FIVE STONES....

FIVE STONES 

The boy scuffed  ancient ground with his  feet. He had to find five stones. Five perfect stones. He had promised. 

The boy could see  warriors on the other side of the valley. Smoke rose from fires. Men in armor jostled each other, yelling insults across the ravine.  He felt his arms grow weak. He felt fear. Who was he to do this? What would become of him?

His father had sent him. He had no business being here.  He saw a round stone. He fingered it . Cleaned it of dirt, and so much dust. Dropped it in his pouch.

Dust to dust, I am, he thought. I’d  better hurry. I need four more stones. I promised.

And then he saw the Colossus on the other side. He was huge. He stood on the edge of the valley and gestured to the boy. His comrades laughed and  paraded  behind him.  The Big Man threw a rock  into the air. It landed not far from the boy.

Four stones. The boy  scurried down the embankment and gathered the rock to his chest. He dropped it into his pouch. I promised.

Three stones. His heart trembled. Trembled for those days  he would sing to his flocks. When home was safe. And now the boy had offered his life. 

His eyes were weak with the gleam from their shields. It  blinded him. One of his brothers came up  from behind, placed a smooth stone into his hands. He said something reassuring and retreated. Like the others. 

Five stones  he would need this day. He had waited 40 days. Like the rest. Everyone was afraid of the Gigantic Man. Each side waited for the other to attack.

The boy  needed just two more stones. He needed  a miracle. He took  his time. But time was something he could no longer afford. 

Five for Kingdom come, the boy said to himself.  They will sing for me. I know they will sing….

The Big Man came a little closer. He tossed another rock and it landed near the feet of the boy. It was perfect.  The boy plopped it into his pouch.

One more stone. The boy swung back to the hill. His king stood there, waiting for him. Watching. The king , himself,  picked up a stone,  and placed the last stone in the hands of the boy.  I promised, thought the boy. Why did I promise?

Five, said the king. Your time has come. Then he went back to his tent. He was afraid. Like all of them. The others all  backed away. 

But not  the boy.

Five I need this day, he said to the wind. The Colossus moved even closer . He shouted  and brandished his weapons.    The boy  held one of the stones, smooth, polished by the dust of time, and fitted it into  his sling.

Then like the phoenix rising out of the ashes, the stone sang , swinging  faster and further than a song could travel. And then the boy let it fly. It flew like a falcon . And the Huge Man dropped. Dropped to the earth.

There was silence.

And the boy met his epic Foe where he fell. He bent over him and whispered in his ear.“ I release you….”. Then the  Man died and his soul vanished into  fast approaching night.

 

 And  the boy’s fear fell  away, as it if were nothing more than a dream..

The boy knew who he was to become. He had kept his promise.

He retrieved the fifth stone where it had landed.  And the wind knew his name…..

 And whispered it . Softly. Ever so softly.

Photographs  2022 

NOTE:The Valley of Elah is 15 miles west of Bethlehem and about 20 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. It is known to be the site of the  battle between David and Goliath........