? This was indeed strange. The tall man, who obviously had to be the leader, now began talking about his father in the Kingdom of Heaven. Listening to the stranger talking about his father, who appeared to live in a land he had never heard of, made Kaine’s eyes open wider in astonishment. When the man talked of his father, he made it sound as if he was some great and very rich noble man, maybe even a ruler! Yet if this were so, then why would his son be dressed like a common traveller?
The tall man spoke with a soothing voice that flowed in waves around Kaine and brought him piece of mind.
From time to time, the men would call the tall man master.
“I wondered why they call him master; they don’t appear to be slaves.†He whispered to himself
Kaine felt the coolness of a shadow fall over him. He turned in fright to see who stood behind him. A sigh of relieve escaped his lips as he saw one of the boys from the village standing there.
“What are you up too Kaine?†he said in a loud voice.
“Go away†whispered Kaine.
But it was too late; the group of men had seen them. The tall man stood and spoke.
“Welcome, please do not be afraid, pray don’t hide behind that mound, come and join us.â€
The boy ran off immediately when he spied the travellers, and Kaine climbed to his feet and stood quickly to attention like a Roman soldier who was being reprimanded.
“I was doing nothing sir, I was only listening to you†said Kaine, with a slight tremble detectable in his voice.
The tall man walked slowly forward so as not to frighten Kaine.
As the stranger advanced, Kaine slowly moved backwards. He thought, they don’t look like robbers and by the conversations he had overheard, he was pretty sure he would not be harmed, yet still he couldn’t stop himself from backing away from the tall man.
“Don’t be afraid young man, come, sit with us,†said the stranger with a waving gesture of his hand.
“I don’t know if I should.â€
“You have nothing to fear.†said the stranger.
“Can I ask you a question,†Kaine said with a cautious tremor in his voice, “you were speaking of strange things, how can you make a blind man see. Are you a healer?â€
“Please don’t be nervous young fellow; you might say the man cured himself.â€
As the gap between Kaine and the stranger narrowed, he became less frightened. The stranger’s voice had a calming effect on him and so he allowed himself to be led across to the group.
The tall man said with a sweeping gesture of his hand. “Sit beside me.â€
Kaine sat down and looked deeply at the stranger’s suntanned dusty face, he could see this man was well travelled and each line in his face appeared to smile at him and put him as ease.
Kaine repeated his question, “Are you a healer?â€
“No I am not, the blind man was helped by his own faith in God, but mainly he had faith in himself, and that’s what cured him. What’s your name?†He asked.
“My name is Kaine; I’m the son of Nathan the carpenter, I live in that last village you passed through, the village of El Echadâ€.
The tall man replied. “My father taught me to be a carpenter.â€
“It’s a good profession, and my father is teaching me all he knows.†said Kaine
Sitting on the blanket beside the strangers, Kaine felt quite at ease and his fears had disappeared, it was as if he’d know the stranger all his life.
The tall man talked to the others in turn, and as he spoke he called them each by name, first Simon, who was a strong looking man with a broad torso, his jet black wavy hair fell well below his shoulders, his face was well worn because of the travelling and the coat he wore was dark brown with a large black stripe that ran down the centre of the back, It was tied off with a piece of rope around his waist.
Then there was John, a thin man who also had a brown coat, but his had lots of thin black stripes that ran through it and his coat had a hood that he could pull over his head to keep the hot sun off his face, he had a very prominent bony nose and dark eyes.
Mathew had a slight stutter in his voice, he was light hearted man who was always happy and full of talk, he wore a white wrap that was wound around his body and like the tall man, he threw the end of the garment over his head to act as a hood.
Mark was the quite one among the group. Kaine only heard him speak the once and suspect he was more of a listener than a talker. Mark wore several layers of light cloth almost yellow in colour and the bottom was trimmed with a brown piece of blanket. Kaine assumed it was to stop it fraying.
This left Judas, Judas was always moaning or mumbling to himself whenever he spoke, which seemed constantly. One of the men would say, “Speak up Judas†and he’d have to repeat himself.
Never before had Kaine listened to a group of people with such interest, story after story was told, and these stories the tall man called parables. The group of men had been together for over three years now, and this giving voice to their experiences and adventures they’d been on.
It was late afternoon and the sun was beginning to casting long shadows across the land, Kaine told them that he would have to go as it was time for his evening meal.
“Will you be here in the morning?’ inquired Kaine.
“Yes,†said the tall man, “we will still be here.â€
Kaine set off running for home, at the top of a small mound he turned and now running backwards, he shouted. “What is your name?†addressing himself to the tall man.
“Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth.†was the name that echoed back to him.
Chapter (2)
THE STORM
The pink glow of dawn painted the morning sky as Kaine rose from his cot.
“I wonder if Jesus and his friends are still by the stream.†He said softly to himself.
Yes they would be there for Jesus didn’t appear to be a man that would go back on his word and he said they would still be there. He thought.
Kaine quickly dressed and ran out of his small bedroom and into the kitchen; he slipped his feet into his worn leather sandals and made a dash for the door when his mother shouted. “Mind that pan of boiling water!â€
Miriam always worried about her son, and fussed over him like any good mother would do. She was a good looking woman for her age, having just celebrated her forty first birthday; she was fit and healthy and never had a sick day in her life. She put it all down to hard work.
“And where are you going in such a hurry†she said in her usually fussy voice.
This stopped Kaine in his tracks. “Out to meet my new friends by the stream,†he replied.
“This early in the morning, such enthusiasm you have, you can have some food first?†she said.
“But mother, I’m not hungry.â€
“Not hungry! Are you sickening for something? You are always hungry, shall I get Ruth to see what ails you?†said Miriam sarcastically.
“Mother you still treat me like a little boy.†Kaine replied.
“I can only say you will always be my little boy,†said Miriam, the smile showing her deep love for the young man before her, “We adopted you, when you were a small baby and my small boy you will always remain.â€
Miriam and her husband Nathan had been desperate for a child of their own. They have received their bundle of joy from Kaine’s real father, who had been a travelling man, he said his wife had passed on, so he could not give the child all the love and care he needed.
“You are right as usual mother, some food would be nice.†He relented only because he didn’t like the herbs that old Ruth gives out, they always taste horrible and he also wanted to be off.
His mother put a big bowl of softened oats in front of him and a large cup of goat’s milk, which he quickly gulped down.
“Can I go out now mother please?†He asked when he had finished.
“Of course you can, and save some of that energy for helping your father, I want you back for midday, for you are to help your father to move the new wood into the loft.†She reminded him.
“Yes mother,†Kaine shouted, as he was rushing out of the house.
At the door he stopped and turning around he said “Mother can I take the wooden cup I made and give it to Jesus as a present; they don’t have anything to drink from?â€
“That was the first thing you ever made, your father was proud of you the day you finished it.â€
There was silence for a few seconds, and then Miriam said “well if you are sure, after all it is your cup.â€
Kaine collected the cup and hastily made his way to the stream, hoping upon hope; that Jesus had not moved on.
As he approached the stream the wind began to blow and the sky quickly turn a slate grey in colour. Kaine was inwardly overjoyed at the sight of Jesus and his friends in the distance and so he started to run.
On arrival, he noticed that they had just finished their morning wash, for he could see small droplets of water attached to their beards still.
“Good morning Jesus, Mark, John, Simon, Mathew, and Judas.â€
They each replied in turn.
“What are you going to do today Jesus?†said Kaine.
“We will continue onwards with our journey, to Jerusalem, for our destiny lies there, but now we are wait for Luke to arrive and then we shall continue on our way.†said Jesus with an air of mystery about him.
“Will you be telling more stories first?†Kaine asked excitingly.
“You sound very interested in the parables?†said Jesus, and then turning to the group he said. “Simon and John, you two were going to look around the village first weren’t you? And you Mathew and Mark, you were going across to that far hill to see if Luke was in sight.†Jesus then turned to Kaine and Judas and said in a soft, almost whispered voice.
“It looks as if you and Judas will be the only ones keeping me company for a while.†Jesus then looked up into the sky with a critical eye; it was getting very dark and cloudier. “There’s a great storm coming,†he said
“It will help the crops to grow we are always short of rain on the fields.†replied Kaine.
As the others moved off Jesus said. “Come Kaine sit under this bush, you too Judas, and place your blanket over the bush to give us a shelter should it start to rain.â€
“Yes Master.†replied Judas.
Once settle; Jesus started to tell more of the stories that he called parables. A fine drizzle started to fall, which soon developed into larger droplets of rain. The thick black clouds, that were rolling and boiling above the village, continued to head towards them. Soon the heavy rain clouds covered the whole sky and it got very dark, the wind started to blow with a ferocity that Kaine had never known before. He instinctively hutched a little closer to Jesus for comfort and protection.
The sky above them exploded in a fusion of light and a few second later a loud bang followed by a continuing rumbling sound rolled over the ground towards them. The rain started to fall faster and heavier. Kaine sat and watched the rain drops hit the earth and bounce back up again into the air. The ground soon turned to mud and small rivulets of rainwater began to join each other and form meandering streams that crossed the landscape to join the swelling stream.
Jesus said. “Do not be frightened, it will soon pass.â€
Kaine looked at Jesus and replied. “We don’t get thunder and lightning very often, my young friend Joseph said this only happens when God is angry, is that true Jesus?â€
“No Kaine, the rain is what makes all the seeds grow, then the sun comes out to shine upon the refreshed plants and everything is beautiful. However, on this day, a special seed will be planted which will grow and flourish.â€
Bang! Crack! The ear splitting sounds of the thunderclap explodes and reverberated above and around them making the air thick and heave and smelling of ozone. Fingers of lightening crackle, and the atmosphere was getting more and more intense,
Judas looked in amazement at the hairs on his arms as they stood up, this terrified him and as the lightening flashed and flashed again he became so nervous that he jumped to his feet and spoke in a hurried voice. “Master I will go and look for Simon and John in the village.†And he was off and running towards the village before Jesus could speak.
Kaine thought Judas was just frightened by the heavy storm, and knew he had used Simon and John as an excuse to go and shelter in the village.
The sky lit up once more as a streak of white lightning struck the ground not more than a hundred cubits away. The thunder was deafening and Kaine leaned into Jesus who put his arm around him saying. “Do not worry Kaine, nothing will harm you.â€
Then there was a mighty flash as an unusually bolt of blue lightning struck the bush they where sitting under. The lightning strike shook the ground and lifted them into the air for a brief second or two. Kaine felt a tingle as the electricity engulfed them both, it ran through their bodies and made them both glow with a bright luminescent blue light. With fear in his heart, Kaine clung on even tighter to Jesus in fright.
“Nothing will harm you Kaine,†said the soft soothing voice, and with that Kaine was again put at ease. The thunder and lightning started to subside and the storm began to grow quieter, and quieter, while the blue glow began to fade from their bodies.
The rain stopped as quickly as it started; the clouds started to break and a bright blue sky widened out above them. As the dark clouds drifted out of sight, the hot sun caused steam to rise up from the saturated ground.
“Phew!†Gasped Kaine, he was glad that the storm had passed. Never in all his life had he seen or felt such a storm, he was amazed that the lightning had not killed them both.
Emerging from under the bush, Kaine was astonished to see that the foliage had not been damaged; it was as if it had never been struck by lightning and was as fresh and green as it normally was.
Within a few minutes there was no sign of any clouds and everything looked so bright and beautiful, the air was filled with that fresh aromatic smell that comes after a rainfall
“I shall have to go home Jesus, my mother and father will be worried, I will have to let them know that I’m safe.†Kaine said.
“Yes Kaine, I understand.â€
“Thank you Jesus, I suppose you will now be continuing your journey to Jerusalem?â€
“Yes we will,†Jesus said, then smiled, his blue eyes giving faith to his happiness.
“Thank you again for looking after meâ€
“Be good young Kaine I will, see you again one day,†said Jesus with a great emphasis on the word will.
Kaine then remembered that he still had the cup, removing it from his clothing he handed it to Jesus saying “I wish you to have this small gift that I made.†And he held it out to Jesus.
“Thank you Kaine, this cup will be a treasure for all time.â€
As he turned to walk away, he saw Simon and John in the far distance with Judas dragging his heels behind them. As Kaine got nearer to the trio, he was surprised to see that they were all dry, and Kaine thought they must have taken shelter in one of the houses.
When they met, Simon said “We took shelter in your father’s house for we remembered you said he was a carpenter. We told him that you would be safe in the storm with Jesus.â€
“Thank you Simon and I wish you all a safe journey†said Kaine.
John pointed behind Kaine, who turning to follow the pointing finger, Kaine saw in the far distance three small figures who he assumed to be Mathew and Mark, with their missing friend Luke.
On arriving home, Kaine’s mother reached up and put here arms around him. She gave him a big hug. With tears in her eyes she said. “I was frightened Kaine, never have we heard such thunder and seen such lightning in all the years we have lived here. Two strangers stopped to tell us where you where. A short time later a third man appeared to say you were safe; he was soaking wet so he dried off in front of the fire. I gave them all shelter until the rains ceased.â€
Miriam sat Kaine down and said. “Now have some hot soup with this fresh bread that has just come out of the oven, then you can help your father with moving the wood to the loft.â€
“Thank you mother, the storm has made me very hungryâ€
As he ate his soup, Nathan entered the house and sat at the table. While they ate, Kaine told his parents what had happened and how the lightning had struck the bush. The one under which he and Jesus were sitting. How it made their skin glow blue. Both his mother and father gave a little light laugh, as if Kaine was telling a tall story.
