BATHSHEBA 

PART 2

Bathsheba sank onto her soft bed. A
night servant had set out a gown to sleep in but she decided not to put it on
just yet. With Sarah busy washing dishes in the kitchen, Bathsheba could finally
have a few minutes of silence before she was interrupted. She lit a candle and
set it on the table by her bed, making sure it was stable in the candle holder.
She pulled the note out of her satchel and broke the king’s seal.  Taking a shaky breath, Bathsheba unrolled the
letter again. She carefully read the words from the king.

                My Dearest Bathsheba,

            This news of your, or shall I say my
child has surprised us both greatly. Do not be afraid of your husband finding
out. I will figure out how to take care of him so that we can keep our secret
safe. No matter what happens, go along with everything I say.

                                                                             Love,

                                                                                    King
David

      Bathsheba gripped the letter tightly as she felt her stomach
do a somersault.  What did David mean by
‘take care of him’?  She had no intention
of hurting her husband in the midst of all this.  A sudden pain sliced through her stomach. She
bent over, clutching it and clenching her teeth until the pain finally passed. Of
course, she never had the intention of having a child at this time in her life
either. Suddenly, someone rapped on the door lightly.  Bathsheba quickly sat up, causing another pain
to slice through her abdomen. “You may come in.” she said, her voice slightly
strained. The door cracked open and her older servant, Elizabeth, poked her
head in.  “Madam, if you don’t mind, I
believe I will be going to bed now. Is there any…” she paused and frowned at
Bathsheba’s face, which was beginning to pale. “Are you alright madam?”

                Bathsheba nodded even though her
stomach was on fire right now. “I’m alright. Just a little stomach ache.” She
cringed as another pain knifed through her abdomen.  Elizabeth already knew that she was pregnant,
as she was one of Bathsheba’s midwives, but she didn’t know the child belonged
to King David.  She quickly walked over
to Bathsheba.  “Come,” she said gently,
“let’s get you into some more comfortable clothing.”  She urged Bathsheba to put on her sleeping
clothes. Without protesting, Bathsheba slipped off her normal day clothes and
replaced them with the soft inner tunic made of smooth silk.  She remembered when Uriah bought it for her
as a surprise several weeks ago. The thought of him made her feel uneasy
inside.

                “Thank you Elizabeth,” she said
as she pulled back the quilt that covered her bed. The familiar scent of Uriah
floated into her nose.  The smell of
goats and straw reminded her of the time when he surprised her with a baby goat
when they were engaged. He was always so kind to her, so caring, so loving. How
could she have done this horrible thing to him?

                A tear pricked into her eye and
she quickly brushed it away with the tip of her finger. She was turned away
from Elizabeth, who was waiting to be dismissed, so she didn’t see the tear.
“You may go.” Bathsheba said, her back still facing her servant. She waited for
the door to close softly before she allowed herself to cry. Tears streamed down
her face as she blew out the candle, leaving her only in darkness. 

As she lay in bed, she thought of all the times when Uriah
said he loved her. Even when she was in a terrible mood he would always lay her
in his lap and rock her like a child, whispering his love for her over and over
again. She cried into her pillow, the blanket tucked beneath her chin.  She cried as she thought of him, off at war,
not sure if she would ever see him again. She cried because of the horrible sin
that she had committed to her caring husband. And she cried because of the baby
in her right now, and it wasn’t even his.