Leneeca (Part Two)

Our time in the Celtic community was filled with the constant stress of working with the Romans as well as attempting to convince Leneeca and the village chiefs that we wanted to help them.  We couldn’t lift the oppression they were under, but we were able to convince the Roman liaisons to spare lives wherever and whenever possible.  Eve spent many days assisting Leneeca with her work of healing and comforting the families who passed through the village and were attempting to migrate away from the battles being fought in their homeland.  Eve’s actions are what convinced the young woman that we were not filthy Romans, but compassionate people, wanting to make the world a better place.  Thanks to Eve’s persistence, Leneeca finally decided to let her guard down and speak openly.

“Why do you help me day after day?  You’re a Roman, not slave – yet you aren’t afraid to touch the sick or get the blood of my people on your hands and clothes when binding their wounds. And Joseph plays with the children and teaches them when he should not. Isn’t educating Roman enemies against your laws?”

Eve thought for a moment and then smiled at Leneeca. “We are not Romans.  I’ve told you this many times before.  I am Greek and Joseph … Joseph is from a faraway place.  We are with the Romans because we live in Rome and the senate asked us to record the events in York and the surrounding areas to send them news of all the events here.”

Leneeca moved closer to Eve to speak.  Eve was amazed at how much taller this young woman was than she.  When they both stood up straight, the younger woman was at least a head and a half taller than Eve.  Her height gave her the respect she needed when dealing with the men on the village council. 

Eve spoke, “Joseph loves children and would give his life to protect them (all his lives she thought to herself), and he was against the conquering of your people and openly spoke of what could be done to make offers to the Celts instead of coming into your lands with swords drawn ready to kill anything that moved in order for the Romans to press forward to own the whole of the world. Joseph is a good man and I agree with everything he believes in.”

Leneeca looked away from Eve with tears of shame in her eyes.  “I am sorry I judged you to be filthy and full of greed as the Romans are . . . Let’s begin a new day today and start fresh, as though we are first meeting.”

Eve agreed and from that moment on, she and Leneeca became like sisters.  It was in the eighth month of the occupation of the village when Leneeca took ill.  While working with the sick, she had caught a respiratory bacterium that quickly turned into pneumonia.  The young woman was distraught and in agony because she could not tend to the sick and injured as she did every day.  Eve’s heart was torn to watch such a beautiful and caring young woman quickly wasting away from the unseen killer ravaging her body.  I held Eve tightly in my arms and tried to comfort her while she was mourning for the young woman who was dying after she helped so many to get well.

We both sat by her side as she lay helpless and unmoving and then I thought of the medicine. Years before I had told Eve that the medicine had dried up, that we couldn’t make anyone else like us.  I couldn’t see a whole army of immortals running about trying to rule the world like the Greeks and the Romans, so I made the medicine disappear.  But I lied to my wife and she was the only person I should have trusted with the potion.  I looked down at Leceena and thought that the world would be such an ugly place without her warmth and compassion.  The young woman broke my thoughts as she struggled to speak.  “I can’t die.  Eve, Joseph, who will take care of them.” She wept. “I love them and they need me to get through all of this.”

Eve wept with her and leaned down to hug her tightly in her arms. “My dear sweet sister, I have grown to love you so much.  Please know that I will take your place and take care of everyone in your name and in your honor.”

Leneeca gasped and coughed --- Eve laid her down gently to make her more comfortable.  I looked at my wife and saw the agony in her eyes and there was only one thing I could do.  I reached into a secret pocket in my robes and pulled out the clay jar.

“Joseph, you lied!” Eve yelled.

“We’ll talk about it later.  Right now, just sit Leneeca up and help me so we don’t spill any medicine.”

Eve had a scowl and a hint of a smile on her lips (something I will see many times in the future when I screw up). She helped me drop a sip of potion into the young woman’s mouth and Leneeca swallowed, then gasped and then went rigid as we all did.

Eve looked up at me, “You really are going to have to explain this to me.” She said with anger in her voice. “You never lie to me, why now?”

“Okay, so this is going to hurt, isn’t it?” I asked, knowing her bad her temper may escalate. After all she killed Jago twice.

She smiled and faster than a flash of lightening, kicked me with all her might, straight between my legs.  I fell to my knees in excruciating pain.  I gasped for air and looked up at her and asked, “I guess you’re a little upset.”

(To Be Continued . . . .)

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