Chapter 18 . . . (Where we last left Cain)
Chapter 21
Enoch sat at his father’s feet, “Abba, how did you get that scar on your forehead?”
Cain stirred in his chair as his mind raced through his own father’s words to him after his head had landed on the rock upon which he had been thrown years prior. “Son, I knew this day would come eventually, but I did not think you would be only five years old before I’d be considering answering it for the first time . . .”
As they were leaving Nod Camphire explained to Cain the benefits of never keeping his crime a secret to the people of Nod, nor to anyone else he would meet along his path in life. She was adamant as well that no matter what he said to others on the subject he ever only be honest with their children, “For if we should lie to our children, then they should not trust us as they learn the awkwardness of taking full responsibility for their own actions and the the responsibility they have for the consequences that will inevitably result. As they lean toward lying to themselves, it is their trust in us that may prevent them from believing their own lies as they would learn to accept as the law of existence any lie we would demonstrate to them in lieu of what is.” Gravely Cain nodded his assent as she admonished him the consequences of acting out of his shame rather than fighting against it so as to respond to his past by creating his future from the wish of his heart to be whole again where once by his own hand it was broken.
“The truth is, son, my father acted out of his rage toward me after I had done the worst thing a person can do, and I landed hard on a rock where you see the scar I now bear.”
Enoch’s face shadowed over as he asked the obvious question, “What is the worst thing you can do that you did to make your father angry with you, Father?”
“The worst thing a man can do, Enoch, is to kill his brother.”
Enoch began to contemplate his father’s words as he considered the life growing in his mother’s belly.
. . .
And so, knowing his father’s story, Dedicated strove to live up to his name within the context of the town with which he shared it. A village of his parents, their friends and acquaintances, his brothers and sisters, and the occasional chance passer by. While it was rare one in route to Nod would stay in Dedicated to rest before continuing their journey, every several months a pair of angels in humanity’s clothing would come under such pretense. In this way, the development of Cain and his offspring were monitored that the angels might learn further how to serve.
Incognito envoys were sent regularly to Nod to monitor other human interaction, and the angels kept their camp miles to the west of Dedicated where they existed unseen. While all the monitoring was taking place, and the angels learned about their own physical existence and the existence of adam, Casarta explored and spied in her own right, always from a distance sure from the sight of those who shared her form, but not her origin; not the particular hue of her skin.
It was one day while she was spying on the town from its outskirts that she was having a bit of a day dream. She was envisioning herself at the center of a flock of crows encircling her. In her vision, the crows came to where she sat and flocked together so that their wings were joined and she was able to ride upon their backs, which formed as though one gigantic crow which carried her high into the sky and let her see the earth as they saw.
As she was having this vision at the outskirts of the town, Handoroth and Caldas were masquerading as visitors, being led through the town’s center. As they were being shown to a place they would be allowed to stay for several nights, and told that the town would gladly share of their food and water to these passers-by who were happy to share with the town some of the goods they carried from lands “far away,” suddenly the sun was engulfed and a shadow fell upon them all. Looking up, all who had sight perceived dozens of crows descend upon them. And, lo, they amassed together in the town’s center and stood silent together as though waiting. Handoroth and Caldas stared at each other, asking the same question of each other, and giving the same answer in reply.
For ten minutes they stood watching the birds who held together virtually motionless while the people of the town remained huddled close to the ground, occasionally peeking out at the birds from under arms covering their heads. After about ten minutes passed, the birds vanished as though into thin air. Handoroth and Caldas spent the next evening, as well as the next several days, convincing the people of the town that the birds were not an ill omen as the townsfolk busied themselves sacrificing animals in the hopes of appeasing God, who was clearly very angry with them for some reason they did not understand.
After spending a week in the village “resting” from their “long” journey, and spending much time calming the village, Caldas and Handoroth returned once more to their own village to confer with their brethren. As they were telling the story of what they had seen, Casarta joined the meeting of the angels.
“Why, that sounds exactly like the daydream I was having several days ago.”
All the angels turned and stared at Casarta.
“What?” Asked Casarta.
“We do not believe in coincidences.” Darwith replied.
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