Something Special at Leonard's Inn, Benjamin Potter [e book reading free .txt] 📗

impetuous then, and Leonard was just beginning to see a profit with his wayside inn. Jerome and Joshua earned more than their share of grief from the older shepherds when they finally got the herd out of town and back to the fields. But the color of Leonard’s face as he was bowled over by the frightened sheep as well as the noise raised throughout the town when the tables and chairs set out in the courtyard overturned was almost worth the price they paid. Jerome and Joshua were laughing about the incident for weeks, and the other old shepherds who had been young with the two men all wished they had had a hand in the ruckus.
Jerome was startled from his reverie by shouts from the very Joshua of his musings. “You boys gather in those strays now. You do not want to be missing any of the herd when the last light falls.”
Jerome smiled at the admonition. Joshua had always been the more vocal of the two—Jerome was the thinker, trusted by the older shepherds to make sound decisions. Hadn’t it always been Joshua who suggested they wait just one minute longer to gather the sheep for the night? Losing a lamb at night could be a difficult thing. Jerome remembered the night that he truly began thinking through his decisions. He and Joshua had struggled searching for lost sheep on a night much like this one, twenty years earlier.

“If we had only listened when Gideon first told us to gather the sheep, I would not be our here with no moonlight,” Jerome grumbled, stumbling in yet another small hole in the hillside. These country hills were full of little dangers—holes, stones, hummocks—that were easily avoided in the sunshine, but hazards to be reckoned with even when the moon and stars shone brightly. Tonight, however, there seemed to be no light whatever. Next time, he thought. Next time I will not be so easily swayed into watching girls instead of sheep.
He did have to admit that watching the girls carry the washing back to town from the riverside was much more interesting than keeping a close eye on the sheep, they could hear the sheep well as they peeked over the hill to fall in teenage love again with the young women from the village.
Not watching the sheep, both boys had missed when two of the sheep under their care wandered away from the flock. It was already growing dark when they found the first of the missing lambs. Gideon had threatened them with their very lives if all one hundred sheep were not safe and secure when the morning watch began.
It was at this particular moment that Jerome had decided never again to be distracted from his job watching the sheep. Jerome could think of nothing that would draw his attention away without having someone to replace him in responsibility—even if it meant he go hungry or stay late on his own watch. Now he was battling not only the physical obstacles of the dangerous landscape, the dark skies, and desired sleep, but also the internal obstacles of self-doubt in his own abilities and the well of anger developing against his closest friend. Joshua was the cause of the missing sheep in the first place, and now Jerome was here—alone. It was Joshua who had convinced Gideon that they had already found the lamb for which he was responsible, and he should stay to help protect the flock. So, here was Jerome, searching through the darkness, fuming at his friend, and worrying about the other lost lamb—alone.

“They are all here, Jerome,” Isaac said. He was the spokesman of the two younger shepherds, much like Joshua had been when he and Jerome were the youngest shepherds in the fields. At the same time Jerome eyed Josiah, the more level-headed of his nephews, who smiled his confirmation of Isaac’s words.
Before Jerome could dismiss the boys to a time of rest for the night, the darkness was shattered.


3

Angel Sky

Jerome could feel the light. This was more than just a summertime thunderstorm. Jerome noticed that the lightning just stayed. There was not the streak across the sky nor the flash of brightness followed by dark—only this blindingly white, heavy light. This light that made him want to gaze heavenward, this light that frightened him because it was as if the sun had swallowed up the entire valley where they kept the sheep. His mind told him that it should be night, but here he stood in light that put the day to shame. Faintly, he heard the voice of Isaac near him. The boy was whimpering. Jerome wanted to turn, to place a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder, but the old man’s attention was riveted skyward as something—someone—took shape before his very eyes.
As the creature materialized out of the light, Jerome’s feeling of fear grew deeper in his heart. Was this the end of the world? Was the Lord preparing to punish the shepherds for the raucous way that they lived, the dirty jokes to make the young shepherds laugh, the practical jokes on Leonard (the inn keeper who was constantly reminding him that he could be living a settled life in town), the drunken nights when he had been young and foolish? If only he had another chance, he would mend his ways. He would even forgive Joshua for the night long ago when he had to find the last lost lamb without company. This bright messenger of the heavens was frightening indeed. What sort of sinister message could he bring from the Almighty?
“Why do you shake, Jerome?” The voice seemed to penetrate his very being. The angel even knew his name! “Don’t be afraid. I come with a message that will bring happiness to you and to men all over the earth. For unto you a child is born. This very day in the City of David a gift is given. He is Christ, the Lord.”
As the angel spoke, Jerome seemed to remember stories from his childhood in the synagogue school. Stories about the Messiah, the Chosen of the Lord, who would save all of Israel from the oppression that was upon them.
The angel continued to speak, “And this will be the way you can find the baby: He will be wrapped in soft cloths and lying in a manger.”
Without a pause, if it were possible, the brightness of the night sky increased, and Jerome saw and sensed hundreds of thousands of angels. More than he could ever wish to count even with his trained shepherd’s eye and all the tricks of his trade used to count moving sheep and lambs. And they were singing and shouting and praising God. The song was one that was at once unknown and familiar to the old shepherd. Although he had never heard the worship song before, his heart knew it. Had it not been for the power and beauty of the angel voices surrounding him, Jerome would have lifted his as well. As it was, Jerome was transfixed with awe as he stood motionless on the hillside reveling in the song and worshiping in his heart. He would remember the song and sing it throughout the rest of his years:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth, peace to men,
On whom His favor rests.”

When the song was over, without another shout or fanfare—no warning whatsoever—the entire host of angels was gone. Replaced by a deep darkness that was electric with its quietness and pierced only by a single visible bright star that seemed to illuminate the little village of Bethlehem, the City of David.
The spell cast by the angel sky was broken only after several moments. Almost simultaneously Joshua and Isaac exclaimed in hoarse whispers, “Did you see that!” Then their voices were joined by others whispering nearby:
“What was it?”
“Can it be true?”
Without waiting for the others to discuss his decision, Jerome knew he had but one course of action—to see this miracle spoken of by the heavenly messenger. It was his watch, but without looking back, he shouted, “I’m going to see!”
Gone were the fears of leaving the flock untended. Gone was the resolve never to shirk his duty again. Gone were the years of discipline and training that taught him to forget his own desires for the good of his responsibility. All were replaced by a driving need to see the great thing. Nothing else mattered. Not his job, not his reputation, not even the sheep. Jerome began to run.
He ran to town. He was energized. He couldn’t remember the time when he had the energy to run from the fields to town without stopping. But this story was too good to keep to himself. God had spoken to him. Sure, other shepherds had been present, and the message was given to each of them as well, but it was his personal message from God and somehow he must see, and then spread, this message to everyone he met. That was it! He had to see this thing of which the angel spoke!
“Wait!” Isaac was literally screaming behind Jerome. “Jerome! Wait! Wait for us! We want to see, too!”
Jerome looked over to see the other shepherds led by his young nephews and his friend and partner, Joshua, trying desperately to catch up. He slowed slightly, but he did not stop. He was just reaching the outskirts of Bethlehem when they caught up to him. “Look!” he shouted. “Here is a stable; let’s stop here. What did the angel say? ‘The baby will be in a manger’?”
Without another word the shepherds began to call out to the house and bang on the door. An old man that Jerome did not recognize came to the door, obviously roused from sleep, and angry at the disturbance. “What do you want? Don’t you know that we have had enough trouble getting to sleep with all the registrants in town?” he growled angrily.
“We just came to see your stable, old man,” Joshua shouted above the din. “Is this the place?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” the man snarled back. “Please go away before you wake the entire house. We have relatives in for the registration, and they are weary from their journey.”
In the meantime, Isaac and Josiah came around the corner of the small building. They had gone to the back of the house to see if indeed the manger held a baby child. “This is not the place, Joshua. We saw only straw and two broken-down oxen,” Isaac yelled. Then the shepherds all began running into town to find the next house with a stable in back.
The night continued in this manner until about half of Bethlehem was awake and yelling at the unruly shepherds who were disturbing every house or place of business that had even the appearance of a stable on the property. More than once, Jerome in his haste, stumbled over a poor soul who was unable to find lodging for the night. The population of the little village had swollen to nearly six times its normal size in direct relation to the Augustine decree. Everyone with any remote relation to the great king David had shown up to be counted.
“Could the angel have been mistaken?” Isaac asked as they moved on from their fifteenth empty stable. Of course, none of the stables had been completely empty, but none contained a manger filled with anything except straw. The animals inside each stable awakened and only added to the growing tumult heard throughout town.
“I don’t know,” Joshua stated. “Perhaps we didn’t really see an angel.”
“How can you say that!” Jerome rounded on his old friend. This was the first time he had really stopped