Of Such Is The Kingdom, A Novel of Biblical Times, PART II

THE NEXT MORNING IN town as the rich shopkeeper, Benjamin, was leaving for his shop, his children, Josh, and Jake were fighting over a toy.  His wife, Sarah, was scolding them.  “Now you children be good.  I don’t want to give your father a bad report when he comes home tonight.  You know what that would mean.”

“Yes, Mother.”

”Goodbye, my dear.  I'll see you tonight”

“Oh, Benjamin, I wish you wouldn't go.  You could leave the shop closed for a day.  We don't really need the money.”

“Now dear, we discussed this before.  We want to have enough to send Joseph to the academy, don't we?  That way he could become a rabbi and not have to be a shopkeeper like me.  And, you never know when we'll have some unexpected expense.  Besides, as I said before, I want nothing but the best for my family.  And with that new shipment of goods which just came in. . . . I have to unload and shelve it today, and—”

“I know dear, but if you'd try and be with them a little more—“

“I guess you're right, Sarah dear, and I will try, once I get this new line of goods organized.”

“Alright, dear, but be careful.”

“I always am, aren't I?”

She kissed him goodbye, and he left for the shop.

The morning was spent in organizing the new goods which had just come in and taking care of a few customers.  About noon his friend and favorite customer Felix entered.

“Good day, Felix.  What can I do for you?  Would you like to peruse my new line of goods?”

“Well, I guess it can't hurt to look.”  He walked over to the shelves and began looking at the goods.  As he was looking, he began talking.  “Say that was something about that riot at the praetorium, wasn't it?”

“What riot?” replied the shopkeeper.  I didn't hear anything about any riot."

“Where have you been?  You might even call it an uprising.”

“Well, tell me about it.  How did it happen?  What brought it on?”

“I don’t know what brought it on.  All I know is one minute things were as calm as can be, and the next minute everyone was yelling and screaming all sorts of anti-government slogans”

“Slogans?  Like what?”

“Like ‘Down with injustice!’, ‘Down with tyranny’, ‘We want real justice’ and th' like.”

“Did you see who started it?”

“I'm not sure, but in midst of it a big brawny brute jumped up on the praetorium and demanded that Pilate surrender.”

“Then what happened?”

“Well, Pilate called for his guards, and they routed the rebels.”

“Thanks for telling me, Felix.  There's nothing like a little exciting news to start one's day off right.”

“It could be a warning too, you know.  With the people that discontented, who knows what could happen.  You could be robbed or something.”

Benjamin shrugged nonchalantly.  “Thanks for the warning, Felix.  Now did you see anything you like?"

“Well, they're all lovely, but I'll need more time to decide.”

“Take all the time you want.  I'm not going anywhere.”