Worlds Apart, by Burk Merryman

by facepalmforever

As the other slaves finished their evening tasks and drifted away, Akiva emerged from the dimly lit kitchen. “Kiya? Kiya? Are you here?” he called cautiously.

From behind one of the magnificent granite columns laced with etchings of hieroglyphics, a slim girl with dark skin and brilliant amber eyes emerged. Her rich linen garment made a soft rustling sound as she crossed the room towards Akiva. “Father thinks that I’ve gone to bed. Have you finished cleaning up from dinner yet? Is anyone still up?” she said, glancing furtively towards the dining room.

“No. Don’t worry. I already made sure everyone is gone for the night.” Akiva reassured her. The two walked over and took a seat in two of the highly polished wooden chairs with cushions in the living room.

“I do wish Father would let me go outside without all my handmaidens just for a minute… It must be so nice to be free, to go where you would like!” said Kiya dreamily.

“Yes, well… I guess neither of us know too much about that, do we?” Akiva replied jovially, and they both laughed. Then Akiva, looking more serious, said, “Please Kiya. We won’t be here for much longer… God’s going to free us! Oh, it’ll be wonderful; but I do wish you’d come with us.”

“No! Please: not this again. I don’t want to leave Egypt. I have a life here. I could make a life for us here.” But she drifted off, knowing that this was merely a fantasy. She was scarcely allowed to step out into the gardens without a score of servants with her. Kiya proceeded cautiously, “But… when the plagues end, I’ll be able to go places again-”.

“Kiya! You know that when the plagues end I’ll be gone. My God will not stop the plagues until we are free; and this is to be the last one!” Akiva caught his breath, “Kiya, please… Moses has said that God is sending the angel of death! All the first born sons will die! Please don’t do this to yourself. You still have a lamb that you could slaughter. Believe me that God will not withhold judgment! Or, if you won’t paint your doorframe with blood, then come with me- we could run away!”

 

Kiya jerked herself away. “Do it to myself? Do you simply assume that my gods have no power? It’s your ‘God’ who’s ruining Egypt.” She stood up sharply and turned her back, taking a few paces towards the corridor. “I’d ask that you’d please leave me now…”

“Please, understand me…”

“I said out.” As Akiva slipped out between the massive doors and returned to the shack where he lived, Kiya leaned against a pillar and was racked with silent sobbing. The sun rose bright in the morning, but Kiya stayed in her room. When she finally emerged again, Akiva was already hard at work in the field for her father. She couldn’t take the words that had been said the previous night out of her mind. Finally, Kiya couldn’t wait any longer: brushing past the guards she emerged into the sunlight and onto the scorched and destroyed landscape. Seeing her stumble into the field, Kiya’s father rushed to her.

“Darling! What are you doing out of the house? Hurry, please get back in. It’s not safe until we’ve rid ourselves of that mongrel Moses and his trickery along with it.”

“Father, I need to borrow one of your servants…” He started to protest, but seeing the obstinate look on her face he decided that allowing her to do so would be the best method of getting her back into the house.

“Fine.” He replied. “But make it quick: I need to rebuild this storehouse and plant the crops as soon as possible. And… if I am to do this then you must promise to stay in the house unless I give you my direct permission to leave.” Burning with the agonizing pain of what she’d said the night before, Kiya agreed hurriedly. Seeing her motion to him, Akiva rushed over, a mixed look of both dread and longing on his face. Kiya quickly pulled him into the house and around into one of the many corridors.

“Akiva, I can’t stand it: I want to be with you. Let’s run away- like you suggested last night! Meet me tonight… by the horse barns. Just take care that no one sees or suspects you leaving.”

“I’ll be there, and then we’ll go to a new life together. Wait until the moon is directly overhead so that I may have time to gather my things.” For both of them the day seemed to pass ever so slowly. Finally it grew dark. Everyone retired to their rooms earlier than usual, even the Egyptians; but no one slept. Doors were locked and shutters were closed. A silent dread passed over all- slave or free.

Kiya, remembering that they’d need some manner of provisions, hurried stealthily across the cold marble floors. As she stuffed the final item into her bag, a tremendous wailing sounded from the house beside her. She heard a ghostly whistle and saw a dazzling light flash by her window. Panicked, Kiya remembered and her heart felt like it turned to stone. She dashed to her brother’s room and burst through the door… in time to see him collapse to the ground.

“No… no… this can’t be happening! Why? Oh no… Someone help me! Please!” her cries of horror crumbled to mortified sobs and wails as she felt all the warmth sink out of his limbs. She held him tight, but he was gone, and she knew it. And somehow, she knew that he’d never meet Osiris or live with the gods and that nobody she valued in life had had or would have the ending they hoped for. Except….

“Akiva. It’s his fault, you know. It was his God that killed your brother- the God of the Hebrews. Don’t blame yourself. They are a wretched race. This is what they do. They lust for destruction and revenge. This, my daughter, is why I would not let you go out alone.” The hand of her father gripped her shoulder. She looked up with tears streaming down her face. Through blurred vision she realized that the majority of the household had gathered into her brother’s room. Then she remembered Akiva… then her father’s words. Kiya made up her mind: Akiva was a blasphemous wretch. It was because of him and his kind that her brother was dead. “Never, ever, let yourself be fooled by one of them again, my daughter.”

“I will not father. I will not disappoint you or the gods.” The hour waned and cries for the fallen echoed through the dark of the night. As the moonless night faded into day and the dew on the scorched earth shone, a dark figure unfurled himself from a destroyed, but once grand horse barn and slipped towards the small line of shacks in the distance.

Grand preparations were made. All rejoiced; the Lord had come and would lead them out of slavery and to a new land. Four hundred years of hard labor had made them doubt- but no more, for they had seen the wonders of the Lord displayed. All the people everywhere were gathering their belongings and packing away unleavened bread for their journey. Akiva walked solemnly between the joyous people. He threw his things onto his family’s wagon.

“Already packed my son?”

“Yes, father.”

“Why so downcast, my son? Today should be a day of rejoicing! The Lord God has freed us from the tyranny of the Egyptians. Today there is reason for every man, woman, and child to rejoice!” Akiva grunted in response. The group made ready to leave, and he realized he’d never see this place again. Or, more importantly, Kiya. What had happened? Had she been caught? He recalled the long hours of the night. He hadn’t slept one wink. He had stayed on constant watch for her beautiful silhouette to appear on the crest of the hill… but it never came. Had she changed her mind? Akiva couldn’t live his life knowing he had left behind his one true love. He dashed back along the path that was only too familiar and came to the land of Kiya’s father. As he came up the final rise of sand before her grand house he saw a figure by the barns. Overjoyed, he dashed forward.

He hadn’t been forgotten. Akiva lost a sandal as he ran, but he didn’t even care: he could be with her. Suddenly Akiva stopped dead… Kiya wasn’t happy.

Puzzled, he spoke, “Kiya, you’re out of the house without anyone else! I… I waited for you last night… but you didn’t make it. Is… is everything all right?” Akiva stumbled on desperately as a nasty suspicion began to worm its’ way up into his head, but he refused to believe it. “Surely… I mean, the pharaoh declared us free!” he croaked out a fake, nervous laugh.

Kiya’s words turned his blood to ice. ‘Scum… good riddance… all of your kind deserve to be squashed… because of you, my brother’s dead… I never want to see you again!’

Akiva joined his people in the march to the promised land, but her taunts echoed through his head again and again. Loud, joyful singing went up all around him- but he remembered her saying they deserved to be squashed- she thought that he deserved to be squashed. Akiva spat dust. He looked at all the bobbing heads. Her bitter words penetrated his brain like a snake and just bounced around… never ceasing. He recalled her threat of ‘never wanting to see him again’ and bit his lip. Water clouded his vision. A single salty drop dripped down his face. He bit harder and tasted blood. Akiva cursed his stupidity, wondering what he could have done so wrong. Was it all a trick? Did he not even deserve an explanation? It was amazing how, in that one moment all of his fantasies of a joyous life had been stripped away. His foot caught on a stone and he fell face first into the dust, but he didn’t care: life no longer had a purpose. Life would begin… continue… and then it would end. Distraught and overcome with rage, he picked himself up, slipped out of the line, and sprinted towards the open desert.