Mary had been thinking about how to approach her mother for a couple of weeks. She wanted to catch her in a good mood. Good moods were hard to come by, what with the wedding getting nearer. Once she told Joseph and her parents about Gabriel’s visit a couple of months ago, well who knew what would happen then. That would take some explaining; that he was an angel and not the stone cutter from Nain.
So one day, when she and her mother were listening to the stories of those returning from the Pentecost celebration in Jerusalem, it seemed as good a time as any. “I want to go visit Aunt Elizabeth,” she blurted.
‘What?” her mother asked. “Now you want to go visit Aunt Elizabeth? Last year you didn’t want to see them at all when your father and I went. ‘Do I have to go,’ you said. ‘They’re so old. And Zechariah keeps telling those same boring stories over and over again. Their house smells like old people.’ Now you suddenly want to go visit your Aunt”
“You’re fifteen Mary!” her mother cried. “You just can’t go running off. There’s the wedding. What does Joseph think?”
“I haven’t told Joseph yet,” Mary said.
“Oh, great, what’s he supposed to think? His bride suddenly decides to go down to Judea to visit her aunt. How are you going to get there? You’re fifteen.’
“So you’ve just reminded me, mother.”
“Don’t get smart with me, young lady. Your father and I still have a few things to say about your life. I suppose next you’re going to tell me that you p.lan to travel through Samaria.”
“Mother, I’m not stupid. I’ll take the road east of the Jordan and then cross the river at Jericho.”
“Mary, you can’t go alone. No woman travels that way alone. Not only that, you’re only fifteen.”
“Mother, how many times are you going to tell me, ‘You’re only fifteen.’ You treat me like a baby.
Well I’m going to have a baby. So is Elizabeth.”
“What’s going on, Mary?”
THE BEGINNING…
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