Blessed Lands Egypt Chapter One: Difference between revisions
Commandadmin (talk | contribs) (Created page with "{{TplBlessedLandsEgyptChapter|title=Chapter 1|chapter text=<center>Chapter 1</center><br> <br> The doorbell rang. Honute was expecting his twin sister Honuti. She sounded excited over the phone. “Take a deep breath and tell me.” He told her. She inhaled a deep breathe, held it for a few seconds and let it out in one big rush of air. “I got promoted.” She said. Honute, blinked a few times. “Really?”<br> “Yes.” She replied.<br> “This is wonderful news. We...") |
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“This is wonderful news. We’ll celebrate tonight. Bring Anumetus.”<br> | “This is wonderful news. We’ll celebrate tonight. Bring Anumetus.”<br> | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
The doorbell rang again. Honute stepped out of the kitchen. “I’ll get it.” He said to no one in particular and stepped the short distance to the door. Their apartment, Hypatia and Honute, was modest. It wasn’t as large as some of their friend’s. His position as a local priest brought home a decent check. It was Hypatia who was the bread winner of the family. Her salary was nearly twice that of his meager pay. His check paid the bills and living expenses. Her check paid for the apartment. Honute looked through the peep hole and saw his twin. He opened the door, “Honuti!” He gave her a big hug. The last time she came over for dinner was about six months ago. The evening had been pleasant enough in the beginning then Hypatia had had a little bit too much to drink. The same old resentment bubbled up to the surface and they argued about the old issues.<br> | |||
“Come in, come in.” He said.<br> | “Come in, come in.” He said.<br> | ||
Honuti stepped in and handed him a bottle of date wine. He took it and patted Anumetus on the back. Anumetus nodded and smiled amiably. He was a quiet decent looking guy. His hair was jet black and his skin was olive brown. Honuti complimented him by being almost pale white. Honute smiled at the vast differences between the two. He was tall and dark, she was Honute’s height with very fair skin. Her hair was a flowing brown when it wasn’t tied up in a ponytail. Honute looked at his own complexion. He was several shades darker than his twin, but his was the result of being out in the sun giving blessings to pilgrims and local worshipers. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.” Honute took the wine into the kitchen and found a corkscrew. He popped the cork and poured three glasses. He sniffed the air and turned to the oven. Several game hens baked golden brown were nearly done. He took a cooking brush, dipped the head into a jar of butter oil and wiped each bird until the skin was shiny. A clear pot of mixed vegetables boiled silently. He lifted the lid and tipped in a little bit of salt. The air filled with the smell of carrots, cabbage, and peas. The second pot was bubbly and spat out a smooth flour gravy sauce. It hit the counter in a wet splat. Honute grabbed a cloth and wiped the spot up. He dropped in some whole black mushrooms and stirred until the mushrooms disappeared. The mushrooms had been declared out of season, but Lucutus, the store owner grew them in the store basement. They were a gift. Honute had blessed his store, for free, when Lucutus thought he run into bad fortune and told Honute that he could not pay him much. Creditors and the regional Vizier visited that afternoon. Lucutus said that he tried praying to Bes, but he believed his prayers fell on deaf ears and so needed a priest. A few weeks after Honute blessed the store Lucutus came into an inheritance from a nearly forgotten relative. To show his appreciation Lucutus told Honute that he can have up to two pounds of anything in the store, each week, for the rest of his life. Hypatia had been furious when she learned that Honute performed the ritual for free. She screamed, yelled, and threw things across the room. She had fumed for several days until Honute brought home two pounds of Royal Honey. He told her it was a gift. She didn’t believe him and promptly checked the credit cards and bank account for recent transactions. Royal Honey sold for $100.00 an ounce. She pressed Honute further for the truth. He said Lucutus gave it to him to show his appreciation. She blinked several times and stared at him in silence. He shrugged and suggested he would take it back if she wasn’t happy with the honey. She continued to stare in silence. After a few moments, Honute repacked the Honey and left. An hour later he returned with two pounds of lamb and dates and cooked dinner. The two sat in total silence chewing and swallowing. Occasionally the deafening absence of sound was cut by the contact of metal utensils against ceramic plates. After dinner, Honute cleaned up and washed the dishes. He went into one of the rooms that had been converted into an office. Both had their own office – it was an easy arrangement the two made. Several hours later Hypatia tapped lightly on the door. She stepped in and asked how much did the lamb and dates cost. She was balancing the book and needed to make an entry. He looked up from reading and said, “It cost nothing. It was a gift,” and buried his nose back into his prayer book. Hypatia tried to conceal the pained look on her face as she closed the door. Realization hit her hard at what Honute had traded in exchange for the Royal Honey. And that was pretty much how their life went.<br> | Honuti stepped in and handed him a bottle of date wine. He took it and patted Anumetus on the back. Anumetus nodded and smiled amiably. He was a quiet decent looking guy. His hair was jet black and his skin was olive brown. Honuti complimented him by being almost pale white. Honute smiled at the vast differences between the two. He was tall and dark, she was Honute’s height with very fair skin. Her hair was a flowing brown when it wasn’t tied up in a ponytail. Honute looked at his own complexion. He was several shades darker than his twin, but his was the result of being out in the sun giving blessings to pilgrims and local worshipers. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.” Honute took the wine into the kitchen and found a corkscrew. He popped the cork and poured three glasses. He sniffed the air and turned to the oven. Several game hens baked golden brown were nearly done. He took a cooking brush, dipped the head into a jar of butter oil and wiped each bird until the skin was shiny. A clear pot of mixed vegetables boiled silently. He lifted the lid and tipped in a little bit of salt. The air filled with the smell of carrots, cabbage, and peas. The second pot was bubbly and spat out a smooth flour gravy sauce. It hit the counter in a wet splat. Honute grabbed a cloth and wiped the spot up. He dropped in some whole black mushrooms and stirred until the mushrooms disappeared. The mushrooms had been declared out of season, but Lucutus, the store owner grew them in the store basement. They were a gift. Honute had blessed his store, for free, when Lucutus thought he run into bad fortune and told Honute that he could not pay him much. Creditors and the regional Vizier visited that afternoon. Lucutus said that he tried praying to Bes, but he believed his prayers fell on deaf ears and so needed a priest. A few weeks after Honute blessed the store Lucutus came into an inheritance from a nearly forgotten relative. To show his appreciation Lucutus told Honute that he can have up to two pounds of anything in the store, each week, for the rest of his life. Hypatia had been furious when she learned that Honute performed the ritual for free. She screamed, yelled, and threw things across the room. She had fumed for several days until Honute brought home two pounds of Royal Honey. He told her it was a gift. She didn’t believe him and promptly checked the credit cards and bank account for recent transactions. Royal Honey sold for $100.00 an ounce. She pressed Honute further for the truth. He said Lucutus gave it to him to show his appreciation. She blinked several times and stared at him in silence. He shrugged and suggested he would take it back if she wasn’t happy with the honey. She continued to stare in silence. After a few moments, Honute repacked the Honey and left. An hour later he returned with two pounds of lamb and dates and cooked dinner. The two sat in total silence chewing and swallowing. Occasionally the deafening absence of sound was cut by the contact of metal utensils against ceramic plates. After dinner, Honute cleaned up and washed the dishes. He went into one of the rooms that had been converted into an office. Both had their own office – it was an easy arrangement the two made. Several hours later Hypatia tapped lightly on the door. She stepped in and asked how much did the lamb and dates cost. She was balancing the book and needed to make an entry. He looked up from reading and said, “It cost nothing. It was a gift,” and buried his nose back into his prayer book. Hypatia tried to conceal the pained look on her face as she closed the door. Realization hit her hard at what Honute had traded in exchange for the Royal Honey. And that was pretty much how their life went.<br> | ||
Latest revision as of 19:19, 24 January 2025
Blessed Lands Egypt
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 1
The doorbell rang. Honute was expecting his twin sister Honuti. She sounded excited over the phone. “Take a deep breath and tell me.” He told her. She inhaled a deep breathe, held it for a few seconds and let it out in one big rush of air. “I got promoted.” She said. Honute, blinked a few times. “Really?”
“Yes.” She replied.
“This is wonderful news. We’ll celebrate tonight. Bring Anumetus.”
The doorbell rang again. Honute stepped out of the kitchen. “I’ll get it.” He said to no one in particular and stepped the short distance to the door. Their apartment, Hypatia and Honute, was modest. It wasn’t as large as some of their friend’s. His position as a local priest brought home a decent check. It was Hypatia who was the bread winner of the family. Her salary was nearly twice that of his meager pay. His check paid the bills and living expenses. Her check paid for the apartment. Honute looked through the peep hole and saw his twin. He opened the door, “Honuti!” He gave her a big hug. The last time she came over for dinner was about six months ago. The evening had been pleasant enough in the beginning then Hypatia had had a little bit too much to drink. The same old resentment bubbled up to the surface and they argued about the old issues.
“Come in, come in.” He said.
Honuti stepped in and handed him a bottle of date wine. He took it and patted Anumetus on the back. Anumetus nodded and smiled amiably. He was a quiet decent looking guy. His hair was jet black and his skin was olive brown. Honuti complimented him by being almost pale white. Honute smiled at the vast differences between the two. He was tall and dark, she was Honute’s height with very fair skin. Her hair was a flowing brown when it wasn’t tied up in a ponytail. Honute looked at his own complexion. He was several shades darker than his twin, but his was the result of being out in the sun giving blessings to pilgrims and local worshipers. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.” Honute took the wine into the kitchen and found a corkscrew. He popped the cork and poured three glasses. He sniffed the air and turned to the oven. Several game hens baked golden brown were nearly done. He took a cooking brush, dipped the head into a jar of butter oil and wiped each bird until the skin was shiny. A clear pot of mixed vegetables boiled silently. He lifted the lid and tipped in a little bit of salt. The air filled with the smell of carrots, cabbage, and peas. The second pot was bubbly and spat out a smooth flour gravy sauce. It hit the counter in a wet splat. Honute grabbed a cloth and wiped the spot up. He dropped in some whole black mushrooms and stirred until the mushrooms disappeared. The mushrooms had been declared out of season, but Lucutus, the store owner grew them in the store basement. They were a gift. Honute had blessed his store, for free, when Lucutus thought he run into bad fortune and told Honute that he could not pay him much. Creditors and the regional Vizier visited that afternoon. Lucutus said that he tried praying to Bes, but he believed his prayers fell on deaf ears and so needed a priest. A few weeks after Honute blessed the store Lucutus came into an inheritance from a nearly forgotten relative. To show his appreciation Lucutus told Honute that he can have up to two pounds of anything in the store, each week, for the rest of his life. Hypatia had been furious when she learned that Honute performed the ritual for free. She screamed, yelled, and threw things across the room. She had fumed for several days until Honute brought home two pounds of Royal Honey. He told her it was a gift. She didn’t believe him and promptly checked the credit cards and bank account for recent transactions. Royal Honey sold for $100.00 an ounce. She pressed Honute further for the truth. He said Lucutus gave it to him to show his appreciation. She blinked several times and stared at him in silence. He shrugged and suggested he would take it back if she wasn’t happy with the honey. She continued to stare in silence. After a few moments, Honute repacked the Honey and left. An hour later he returned with two pounds of lamb and dates and cooked dinner. The two sat in total silence chewing and swallowing. Occasionally the deafening absence of sound was cut by the contact of metal utensils against ceramic plates. After dinner, Honute cleaned up and washed the dishes. He went into one of the rooms that had been converted into an office. Both had their own office – it was an easy arrangement the two made. Several hours later Hypatia tapped lightly on the door. She stepped in and asked how much did the lamb and dates cost. She was balancing the book and needed to make an entry. He looked up from reading and said, “It cost nothing. It was a gift,” and buried his nose back into his prayer book. Hypatia tried to conceal the pained look on her face as she closed the door. Realization hit her hard at what Honute had traded in exchange for the Royal Honey. And that was pretty much how their life went.
Honute walked out the kitchen with the three glasses in his hands.
Honuti took two and gave one to Anumetus, “To success and prosperity.” She said.
Honute looked up when he heard keys in the front door. He crossed the path to greet Hypatia. The door opened and he saw his wife was in a foul mood.
Hypatia noticed Honuti and Anumetus standing in the living room holding glasses of wine. She said, “What are you doing here?”
Honuti reacted to the indignity and was about to reply when Honute said, “Remember Hyp, I left you a message on your voice mail at school.”
Hypatia glared at Honute.
“Honuti got promoted and we are celebrating. I cooked us a nice dinner.”
Hypatia blinked a few times. Her jaw muscled worked silently. “Congratulations. Maybe it’s a good thing that one of you is ambitious.”
Honute cleared his throat. “How about we have a nice evening. This is something special.”
Hypatia responded, “I’m not hungry. I ate something earlier and I feel tired. You guys enjoy yourselves.” She headed for the bedroom.
Honute watched her in stunned silence as she walked down the hall and slammed the door shut. He looked at his twin and her fiance. He let out a deep sigh and shrugged. “I’m sorry, Honu. I don’t know what’s gotten into her. Lately, she’s been in a bad mood.”
Honuti drained her glass and sat on the couch.
Anumetus sipped at his and sat. For the moment he decided to remain quiet.
“Nute,” Honuti began, “Don’t worry about it. She just had a bad day.”
The group was silent for a bit. Honute sighed. “Maybe we should celebrate another time.”
Honuti smiled slightly. She figured her brother wanted to talk to Hypatia. She nodded, gave Honute a kiss on the cheek and collected Anumetus for their departure.
Honute stood on the balcony looking out over the city. It was late and most of the city lights were out. The air was clear and smelled of recent rain fall. The streets were slick and had a shiny appearance in the late night. Hypatia was asleep in their bedroom. After Honuti and Anumetus left, Honute, determined to find out once and for all what was wrong with his wife, stormed through the doorway to their bedroom. Hypatia was still in her work clothes – white linen sheet folded and wrapped around her body and sandals still on her feet – was sound asleep. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his wife or that she didn’t love him, it was that they hardly saw each other. She was head lecturer and astronomer at the University of New Heliopolis, Great Temple of Amon-Ra. Her workload tripled when the previous head lecturer, Dr. Turtukilo took another post at the Serapis Institute of Technology, Lower House of the Temple of Ptah. So, like all the other nights, Hypatia would drag herself into the apartment, walk into the kitchen to grab a bottle of Honey ale and sit and vegetate. She would mutter something about the school looking to hire more help. Same thing every night, except this night. She insulted his sister and embarrassed herself. Honute unwrapped the cloth around Hypatia and placed it in the laundry basket. He placed her shoes by the bedside and drew the covers and tucked his wife in. Just before he left he kissed her on the forehead and blessed the room. He mumbled a long memorized prayer. He prayed to Isis and asked her to help him and Hypatia find their happiness.