Chapter One Hundred Seventy Six
Four More Days
“Enoch walked with God
after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus
all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not,
for God took him.” Gen.5:22 – 24
With only four
days left until the Flood, animals no longer filed onto the ark two by two –
pairs streamed on in a near-solid mass of creature-flesh. Shem dared not take a
step without keeping his eyes on the floor to avoid tripping over a buggy-eyed
aye-aye or crushing a grasshopper underfoot. As he stowed small mammals in
cages, his gaze continuously shifted from metal bars to floor planks and back
again so he wouldn’t accidentally damage a hedgehog or lemming or even a
pointy-nosed shrew by stepping or reaching wrong.
Atarah
had worked side by side with him ever since the night he found her in his bed.
Though at first she possessed few skills and little idea how to do heavy work,
she was a quick study who worked tirelessly and without complaint. Since the
heaviest construction work had been done before they moved onto the ark, Father
suggested couples work together while Mother took care of food and did final
extra tasks like making a few last batches of soap outside the ark. Father
roamed the corridors finishing up odds and ends and helping whoever needed an
extra hand.
With
so much time alone, Shem and Atarah chatted non-stop. He explained the workings
of the ark and concepts about God to her and she eagerly drank it all up.
Atarah shared the
details of her past life with Shem. He felt an overwhelming sense of awe at the
courage she revealed by standing against everyone and refusing to worship false
gods. Her stories about the underground stunned him since he had no idea
anything but a solid mountain supported the city. He fought a strong urge to go
wallop Dagaar.
Even
while talking incessantly, they worked efficiently as a team. With so many
animals drinking and bathing, the two took on the extra responsibility of
hauling additional wagonloads of water onto the ark several times a day. No one
but Japheth was willing to work with Buzz, so they used a tamer smaller camel.
One time Ham filled in for Atarah for a couple of hours so she could dip tallow
candles with the women. Shem missed her the entire time.
Atarah’s energy
seemed boundless and she was proving invaluable. Not because of her willingness
to work, but because of the way she made him feel. God had fulfilled his
promise even though Shem doubted.
Nevertheless, Shem
still hadn’t kissed Atarah or declared his love. For two reasons. First, he
wanted to wait until he had time to give her more attention. Second, he hoped a
friendship could grow before the romance commenced. The latter was a ridiculous
idea, of course, since every accidental brush of their fingers left him
aquiver. He shook his head at his foolishness.
“Hey!” She stood
facing him, hands on her hips, head cocked, eyes dancing. “Am I supposed to
address you as King Shem?”
“What?”
“You’re wearing a
green crown.” She rose on tiptoe and removed two lime-colored moths from the
top of his head in cupped hands. Edged in purple, each moth was larger than
Shem’s hand with long lobes trailing like wide tails from each wing. Huge and
beautiful. Yet distracted by her, he hadn’t even noticed the insects.
She held the moths
to the top of a cage where they stepped from her hands. Leaning forward she
fingered the feather-like appendages growing from the head of one. “What are
those?”
“I don’t know what they are,” Shem laughed. “But they
let you know he’s a male. Female moths don’t have them.”
“Not fair. That
makes him better looking than her. Why are the males always better looking?”
She pointed at cardinals flying past, pretending to pout. “Those females don’t
hold a candle to the males. Don’t you think they’d like to be bright red, too?”
Shem grinned and
placed two bunnies into a cage. “That whole ‘males are better-looking than
females’ law doesn’t fit the two of us.” He averted his eyes, but not before
catching her blush.
“We’ve spent
enough time down here for now.” He reached through the bars to stroke the white
and sepia spotted bunny and noticed two skunks strolling toward them.
“Don’t move,” he
whispered. “Stinkers.”
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About Jeannie St. John Taylor
Jeannie St. John Taylor, best selling author and two-time Gold Medallion finalist, is the author of five non-fiction books as well as fifteen books for children. She writes and illustrates in the office-studio her husband built on their beef farm ten minutes from the skyscrapers in downtown Portland, Oregon. She and Ray have three grown children. Her books include: Culture-proof Kids, Building Character in Your Children, AMG Publishers, Am I Praying, Kregel and How to Be a Praying Mom, Hendrickson Publishers
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