“Shh,” he said, putting a finger over his lips.
Panic seized him. It’s a soldier! Is it Marcus? Leah was followed! Fear spread through him as he leaned near the window, trying to look outside. The noises grew louder and were coming from near the courtyard now.
He grabbed Elizabeth and pointed upstairs. “Go, go to the roof. Quickly!”
When they got up to the second floor, Michael pushed Elizabeth over to the roof ladder. “Up!”
Elizabeth stumbled. “Ouch!”
“Quiet,” Michael whispered to her. “Go to the other side of the roof!”
Elizabeth looked at him in horror.
“Whatever happens . . . I love you,” he said.
Elizabeth mouthed, I love you, too.
Hearing the front gate screech, Michael spun back, frantically trying to find a weapon. He pushed over a group of baskets near the far wall. Out fell balls of yarn and a couple of four-inch metal weaving pins. Michael crouched down, grabbing one.
He inched his way back to the ladder that led to the first floor and peered down nervously. Footsteps echoed from the kitchen beneath him. Someone was moving toward the ladder. Michael clutched the metal pin tightly. He raised his arm, ready to strike whoever tried to take Elizabeth.
“Michael?” a soft voice called out.
Michael’s heart stopped. He dropped the pin. Clink. Clink. Clink. The pin bounced several times off the ladder and to the ground where he could see Leah standing.
“Leah?”
She glanced at the metal object, then looked up at Michael. Her face went blank, and she slumped back against the wall below. After a moment of complete silence, she walked back to the opening.
“Michael, you scared me so. What are you doing?”
A lamb began braying below.
“Cassie?” Michael asked.
“Cassie!?” Elizabeth yelled from the rooftop, looking down at her father.
Michael looked up at her gleaming face. “It’s okay, Elizabeth! You have a special visitor.”
Elizabeth scurried down the ladder, barely stepping on each rung. The little lamb’s ears perked up. “Baa, baa.”
“Cassie!” Elizabeth leaped from the ladder to the kitchen and fell to the ground, where she embraced the lamb.
Leah stood nearby, waiting for Michael to join them. He looked at Leah and saw her eyes were moist and red.
“Cassie, oh, Cassie,” Elizabeth squealed. “I love you, my little lamb.
“Thank you, Leah, thank you!” she cried as she ran over to Leah to hug her. Elizabeth fell into her, pushing Leah back against the wall. “Thank you, thank you!”
Shocked, Leah slowly placed her arms around Elizabeth and held her.
While Elizabeth and Leah hugged, Michael continued to stare into Leah’s eyes. Thank you, he mouthed to her.
For a moment she made no reply, but then smiled at him. “No, thank you,” she whispered, her hand coming to rest on Elizabeth’s shoulder.
Elizabeth and Michael sat patiently at the mat while Leah lit the oil lamp suspended over them, casting a shimmering light around the room. After saying a blessing, she placed a cup of wine before each of them. Leah took a sip of hers and motioned to Elizabeth and Michael to do the same.
“Can I, Dad?”
Michael hesitated. He looked at Leah and remembered what had occurred during the last few hours with Cassie. “Well, why not? It’s a good day to celebrate a little.”
Elizabeth reached for her cup, watching the wine swirl inside when she picked it up. Even after Leah had thinned the wine with water, it was still thicker than eggnog. Elizabeth could smell its sweetness and slowly brought the cup to her lips. The wine reminded her of the kind they used at mass, but this was far darker in color, and when she tasted it, she liked it.
“Hmm . . . good.”
Michael smiled. “Sip it slowly, please.”
“Okay, Dad.”
Leah placed a bowl of water down on the mat and washed her hands. “Please, join me.” She gave them leaves of lettuce. She dipped hers into a bowl containing a lumpy mixture; Michael and Elizabeth followed suit.
“Mmm,” Elizabeth said, “this is good. What is this, Leah?”
“I made it especially for you, Elizabeth. It’s charoset. You make it from honey and crushed nuts.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said, dipping another piece of lettuce into the bowl.
“This is good,” Michael agreed. “Thanks, Leah.”
Leah, who was happy to see them enjoying this special meal, indicated the plate covered by a cloth on the center of the mat. She removed the cloth to reveal three matzos, the middle of which she broke into two, hiding the larger piece back under the cloth.
“I know you are hungry,” she said, giving Michael a wink.
“Do you have any questions about this holiday?” Leah asked Elizabeth, who was flustered from the few sips of wine she had taken.
“Um, well, what makes this night so special?”
Leah smiled at her as she began to tell them about the rich history of Passover and her people.
As she retold the story in the same precise and methodical way it had originally been told to her, Michael became captivated by how the lamp’s glow illuminated her rosy cheeks and green eyes.
Wonder how old she is? He found her so beautiful and her tone reassuring. He tried to pay attention to what she was saying but her voice was like an elixir, easing all the physical and mental stress he had endured over the past few days.
Occasionally, Leah would reach over and touch his hands when making a point about the holiday. Her touch was magnetic; he moved closer to her. When Leah would brush her hair from her face to regroup her thoughts, his heart seemed to pound harder.
When Leah finished, Michael glanced over at Elizabeth and noticed how relaxed she seemed. She was smiling, too.
Leah placed another cup of wine in front of them. “Your second cup of wine.”
“Oh my,” Michael said. “How many cups of wine do we get?”
“I am supposed to set out four.”
“Thank you!” Elizabeth squealed.
“Hey, Baboo, just take one sip from the rest of them, okay?”
Leah washed her hands in the bowl again, encouraging Michael and Elizabeth to do the same. Lifting the two matzos plus the half from the third, Leah recited a blessing, then divided the bread among them. She showed them how to dip a leaf of lettuce into the charoset before placing it in the center of matzo pieces to form a sandwich. She ate hers, encouraging Michael and Elizabeth to do likewise.
Leah looked pleased with them when she uncovered the remaining bowls on the mat, revealing a feast of cheese, nuts, and fish.
“We’re not having lamb tonight,” she said, looking at Elizabeth.
“Hurray!”
“I hope you don’t mind the fish,” Leah said to Michael.
Michael smiled. “Fish is great tonight, thank you.”
After they ate from the bowls, Leah brought out the hidden matzo half as dessert. She then placed another cup of wine in front of them.
“Oh, jeez,” Michael said, looking over at Elizabeth, who had fallen asleep. Smiling at Leah, he asked, “What about her?”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have made the charoset?”
“Why?”
“Because there’s wine in it.”
Michael looked over at Elizabeth. “Oh, no!”
He glared at Leah, pretending to be shocked, but then began to laugh. “Well, it doesn’t look like we’re getting back to the tunnel tonight. I can’t carry her.”
“I am glad. I was worried. I didn’t want to say it before, but with everyone celebrating Passover, the streets will be empty except for soldiers. You can hide in a crowd from them, but you’re at their mercy when you’re alone.”
Michael nodded. “I guess you’re right. Let me make Elizabeth more comfortable. C’mon, sweetie, get up.” He tucked his arm underneath Elizabeth’s to lift her. She felt heavy to him as he staggered over to her bedroll.
Placing her down gently, he whispered, “Sleep well, Baboo.” He brushed her hair from her eyes and kissed her forehead before turning to leave.