The Sixth and Seventh Day Man: A Trilogy

The Sixth & Seventh Day Man

Book One

The Time of ADAM and EVE

By Robert M. Pollack

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Copyright 2008 Robert M. Pollack.

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Contents

Book One

Personal notes

INTRODUCTION

EUPHRATES

OVERVIEW

CHAPTER ONE - IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO SHOW AFFECTION IN PUBLIC

CHAPTER TWO - THE EMERGENCE OF ADAM AND EVE

CHAPTER THREE - ADEE CLAIMS HER PRIZE

CHAPTER FOUR - THE GARDEN, WAS IT SO LONG AGO?

CHAPTER FIVE - CAIN AND ADEE’S ENCOUNTER WITH ADAM

CHAPTER SIX - JOP AND WAPA MEET CAIN

CHAPTER SEVEN - FIGS, THEY ARE THE LORD GOD’S FAVORITE

CHAPTER EIGHT - THE LORD WILL DECIDE

CHAPTER NINE - AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?

CHAPTER TEN - THE MARK OF CAIN

CHAPTER ELEVEN - NOT A GARBAGE COLLECTOR

CHAPTER TWELVE - I KILLED MY BROTHER

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - CAPTAIN NEBON AND THE K.D.O.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - GOOD HELP IS SO HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - LET’S MAKE SOME LOVE

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - WHO KILLED AMORATH?

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - BEHOLD! PROGRESS APPROACHES

Book Two

Overview

CHAPTER ONE - THE CITY OF ENOCH

CHAPTER TWO - THE CITY OF EDEN

CHAPTER THREE - THE LAND OF ADAM

CHAPTER FOUR - THE TRIP TO THE CITY OF ENOCH

CHAPTER FIVE - THE MARRIAGE OF PRINCESS NAAMAH

Book Three

Introduction

Overview

CHAPTER ONE - NOAH IN THE LIBRARY

CHAPTER TWO - A FOGGY NIGHT IN THE CITY OF RABET

CHAPTER THREE - THE MAP OF ENOCH

CHAPTER FOUR - JAM-MIE SUM-MERS

CHAPTER FIVE - THE INTERVIEW

CHAPTER SIX - THE DEPARTURE

CHAPTER SEVEN - THE ANCIENT CITY OF ENOCH

CHAPTER EIGHT - THE GREAT TURBIN MOUNTAINS

CHAPTER NINE - INSIDE THE GREAT TURBIN MOUNTAINS

CHAPTER TEN - OUT OF THE GREAT TURBIN MOUNTAINS

CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE RETURN

CHAPTER TWELVE - JAIL INTERVIEW WITH NOAH

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - THE TWENTY YEAR WAIT

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - INTERVIEW WITH NOAH

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - RETURN TO THE LAND OF ADAM

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - A TRIP FOR EVE

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE MARRIAGE OF SHEM AND EVE

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - SABBA AND SEBBA

CHAPTER NINETEEN - THE LAST INTERVIEW BY JAM-MIE SUM-MERS THOR-TON

CHAPTER TWENTY - THE FLOOD

About the author

Personal notes

Praise The Lord! Thank you Jesus!

I would like to thank every one who has helped in the production of this book.

I started to write The Sixth and Seventh Day Man in 1980 and it has been a long road.

In the process of the time, Life got in the way.

I would like to thank K.D. Owens for designing the cover.

I would like to dedicate this book to my mother, my children, grand-children and my great grand-children and of course the generations that will follow.

The one thing that I have learned in writing this book is to wait on God, because His time is perfect.

Adam an Eve had to wait, Enoch waited, and Noah waited for the Lords time.

Born again Christians also wait for the return of Jesus Christ. He is coming very soon.

The Sixth and Seventh Day man is called Christian Fiction because I have written a fiction story using people in the bible who were real.

If the book seems so much like our present day, then see what it was that Jesus said about the time of His return, and how He compared it to the time of Noah in the gospel of St. Matthew 24:37.

I pray Gods blessing on all who read this book and I call upon the power of the Holy Spirit of God to bring you to the foot of the cross and repent of your sins and ask Jesus Christ into your heart.

Be Born Again!

Thank you

Robert M. Pollack

INTRODUCTION

Who is the sixth day man?

He is the person who does not know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. He is the person who does not make Jesus Lord of his life. This person is the captain of his own ship and the ruler of his own destiny. He believes that he is god and master of his own life.

Who is the Seventh Day Man?

He is the person who is Born Again and has a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord God Jesus Christ. Like Adam this person speaks to and hears the voice of God. He acknowledges the Lord in his life and allows Jesus to have lordship over all his affairs.

EUPHRATES

Beautiful, Beautiful, Euphrates

She was born at the top of the world and started her long journey to the ocean, some great distance away, as a small innocent child. But, as time passed she became UNTAMABLE EUPHRATES, for she grew to be a cold, raging, contemptuous woman, her waters swelling and seething. Nothing compared to her power, as she pushed and she screamed and she beat herself relentlessly against mountain walls, claiming her prize in time, but at a cost to her strength. She gracefully poured herself over towering cliffs and flew and danced in the midst of multiple rainbows. She was now called PEACEFUL EUPHRATES, flowing across the land, her course true, a timeless old signature on the face of the earth. Her banks are very wide and her waters move slower now, covering the land that lies before her. The city looks on. ETERNAL EUPHRATES, watching man come and go, then appear once more on her banks. Their over-laden barges and ships cut across her back like filleting knives, taking more than they give. MYSTERIOUS AND SPIRITUAL EUPHRATES, flowing through the land of Adam. Slow, so very, very slow. Past ferns centuries in the hanging, air still and hot, she creeps to her destiny. The passiveness of her appearance belies the surging strength that moves deep within her. It is here, in the land of mystery, in a land that is spiritual, feared, and lost in legends. It is here where the old river demonstrates her caring, and her compassion. Passing through the Land of Adam is where she serves. Her solo travel has come to an end. Three children spring from her body and rebelliously forge their own paths. They are called the Pison, the Gihon, and the Hiddekel and are streams in comparison to her. Only she runs to the ocean. Slow at first, but with the tenacity of a resolute woman, she cuts a deep gash through the Great Turbin Mountains, winds her way through the Land of Nod, and cascades into the ocean. A woman melting in her lover’s arms, bathing in his warmth, she has arrived. She is home. In her wake, she moved mountains, formed mighty caverns, cut canyons and nourished the known world. She is called EUPHRATES!

OVERVIEW

"In the beginning God created, and His SPIRIT moved. And GOD said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of GOD created He him; male and female created He them. And GOD blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and REPLENISH the earth, and subdue it: And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Genesis 1:26, 27, 28 and 31.

On the seventh day, God the Father rested. He had prepared all the things needed to make his sixth-day-created male and female happy. They had dominion over all of God’s work on earth. God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply, to REPLENISH the earth and subdue it. And they did! They were stamped with the very image of God, the power to create and to be pleased with their accomplishments.

God’s sixth-day creations found that they had the power to create, in their own minds and with their own hands things that could give them pleasure or pain. Their creative powers seemed to be unlimited. If they could think it, it could be done. Nothing was impossible to this sixth-day-created male and female of THE FATHER GOD.

These first-created human beings soon discovered that they had desires that could not be filled by their own powers. Their desires made them take from others what they could not attain themselves. They killed to fill their needs. They established boundaries and built walls to cage themselves in and keep others out. Kingdoms rose and kingdoms fell, empires came and went. Great cities were built with towering buildings reaching beyond the clouds.

God’s male and female stood back and saw everything that they had made and behold; it was very, very good!

But as time moved on, and they grew in knowledge, their inhumanity to their own kind reached barbaric levels. Human life became an option, an opinion, and a choice. It held no meaning other than the meaning their created laws imposed.

God was forgotten. Some claimed that God was dead. So, new gods were found in the movement of the stars and planets. New gods sprang from the test tubes of their laboratories. There were gods of wood, gods of stone, and gods of desire. The first-created humans were lost in the wonder of their own creative powers, and they marveled at their achievements. Bathing in their own glory and drunk with their own pride, they finally concluded that they were gods, masters of their own destinies and children of the earth and stars.

They created weapons to protect themselves, and with each passing generation the armament increased in power. In due time, they learned to harness the energy of the sun and created a weapon not even they could control.

The creation, held its creator in fear.

It was a paranoid world.

It was a sunny world.

It was a new world.

Destruction followed.

Nations were leveled, mountains fell into the sea, and the earth wobbled like a rolling egg.

Continents slammed into one another. New mountains arose, their towering peaks ascending high into the mist that covered the earth like a shroud, blocking the sun’s rays for evermore. Few humans survived the fire that was unleashed that bright sunny morning. There were a few pockets of survivors scattered around the world, only a handful in a world void of the sun’s direct light.

At their beginning they were created by GOD and given the earth to rule over. Now they were at the mercy of the elements, a slave to the world that was, at one time, theirs.

They are reduced to animas now, living in caves and the rubble of their own making. Their skin is bleached white, pale from the lack of sunlight. Hair is long and shaggy. They cover themselves with the skins of animals and adorn themselves with the bones and skulls of their enemies.

Together they now fight to survive. They protect their own and record their history on the walls of their homes. Their power to create and to express themselves urges them onward and drives them forward. Each succeeding generation advances and strives to become better than the one left behind. They forget the former things; they forget how they came to be and study the rocks, the trees, and the dirt to seek their origin.

They organize and build once more.

The city of Eden emerges on the banks of the Euphrates River.

This is the time of Adam and Eve.

It is a new world.

It is a sunless world.

It is a world of hope.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom He had formed.

Genesis chapter 2 verse 7 & 8. King James Version

CHAPTER ONE

IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO SHOW AFFECTION IN PUBLIC

It is sunset over the city of Eden. The mist in the sky is capturing the multitude of dust particles and blending them together. There is a spectrum of light in dazzling colors and hues that would make many a lover cry.

It is all missed by Jop, as he hurriedly walks up the pathway to his house. He, his wife, and 18-year-old daughter Adee, live in a two story home on the banks of the Euphrates River.

Lush greenery surrounds their home, and the beautifully manicured flowered pathways accent it all with their own array of colors and aromas. The midnight jasmine is especially fragrant this evening as Jop enters his house.

Hello, I’m home! Is there anybody here? Silence is his only answer. He moves his bulky body to the kitchen opens the door to the cooler and pours himself a drink. The long walk from work has made him unusually thirsty. The red-colored liquid runs out the sides of his mouth onto his dirty shirt and onto the floor.

Is that you Jop? the high squeaky voice of his wife Wapa called out.

Who do you think it is Wapa??

Well I’m up here, she sang.

I can see that Wapa. Where’s Adee? he shouted as he labored up the stairs to the roof of his house.

I don’t know dear. Why?

Oh, no reason, no reason at all he said as his heavy body fell on the couch forcing the air out of the tears in the cushions. Wapa sat next to him. She stuck her aristocratic turned up nose into the air and inhaled deeply.

Mmmm, doesn’t the air smell especially nice tonight honey?

Yeah, he said, as he lit a cigarette.

Please Jop that smoke stinks.

He grunted and moved the cigarette to his other hand.

Well, she said, did you have a nice day at work today honey?

Yeah, I had a great time sweating my buns off. You should have been there Wapa. Where in the hell is Adee? He flicked his cigarette ashes on the floor.

I, I don’t know Jop, she said.

He slumped deeper into the couch, took another drink, and stared into empty space.

I’ll give you a penny for your thoughts?

Jop grunted and struggled to get off the couch. He walked to the edge of the roof, snorted, and spit over the edge. He wiped his mouth and stared toward the east. As if in a trance, he spoke. I was downtown today, with Adee. Remember, we had some things to pick up for the trip to the lake this Saturday? Well, Wapa, do you remember the superstitious talk about a dark family living on the land east of Eden by the river? As I recall, the first sightings of the darkies was some forty years ago. He took another drag from his cigarette and let the smoke roll out of his mouth. Well, by golly, Wapa, I saw three members of that family today in the marketplace. Wapa was on her feet, Really Jop? What did they look like?

Well they were dark, like rich fertile earth, and taller than us, and very muscular. They had short black curly hair and were dressed in sheepskins.

They were dressed in Sheepskins! That’s disgusting!

Everyone in town just stood and stared at them, me included. They were so different.

Did they cause any trouble?

Well I’m not sure Wapa, that’s what has me somewhat worried you know?

No I don’t know Jop, what are you talking about?

He quickly finished his cigarette, dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. I mean Wapa, where in the hell is your daughter? I don’t know! Gosh, those dark fellows really got you worked up today didn’t they? Did they have names?

Yes, he sighed, as he lit another cigarette. Like I told you there were three of them; the father was named Adam, he looked around forty or so. He had two sons; both looked around Adee’s age. One was named Abel, and the other one was named Cain. He gritted his teeth and puffed nervously on his cigarette.

Hey, slow down Jop! What has come over you? Did something happen in town? Did something happen to Adee? Is that it Jop? Answer me!

Okay, you’re going to find out sooner or later Wapa. He started to pace. Well, your daughter…

Our daughter, she corrected.

Our daughter is, I think, in a bit of trouble.

What has that girl got herself into now? she asked. It seems that ever since her eighteenth birthday she has been getting into something or another!

You’d better sit down Wapa. He took a long, slow drag from his cigarette. When Adam and his two sons came into the market square, a crowd started following them. No one had ever seen a dark man before and they drew quite a crowd. Adee and I were standing next to the fruit stand when the mass of people passed us by, with Adam and his two sons leading the way. Well you know me for a parade, he said with a smile.

Get to the story Jop.

Well, I went along, but not Adee. She remained behind at the fruit stand. The darkies had brought sheepskins and fruit to sell. I followed Adam and his son as they sold their wares, while Cain had gone to the fruit stand to sell his items. The next thing I knew Wapa, everybody was running back to the fruit stand, where I had left Adee.

Oh no, Jop, Our daughter was not attacked by one of the darkies, was she? Oh, Rama, I pray it is not so.

No, she was not attacked. If anyone did any attacking it was her. Adee was all over Cain!

Huh? What’s that you’re saying? That’s ridiculous. Adee is an honorable girl. She’s a bit wild at times, but she has been brought up proper and she would not do anything like that. That Cain fellow must have cast a spell on her in order for her to act the way you said she did. Are you sure Jop?

Wapa, with my own two eyes, I saw them. Cain and Adee were embracing, and she even kissed him, right there in front of me, the god Rama, and the whole town, the whole damn world! It was terrible the way they were going on…I was shocked! Adam got to them before I did and pulled them apart, and without a word, he and his two sons left and none too soon, by golly. I sort of blew my top and said some things to Adee that I should not have said. But you know Wapa; she didn’t even feel guilty about what she did. I was so embarrassed, I sent her straight home. All day long I have been made fun of by everyone. Now they are calling that forest area where they came from, the Land of Adam. Just where in the hell is Adee! Did she ever get here at all? Yes, as a matter of fact she did come home this afternoon. She was in such a hurry, she didn’t even say hello. She just grabbed her hood and coat, and quickly ran out the door. She did not even tell me where she was going or when to expect her back. That’s not like Adee. Oh, Jop! I hope she is all right. Where do you think she has gone? I don’t know Wapa, you know her much better than I do. A mother knows her daughter.

You’re right, honey, she said in a low voice. I certainly do know my daughter. She thought for a moment. Jop, isn’t it dangerous showing affection in public? I mean, isn’t there a law against that? You’ve got it Wapa! It’s called the ‘Open Marriage Law.’ That’s why I’m so concerned for our daughter! He returned to the couch and fell into it.

Well, she said, I guess there is nothing we can do until she comes home. I am sure that she has a very good reason for her actions today.

Yeah, he belched, she better have a damn good reason because this time she has really gone way too far!

Wapa walked over to him. I think I will take my tired bones downstairs and give them a very long, hot bath and just relax. Can you warm up some leftovers dear? she asked sweetly. Come on honey, say yes, please?

Okay, he teased, but only if you get me another drink. She left and quickly returned with his drink, smiled, pecked him affectionately on his bald head, and sashayed into the house. Jop got up from the couch and walked to the edge of the roof. The last rays of the sun pushed themselves through the moisture-laden atmosphere. Again the beauty was missed by Jop. His eyes were fixed to the east. On his mind was concern for his young daughter Adee. He looked to the north and saw the brightly lit Temple of Rama. He remembered when the temple was finally completed. The statue of the god Rama was set in place. It was so large, that it took almost everyone in the city of Eden to set it on the altar. He was a young man when Rama-Dan-Doo the First was chosen as the high priest. The Open Marriage Law originated with him. Rama-Dan-Doo said the law was from the god Rama himself, who was the beginning of all things.

Where in the hell is Adee? he thought. He finished his cigarette, flicked it over the edge, and spoke to himself out loud as he walked to the door. It is very dangerous showing affection in public. He stopped, looked and spit into a flower pot, snorted loudly, grabbed his crotch, and hauled himself into the house.

CHAPTER TWO

THE EMERGENCE OF ADAM AND EVE

Fear never seems to die, for fear of having nothing to fear. Countless legends for centuries have flowed from the land east of Eden. It was a vast area hidden by great forests of gopher wood, and had been the source for many a captivating tale, from the sighting of the elusive unicorn to the most recent tales of a tribe of dark people. Of course, most people did not take the sightings seriously, not until the actual emergence of Adam and his family. No one dared trouble them, for, to outsiders, they were mutants, clearly not of their kind. So, in peace Adam and his wife Eve lived on their land with their two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain, like his father, was a farmer, and Abel, his younger brother by two years, was a shepherd.

They lived a short distance from the Euphrates and the mouth of the four rivers where the mighty river split into four directions. The City of Eden was half a day’s walk from the boundaries of their land. Upon entering the Land of Adam, ships traveling on the river would blow their horns one time. Then, upon arriving at the mouth of the four rivers, the ship’s horn would blast twice. It was an old custom reserved only for the captains of the vessels, to alert anyone of their whereabouts and, besides, it never hurt to let the god Rama know where they were. Their powerful horns would blast silence away.

The shock wave would send birds bursting frantically into the hot humid air. The sound would rip, thrusting stillness before it and echoing across the land.

On a grassy hill, surrounded by the forest of gopher wood, Adam and Eve made their home. It was pointed at the top and secured in four corners. Room additions and some alterations had been accomplished over the years and it was quite roomy, just the way Eve liked it. It was also very sturdy. Made with rock and gopher wood, it was pitched within and without. The outer appearance was not its true statement, for it was a blessed home. It was their home. Eve had her children in this house, and there was life in the walls.

The dwelling Abel and Cain built, with the help of their father was of the same design; square walls and a pitched roof. Cain slept on one side of the house, while Abel slept on the other. When they were younger, they fought quite often over petty things. Mostly Abel complained that Cain would not help with the cleaning of the house. He would call his older brother a slob. Cain enjoyed tormenting his little brother and often went out of his way to make him cry. But, as they grew older, Abel became tolerant of his brother’s ways. Cain never seemed to learn and, of course, he would end up paying for it when Adam found out. Somehow the punishment was never severe enough to make him want to stop. They were two brothers, as different as wool and carrots, but they loved each other and were very close.

Their home overlooked the grazing land for Abel’s sheep and one could also see Cain’s garden beds. To the east of them, and over the ridge in a valley was the field. It consisted mostly of brush, thorny stumps and some herbs cultivated years ago. It was holy ground for Adam and his family. It was close to this field, forty years ago, that Adam and Eve arrived after being driven out in a tremendous burst of light from the garden and fellowship with the Lord God.

That was the year Adam and Eve started their existence in the world. A natural stone altar is there, and a small stream runs rapidly by it. The stream broke away from its mother before entering the Land of Adam. It was a wandering child, quick, and wanting to explore. It raced alongside the massive body of its mother Euphrates, and was the main water source for the family and the garden beds of Cain. It was a small rambling stream, babbling and gurgling over huge rocks and trees fallen long ago. The little stream cried a lot, looking for the chance to merge once again with its mother. But Euphrates does not lay claim to this child, and it flows beneath a large tar pit and out of sight.

In the Land of Adam it is a beautiful springtime evening. The cloud cover is saturated with the glow of the rising moon. All is quiet except for the natural sounds of the forest. As Cain and Abel near their father’s house, two sudden blasts of a horn come from the direction of the mouth of the four rivers. They stop for a second to glance in the direction of the sound. They just made it didn’t they? Cain said. It’s not wise to run the river at night, I bet you little brother that that ship is bound for the gold fields of Havilah!

Who cares? I heard in town today that there will be a war over there because of man’s greed for gold.

Well it can’t be all bad, little brother. There seems to be a lot of people going that direction, and the way I figure it, that many people can’t be wrong. What do you think?

It’s greed Cain, pure and simple. Abel raised his hand to knock on the door and his brother stopped it. Brother, do you think father is still upset over what went on in Eden today? He hardly spoke a word on the way back, except to tell us to be here after we dropped our things off. I tried to explain to him, but he just wouldn’t listen.

Face it Cain, I think you are in a lot of trouble. I would not want to be in your sandals at this moment. He shook his hand free from his brother’s grip and knocked on the door.

Adam’s voice rumbled, Come in. They walked into the spacious front room. It was warm and hospitable. Adam motioned to Cain, Shut the door behind you quietly, your mother is asleep. Cain shut the door and when he turned back to face his father, Abel had already sat himself in a chair across the room. Adam was standing next to the wine counter, and he walked toward Cain with his hands behind his back.

Cain, he said sternly, I want you to explain to me again what it was that got into you today in the city of Eden? He stopped face to face with his son. I want you to explain to your brother and me why you embarrassed us the way you did. Okay? Explain!

Knowing that he was going to be asked again about the whole matter, Cain had formulated quick answers and had planned scenarios. But, as he looked at his father’s face, it all escaped him. He quickly resolved that he could explain what he did, but not what he felt, because he didn’t feel like he did anything wrong! But there was a problem. His fear prevented him from speaking.

Cain, are you here with us? Did you hear my question? Hum?

Cain snapped, I thought we covered all that today, father!

There you go presuming again, son.

Father, you have already told me how upset you are just by your actions.

Upset! That’s an understatement, Abel chuckled. Adam turned quickly. Abel, you stay out of this and keep your comments to yourself. He turned back to Cain, who was nervously wringing his hands.

Cain cleared his throat and rolled his eyes upward, then looked straight ahead again. Look, father, I am sorry for letting my feelings get away from me today, but it was the first time I had been close to a girl. I mean really up close, you know? And she was so-so, I don’t know… he searched the ceiling for the right words.

So tempting? questioned Adam.

Yes, yes that’s the word. That’s it father. Well, he quickly retracted, not really in the way you said it.

Not in the way I said it? You lusted after that girl Cain, and now you want to make it something else? Their eyes locked on one another. Is that right son? Answer me!

Cain barked back. I just said that it felt good, that’s all. What’s wrong with that?

You lower your voice, Cain. Who ever taught you to raise your voice to your father, huh? He turned and walked back to the wine counter, grabbed a cup and the wine container and poured himself a drink. From now on, when it is time for us to venture into the city you will remain here to help your mother. Adam took a drink.

Cain walked toward his father and stopped. Are you telling me that I can’t go to the city anymore?

That’s right, and your brother will tend to your business while in Eden. He will buy and sell and barter for you. Is that understood?

What did I do that was so wrong father? Nothing really happened between that girl and me, and I think you are being totally unfair about all this and…

Adam slammed the wine container on the table and walked up to Cain face to face, eye to eye, and Abel whispered, Uh-oh.

Unfair? Why you little branch off this tree. Who ever told you that I was to be fair, huh? You do as you are told and I will discuss this no more. And, because you answered your father back, you will also start tomorrow morning, bright and early, to clear the brush that runs along the edge of the field. Is that understood?

Cain tried to speak, Adam quickly barked, I said, I will hear no more of this, Cain! and he turned his back to him. He spoke to Abel in a low, stern voice, Now, the both of you leave my house.

Cain had already opened the door and had stormed out into the night. Abel bid his father good night and followed his brother, shutting the door behind them quietly. Alone and sullen, Adam moved to his chair and sat on the edge. He placed his head between his hands and cried out, My Lord, my Lord, have you left me alone? Has my disobedience to you rooted itself in my son? My Lord God, my children are gifts from you, and to you, my Lord, I offer them back. Do with them as you will. While in prayer, Adam remembered the garden, the way it was.

He prayed to the Lord that his anger would leave him. And finally, as in a communion that only this man had with his God, he raised his head, lifted his hands, and offered a song of praise and worship to his Maker. He sang, I worship you almighty God and I am thankful for your love, your breath of life lives in me, and forever I will be the son of God, the son of God, the son of God, the son of God, the son of God.

CHAPTER THREE

ADEE CLAIMS HER PRIZE

Abel caught up with his brother and they walked in silence for awhile. Cain spoke first. Boy Abel, I’ve never seen father so upset in my entire life. I mean, what did I do that was so wrong anyway? Huh? That girl in Eden smelled so sweet and she was so beautiful. You saw her Abel, didn’t you? And when she got close to me, I mean to tell you brother, there was heat there. There was heat everywhere! Hot, you know? I just could not control myself and, well, I guess I got a little carried away.

A little carried away! responded Abel, You and that girl were really putting on a show displaying affection like that.

Yeah, I guess you could say that, but do you think that this punishment fits the crime? I mean, why should I have to pay for something that that girl did to me? It wasn’t my fault! Abel! Listen, he said mystically, can you hear it?

Hear what?

The music, the music in the air, and look Abel, the moon’s glow is so much brighter this time of the year isn’t it? He took a deep breath and said, I can still smell her perfume.

You’re a little touched Cain.

Come on little brother, there’s got to be more to this life than planting, herding sheep, eating, sleeping, living and…Do you ever think of dying, Abel?

Before he could answer, there came a rustling noise from a nearby bush. They stopped and crouched low.

Is it an animal Cain?

I don’t think so.

I wish I had brought my staff with me.

I do too little brother. Listen, you go around to the left and I will go around to the right and we will flush it out, whatever it is.

As they neared the bush, a figure darted past Cain. He leaped on it and wrestled it to the ground.

Let go of me! a woman’s voice screamed. Let go of me right now! Cain quickly got up and helped the girl up.

Now look what you have done, you big slob! the girl said as she examined her clothing. Oh, my pretty dress…and just look at my white coat and hood! It will take many washes to remove these stains, and it is all your fault Cain!

You know my name? he said as he looked closer at her.

The misty moonlight on her face reflected a silver glow and her perfume filled his nostrils.

Hey, I know you!

Yes, you do. I am Adee, daughter of Jop.

You are Adee? Daughter of Jop? laughed Cain. How about that! You’re that girl I met in Eden today. Hey little brother, meet Adee. The girl, father was so excited about today, remember? He winked at his brother.

Oh, yeah, Father was very excited.

I am so very happy that your father was impressed. I thought for sure that he would be angry; my father surely was. And I am also very glad that he approved. He did approve did he not Cain?

Well not exactly Adee.

She walked closer to Abel and smiled. This brother of yours was all over me today! We showed affection in public, in front of everyone, did we not Cain?

Well, I did have help from you Adee. As a matter of fact, you were on me before I knew what had happened. Adee. That is a very pretty name. It has a ring to it…Adee, he whispered.

Yeah, she said, anyway, I do not know your laws or your customs, but the law of Eden clearly states that whenever a man shows affection in public to a woman of marrying age, as you did to me Cain, and they are both unattached, those two people have declared their love for one another and under the ‘Open Marriage Law’ they are considered joined!

Joined, Adee? Explain joined.

The word joined means, my tall, dark and handsome one, that you and I are married!

Cain stood silent for a moment trying to absorb what Adee had just told him. He suddenly burst out laughing. What are you talking about Adee, we’re not married, and we are not joined. There is a mistake here, isn’t there Abel?

Abel just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Let’s see you get yourself out of this one big brother.

Shut up Abel. No one asked for your opinion, this isn’t funny so just shut up! He started to pace and wring his hands with worry. Adee stood her ground defiantly with hands on her hips. Look Adee, we are not joined, we are not from your culture, we are not of your people. Our skin is even of a different color. You cannot be married to me or I to you. It is just impossible that’s all. What did you come here for anyway?

I came to claim my prize Cain, and that prize is you. I want you. We are married and that is that!

Cain rolled his eyes toward the heavens. I can’t believe this is happening. Adee you cannot stay here, you have got to go back to Eden. If my father finds you here, there’s no telling what he might do! So go, please?

I thought you said your father approved! She said as she looked in his eyes. From the first time I set my eyes on you Cain I wanted you. I fell in love with you. For me it was love at first sight! Now are you refusing my love? She started to whimper. I cannot return to my family without you Cain! I will be the laughing stock of the whole city. And you do know what you did to me today! Everyone saw us, and they all know the law. Cain, the law is binding, we must obey the law, although it is a very old law, she quickly said. She eased her stance and hugging him tightly, she placed her head on his chest. She pressed her body hard against his. Please, Cain, come back to Eden with me and let me make you happy. I will give you many children. There will be lots and lots of beautiful grandchildren for your parents. Cain you cannot let them down! They will be proud of us. We will be proud of us. You will see, please? She hugged him tighter. Her thighs were grinding against his and she looked up at him with puckering lips. Please Cain, do not dishonor me.

With drooping eyes, Cain looked over to his brother. Abel shook his head. Don’t look at me. You got yourself into this mess, now you’re going to have to get yourself out. I am only eighteen and not as wise as you, but one word of advice would be to not go against father’s wishes. It can have some grave consequences.

Cain was indecisive, and Adee saw it in his eyes. You don’t want me Cain? Is that it? He looked toward the ground and shrugged. Then I have only one other way to go. My heart is broken, my love has been refused! She started crying.

She broke away from his embrace, reached into her blouse and drew out a dagger, six inches long and very sharp. The handle bore the crest of the house of Jop, a crowned J in a circle of gold. She raised her arm to stab herself, but Abel, being swifter than his brother, grabbed her arm and forced the weapon from her hand.

Get away from me, she screamed. You smell like sheep. I am dishonored, I must die! She screamed and kicked Abel and ran to Cain sobbing, and once again she pleaded, Do you wish to see me dead Cain? Can’t you find any love in your heart for me at all? Any compassion, She put her hands on his cheeks and drew his face to hers. Please Cain, this is for us!

Cain looked deep into her tear-filled eyes. He pressed his body to hers and felt excitement when she pushed back. He felt the same warmth swell up in him again. She gently kissed him.

Is what I am feeling right now love, Adee?

Oh, yes, my darling, that is love. It is a passionate affection for one of the opposite sex, and that is me, Right? We can even make love, and we will learn together. She had done her job well, Cain was hooked. She kissed him once more, this time long and passionately. Cain’s legs buckled beneath him.

Abel saw the way his brother was going. Cain, are you all right? Father will not be pleased so you had better not be thinking about going against father’s wishes. Cain walked over to his brother. Come on Abel, lighten up! This is the first girl that has made me feel this way, and it feels good and it feels right. I feel like I am alive around her, it’s like something I just can’t explain. I think I have fallen in love with her Abel."

Don’t give me that Cain, you just met her. In love you grow never fall.

Cain shook his head in disbelief. And you Abel, you just don’t understand, and I can tell you don’t want me happy either, do you? Just look at her.

Adee looked a bit embarrassed as they both inspected her. She lifted her chin, smiled bashfully, swished her shirt like a little girl and batted her long, feathery eyelashes at them.

Have you ever in your life seen skin so white and hair so red? And her smell, well little brother it’s like springtime and I know, if you could see what I can see in her eyes, you would understand.

I know. I know Cain. But father has assured us that the Lord God would provide a woman for us in His time.

In His time, in His time, that’s all I’ve ever heard since I was a child, Cain responded. He stood straight up, took a deep breath of air, and flexed his muscles. Look at me little brother. I’m twenty years old; I’m not a child any longer. He marched over to Adee side, put his arm around her small waist, and declared, And I want this woman!

Adee, seeing an opportunity, sang out, Adee wants Cain and… She motioned to Cain to respond. She repeated, Adee wants Cain and… And Cain wants Adee. He sang, in a low raspy voice. She smiled and snuggled up to him. Cain looked at his brother. I see nothing wrong with that Abel, and besides, how do you know that this is not the woman meant for me, huh? The one God has provided for me. Have you spoken to Him lately about this subject? Well I have, he scoffed. Besides, they believe in god also. The people of Eden are very religious, isn’t that true Adee?

It is true, she chirped. The god Rama is very old, and he was made from the tallest, oldest and finest woods of the world. Except for Gopher wood, it is too ugly. Master craftsmen created him as you see him now in his holy temple, at the center of the city.

Abel spoke loudly, Our Lord God formed the light and created darkness. He makes peace and creates evil. Our Lord God does all these things.

She turned her eyes away for a moment, pondering what Abel had said. She snapped her fingers and smiled. Now really Abel, should you be serving a god that creates evil? She stood her ground, hands on her hips. What does your God look like anyway? At least you can see my god, but show me yours Abel, show him to me so I may believe also."

Abel did not respond. She smiled at Cain. Ha! Just as I thought! If you can’t see him, how can you believe in him, your god I mean? It seems to me that an invisible god is no god at all. With invitation in her voice, she sang out, Please come to me Cain. He moved to her side. My husband let me introduce you to the great god Rama. Him you can touch, him you can see, and him you can pray to. She laughed in her victory.

Abel ignored her as he spoke to Cain. I tell you brother, this is not of the Lord, and no good thing will come of it. The serious tone of his voice made the hair rise on Cain’s and Adee’s necks. Cain tried to say something to his brother but Abel turned his back on him. He walked up the pathway that led to his sheepfold, leaving Adee in the arms of Cain.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE GARDEN, WAS IT SO LONG AGO?

Meanwhile, Adam was rising from prayer. He slowly walked up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed. Eve stirred and rolled over to face him. It went pretty rough down there, didn’t it? she asked in a sleepy voice. Yes, yes it did, he said, as he undressed himself and slid into bed. His wife’s body next to his gave him a certain feeling of confidence, and he snuggled up to her. Boy, I sure could use an energy hug right now.

Well, I have just the hug you need! she purred. They embraced tightly for a while. She laid her head on his muscular chest, her long black hair draped over him like a whispering cloud. What’s bothering you, Adam? What are you thinking about?

Oh, I am not thinking about anything.

Yes you are. You’re still bothered. I can tell by your heartbeat. Eve knew her husband; she was part of his body. I’m still hurt! He said, And, I guess, angry with Cain. Somehow when your children hurt, you do also. I think this is hurting me more than it’s hurting him.

Well, you may have been a little hard on him Adam, but this too will pass, honey.

You know Eve, tonight, after the boys left, I prayed to the Lord, and the memory of the garden seemed to sharpen in my mind. I almost felt that I was there once again. It was so long ago. Eve was very quiet.

What’s the matter, he asked, you don’t want to talk about how it was in the garden?

Not really. Every time we discuss the subject I somehow end up getting the blame for us being thrown out.

Well it was your fault. You listened to that snake.

See? See what I mean, Adam? I will never totally understand how I let myself be taken in by that snake in the tree. The tree was the only fig tree in the garden. Why did he have to choose that one and at that time? Yeah, you’re right. I was stupid for listening to him. But you were right there, standing beside me. Why didn’t you stop me, huh?

I was curious? He answered with a smile.

You can’t place all the blame on me Adam; it was your fault too! She curled up in her blankets and pouted. It was so beautiful there, we had everything we needed. We never thirsted, hungered, or aged. We had it all Adam, now it’s gone, all gone.

I know, he said, I didn’t mean to upset you.

She didn’t respond. Being disobedient to the Lord God does have its consequences, he sadly said. You know my dear? I was alone a long time before the Lord brought you to me. The snake had been darting in and out of the garden for some time. He saw me at my weak times when I was lonely and in need of a companion. He encouraged a chimpanzee to try to entice me. I refused and that’s when the Lord put me to sleep. When I awoke, I rubbed my eyes and there you were, in all your glory.

I don’t care about that snake, she said.

Ah, the garden, He sighed, "it seems like we have been gone a very long time.

Yes, she said, a very long time. I really don’t think that we will ever be able to return. Do you remember the two angels the Lord placed at the east of it? They had flaming swords that turned in every direction. They and the garden are all gone now, she sighed. I don’t know, hidden in time somewhere. Did I thank you for the things you bought for me today?"

Ha, yes, about a hundred thousand times.

Well, here is the one hundred thousand and one time, thank you for all those lovely things you got me from Eden. She kissed him and they both laughed and rolled in bed for a while.

Honey, said Adam, remember the fig leaves we wore in the garden? They didn’t cover very much, did they? And I can also remember when we didn’t need them. While we were there, our bodies were pure…and the air was so sweet, I can still smell the orchids and the roses.

I can too, she sighed, everything was perfect. I really miss seeing the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. All that’s above us now, is the ever-present gloomy cloud cover. Remember the coats of skins? They kept us warm through those first months out of the garden.

But our flesh has aged somewhat, she said, inspecting her arms. Adam agreed. Remember Eve? When we planted our first crops? The care we gave them? And the joy we shared when those first sprouts appeared? We really praised the Lord for them didn’t we? Learning to praise Him and even worship Him, just thanking Him, all that was new to us, he chuckled. And I have yet to get over the trees that surround our land. They are extremely tall with huge leaves, and are enormously disfigured. And the watery mist that rises out of the ground keeps everything watered and everything wet and beautiful. He said.

Everything out here was so different than what we had in the garden, so different. she said. We worked very hard too, and our Lord was pleased. He gave us a son.

Adam cleared his throat, Yeah, My precious son Cain.

I was so scared, she