Leah's Children
Leah's Children
Reuben takes Simeon out into the field.
He thought it would be best to get him out of the tents. Far away from the camp where Father can't see or hear him.
"Father's not doing anything about this," Simeon shouts. The muscles in his forearms tensing up and his jaw clenching and unclenching,"He's going to let them get away with this! He's going to let them get away with raping our sister!"
"There's nothing we can do, Simeon" Reuben says.
But what he really knows is that there is nothing he can do to calm Simeon's anger.
"She'll be married to the people of Shechem and that will-" Reuben tries to reason with him by using the solution that their father had given them when he'd explained what he was going to do about the abduction, rape, and hostage of their younger sister.
Although the idea himself makes Reuben want to throw up just as when he first heard that his father was considering such an incredulous proposal.
"She'll be taken care of," Reuben forces himself to say.
"She'll be treated like a whore," Another voice chimes in,"Just like she's being treated like a whore right now as we speak"
Reuben turns around and sighs at the sight of his brother, Levi, walking up to them with his arms crossed.
He didn't want Simeon and Levi to be anywhere near each other. Because whenever one was fired up, the other only acted as more heat to produce a bigger flame.
Simeon and Levi lock eyes.
Then Simeon smiles. It is a dangerous smile. One that Reuben fears every time he sees it on his brother's face.
Reuben looks back and forth at the two and he can see that Simeon and Levi are already communicating with one another through each other's eyes.
"Whatever you two are thinking about doing, I'm going to tell you that it isn't worth it. Father already decided-" Reuben says but finds himself cut off by Levi.
"Do you really think he cares about our sister? Or any of us for that matter?" Levi asks him seriously.
Reuben doesn't answer.
"If she'd been Rachel's daughter we wouldn't even be having this conversation," Levi continues,"Agreeing to marry our sister to that man...no. It isn't right"
Reuben sighs.
He is the oldest son, but he can't argue with his younger brother. None of them truly matter to their father. They are their own family. That is how it has always been. Leah's children and Rachel's children. He knows himself which children his father truly loves and cares about.
And it scares him to think about what if.
What if Dinah had been Rachel's daughter like Levi had suggested. Would they really not be having this conversation. Reuben knows the answer but his heart doesn't want to admit that his father sees them all as,"Not Rachel's or apart of Rachel". Even his title as first born means nothing because he isn't Rachel's son. He's Leah's. And it is almost like being a bastard.
Levi walks up to Reuben and places his hand on his older brother's shoulder.
"We have to take care of each other"
He thought it would be best to get him out of the tents. Far away from the camp where Father can't see or hear him.
"Father's not doing anything about this," Simeon shouts. The muscles in his forearms tensing up and his jaw clenching and unclenching,"He's going to let them get away with this! He's going to let them get away with raping our sister!"
"There's nothing we can do, Simeon" Reuben says.
But what he really knows is that there is nothing he can do to calm Simeon's anger.
"She'll be married to the people of Shechem and that will-" Reuben tries to reason with him by using the solution that their father had given them when he'd explained what he was going to do about the abduction, rape, and hostage of their younger sister.
Although the idea himself makes Reuben want to throw up just as when he first heard that his father was considering such an incredulous proposal.
"She'll be taken care of," Reuben forces himself to say.
"She'll be treated like a whore," Another voice chimes in,"Just like she's being treated like a whore right now as we speak"
Reuben turns around and sighs at the sight of his brother, Levi, walking up to them with his arms crossed.
He didn't want Simeon and Levi to be anywhere near each other. Because whenever one was fired up, the other only acted as more heat to produce a bigger flame.
Simeon and Levi lock eyes.
Then Simeon smiles. It is a dangerous smile. One that Reuben fears every time he sees it on his brother's face.
Reuben looks back and forth at the two and he can see that Simeon and Levi are already communicating with one another through each other's eyes.
"Whatever you two are thinking about doing, I'm going to tell you that it isn't worth it. Father already decided-" Reuben says but finds himself cut off by Levi.
"Do you really think he cares about our sister? Or any of us for that matter?" Levi asks him seriously.
Reuben doesn't answer.
"If she'd been Rachel's daughter we wouldn't even be having this conversation," Levi continues,"Agreeing to marry our sister to that man...no. It isn't right"
Reuben sighs.
He is the oldest son, but he can't argue with his younger brother. None of them truly matter to their father. They are their own family. That is how it has always been. Leah's children and Rachel's children. He knows himself which children his father truly loves and cares about.
And it scares him to think about what if.
What if Dinah had been Rachel's daughter like Levi had suggested. Would they really not be having this conversation. Reuben knows the answer but his heart doesn't want to admit that his father sees them all as,"Not Rachel's or apart of Rachel". Even his title as first born means nothing because he isn't Rachel's son. He's Leah's. And it is almost like being a bastard.
Levi walks up to Reuben and places his hand on his older brother's shoulder.
"We have to take care of each other"