Chapter 11
Oscar sat on the top of the truck drinking a hot cup of cocoa and looking around at his surroundings. He was in an isolated area surrounded by blinding white snow that hurt his eyes. The snow softened the landscape; turning hard edges into flowing curves. Behind the truck, tracks led back to the small village Oscar had left a half an hour earlier.
He thought back to his visit there earlier. The village had less then three hundred people living in it. Most were old; the majority of the young had left for better lives in the towns and cities. With the absence of young energetic bodies, the town was well into decline. The wooden buildings needed painting, the fences mending, and roofs repaired.
The toothless old women who had been in the church were hunched over with backs bent under years of burden. All wore layers of old clothes with scarves to cover their heads. They had watched Oscar; making signs of the cross and mumbling little prayers to their God.
Oscar had talked with the God under their watchful eyes. When he left, they had followed him out of the church. The men of the village had come out of the bar across the snow covered lane from the church. They were without their coats; warmed only by the alcohol in their blood.
Driving away from town, Oscar had wondered why Jehovah had indicated that he was to visit that church. The people of the town were not in a position to influence events on an international level. He doubted they could even influence events on a local level. He believed that the church would be a ruin in twenty years once the population died off from old age.
Now, seated on top of the truck, Oscar was alone. There wasn't another person within ten miles. Even the animals seemed to have disappeared; hiding from the cold harsh Russian winter. Oscar sighed and took a sip of his hot cocoa thankful for the fusion powered cooking gear in the back of the truck.
The silence and solitude forced him to consider his situation. He missed Georgia and Debbie. He felt guilty about dragging Georgia along with him. When a man promises a woman that he'll show her the world, it is assumed that it means exotic locations more exciting than Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and rural Russia. He was amazed that she left because she missed Debbie rather than out of disgust and boredom.
The trip hadn't been easy on Georgia and he knew it. She didn't have anything to do other than take turns driving. While he went into the churches and mosques, she waited outside watching. He had given her hardship and isolation. She had given her love and support. Shaking his head, he said, "There's got to be something I can do to make it up to her."
There was no reply. He took a sip of his drink and found that it had gotten cold. He tossed the remainder of the cocoa with a flick of his wrist; sending the contents onto the snow beside the truck. The result was a brown patch that looked like a crooked smile. He stared at it for a minute and then said, "Maybe I should have told her to stay in Israel with Debbie."
The silence forced him to examine other aspects of his journey. Hanging over his head was the journey's end. He knew there was only one way it could end, but he had no idea how it would end. The gift of foresight, loaned to him by William Redman Carter, would not reach to that event. Considering the event, he was glad not to know.
Although it was his mortality that occupied his thoughts, his concern for his wives future weighed heaviest on his mind. He wondered what they would do once he was gone. They would have money, so he wasn't concerned about that. They wouldn't end up in a trailer park living on welfare. He knew they loved him and that his passing would hurt. He just hoped they weren't there to watch it.
It was growing cold on the roof of the truck and he shifted position a little. Georgia hadn't been gone that long and he was already lonely. There wasn't anyone with whom he could talk. In the villages, towns, and cities he visited, he was greeted with awe, fear, and respect. No one asked him if he was having a good day or to join them for a cup of coffee to discuss the weather.
There was a gulf between him and the rest of humanity put there by his service. The only ones who bridged the gulf were Georgia and Debbie. They saw him as a human being with all of the faults and flaws that was part and parcel of being human. He didn't regret the service, but he resented the gulf it imposed.
He felt guilty for dragging Georgia across such empty lands and hardship. Sitting there in the cold white lifeless landscape, he knew that he wouldn't be able to complete his service without her by his side. The loneliness would drive him crazy. Perhaps it was selfishness on his part, but a thirsty man couldn't help but want water.
Feeling a little battered by the trip, Georgia got off the plane not expecting to find Oscar waiting for her. She still had customs and passport control to get through before she would reach the waiting area. Much to her surprise, Oscar was at the gate with a bouquet of flowers. He gave her a crooked grin and said, "I'm really glad to see you."
Rather than wonder how he managed to get through security, she raced over to him and gave him a big hug. After kissing him, she said, "That one was from me. This one is from Debbie."
The second kiss was just as passionate as the first kiss. It seemed to last even longer. When she finally broke it off, he said, "I brought you some flowers."
"Those are lovely," Georgia said accepting the bouquet of flowers from him. She held them to her nose and smelled the sweet aroma they gave off. It was a sweet gesture and she loved it.
Pleased to see that she liked the flowers, he asked, "Did you have a good visit with Debbie?"
"Yes. It was wonderful," Georgia answered. They had laughed and cried together for almost the entire visit. They had eaten in nice restaurants and talked through the nights. She had taken hot showers and eaten home cooked meals.
"I'm glad. Did you tell her how much I miss her?"
"She knows," Georgia answered running a hand through his beard. She had told Debbie how much they had missed her and wished that she could be with them. Debbie's visit to Afghanistan had underscored how difficult going with Oscar would have been on her.
"How is she?"
"She wishes she was with us, but she's working on her internship. It keeps her busy and fills her time," Georgia answered. Debbie lived in a very nice apartment in Jerusalem that was a short distance away from where she worked. The neighbors were nice enough and treated her with respect, but they weren't exactly friendly.
Oscar searched her eyes and read the message that Debbie did know how much he missed her. Pulling her closer to him, he said, "I missed you."
"I know," Georgia said with a twinkle in her eye.
"Let's get out of here. I've got a hotel right down the street from here," Oscar said. He had decided that they would try to stay in more hotels during the rest of the trip. The problem was finding hotels in places like Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, and Syria.
Georgia stepped out of the shower feeling a lot more human. The flight had not been particularly rough, but it had been long and the seats were uncomfortable. Looking over at Oscar lying on the bed wearing nothing except a smile, she said, "You look comfortable."
"Believe me, I am," Oscar said. The cold outside and the rough living had given him few opportunities to just lounge around.
Settling on the bed, Georgia said, "The news services are covering your journey with a great deal of interest. Every night on the news, they show interviews from towns you visited. Debbie has a map on the wall of her apartment with each town you've visited marked by a pin."
"Oh," Oscar said. Although he hadn't thought about it, he knew that his journey was historically significant and would be covered by the news. He wondered why he hadn't seen a caravan of reporters following him around.
"She wanted to know what it was like in all of those places that we visited," Georgia said. The little map was Debbie's way of making the journey with them. Each night, she would update the map with pins of reported locations and then spend hours on the internet reading about the places.
Frowning at the kind of discussion that would produce, Oscar said, "I imagine that she got tired of hearing you describe each place as desolate."
Surprised by his negative characterization of the locations they had visited, Georgia said, "Oh no. I told her all about the things we saw. I described everything about the towns we visited, the people we met, and the food we ate. We went through the pictures that I took of our travels. There was barely enough time to cover it all."
"Really?" Oscar asked surprised.
"Sure. I think she was a little jealous, but she knows that she really isn't cut out for the kind of life we are living," Georgia said. Debbie had been hungry for every little detail about their trip. She had shuddered in horror in hearing about the rough roads and how the truck threw them around. She had laughed when she listened to how awed of Oscar the woman in the pastry shop had been.
"Jealous? This trip must be horribly boring for you. Why would she be jealous?" Oscar asked.
"Bored? I haven't been bored on this trip. I mean, there are lots of times when the landscape is a little bland, but we've seen so many neat places. Remember when we stopped and visited Merv? That was a great day. Debbie really enjoyed my letter about the visit to Merv," Georgia said.
Oscar was stunned by her announcement. He had thought that she was miserable. He asked, "You haven't been miserable on this trip?"
"No. I'll admit that there have been times when I was ready to kill for a chance to have a hot shower, but traveling around like this is not misery," Georgia said. The dominate negative about the trip had been the fear. She had never gotten over the feeling that if something bad were to happen to Oscar that she'd be left alone in a strange place with men who would hurt her. She looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why would you think that?"
"Well, we haven't really gone to nice places," Oscar said.
"My life is a National Geographic adventure. I've see places that haven't ever appeared in magazines. I've met people who follow customs that date back thousands of years. I've watched shepherds who while away the time playing with a sling just like they did in Biblical stories. Sure, they may have been wearing a tee shirt instead of local clothes, but I'm seeing living history that others can't even imagine," Georgia said with a smile.
"I suppose," Oscar said.
"I brought a hundred memory cards for my camera," Georgia said. She had brought a camera along with her, but had run out of memory to store pictures. There for the last few weeks, she had taken very few pictures because she was had to delete pictures to make room for the new pictures. That was no longer going to be a problem.
Oscar had stopped noticing the ever present camera. He hadn't given any thought to how many pictures she was taking while traveling. Grinning, he asked, "Do you think a hundred will be enough?"
"At least until we reach civilization again," Georgia answered with a seriousness that caused Oscar to burst out in laughter. She looked at him and said, "Hey, I like taking pictures of the places we've visited."
"Okay," Oscar said.
The synagogue was a minor building on a small street near the edge of town. The architecture was complex enough that it defied simple description. Oscar pulled the truck over and watched the snow swirling through the air. It was a cold blustery winter day. He turned to Georgia and said, "Today I visit Yahweh."
Looking out into the horrid weather, Georgia didn't really want to leave the warmth of the truck. To be able to observe this event, she would have hazarded even worse weather. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, "Let's go."
Oscar stepped out of the truck and headed towards the synagogue. Georgia followed behind him. She stopped a dozen steps from the door and watched him approach. Despite the cold, she could barely contain her excitement. Considering the weather, she doubted that anyone else would hear the exchange between Oscar and Yahweh.
Oscar turned to her and asked, "Aren't you coming in?"
"Is that allowed?" she asked looking at him blankly.
"I think it will be okay this time," Oscar answered with a smile.
"I'm not Jewish."
Laughing, Oscar said, "I don't think it will matter this time. You won't be the only one in there who isn't Jewish."
Taking his staff, Oscar hit the door with the end. The echo reverberated overly loud. After a minute, the door opened and a man looked out at Oscar. He said, "Come in. The ceremony is about to start."
Behind the man, a deep voice reverberated through the room, "Bid the Druid Oscar Meyers to enter."
The man stared blankly at Oscar for a full fifteen seconds before moving out of the way. The voice was clearly not human. He recognized the name and knew that something significant was about to happen.
Oscar entered the Synagogue followed by a puzzled Georgia. It took her a minute to realize that she had just stepped into the beginnings of a wedding party. At the head of the room where the arc stood holding the torah was a flame that burned in mid air.
Oscar walked into the room as people turned to stare at the fire. All thoughts of why they were gathered at the Synagogue were forgotten. Upon reaching the center of the room, Oscar said, "I have come to hear your message of peace."
"Remember the Covenant," the voice said in a volume loud enough to shake the walls. The flames grew larger and brighter to the point where it was nearly blinding. There was an angry tone to it and those in the room shook in fear. The voice said, "Those who gave the Land to my people did not own it. It was not theirs to give. Make it right!"
Georgia wanted to look at the flames, but it was too bright. This was the God of the Old Testament; angry and commanding. This was the God who wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah. This was the God who turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt. Standing in that room, Georgia knew fear.
Lowering his head in respect, Oscar said, "I shall repeat that message to all who ask. Remember the Covenant. Those who gave the land to your people did not own it. It was not theirs to give. Make it right."
The flames diminished, but did not go out. In a softer voice, Yahweh said, "Go forth and deliver my message, Oscar Meyers."
"I will," Oscar said. He glanced in the direction of the stunned Bride and Groom. This was to be a great day and it had turned out to be very different from what they expected. They stood there uncertain how to react. With a smile, he asked, "May I stay for the wedding?"
"You may stay. This joining is important for a child of theirs shall lead my people," the voice said.
"Thank you," Oscar said.
The flames disappeared and the room returned to normal. The people gathered for the wedding stood around uncertain as to what they should be doing. All were stunned by what they heard. Faces slowly turned to watch the young couple who were staring into each other's eyes. No one dared speak as if afraid to ruin the moment. The silence was finally broken when Georgia said, "Wow."
Smiling at what he thought was a most appropriate comment on the events that had occurred, Oscar said, "Let the ceremony begin."
The Rabbi led the ceremony. If the God hadn't told him of its significance, he would have canceled it. It was far more solemn than the typical wedding service. The pronouncement by their God had elevated it from a personal joining to something of much greater significance. Only Oscar could see the small flame flickering around the couple. Georgia caught hints of it out of the corner of her eye.
When the Groom smashed the glass at the end of the ceremony, there was a cheer. Oscar suspected that it would normally have been louder and more exuberant. He glanced at the Bride and Groom feeling a little sorry for them. Their wedding had been overshadowed by greater events.
Oscar and Georgia were given places of honor at the table with the Bride and Groom. The youngest brother of the Bride had been displaced to make room for them despite Oscar's protests that it wasn't necessary.
Although this was a celebration of a marriage, the atmosphere in the room was subdued. There was a distance between the other guests and Georgia and Oscar. The wedding guests ate and talked, but would occasionally pause to look over at them.
Enjoying the feast, Georgia turned to Oscar and said, "This is great."
"Yes, it is," Oscar said. He rose and looked around the room. With a smile, he raised his glass of wine and said, "I'd like to propose a toast to the Bride and Groom."
All eyes in the room turned to Oscar. Hands reached for glasses of wine. Assured that he had everyone's attention, Oscar said, "I know that we all ask ourselves what can a mortal man say when a God has blessed a union between Man and Woman? Our words seem trivial in comparison. Let me remind you that this is a joyous occasion and one to be celebrated with food, wine, laughter, song, and dance.
"We are here to wish this couple well and to celebrate with them. I raise my glass and say what men and women have been saying to newlyweds since time immemorial. May they find love, comfort, and happiness in each other's arms. May their children grow up to be strong and healthy. I wish them a long and happy marriage!"
Oscar raised his glass and then drank down the wine. The rest of the room followed suit. The toast served its purpose and the atmosphere returned to what was more appropriate for a wedding. Little islands of laughter broke out here and there. People started telling stories and enjoying the company of others. Other toasts to the young couple were raised in time honored tradition.
When the food had been eaten, people began to dance. It was a variety of music ranging from classical Jewish music to modern rock. Oscar danced one of the slow dances with Georgia. The difference in their heights left his head resting against her breast. Neither one of them complained about it.
The Groom, a man who was actually older than Oscar, came to him and said, "Thank you for such a nice toast."
"Thank you for including us in your party," Oscar said. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a small gold coin. Handing it to the groom, he said, "Here's a little wedding present from Georgia and me."
The Groom looked at the coin uncertain about taking it. He said, "Your presence is gift enough."
"Nonsense. You've just gotten married. A young couple starting out can use all of the help they can get," Oscar said slipping the coin into the young man's hand. He winked and said, "You can probably sell it on eBay for a fortune."
"I'm sure of that," the Groom said looking at the coin. He slipped it into his pocket and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Oscar said putting an arm around Georgia.
She said, "I've never seen a Jewish wedding before. It really was a very nice ceremony."
The Groom smiled and said, "I'm glad that you enjoyed it."
After the Groom left, Georgia leaned over to Oscar and said, "They do make a cute couple."
"I think you're right," Oscar said with a chuckle. Brides always looked lovely and Grooms looked handsome. Oscar always figured that was a law of nature that even a bad case of ugly couldn't overrule. He looked around the room and said, "They certainly have a lot of friends and family."
Later the Rabbi approached Oscar and asked, "What do you think he meant?"
"It is not my job to interpret the message," Oscar said. It wasn't a surprise to him that former Prophets may have diluted by the messages they delivered by commenting upon them. The temptation to explain was almost overwhelming. The problem was that his speculations would be given greater weight than those of others.
"I think that Israel is about to have a major crisis," the Rabbi
said with a sigh. He could only imagine the consequences that would
follow when news of the message reached Israel. He hoped that life in
Russia wasn't going to get harder as a result.