Asenath (26 page)

"Where is
Abba
, Mama?" Manasseh asked me one night.

I did not know the answer myself. "He is sleeping. He is very tired from feeding the whole world, my love."

I did not want to worry my babies. Fortunately that seemed to satisfy them.

One day, Joseph arrived home much earlier than expected. It was early in the afternoon when he still would have been well into his work.

I was about to approach him when I froze. The look on his face was so dark, it set me on edge. As curious as I was, I knew it best to leave him alone.

He entered his study and did not come out for the rest of the day. Later, long after I had put the boys to bed, Joseph still had not emerged.

I was worried. I paced in our room, unable to sleep. Joseph had never been this distraught before. He usually handled pressure well.

I had a feeling something else was bothering him. But I had no idea what it could be.

I heard footsteps. I stopped in my steps.

Joseph appeared, looking like someone who had not slept in years. His eyes were weary and puffy. He staggered as if he had been badly beaten.

I hurried over to him. I caught him just as he was about to fall over.

I laid him down on the bed and eased his head onto my lap. "What's wrong, husband?"

I removed his
nemes
. His hair was sweaty, matted to his head.

"Asenath." His voice was hoarse. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"They are here."

"Who?"

"My brothers."

I gasped. "Are they?"

Now I understood. It was only natural that he would have acted as he had the past days.

"Yes." He buried his face in my lap.

"What happened?"

He looked up. "They did not recognise me. Not one bit. They paid homage to Zaphenath-Paneah, not knowing who he really is."

"Joseph." I gave him a quick hug.

"I froze, wife. I did not know what to do. I saw Benjamin wasn't there and worried something bad had happened to him."

I nodded, understanding how Joseph would be protective of his youngest and only full brother.

"I interrogated them. Much to my relief, I learned that Benjamin was safely at home in Canaan with our father. I was glad to hear too that Father was still alive. They said they had another brother who 'died' a long time ago. I flew into a rage. I couldn't think clearly. I accused them of being spies and threw them in prison. Later, I calmed down and asked God for guidance. I decided to put them through a series of tests to see where their hearts are. To see if they have changed."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have yet to figure out the rest, my love. It's a bit complicated. Today I went to them and told them they could return to their father on the condition they bring Benjamin here. As a surety, I kept my brother Simeon as a hostage." Joseph broke down.

I held him as he buried his face in my lap and wept. When he could cry no more, he looked up at me with a pitiful face of melted kohl.

I took a piece of linen and gently wiped his face. "You have been tormented by this for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yes. Actually, I knew deep in my heart they would be coming, but to see them is..."

"I know." I placed a hand to his cheek. "Well, husband, you do know you are now in a position to give them their due―"

"No, Asenath," Joseph interrupted, his voice suddenly firm. "I cannot and will not."

"But why? They deserve it. Well, except for Benjamin. And also Reuben, since you said he tried to protect you." I embraced my husband tight, as if to protect him. "I can't believe those men. If it had not been for them, you wouldn't have been made a slave, you wouldn't have been thrown into prison."

"And I wouldn't have met you."

Joseph's weary face broke into a smile. He pulled me close. We exchanged a kiss. When I drew back, I saw he was now at peace.

"My darling." He stroked my cheek. "What my brothers meant for evil, God meant for good. I still do not know how things will turn out with them. But I do know that one of the reasons I was sent to Egypt was to meet you."

He smiled. "Thus, I have forgiven my brothers. And I will make this known to them at the end of the tests."

He sat up and pressed his lips to mine. We shared another kiss. Then he buried his face in my neck.

"Hold me, Asenath," he murmured. "Hold me so that I don't fall apart."

"Of course."

I placed my face next to his and stroked his arm. "Husband, why don't you go refresh yourself first? Have a bath, then get a good night's sleep. You need one desperately."

"All right." He looked at me with the eyes of a frightened child. "Will you go with me? I don't want to be alone."

"Certainly. I have already bathed, but I will go with you anyway."

In our bath chamber, I seated myself on the edge of the pool while he immersed himself in the warm lily-scented waters. He swam over to me. I scrubbed and massaged him.

Afterward, I held him close. He leaned against me and closed his eyes.

Neither of us said anything the entire time. Neither of us had to. We understood each other completely.

After my dear one emerged from the pool, I towelled him off and we returned to our room, our arms around each other.

The moment Joseph lay down, he fell into a deep sleep that not even the loudest thunder could rouse him from.

Soon, a bit of the Joseph we knew and loved returned. One day, he again arrived home much earlier than expected. This time it was in the mid-morning. And this time he sought my company.

"They are here." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "Benjamin is with them."

I gasped. "Are they? How wonderful."

"Yes." His grip on me tightened. "I am going to throw a feast for them at noon. But first I shall meet them in the throne hall as per protocol."

"You're hurting me," I said in a small voice.

"Sorry." He loosened his hands. "Look, I was wondering if, well, you would come with me to the feast? I want you to be there because, well, you know."

I smiled. "Gladly. After all, I do want to see where you come from."

"Thank you, wife."

We exchanged a quick kiss. He briefly placed a hand on my cheek. "I shall send someone to call you at noon."

Then he hurried off.

I made myself up as if I were going before Pharaoh himself. I wanted to give Joseph's brothers a striking impression, to intimidate them a bit even. People often commented that Joseph and I had a strong, regal presence and I wanted the Canaanites to think just that. I wanted them to see how the brother they betrayed now possessed power and grandeur beyond their wildest imaginations.

I chose a blue-green dress interwoven with gold threads. Mother had once said it brought out the fiery malachite around my eyes. I slipped on the long golden bracelets shaped like coiling snakes. A wig strung with golden stones made me look like a vision of blinding brightness.

At precisely noon, a servant appeared to inform me the feast was about to begin. She escorted me to the secret entrance to the dining hall, where my husband and I usually assembled before formal affairs.

Joseph was already there. He stood so still, I might have mistaken him for one of the statues. He greeted me with no more than a nod.

I was a bit put off by his coldness.

He took my hand in an almost painful grip. "They will be seated on the right," he said, his lips barely moving.

An entourage of fan bearers, bodyguards and servants assembled behind us. At a signal from Joseph, the doors swung open.

A herald intoned, "On your knees before their Excellencies Lord Zaphenath-Paneah, Vizier of the Two Lands and Lady Asenath, his noble consort."

Joseph and I strode past the prostrating guests and to our lone table at the end of the hall. We overlooked two long tables parallel to each other.

Joseph bade the guests rise. I looked to the table on the right.

I was stunned.

The men from Canaan could not have been my husband's brothers. There was no physical resemblance at all. Joseph was lean and elegant, while the Canaanites were scruffy in their long unkempt beards and loose desert robes. When they rose to their feet, they looked to be scrambling

clumsily. They clashed terribly with the elegant Egyptian surroundings of alabaster columns and polished cedar furniture.

At the head of the group I saw a young man. He was every bit as shabby-looking as his companions, but clean-shaven like Egyptian men. Right away, I saw the resemblance to Joseph. I conjectured this was Benjamin.

He was quite handsome himself, looking like a boyish version of my husband. While Joseph was athletic and muscular, Benjamin was skinny and lanky. The young man's fine features were topped with an impish grin that never seemed to leave his face.

Joseph signalled for the feast to begin. Servants appeared from behind the columns and floated around, serving food and beer to the guests. A small orchestra began to play.

As we dined, Joseph said, "I have seated my brothers according to their ages. Thus, Reuben and Benjamin are the ones closest to us. Reuben is the one with facial hair."

He identified the remaining nine brothers—Simeon, the hostage brother, Levi, Naphtali, Issachar, Asher, Dan, Zebulun, Gad and Judah.

"They seem to be enjoying themselves," I said. "By the way, is it just me or is Benjamin being served more than the others?"

"He is. He was a picky eater as a child and I always had to make sure he got enough. Older brother's habit." My husband smiled, then quickly resumed his stony vizier's mask.

Aside from that, my husband was silent for the rest of the meal. I understood why. I took the opportunity to study his brothers.

Their table manners were not the finest. In fact, they reminded me very much of myself before I had been groomed in nobility's etiquette. They shovelled food into their mouths, carelessly brushing away at the stray bits that littered their beards. They chewed noisily and burped. Their elbows were propped up on the table. They conversed boisterously.

The Egyptians in the next table cast them dirty looks. However, my brothers-in-law did not seem to care. They remained happy and vivacious.

Reuben had a kindly face and was regarding Benjamin with fatherly tenderness. Simeon and Levi were lively and loud. I did not understand what they were saying as they were speaking in Hebrew. But I surmised they were cracking jokes for they laughed after everything they said.

At one point, my eyes connected with Judah's. Despite his rugged shepherd's look, there seemed to be a stately air about him.

He leaned toward the brother beside him and said something to him. I blushed and looked down, wondering what they were saying about me.

Sometime after the last course, Joseph rose and said some standardised words of parting to the guests. Afterward, he and I exited. Our entourage trailed behind us.

Later, when we were safely out of sight, my husband said, "I have to return to work now. Pray for me, my love."

"I will."

I was looking forward to speaking with Joseph about the morning's events. However, by dinnertime, he still had not arrived. This was not unusual though, for he often worked overtime. I decided to eat ahead with our sons.

When we were having dessert, our steward Djedi approached. "My lady, your husband wishes me to inform you that he will be arriving after midnight or so."

"
What?
" Though Joseph worked long hours, he had never stayed out
that
late before. "
Why?
"

"Alas, he did not say, my lady."

"Where is he? What is he doing?"

"I'm afraid I do not know, my lady. He did not say."

"Hmm. All right. Thank you."

I dismissed him and asked the nursemaids to bring my sons to their room. I barely heard the little ones' questions as they were hauled away.

This was strange. So very strange. I had a feeling this had to do with the brothers. I knew Joseph was going to give them a series of tests. But why was he out so late? What in the
world
did he have in mind?

Later, long after the boys had fallen asleep, I was still fretting about this. I was determined to stay up until my husband returned. I hoped he was not planning something too outlandish or even dangerous. I hoped he was not going to overdo himself.

My eyes grew heavy. I lay in bed, intending to rest only a moment. Alas, I sank into a dreamless sleep.

Someone was shaking my arm. "Mistress?"

I opened my eyes to see Nafre.

She took a step back and bowed. "Forgive me, my lady. But your husband summons you and the boys to the throne hall. He is there with the Canaanites."

I jolted out of bed. "Have the boys had breakfast?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Good. Tell their nursemaids to get them ready. Then get me some milk and help me dress. I will have a full meal later."

I rushed, knowing full well the gravity of the situation. Afterward, I entered my babies' room.

They were laughing and running around naked. Their nursemaids chased after them with their kilts.

I frowned. "Boys!"

Everyone froze. The nursemaids rushed over to me and flung themselves to the ground. "My lady, we are truly sorry, we tried to get them to―"

"Never mind. Get them dressed.
Now.
"

I walked over to Ephraim, who was the more headstrong of the two. I grabbed his arm, taking over the duty of dressing him. As the nursemaids and I readied my disobedient babies, I scolded them on the matter of punctuality. They were silent, their shame evident on their faces.

When we were done, I hurried everyone to the throne hall. My sons could barely keep up. Their nursemaids had to practically drag them.

"Mother, what's happening?" Ephraim asked.

"Your father's brothers are here," I said over my shoulder.

"Father has brothers? I didn't know."

"Not another word, Ephraim. We are already very late."

At the entrance, a guard said, "My lady, your husband requests that you and your sons enter alone without any nursemaids or servants."