Onesimus, the Run-Away Slave

© 2004 by Ernest A. Jones SR. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from theauthor.

ISBN: 1-4140-3694-9 (e-book)

ISBN: 1-4140-3693-0 (Paperback)

ISBN13: 978-1-4140-3694-6 (ebook)

1stBooks-rev. 02/04/04

Contents

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER 1

He wrinkled his brow as he tried to remember what he had heard the night before. Placing his arms behind his neck he leaned back against the old gnarled sycamore-fig tree and stared up through its dense layer of green leaves. What was it, he said outloud as he tried to remember. Thinking he was asleep on his mat in the back corner of the room, his parents had talked quietly in the night. What had father said?

Oh yes, now I remember, they were talking about our neighbors, the ones who lived just a 15 minute walk from our house. Our neighbors place was raided. All their sheep and cattle were stolen and their small daughter was kidnapped too. She was just about my age and very pretty. Will I ever get to see her again? he wondered outloud. He shivered even though it was warm out.

Omne, Omne, Where are you? Omne, Omne, the anxious voice rolled over the land.

Terror gripped the boy’s soul as he started to run to the voice. I’m coming mother! I am right here! What do you want?

Oh there you are. Where were you? I was so afraid something had happened to you. Why didn’t you answer me sooner? The woman’s face was wreathed in worry wrinkles, her eyes dark with fear as her small son drew near.

"I am sorry mother. I guess I was thinking and didn’t hear you. But why were you afraid for me? I will not get hurt here.

Why, how could any harm come to me here?"

I had better tell you. We did not want to worry you and so planned not to say anything to you. But now I see I must tell you, but I don’t want the little ones hearing about this. They will be too frightened if they hear this horrible news. Do not tell them

I won’t mother if you don’t want me to tell them

His mother took in a deep breath and continued, her voice now quiet and soft. Yesterday a band of raiders raided our neighbors place. They stole all their sheep and cattle. And they stole their small daughter. The girl’s father and older brothers and sisters were away at the time. Now the little girl will become a slave if she can’t be found soon.

They took my friend Mary didn’t they? He searched her face for hope but saw only fear in her eyes.

Yes, they took her. How did you know?"

Last night I heard you and father talking.

So you already knew?

Yes, I was just out under my favorite tree thinking about what I had heard.

Now you will understand why I became afraid when you did not answer right away; I was afraid that the raiders had returned and taken you. Please be very careful and stay close by.

I will mother. I will be very careful and stay close. I don’t want to be stolen away. Do you think they will come back tonight?

Now don’t be scared. I do not think they will return tonight or soon for they will know that everyone here will be on the look out for them. No they won’t return soon, she added almost as a plea. As long as you stay close to the house you will be safe. Your father will do all he can to protect us. And we will never leave you here alone. We will pray to our god and he will help us. You know he is strong.

Yes I know that. But how can he help us. He can’t even move. Why all he can do is sit in that corner. Really he scares me.

Son! You must never talk that way! He will be angry at us! He will help us, you will see.

Well the neighbor’s god did not help them. Is our god stronger than their god?

Oh yes, son, our god is the strongest. Their god was made of wood. Ours is made out of silver, pure silver. He is the strongest god there is.

"Mother, Samuel says that his God is stronger than ours.

Is that true. If so why don’t we worship his God?"

I don’t think his God is anything at all. Why you can’t even see his god. We can see our god.

Okay mother, he answered. But as he turned away he muttered to himself; sure we can see our god. He sits in that dark corner all the time and never moves or speaks. He is ugly. I hate him. With that he returned to his favorite tree and sat where he could see down the road. He would watch for the raiders. They would never capture him.

In the house his mother worried over her first born son. He was a good son, never causing any trouble. But his attitude about their god worried her. Maybe their god would get angry with them. Maybe trouble would come to them. So she brooded over this problem and wondered how to help her young son to love their god.

Years went by and the family continued to grow. Now the boy had 3 sisters and 3 brothers. He helped his father work in the fields. All day they would work. It was hard but the boy did not complain. He liked the work and especially liked to drive the team of oxen as they plowed the land. He was now nearly a man.

He was handsome and very strong and could do nearly as much work as his father. He had almost forgotten that day long ago when his neighbor’s little girl was kidnapped. Her family never saw her again. He still wondered about his god and he still thought his god was worthless. But he never talked about this to anyone. He was afraid that something bad would happen to him. He did not love his god; one might even say that he despised the ugly silver god that always stared angrily at him.

The day Omne turned 14 years old his father came home with another team of oxen. Both of these large animals were white with long horns. His father had been assured that they were very gentle and were dependable working oxen.

Omne hurried to his father, excitement shining in his eyes. Father, where did you get them? Are you going to sell our old pair?

His father smiled at his first born son. How he loved this boy and now his eyes sparkled as he spoke. My son, these are for you. I think you are now old enough to have your own oxen so I bought these for you. With your own team we can work together and finish our work sooner. We can now plant that other field too. Do you like them?

"Yes I like them, and the boy walked up to the animals and patted their broad sides. The oxen looked at him with their large brown eyes and slowly chewed their cud.

From that day on, father and son would work their own teams and the land’s production increased greatly.

The new team proved to indeed be gentle and would respond willingly to the boy’s soft but firm command.

Then one day as Omne was plowing alone with his team of oxen, he saw a group of men coming down the road. There were 5 men. He was sure he didn’t know them. The men turned off the dusty road and started across the newly plowed field towards him. Omne watched them approach him and wondered where they came from. He started to walk towards them when a sudden jab of fear stabbed his heart. Standing beside the oxen he stood still as he watched the men. Suddenly he knew that the men were not friendly. How had they known he was alone that day? Actually as the men surrounded him he was glad he was alone for if his father had been home he might have been killed. If his younger brothers and sisters were home they might be taken too. Frantically he looked for a hiding place but there were none. He was totally alone in the middle of this large field and he felt a stab of fear surge through his whole being, a fear he had never known before. Quickly his eyes scanned the land for a way of escape but there was none.

Knowing he was no match for so many men he tried to appear calm. He greeted them with friendliness, Well now, What can I do for you men? Can I get you a cool drink of water? It is warm out today and you must be thirsty. Smiling he looked at them.

Stop the babbel, the leader of the group snarled. you are going with us. His eyes were dark while an angry look covered his unshaved dirty face.

Aren’t you making a mistake. Why take me? What can I do for you? Omne tried not to show the fear that gripped his very soul. He studied the men; they were a dirty lot. All wore filthy clothes and Omne could smell the foul odor flowing out from them. Several of the men had jagged scars on their faces and hands. No one smiled but all showed an evil intent.

With a sneer one of the men answered him. What can you do for us? You will see. Now come with us or it will be worse for you.

Omne turned towards his house and thinking he could scare the men, he called loudly, Father, Uncle Dan, I need your help now.

The words were hardly out of his mouth before a filthy hand slapped him across his mouth. The hand held firmly, nearly smothering him with its tight grip. Suddenly the hand gave a mighty shove and Omne was flung to the ground. Immediately he was given a hard kick to his thigh and almost as quickly jerked again to his feet. No more of that noise, one of the men cursed. We already know you are alone here. It won’t do you any good to call for help." With that two of the men grabbed him and tied his arms tightly behind his back. He was then chained between two of the men and they hurried down the road.

Hour after hour he was pushed along. His thigh hurt and often sharp pains radiated throughout his leg.

All day they walked and when night came they slept in the brush. He was so tired. He had been given no food all day, not even a swallow of water. Now as he was at last allowed to sit down, he was near collapse. Roughly he was tied to a scrubby tree and left alone.

Where are they taking me? What will happen to me? he wondered. He tried to pray to his god but how could he pray to him when he could not see him? My god is probably angry with me and this is why I was captured and dragged away. He longed to rub his sore thigh or his sore wrists but his hands were still tied and he could not even give himself this little relief.

He thought about his family. Would they know what had happened? This was only the second time that his father had left him home alone while he took the rest of the family to town with him. Omne knew the oxen would stand in the spot they had been left in and not move until instructed to move. Somehow he thought it was all his fault and he was more concerned for his family than for himself. It was as though he had let them down. Yes, my family knows. Father would have seen all the tracks around where the oxen stood. Maybe right now help is on the way. Maybe I should yell out for help; then they might hear me. No, he reasoned to himself, That will only get me in more trouble; maybe these men will even kill me if I do that. Oh, he moaned quietly to himself, I am so tired and thirsty." His stomach growled as if in response to his thoughts.

He had just closed his eyes when he felt a slight kick to his left thigh. Startled he looked up. A man was standing over him with a goatskin. It looked like the goatskin was full. Could it be water?

Here, the man said. Drink this. There was a slight look of pity in the man’s face. With a start Omne noted that this man was but a boy himself, probably not much older than he.

Taking the goatskin he said, thank you. I am so thirsty. He took a long drink of the water. It was warm and did not taste near as good as the cool water from the deep well at home but it was water and quenched his thirst.

He took several long drinks before the other boy took the goatskin away. He was revived some, maybe he would live after all.

Lying on the rough, stony ground Omne tried to relax his taunt muscles and hoped for sleep to put an end to this terrible nightmare. His whole body ached and again his stomach growled with hunger. He tried to change his position but the short chains made moving very difficult. He thought of home and knew complete loneliness and fear.

CHAPTER 2

He slept fitfully that night, for though Omne was not a small boy now, he was still very homesick. He cried softly often during the night. He tried to be brave but as he was not yet 15 years old it was hard to be brave. He knew it would be better for him if he didn’t fight his captors, but his whole being pleaded for him to try to flee. But even if I could get away I have no idea where I am; how would I find home? He turned slowly so he could look up at the stars and was surprised to see they looked just like they did at home. The night was clear and though he was glad it was not raining, he still shivered in the cool of the night. He had been given no covers to keep him warm. Then after all the other men had gone to sleep Amil, for that was the young man’s name, brought a goats skin and covered Omne with it. Though no words were spoken, Omne felt a kinship with this lad. He wondered why such a lad was with this rough group. But for now he was too tired, to homesick, to alone to care about another. He tried to sit up but could not as the chains were too short. All he could do was turn from one side to the other. The ground was hard and there were rough rocks under him. They seemed to cut into his very soul. What were these men