Waking up, Zack momentarily panicked. He hoped he hadn't slept too long. He wanted to reach his brother-in-law's villa before dark.

His dream had certainly been strange. What the messenger promised him didn't make any sense at all. He would never have a son or any children. Not in this lifetime. Not with his wife Liz! They were both getting older anyway. Time was running out for them.

He wondered how long he had slept. He sat up in the bed and stretched his arms overhead, yawning. The windows in the room where he slept were shuttered tightly.

As he stood, a feeling of dizziness came over him and he steadied himself against the wall. The dizziness passed and he reached for a pitcher of water on the table nearby. He poured himself a small cup and quickly drank it down. It was cool and refreshing.

Walking over to the window he opened the shutters and looked outside. It was still sunny. Though it seemed longer, he must have only slept a short while. He looked out at the small town of Nazareth far off in the distance. Though the air was hazy from blowing dust, he could make out little birds flying toward the low mountains, in the direction they would be traveling that day.

He was relieved that it was not too late to make the short journey to his in-laws. Instead of going directly to Josh's villa, they had stayed a couple of days at Rabbi Cohen's summer home outside Nazareth ­- to enjoy some vacation time of their own. Now it was time to continue on to his in-laws for the holiday.

They had been invited to stay at Josh's ancestral home. Zack deeply resented being constantly reminded of the difference between he and his brother Josh's wealth and station. The wealth that Josh had inherited, Zach thought bitterly.

Turning quickly he walked down the hallway toward the room where Liz was staying. He found her sitting up in a chair in front of the bedside table, with that distant look on her face, that she so often had these days.

"Liz, my darling, we must leave for Nazareth soon, he said. Are you ready to go?"

"Bithia? Bithia? Zack called out. Come help Liz ready herself for the trip."

The servant Bithia came from the other side of the house, wiping sleep from her eyes.

"Doesn't anyone work around here?" Zack asked, half-jokingly. During the afternoon, it was often so warm outside that people would take naps just to stay cool.

"I am not sure that I can move as quickly as you Zack, Liz said. I am not feeling very good, again today. Perhaps everyone would be happier, if someone as glum as I stayed behind and didn't spoil it for them. Don't you think?"

"Nonsense. Bithia, please help Liz. I am going to see how our 'caravan' is coming together. Hopefully it will be further along. Quickly now, we must arrive at Josh and Ann's before sundown ... it is the tradition!"

Zack began to pick up his pace as he walked through the small cabin, toward the door to the courtyard where their mules and baggage were tethered outside.

"Oscar?" Zack called out.

"Yes my master", the servant said.

"Are the mules watered and fed? Are they packed and ready to leave this place?" Zack asked.

"Yes, they are ready. We may leave anytime you wish."

"I can always depend on you to be on top of things Oscar, Zack said, patting him across his broad shoulders. Oscar smiled. Of course, Rabbi."

The difference between Oscar and Bithia, Zack thought, is that he is a servant and she a slave. Servants are working to pay off a debt, so after a few years they will be free to leave. Slaves on the other hand, are 'property' and therefore required to work for the rest of their lives. Unless freed. Why should a slave have a sense of urgency? Zack thought.

Neither Bithia nor Oscar belonged to Zack, anyway. They belonged to Josh, his wealthy brother-in-law who graciously 'loaned' them out, as a 'temporary' gift to Liz and Zack, who could not afford help of their own.

My good fortune! Zack sighed to himself.

As he turned to go back into the house, Bithia and Liz emerged from the front door. Bithia carried a bag of fruit and a rounded cask of wine. Liz carried a small purse that contained their precious and limited funds. It seemed that they were ready to leave.

What a relief. Bithia must have been eager to leave after all, Zack thought. He was not sure how she managed to hustle Liz along so quickly.

Earlier in the day, Oscar had packed their clothing and other items for the journey. They would not be coming back to the cabin, but instead would be staying for a few of days with Josh and Ann and their young daughter Mary in Nazareth.

After the Passover observance, Zack and Liz had hoped to take Mary with them, on a separate trip to the small village of Emmaus by the Galilee Sea, on their way back home to Hebron. It was a somewhat longer route, that would take them over a week, but it would be more interesting and comfortable, since most of it was by water on the River Jordan.

Oscar placed a small stand next to the closest mule, offering his hand to Liz to help her mount the animal. As she climbed atop, she sighed deeply, less than thrilled at the thought of the ride or the social setting that lay ahead. She knew that people would be drinking at the Passover celebration, which she did not approve of.

She also knew that Ann, her sister would be so happy and gay -- feelings that Liz didn't enjoy anymore, for so many reasons. She often compared herself to Ann who was beautiful and who married well. She did not fare well in the comparison.

As they exited the gates to the cabin's property, the sun dipped lower in the sky. They would need to ride quickly to arrive before sundown.

After about an hour of travel through the countryside, and then through Nazareth town, they spotted Josh's villa perched above the surrounding houses on a small hill.

Zack could see that Josh's personal slave Eran, was standing at the gate, waiting for their arrival. He was a solid young man with the pronounced musculature of a cabinetmaker. He was Josh's personal assistant and was often at his side, in business and at home.

It was rare for a slave such as Eran to play as intimate a role for his owner, which really spoke to the level of trust Josh had for him, Zack supposed. Eran was always carrying Josh's things and seeing to his personal needs.

Where's my helper? He thought. Zack felt a twinge of jealousy, and then remembered how hard it would be to spend time with the in-laws, having to listen to Josh boast of his good fortune. A fortune that came from his parents, who were now long gone.

Happily, there was Mary to distract Zack from his predicament. She was the daughter that he never had. And of course, Liz's sister Ann, the woman that he really should have married.

(End of Chapter 2)