In the Midst of Tribulation Read Online Free Page B

story?" All three of the teenagers shook their heads. Their eyes were big as the usually taciturn woman began to tell them the fable.

"See, this beggar came to a town during a famine. Everyone was hoarding food and they said they didn't have anything to give to him to eat. He said no problem, that all he wanted was stone soup and, in fact, he was going to make enough for everyone to share." Piper put down the knife and sharpening stone. Using her hands, she mimicked stirring the pot. "He pulled out a big cauldron and filled it with water. He made a pretty big production of pulling out his special magic stone and adding it to the water. For a while he just stirred, occasionally tasting the soup and smacking his lips. Intrigued, the villagers came closer. He casually mentioned that once he had stone soup with salt, pepper and paprika and it was the best he had ever had. An old woman stepped up and offered him some spices. He thanked her and stirred some more. He warned them that the soup might be a little thin, as he has been using the same stone for a week. Perhaps if someone had a little barley, that would make it all right. And, lo and behold, one of the villagers found that he had a double handful. After more tasting, the beggar began to reminisce about other pots of soup he had made better with just a little potato, diced into the soup to give it a robust flavor. One of the farmers remembered about a couple of potatoes in his basement and those were added. Slowly and surely, as the pot simmered, more and more folks found things they could spare. Someone had a scrap of meat, another had some carrots, and someone else brought forth an onion. Soon, all the villagers had added their portion to the pot. When he finally served the soup, everyone declared it to be the best thing they had ever tasted. The beggar just sat and absorbed the praise because it was the truth."

"I heard that it was a lost soldier," Doris said.

Susan sighed. "It doesn't matter whether the main character is a peddler, a vagrant or a soldier. The point is that individually, we might have very little to spare. Once we combine our efforts or our supplies, we can work miracles."

"He deceived them into giving up their food. How can that be a good thing?"

"Sometimes you have to fool people into doing what's right." Martha winked at Piper. "Of course, we wouldn't know anything about that."

"So, is Jay the villagers or the beggar?" Cody asked as he handed the quartered rabbit to his mother.

"Jay? She is one of the most open handed people I've ever met. You do remember her, don't you?"

"I sort of remember playing around during the summer." Cody flicked his long bangs out of his eyes. "I haven't really let myself think of the time before."

Martha reached over and squeezed his knee. "I know, buddy. It's better not to dwell."

"Anyway, she and Harmony had all of you up several times before the war. I was working all the time and needed a place for you three to go when you were out of school for the summer."

"I remember swimming in their pond."

"Good."

"It will probably be dry," said Doris with a sniff.

"I doubt it. The mountain has a spring fed stream."

"Tell me more about them."

"They've both got hearts of gold." Susan set the meat on the grill for a quick sear. Turning the pieces with her knife, she added, "I don't think we are going to need to trick them into taking us in."

"How did you meet, mom?" Carol asked.

"We played soccer together in the women's league." She smiled at the memory. To have time dedicated to leisure or play was now as far away from their current lives as the moon. "When we moved out of that apartment in the Mission, I found another team and then we stayed best friends. We made much better friends than lovers."

Doris coughed. "She's your ex-lover? Did you know about that?" she asked Martha.

"I knew Jay because we worked together when she first moved to the Bay Area. I met Susan much later when I taught that self defense