As Bert carried on with his rant, Mabel’s steady gaze picked up on something the others missed. The woman stiffened and sat up a bit and a look of pain or maybe –terror, crossed her face momentarily. Then she lay back again and seemed to return to her rest.
The air grew colder as night overtook the evening. Irma, Mabel and Bert huddled closely together. Irma found a perch on the beam of Mabel’s back, tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep. Bert muttered something and turned his head away from the couple and faced the back wall of the stable.
Mabel maintained her steady vigil. And for a second time she watched as the woman responded as if being stricken with a distinct and sudden pain. Again, she returned to her rest.
Mabel studied them. Their clothes were filled with the dust of heavy travels. The bottoms of their robes were caked with layer upon layer of mud and they were frayed severely. Their humble shoes had worn away to almost nothing. She could see the bruises and bumps on their feet that told the story of the rugged terrain they had traversed.
As the moonlight began to give everything a bluish cast, she could see that their faces were gaunt and weary.
The woman stirred. This time she grimaced in definite pain.
The man roused from his slumber as well. He produced from a small leather pouch a few dry beans, some berries and a meager morsel of bread. They shared the food.
Bert, who was too upset to sleep, turned back toward the couple. “Great! Everybody’s eating – everybody but ole’ Bert!”
“Bert,” Mabel said quietly, “why do you think these people are out here in this stable?”
Bert guaranteed her that it wasn’t by choice. Undoubtedly, there was just no other shelter left in the village.
“People wouldn’t dare spend the night with animals – it would be so beneath them,” he said in a mocking voice, “and these two will leave here on their first opportunity – mark my words!”
Then Bert softened, his eyes took on a noble tone and he lifted his chin, “now my shepherd – that’s a different story! He smells like me! And he smells normal because he stays with me, he eats with us sheep and he sleeps with us sheep. Why most nights, when it’s time to go into the sheep-fold he spends time with each one of us making sure we are alright – then he sleeps in the door of the sheep-fold so no one can get to us except through him.”
“Isn’t he one of those people you so despise?”
And Bert’s voice broke a little –“…no, he’s different. He’s above us – yet he’s one of us.”
“But all shepherds – they are like that?” Mabel pressed.
“Oh no – you may find this hard to believe but some sheep are a little difficult-”
“You’re kidding?!” Mabel interjected with mock surprise.
“Oh yeah, some sheep – present company excepted, of course – will just wander away from the flock”
“Like when they are hungry or aggravated.” Mabel said, and though her eyes never changed, the lilt of her voice gave Bert to know she was referring to him.
“Yeah sometimes, and sometimes for no particular reason at all; now not all shepherds will care enough to go out looking for the one that strayed, but a good shepherd - like my shepherd, he will go after that straying sheep; even though he doesn’t deserve it.”
Mabel pressed a little, “Did your shepherd ever have to come looking for you?”
“Okay so I’m not perfect – yeah he has come after me once . . .” and he thought a moment, “… okay a few times.
When you’re lost and the sun goes down and you start hearing night sounds, like growling and howling – it can get very lonesome and frightening – even for someone like me!
But my shepherd left the warm campfire and searched high and low until he found me and brought me back to safety.”
Bert was proud and didn’t want Mabel to see him with tears in his eyes, so he muttered something about being hungry again and went outside.
Mabel stared at the couple and chewed. She began to recognize a pattern: the woman would jerk to a sitting position and clutch her belly in pain every few moments. And the intervals between the terrible pains were growing shorter. She was going to have a baby.
The man and woman had talked a little in hushed tones and he had begun to scurry about. At first, he bore the look of sheer terror, but soon that looked melted away into a resolute determination. The look said he would do what had to be done. He found some fresh hay and brought it into the stable; he began to tear up some clean cloths he had found in another part of the stable. And each time the pain of the woman would become great, he would rush over to comfort her and speak tenderly.
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