The Woman

The morning was crisp and she couldn’t remember what woke her so quickly.  It was Sunday and the Sabbath had passed.  There was a horrible task to be done, and she wanted to make quick work of it.  This would be most unpleasant, and even as she thought of what must be done, tears filled her eyes.  She walked quickly down the rock path and was brushed on both sides by brush and tall verbascum.  Through her sandals she could feel every stone and pebble and she marveled at how alive she felt despite her chore.  The sun has just broken the horizon behind her.  Already the beams of light were warming her long dark robe and the nape of her neck.  A breeze was blowing in from her left side and her exposed forearms and hands chilled with goose bumps.  Her long dark hair blew in her face and strands became caught in her moist eyes, causing her to have to blink them away.

The walk was not far, but away from the village enough, so that the stench and grip of death was not felt.  She had to crest a small hill where the trail became narrow on both sides.  She was unable to see over the dirt banks on either side of her, and this area was known to harbor drunkards and thieves. But today there was no fear; just a lonesome feeling she thought would never be tamed.  Just ahead on the trail, a small rabbit scurried into the brush and the dust from his fleeting feet slowly rose and then settled to the earth.  She marveled as every detail of movement and sound seemed to be amplified.  She continued on and could already feel the sun take the chill out of the air.  The dew left on the plants from the night before was evaporating into small vapors only visible for a second, and only when the sun was in the just the right position.   

She crested the small hill and the trail separated into many smaller trails, each rarely traveled by people, and it seemed as if each one was rougher than the next.  Up ahead was a small valley where mounds of dirt and rubble had been discarded for years.  Larger rocks were also separated into piles and they seemed to go on forever.  In this small valley, which stretched for several miles, were small holes cut into the valley walls, most only large enough for a single person to enter at a time. Large rocks guarded some of the entrances to the perfectly shaped holes, yet some were open, as if inviting their guests to come, but not expect to leave.  As she followed the largest trail, she passed next to a large pile of rocks. Each rock was larger than a donkey.  The entire pile was about fifteen feet high and about thirty feet wide.  The rock pile was on her left and the trail passed into the shadow of the pile as she rounded it. 

                  

Out of nowhere a man jumped from half way down the pile and into the trail in front of her.  She shrieked and stumbled onto her back.  He was clothed only in a loincloth and was covered from head to toe in dirt and grime.  His long hair and beard were wildly matted, with sticks and clumps of mud intertwined.  His stench soured her nose and his breath smelled of old wine and rotting food.  He had only a few teeth and when he spoke, he muttered words she could not understand.  Feeling alone and scared, she was unable to move and wanted to cover her face, but was frozen with fear and awe.  He walked over her and stood directly above her mid-section.  His feet were on either side of her waist.  She marveled in amazement at his yellow and black toenails and how they curled over and were touching the ground.  He held his hands out to her as if he wanted to lift her up and began to weep quietly.  The wild man spoke only one thing, “He’s not there”.

He slowly backed away and smiled as a tear fell down his greasy smudged cheek and rolled down his long matted beard.  He said again, “He’s not there”.  He slowly climbed back onto the rock pile and into a small hole she did not see before.  She watched him pull himself into the small dark cave.  He peered out with a toothless smile and then disappeared inside.  Out of the darkness she could hear him mumble, as if to himself, “He’s not there”. 

She quickly got up and hurried on towards her destination, looking over her shoulder to see if the ghastly man was following her.  The fear of the moment subsided, and her heart slowed to a pace she could no longer feel.  She remembered the look in his eyes.  It was not one of anger or madness, but of hope.  She again looked over her shoulder and could see the hole in the rock pile. She almost thought she could see the face of the man, smiling in anticipation as to what she was going to find.  She stopped and turned to face the hole thinking to herself, “What was he talking about”?  For a second she almost walked back to find the man, but remembered her work to be done. 

She turned around and headed back down the trail.  Around the next bend she saw her friend, Mary, sitting on large rock which was flat on the topside.  As she approached she could see Mary had been crying and her eyes were swollen and wet.  Mary was a young girl of only 16, but wise beyond her years.  She was thin and olive skinned, with dark brown eyes and a beautiful face.  As the woman approached Mary, she stood up and rushed into the woman’s arms.  She felt the weight of Mary press against her and the woman had to step back to keep from falling.  No words were said and nothing needed to be said.  Mary sobbed and embraced her with a tight grip.  Mary finally loosened her hold and took a deep breath.  Mary stepped back, and with swollen eyes peered into the woman’s eyes with a sense of hopelessness and pain.  The woman grabbed Mary by the hand and interlaced their fingers.  She pulled Mary along and knew if she stood there any longer she would break down and not be able to do the job at hand.  Mary had to be pulled at first, but then let the woman lead, going willingly, but with caution. 

A few minutes later they rounded a large pile of rocks and saw two Roman Guards next to a large stone, which was blocking a freshly cut tomb.  One solider was leaning on his spear next to the large stone seeming to enjoy the sunshine, and the other was slumped over on the ground next to a smoldering fire.  When he finally noticed the women, the man next to the tomb stood upright with surprise. HE HE He quickly realized who these two women were, and prodded the man on the ground with the butt end of his spear.  The man next to the fire mumbled something and looked up at his partner, who shot him a glance.  He looked towards the two women, and with surprise and quickness, shot up to his feet.  Neither man said a word, but both looked at the woman first, and then at Mary.  The soldier’s gaze was one of heartfelt compassion and sympathy.  Both of these men were witness to the events, which happened only a few days before. 

The man with the spear could not get the words out of his head, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”   For the last two nights the scream haunted his dreams, and his every thought seemed to go back to the death of the man on the cross.

The solider was from Rome and had only been in this land for several months, but understood enough Hebrew to know the man was calling out of pain.  The man on the cross was known to the solider only as Jesus.  Jesus was well known in the area, and on several occasions the soldier would see him in the town square speaking to hundreds of people at a time.  For reasons he could not explain, he was drawn to this man and would watch from the shadows of buildings trying to soak up every word he spoke.  On one occasion, when Jesus was speaking near the synagogue, they made eye contact and the solider began to tear up.  The solider didn’t know why this man Jesus touched him so, but when he saw Jesus die, he had to quickly leave the area for fear of being seen as a sympathizer.   

Well aware the woman had come to perform some sort of ceremony, he stepped aside and placed his spear on the ground.  His partner did the same and they grabbed a hold of the large rock to roll it away from the entrance of the tomb.  As their hands touched the rock, a spark of energy ran through their arms, and they both jumped back with surprise.  The feeling did not hurt, and the warmth from the shock sunk to the deepest part of the men, freeing them from the chill they had acquired during the night.  They looked at each other not quite sure what to think, and then looked at Mary and the woman. 

Without warning, the ground shook and a sound like the roar of a great beast came from within the tomb.  Light flooded out of the darkness that surrounded the great stone and was brighter than the sun at midday.  A great wind came rushing out of the tomb at Mary and the woman. They could both feel the small dark hairs on their arms rustle, and the hair on their head was blown over their shoulders.  The soldiers stumbled backwards, now with fear in their eyes and a look of disbelief on their faces.  A great white beast, ten feet tall and muscular like a lion sat on the stone, which was now on its side.  The beast seemed to smile, and looked delighted at the fear of the men.  He opened his mouth to show his gleaming white fangs and blood red tongue.  He had the grin of a cat, with teeth as sharp as needles.  He was clothed in a white robe and sat upright like a man.  The exposed skin on the beast’s arms gleamed as if covered in the brightest diamonds.  The soldiers stared in disbelief before both of them turned white and fell to their backs, not moving or breathing, as if there were dead.  Mary and the woman stood deathly still afraid to move.  Mary squeezed the woman’s hand and she could feel the blood being forced from her fingertips.

The beast looked at the women with compassion and smirked as if he had a secret they did not yet know.  The great beast spoke and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here, for he has risen as he said. Come see.  Come; see the place where he lay.  Then quickly go and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.  See, I have told you”.

Not once did the mouth of the great beast move, but both women could clearly hear what was being said to them.  He motioned for them to see the tomb for themselves.  They walked past the beast never averting their gaze, and quickly slipped into the tomb.  The beast only smiled, as if delighted to share his good news.  

The tomb was 10 feet deep and had a musty smell, and was lit by the light from the beasts robe.  The room was completely bare except for a large stone slab to the left side of the tomb.  On the slab was a long white cloth, strewn as if it had been carelessly discarded.  As the women looked about the room, the light faded and it became too dark to see.  Both women turned towards the door, which was now lit only by the ever-rising sun.  They quickly shuffled out into the sunlight.  The beast was gone, and the soldiers still lay where they had fallen. 

A new hope welled up in the woman, and the pain, which had been lingering, was now replaced by a feeling of warmth.  Mary looked at the woman with a gleam and a smile broke through her lips.  Still nothing was said between the women and nothing needed to be said.  The woman hurried back down the trail with Mary following close behind.  As they neared the rock pile where the crazy man had startled the woman, he peered out from the darkness, and with a toothless grin he yelled, “He’s not there”!

Mary looked at the woman who smiled back at her and they hurried on.  A new hope had risen up in the women, and they would declare, “He has RISEN”! 

JR Munoz 11/27/11