Eve stumbled backwards, her face in her hands. She tried not to breathe in the bitter smell. She wished to be able to block out the horrendous screeching that filled her ears. She couldn't bear to look at the sight unfolding before her.
And on top of all of that, where was Adam? She peeked out from behind her hands to catch sight of her husband, standing there with his arms crossed and his head hung. Keeping to himself. Trying to deal with the sight on his own. Heedless of the fact that she was struggling to keep her breakfast down. He didn't care that she was stumbling. He didn't care that she had no one to lean on. Only moments earlier he would have been glad to offer his hand, to wrap his arm around her and support her.
A drop of water flowed from the corner of her eye, down her cheek. She was...sad. Afraid. Alone. Hurting. She stumbled over a rock and fell, scraping her knee on the garden ground. The same bitter smell surrounding the animal asaulted her senses. This time it was her own...blood.
Blood. Death. Pain. New things she had never experienced before. Rejection. Shame. Guilt. Lonliness.
And Eve knew it was all her fault. She was the one who had decided to test God by taking a bite of the fruit. She had offered it to her husband. Now they were going to die, like the animal. Because of her act of disobedience. Her shoulders shook as she began to sob. The leaves she had sewn together to make a covering for herself itched.
She glanced up again at Adam. He had fallen to his knees now, his head in his hands, a posture much like her own.
And then a new emotion swept over her. Resentment. Bitterness. Anger. Why hadn't Adam said something? He had been standing right there...why hadn't her husband, the man who was supposed to lead, done something? He should have stopped her! That's his job!
But no, instead, he had allowed her to take the bite. And then he had gone along with the serpent's game and taken a bite as well! Where was that man's backbone? Why didn't he say something? Why didn't he stand up for righteousness and justice and obedience?
He was suffering with her and he was getting exactly what he deserved.
She opened her eyes again, and lying in the dust before her was a piece of clothing made from the skin of a lamb. She recognized the warm wool coat as one of the beautiful creatures God had made. She wept as she took off her clothes of leaves and replaced them with the skin. It covered better, but it still didn't make the shame go away.
If only she could go back and never take a bite from the fruit...
And on top of all of that, where was Adam? She peeked out from behind her hands to catch sight of her husband, standing there with his arms crossed and his head hung. Keeping to himself. Trying to deal with the sight on his own. Heedless of the fact that she was struggling to keep her breakfast down. He didn't care that she was stumbling. He didn't care that she had no one to lean on. Only moments earlier he would have been glad to offer his hand, to wrap his arm around her and support her.
A drop of water flowed from the corner of her eye, down her cheek. She was...sad. Afraid. Alone. Hurting. She stumbled over a rock and fell, scraping her knee on the garden ground. The same bitter smell surrounding the animal asaulted her senses. This time it was her own...blood.
Blood. Death. Pain. New things she had never experienced before. Rejection. Shame. Guilt. Lonliness.
And Eve knew it was all her fault. She was the one who had decided to test God by taking a bite of the fruit. She had offered it to her husband. Now they were going to die, like the animal. Because of her act of disobedience. Her shoulders shook as she began to sob. The leaves she had sewn together to make a covering for herself itched.
She glanced up again at Adam. He had fallen to his knees now, his head in his hands, a posture much like her own.
And then a new emotion swept over her. Resentment. Bitterness. Anger. Why hadn't Adam said something? He had been standing right there...why hadn't her husband, the man who was supposed to lead, done something? He should have stopped her! That's his job!
But no, instead, he had allowed her to take the bite. And then he had gone along with the serpent's game and taken a bite as well! Where was that man's backbone? Why didn't he say something? Why didn't he stand up for righteousness and justice and obedience?
He was suffering with her and he was getting exactly what he deserved.
She opened her eyes again, and lying in the dust before her was a piece of clothing made from the skin of a lamb. She recognized the warm wool coat as one of the beautiful creatures God had made. She wept as she took off her clothes of leaves and replaced them with the skin. It covered better, but it still didn't make the shame go away.
If only she could go back and never take a bite from the fruit...
 |
| Photo by Ben Maguire on Unsplash |
This is really, really good. I've always wondered what that was like... seeing death for the first time. I love your interpretation!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was really difficult to write, dealing with a heavy topic!
Delete