The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

“Your father was the third to be born in his family. Two sisters also . . . went to The Kingdom. One was a twin to your father. It has been said that the bond your father had with his deceased twin, had left him unstable. All his life he’d been unruly. When his father passed away, leaving him to lead the people, your father became power-hungry. Almost insane.”

Daniel tried to swallow the information his mother had given him. It was becoming more evident to him. His father was almost sixty years old, and Daniel had just turned eleven. They had tried three other times before having him.

“What if you have another girl? Will he kill her?”

His mother nodded. “He must have a boy.”

“You can’t let him, Mother.”

“I have no choice, son. You must pray that your father either changes his mind about you or gives me another son.”

“I will pray, Mother,” Daniel said, but for the first time in his life, he was unsure God was listening.

“And behave yourself, son. Your father knows you have been visiting the girl. He knows she still lives.”

“I can’t let her die.”

“I know. I don’t want the girl to die either. Just be careful. And pray that God takes control of the situation before anyone else has to die.”

“You know about Naaman?” Daniel’s eyes widened.

She nodded. “You are not the only one who listens to the goings-on of the High Prophet. I know all that happens. All I can do is pray, but I fear God has turned His back on us.”

To hear that his mother felt the same way he did troubled his heart. His mother had always been his stronghold. The one he could go to when he needed anything. His lifeline. But now he looked at her differently. The eyes that always seemed distant now looked sad. And she had every right to be. She’d allowed her murdering husband to kill three of her offspring. Three girls.

“Did you name them? My sisters?”

Another tear dropped as she nodded her head. “Your father does not know. They are only named in my heart.”

“What are their names?”

“The first was Dinah. It means perfect, as she was a perfect sweet princess. I got to hold her for an entire hour before she was taken away. Your father had been away when I gave birth. As soon as he came home, he was furious. Immediately Dinah was taken away from me. I never saw her again.” More tears fell from her face.

Fury rose inside Daniel. He didn’t want to hear anymore, but he needed to. “And the second?” his voice wobbled.

“Edna. It means delight. I held her for only a moment before she was snatched away, but as she lay on my chest and smiled at me, I knew her name would be Edna.”

Daniel swallowed and wiped at his watery eyes. “The third?” He barely heard his own voice.

“Jael. It means one who ascends. As soon as I saw her, I knew she would be taken away from me. She had a full head of beautiful blonde hair. It looked just like a halo around her sweet little head. She was an angel who would soon ascend.”

“I am so sorry, Mother.”

At his words, his mother broke down in sobs. Daniel placed an arm around her and held her. “I am so sorry.”

Chapter 34 ― Rachel

As Rachel sat in the hospital chair and cuddled her sweet baby boy, she realized that it had all just been a dream. It had felt so real to her. And to wake up with her baby gone. Taken right out of her arms without her knowledge had been scary. It had turned out that they had only taken him to the nursery for her to get some sleep, but it made her feel neglectful all the same.

Since her C-section, she’d been in a great deal of pain and remained quite swollen, but this morning she was feeling much better. The doctor had told her if all went well, she would be able to leave soon. She was ready to get out of the cold, noisy hospital. She had yet to get a good night's sleep since she’d been there. Someone was always coming in for some nonsense.

Taking care of a baby was like second nature to her. She’d helped to take care of so many of her younger siblings that she knew just what to do. The only new thing to her was, of course, breastfeeding. That, so far, proved to be the most painful. But she had been assured that it would get better and it was the best thing for her son.

As he fell asleep in her arms, she placed him carefully into the plastic see-through crib provided by the hospital so she could pack up her few belongings. It only took a couple of minutes. She had only come with a change of clothes and an outfit for the baby. But now she had all kinds of bottles, formulas, diapers, and even a baby bag given to her by the hospital. “Samples,” they had said. She was happy to receive them.

Sitting back into the chair, she reached over for her Bible. Shelly had gotten it for her when she was first learning how to read. She still struggled with some words, but they were becoming easier and easier for her to read. She’d enjoyed the Psalms of David the most. They calmed her, proved to her that God was loving. Even in his trials, David had trusted in God.

She opened the book, and an envelope fell out. She picked it up. The word written on the front was familiar. The first one she’d learned to write. RACHEL was spelled out in bold block letters.

Trembling, she turned the envelope over. The image of a man standing over her came back to her. He’d been so real she could touch him. That dark, disheveled hair and probing brown eyes. The rough facial hair that was mixed with