Hope for the Harlot

Chapter One

Rahab entered her house, removing the veil from her face. Wadding it up, she threw it into the corner near the woodpile. “I’m tired of hiding,” she said, slapping her hands against the wall. Bowing her head, tears fell to the floor. She slid down the wall, squinting in pain from the bruises on her legs.
Her hair was brown, spread like cobwebs decorated with strands of straw from previous activity. She slowly rose from the floor and made her way to the water vase, black paint smudged around her eyes. Leaning over the bowl, she saw her reflection. “What have I become?” Rahab cuffed her hands to hold water, washing the places that the men had touched.
In anger, she lifted the bowl and threw it across the room, almost hitting her sister Rebecca as she walked through the door. “Get out,” she screamed, shocking her sister. “I want to be alone, now get out.” The door slammed, losing some mortar from the wall and causing cracks to form. Rahab began pulling straw from her hair while walking back to the door she came in. She noticed a piece of her dress had been torn off the left side, where she kept the money. “Oh no it’s gone; my money is gone,” she cried frantically as she searched the room. “I need the money," she said, running her fingers through her hair. I must go out again.”
She walked to the door, pulling her hair into a ball and forgetting about her smudged face and torn dress. She placed both hands on the door, trying to resist her abomination. “I can’t go,” she said softly leaning her head against the door and taking a deep breath. “I am in too much pain.” Rahab turned and took a spare dress from her chest, exchanging it for the torn one she was wearing. She kept her hair in a ball and washed the black smudges from her face to hide her identity. The dress was longer than the previous one, making her bruises harder to see. It was perfect for keeping her secret.
Rahab held her shoulders high and head straight. She put a small swing to her hips enough for everyone to notice, but also it relived the pain from her bruising.
“Watch out with that swing,” her father said laughing as she entered the family room, you may attract the wrong crowd.” Rahab struggled to hold her tears in, knowing if father found out about her secret life it would break his heart. “I won’t always be your little girl, father. I’m of age now,” she said, pulling her dress down as far as it would go.
Rebecca walked into the room where her family was sitting. She sat beside her father, refusing to look at Rahab, with both knees touching her father’s leg. “I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier I was tired,” Rahab said, rubbing the top of her legs. Silence came over the room. Rebecca stared out the window with her hands folded in her lap. “How was your day Rahab?” their father asked. Rebecca glanced at her out the corner of her eye, as if she knew something about her secret. Rahab arose from the stool, and walked around the room with her slight swing of the hips. Her hands circled each other rigidly, trying not to give away her nervous motions. Rebecca followed Rahab around the room with her eyes waiting for a response to their father’s question. “I just hung out with a friend’s father,” Rahab said as she stared at Rebecca wondering what she knew.
“Who did you hang out with?” Rebecca asked with her high-pitched voice. Rahab stood where her father could not see her. Staring at Rebecca, she said her hand across her throat signaling for her to stop asking questions. “What is your friend’s name?” Rebecca asked, licking her lips trying to stir her father’s curiosity. Rahab left the room after being excused by her father.
At the doorway, she signaled Rebecca to follow her, needing to speak to her in private. Rahab walked down the hall to her room, looking back to make sure Rebecca did not see her limping from her bruises. She found a soft place to sit and waited for her sister. A few moments passed before Rebecca finally walked through the door with her naughty intentions. “What was with all the questions?” Rahab asked, pulling her eyebrows together. Rebecca walked over to her and sat down on the floor. “Rahab, what do you do all day?” she asked, trying to know her secrets. Rahab sat silently for a few moments struggling for what to say. Her eyes began to reveal what Rebecca was searching for. Rahab started fidgeting again, which she always did when she was nervous.
Not comfortable about telling her sister her secret, Rahab just played it off. “We were at the river playing in the water.” Without a word, Rebecca stared at her knowing she was not truthful. Bowing her head, shaking it back and forth, she placed both hands on each side of her face. Rebecca took a deep breath before walking out of the room. “I hope whatever you’re hiding father finds out, and it doesn’t bring shame on the family.”
She left the room, putting Rahab in a state of shock due to her evil desire to have her caught. Sitting down with her mouth open, she pondered over what was said. Rahab fell to the floor weeping and punched the mat with her fist. She felt as if she were going mad. Drying her tears with her dress Rahab came back to herself. “I have to be more careful, or I will get caught and be excommunicated from the family,” she said, knowing now that her sister was trying to expose her.
Rahab sat quietly for some time, staring out the window rubbing her legs. She glanced at the veil in the corner, tired of living two lives. The veil was black and stretched about thirty-six inches long. Large enough to wrap around her head twice, hiding her face. It was made with thick black material and her name on the inside. Many called her “the woman with no face that creeps around houses.”
Rahab crawled to the corner on her hands and knees, taking hold of the veil. She began shaking the dirt that clung to it from when it hit the woodpile. “This is the only thing I’m good at,” she thought to herself, burying her face into the veil. Rahab walked around the room, wishing for a place of her own. Tired of Rebecca trapping her in front of father, she decided to prostitute full-time. It is a way to make money fast and have anything she wanted in a short time. The more Rahab thought about the money the closer she got to telling her father of her plans. She knew the risk would be great if he found out about her prostituting, so she decided to wait until she collected enough money to buy her own place.
While she paced the floor, there was a knock at the door. “Can I come in?” her mother asked, peeking around the door. She entered the room, as Rahab sat down on a mat near the fireplace. Her mother sat next to her, wearing a long dress showing only her feet. It was old and faded due to the years of wear and tear. She was of a quiet nature, only speaking if necessary. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She placed her arm around Rahab, full of anxiety. Her breaths were deep, as if she would pass out from her walk. After a few moments, she spoke.
“Rahab, you know I love you right?” Rahab just nodded with short strokes. “Your sister informed me about a secret you’re carrying and felt like we needed to know.” Rahab sat silently trying not to break under pressure, moving her hands across her legs. The longer she sat the more anxious she got. Rahab knew there would never be a perfect time to reveal her secret, so she revealed her true identity. Rahab placed both hands on her dress while stretching her legs out in front. Her mother looked curious as to what she was doing. Rahab began slowly pulling her dress up until it revealed the handprints on her legs. Her mother stood up with both hands straight up in the air. With her hand over her heart and eyes stretching as far as they could stretch, she spoke with anger in her voice.