The pebbles on the road felt like tacks through his worn sandals, but he didn’t stop. He looked for the easiest path back to Leah’s and slowed only when he was sure no one was near.
“I’m lost again,” he gasped through heaving breaths.
In the silence, Michael heard someone calling his name. He stood motionless. The voice grew clearer as he saw two familiar figures up ahead.
“Michael? Michael, is that you?” Leah called softly.
He walked quickly toward them and whispered loudly, “Yes, I’m here!”
“Are you all right, Dad? Leah said you ran out.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” He wrapped Elizabeth in a big hug. “I got lost. Where are we?”
Leah pointed to his right. “My home is over there. We’re not too far away.” She noticed blood on his clothes. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.” Michael stopped, turning toward her.
“Is everything okay, Dad?” Elizabeth asked.
He paused. “No, actually nothing is ‘okay.’ Elizabeth, should we be doing something to make this all stop?”
Elizabeth stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“I saw Judas die, and Jesus being led away. Peter denied him. And I did nothing. Nothing!”
“But, Dad,” Elizabeth said, shaking him by the shoulders, “what could you have done?”
They walked back to Leah’s house in silence. As they entered through the front gate, Michael finally felt a sense of peace.
13
BURDENS
Michael awoke with a throbbing headache. But as he rubbed his eyes, he felt relieved that the air was cool and dark. When he stood up, he noticed that he had an extra blanket wrapped around him. He saw two flickering lamps in the distance still burning from the night before.
It’s time to go. We don’t belong here. There’s nothing more we can do.
His aching legs carried him across the rooftop as he measured each step so he wouldn’t fall. He staggered near the head of the ladder but made his way down safely. He saw no one on the second floor so he proceeded down to the first. Leah was in the kitchen by the fire while Elizabeth was in the next stall, petting Cassie.
Leah looked up at Michael. “How are you? How do you feel?”
He gingerly rubbed his head. “I’ve been better, but we really have to get going.”
“Of course. Breakfast soon will be ready,” Leah said.
“No, we’ve got to leave now. Elizabeth, get your things.”
“Okay, Dad,” she said as she passed Leah in the kitchen on her way to the ladder.
Leah gave him a puzzled look. “Why now?”
“It’s Good Friday. This is the day they will crucify Jesus. There’ll probably be no one on the streets. They’ll all be in the courtyard. With everything going on today, it’s the best time.”
“Let me get my veil.” Leah looked at Michael sadly. “Drink some water before you go,” she said as she proceeded upstairs.
Elizabeth appeared with a fresh robe tucked under her arm. Michael met her at the foot of the ladder.
“Listen, I want to talk about last night.”
“Dad, you don’t have to.”
“No, I want to,” he said, following her. “I got lost when I was out. I saw Judas. I spoke to him. I asked him why he did it, and he said he thought Jesus would rise up against the Romans.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. He told me just before he . . .” Michael paused. “Well, before he killed himself. I tried to stop him. I tried to convince him to give the money back and stop it all. But he wouldn’t listen to me. He must have hit me hard. When I woke up . . . oh, it was awful. His body was hanging from a tree.”
Elizabeth gasped. “Oh, Dad!”
“Today’s the crucifixion.”
“How can you be so sure ?”
“I saw everything in that garden last night when they handed Jesus over to the Romans.”
“What?”
“Yeah, it was unreal. But think about it: we’ve been here a week, and each day when we wake up, another event is happening. It was Palm Sunday five days ago. Last night was the Last Supper. I literally saw him being handed over to the soldiers. I heard him tell the apostles to put down their swords! Today has to be Good Friday. We’ve got to go now while we can.”
Elizabeth hesitated, weighing what he was saying, but then turned to him. “But we can help him! We can stop them from killing Jesus!”
Michael wrapped his arms around her. “I tried to help him last night. I had a chance, but I froze when I saw the soldiers taking him from the garden. I tried to convince Judas to come back with me, but I couldn’t save him either. I’m not going to try again today, knowing that you may never get back, knowing that it will do no good. Last night the streets were empty with just a few soldiers around. Today there will be hundreds more. And there will be angry crowds. I can’t lose you.”
Elizabeth pulled away. “But we could try. We have to try.”
Michael exhaled slowly. His voice trembled. “But should we? If we change this, Elizabeth, if we stop it or even just slow it down, what does it mean for everybody else? They always told us growing up that his crucifixion was part of this great plan for the world, and heaven. ‘God sent his only son’ for this to happen, right?”
Elizabeth stared at him accusingly. “You always told me to help other people, and yet, once again, you’re backing away. Can’t we try?” She rattled Cassie’s gate. “Daddy, please.”
Michael stretched his arms out resignedly and Elizabeth hugged him.
“Okay, we’ll go,” she agreed quietly. “What about the soldier who’s looking for me? He’s going to be after us, right?”
Michael nodded. “I know. He’s frightening, but I believe that today all the soldiers will be there with Jesus. There’s a good chance that the soldier won’t be near the tunnel.”
Leah came down the ladder carrying a white veil. “Put this on,” she said, motioning to Elizabeth. Her face grew worried as she watched Elizabeth wrap the veil around herself.
When they passed through the front gate, Michael stopped to close it behind them. He looked at the quiet, vacant house.
“Thank you,” he said to Leah, touching her arm.
Leah moved expertly through the maze of streets, her brisk pace never slowing. Although it was eerily quiet when they first left Leah’s, a distant roar soon pierced the morning solitude.
Michael felt worn down, racked with guilt over his actions the night before. I’m sorry, Jesus, I should have helped last night. I couldn’t and now I can’t help today. I’m sorry.
“Dad! Look!”
Michael realized that they were just outside the courtyard where they had met Leah. From the road, he could see Jesus standing on the big marble steps in front of hundreds of people.
“Oh, no,” he said under his breath.
Turning back to the road, Michael saw in the distance the alley leading to the tunnel. It’s right there! We can leave right now. It’s safe. But when he looked over and saw Jesus in front of the angry mob, he felt drawn. He knew he couldn’t leave. Not like this.
“Elizabeth. Come on.”
They walked slowly through the massive gates into the courtyard. They were quickly surrounded as more people swarmed in. The crowd seemed angry, even ravenous.
“Daddy, I’m scared,” Elizabeth whispered under her breath.
Leah grabbed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m here. I won’t leave you.”
Elizabeth tightened her grip on Leah’s hand and let herself be led farther into the courtyard.
The noise around them escalated to a fever pitch when a new man, not the high priest but a noble-looking man—a true Roman—strolled out before them. He was escorted by several soldiers to the edge of the stairs, where he stood, surveying the scene. He watched as more soldiers came marching in from the right, their spears and armor gleaming in the early-morning sunlight. The crowd parted quickly for the soldiers, who quickly surrounded Jesus.
“What crime has this man committed?” the Roman shouted to the crowd of soldiers.
“He has claimed to be the Son of God,” one of them replied.
Michael grabbed Leah’s arm tightly. “Leah, is that man at the top of the stairs named Pontius Pilate?”