Not far from the Seven Hills of Home was a lake of great size. It was, thought Cain, perfect, or as perfect as a lake could be. It had a wide sandy beach with few rocks, and cool, clear water with plenty of fish. The way that the sunlight hit on the water; at midday was just awe inspiring, and every time he saw it he almost understood why his brother spent so much time staring at the sky.
So it was to Cain's great delight, and Abel and Naomi's too, that Mother and Father had decided that they would all spend the Sabbath there.
At about mid morning, they came within sight of the lake. Abel and Naomi lead the merry band, dancing about and singing a little tune as they went. Lamby leapt with them, always one step behind Abel. Cain followed after them, walking tall and proud. Adam came behind him, and last of all came Eve, carrying a small basket with their lunch in it.
Cain smiled as he watched his brother and sister prancing about in front of him, singing their little ditty:
To the Lake, To the Lake
To the Lake we must haste make
Tarry not, or we will be late
To the Lake, the Lake, the Lake.
This they sang, and many other silly things.
Cain laughed, though he didn't join in. He was too old now for such silliness, or so he told himself. It would not do to start acting like a child again when Adam was starting to treat him like a man.
The singing stopped just as they reached the beach. The whole family gasped in wonder. The great yellow sun burned brightly in the cloudless sky, its light shimmering on the crystal surface of the lake. Small waves lapped up on the shore of soft sand, and song of birds could be heard in the distance.
The children leapt, hooting and hollering like little monkeys, before throwing off their outer garments and racing towards the water, nude except for the underlying cloth that preserved some modesty. Naomi won the race, bounding gracefully into the water. She had no time to gloat, as her brothers charged right after her, leaving her quite soaked. Naomi paid them back by splashing at them with the fury of a hurricane. The boys returned the favor by trying to dunk her. They succeeded once, but before they could make a second attempt they heard a great, hearty laugh. All three children screamed and swam for cover as their father roared into the water. The great Battle of the Lake continued, with Adam taking Naomi's part. Cain and Abel voiced their displeasure by trying to dunk their father, with no success.
Meanwhile, Eve had left her basket on the beach and sat on top of a large rock just past the shoreline, watching Adam and the children play. Adam spotted her and shouted:
"Come join us, Love! I could use your help!"
Eve laughed and shook her head.
"Aww," said Adam. "Please?"
Eve shook her head again, this time holding her nose in the air.
That's right, she thought with a smirk. Beg for me, Adam.
Her smirk receded when she noticed that the splashing had stopped.
Eve glanced down and saw Adam and the children huddled together in a circle, whispering quietly to each other. Before Eve could question what sort of grand conspiracy they were plotting, all four of them plunged at once into the water.
A moment later, Cain leapt out from the water, flapping his arms in the air as he fell back into the water. Then Abel leapt up, spinning his body through the air. Next came Naomi, floundering like a fish.
Eve laughed and relaxed as the children continued their little game, jumping like fishes into the air, each time getting closer to her rock.
She was laughing from Cain's latest attempt to land upside down when a sudden thought occurred to her: Where is Adam?
No sooner had she thought this when Adam leapt up right next to her, grabbed her arm, and pulled her down into the lake with him.
Eve surfaced, trying to recover her breath and dignity. Adam and the children had stopped their charade and were laughing at her with abandon.
Eve gritted her teeth and furiously splashed the lot of them. Adam and the children returned fire.
The Great Battle of the Lake resumed, though who was on whose side became harder and harder to tell. Abel had come to Eve's aid shortly after she joined the fray, and then promptly switched back after Adam joined her. And it seemed to Naomi that, no matter what side she was on, Cain's splashes had a curious tendency to always hit her. Eventually it was conceded, by unspoken agreement, that there were no sides, and that the Great Battle was a War of All against All, a primal, watery chaos that would go on until only one was left standing, or else for all eternity.
Or at least until lunchtime.
* * *
As it so happened, the Water War was called off at midday, due to tired bodies and rumbling stomachs. The latter were wonderfully cured by the lunch Eve had packed: leftover boar meat, red grapes, and several little cakes baked with wild honey, which the children found so delightful that they nearly started a second battle on the beach over the last one. This battle was forestalled when Adam took the last cake and broke it into three even pieces.
Cain, Abel, and Naomi were all eager to go swimming again, but Eve warned them to stay on the beach for a while, relating the rather embarrassing tale of how she had to rescue Adam once when he ignored her advice on the matter. After having a good laugh at their father's expense, Cain and Naomi decided to take a walk on the beach together. Adam and Eve were content to lie down and rest on the sand. Abel, meanwhile, walked down closer to the lake to build something in the sand, his faithful Lamby watching him work.
He was still working at his project when Cain and Naomi made their way back to him. They were commenting on the peculiar shape of a cloud they had spotted. Their talk turned away from strange things in the sky to the strange thing on the ground their brother was making, a thing as long as Abel was tall and rather shaped like him too.
"What is it?" asked Naomi, for she had never seen such a strangely shaped sand-house before.
"It's a man!" said Abel, his bright eyes beaming.
"You're making a man?" asked Cain.
"Yep," said Abel. "I'm almost done. I just need to finish the face."
Abel picked up a nearby twig and poked two holes in his man's "nose."
"Ah," said Abel, standing up. "All done! What do you think?"
Cain and Naomi looked on the sand-man and agreed that it was very good.
"What's his name?" asked Naomi.
Abel thought for a moment, "Sandy!"
"Baaaaaaaaaaaa," said Lamby, and Cain agreed.
Naomi only laughed, "Hello, Sandy. I'm Naomi."
Sandy remained silent.
"Hmm," said Naomi. "He doesn't talk much."
"Not yet," said Abel. "I have to bring him to life first."
"How are you going to do that?" asked Cain.
"Watch!" said Abel.
With great and serious solemnity Abel knelt down next to his sand man. He stared into his eyes and paused, as if he were about to take a great plunge. He took a deep breath, and gently blew into Sandy's nostrils. Abel leapt back up, almost as if he expected his sand man to leap up with him.
He did nothing of the sort. He did nothing at all.
"Huh?" said Abel, and he knelt down to blow again.
Still nothing.
Abel blew again and again, harder each time.
All he managed to do was disfigure the sandman's face. By this time Cain and Naomi were laughing their heads off.
"Silly Abel made a man," sang Naomi, "And got a face all full of sand."
Abel moaned and sat down on the beach, crestfallen.
Cain stopped laughing and put his hand on Abel's shoulder.
Abel looked up at his brother's smiling face.
"Maybe he needs to sleep," said Cain. "We can try again later."
Abel nodded.
"While we wait," said Cain, "Why don't we play with your birthday present?"
“Yeah!” exclaimed Abel, a smile breaking out on his face.
The "Birthday Present," in question was a small boat that Cain had made for Abel two years ago. Abel, when asked what he wanted that year, had said that he wanted to ride a whale, just like Elohim in the Sabbath Song. While Cain couldn't make a whale, or find one for that matter, he, with some help from Adam, made a boat. He remembered bringing Abel out to the lake blindfolded that year, and the sheer delight in his brother's eyes when he saw his present.
The same look was in Abel's eyes now as he sat in the bow, steering the little craft with a makeshift oar, with Lamby lying at his feet. Cain and Naomi sat behind them. Adam and Eve had declined to come, though there was still enough room in the boat for them.
When they had reached a calm spot towards the middle of the lake, Abel pulled up the oar and sat down in the boat. He put his arms around Lamby and began to pet him. Lamby bleated with what sounded like affection.
Naomi leaned back and sighed, "It's so nice out here."
"I know," said Cain. "I love Sabbath. I wish it would never end."
Suddenly Abel leapt up, rocking the boat as he did.
"I've got it!"”
"Got what?" asked Cain, regaining his balance.
"It's the wrong day!" said Abel.
"Wrong day?" asked Naomi. "How can a day be wrong?"
"It's Sabbath," said Abel. "Rest day! That's why Sandy's sleeping! And Elohim made Father on Sixthday, so maybe that's the only day you can make a man."
Suddenly Abel's eyes lit up, the fire of inspiration seizing him. "Hey!" he said, "That was yesterday! Maybe that's what Father and Mother were doing in the cave! We should look and see if they brought a man to life when we get back."
Cain laughed and said, "That's not how it works, Abel."
"It's not?!" asked Abel. "Then how?"
"Yes," said Naomi. "Tell us."
The two younger children looked intently at their older brother, eagerly awaiting the revelation of the forbidden knowledge.
"I… I don't know how," said Cain, a little embarrassed. "All I know is that it's something Mother and Father have to do together, and they don't need dirt."
Abel and Naomi seized on these two clues like lions on a carcass, and instantly expounded diverse theories on the making of men and the manner of said making. Their favorite theory was that they had all been pulled out of the ribs of one of their parents. They agreed that this would probably hurt the parent in question, even if they were smaller at the time. With the weight of this evidence duly considered, they solemnly agreed that the parent in question would have to be Father, since Mother always smiled whenever their birth days were mentioned, whereas Father, though he smiled too, had on one or two occasions trembled, as if remembering something painful.
"Though it's strange," said Naomi. "Elohim didn't need a girl."
"Who does?" said Cain.
Abel laughed.
Naomi crossed her arms and let out a loud "Hmph!"
"Oh, come on," said Cain. "I'm joking."
The anger did not leave his sister's face.
Cain turned to Abel and nodded. Abel nodded back. At once they converged on their sister and locked her in the grip of a double bear hug.
"We love you, Naomi," they said in unison.
Naomi groaned, but she returned the hug. Content that all was forgiven; the three children separated.
"Well," said Cain, "There's a lot about Elohim I don't understand."
"Like what?" said Naomi.
"Well," said Cain, "Father tells us that Elohim is always watching us, but he talks about Him like He's far away. If He's far away, how can he see us?"
"Big eyes, maybe?" said Abel, as he dreamily looked up at the ever-increasing number of clouds, "Father told me once that Elohim is bigger than the sky."
"That's silly," said Cain.
"Huh?" said Abel, a little shocked, "But Father said it."
"I know," said Cain, "But I can't understand it. I mean, the sky is the biggest thing there is, right? How could Elohim be bigger? There'd be no room for anything else, and the sky would burst."
"Maybe," said Naomi, "Elohim is outside the sky."
"Maybe," admitted Cain, "But Father also says that he and Mother used to walk with Elohim. How could they walk with him if he was that big? They'd be squashed."
"And not just them," added Naomi, "Think of the poor whale! I mean, how can you ride something that's way smaller than you are?"
"There must be a way," said Abel, "There has to be. Father says so."
"Hmm," said Cain, racking his brain for an answer.
Abel and Naomi did the same. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a great thunderclap. The three children jumped with a start, looked around and saw that the sky had become dark. All around them rain drops hit the surface of the water.
"Rain!" gasped Abel, his face breaking into a smile.
"It looks bad," said Cain, noticing the dark clouds in the sky, "We'd better get back."
Abel and Naomi agreed, and Abel lowered the oar and started the boat back to shore. The rain became heavier and heavier as they went, and a great wind began to buffet the boat.
Finally they made it back to shore. Adam and Eve were waiting for them, each holding up one end of a great blanket. Cain, Abel, Naomi, and Lamby scurried out of the boat and under the blanket, Cain only stopping long enough to pull the boat farther up on shore and put it between some rocks.
"Well," said Adam, "We prayed for rain, and Elohim came through."
"He doesn't mess around, does he, Father?" said Naomi.
"No dear, not at all," said Adam and, sighing, continued, "Well, at least we're all safe."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Suddenly Abel's eyes went wide with horror, "Oh no! Sandy!"
Before anyone could stop him, Abel ran down the beach to where he had left his sand man. The others followed, walking at half-pace so as to keep everyone under the blanket.
They met Abel when he was halfway back, his head fallen and a clump of wet sand in his hand.
"He's gone."
Naomi ran out and hugged her brother, "I'm sorry, Abel."
Adam, Eve and Cain also expressed their condolences.
"It’s all right. It's just sand.” He smiled, "You know, I feel kind of silly."
Naomi laughed and gently pulled him under the blanket.
By the time they were half way home, Abel was out skipping and dancing in the rain. Naomi joined him, singing,
Rain, Rain came today
In the puddles, let us play!
Cain, Adam, and Eve joined soon after, Adam carrying the blanket with him. Lamby was the only one who protested this decision, forcing Abel to carry him all the way home.
* * *
A fire burned near the mouth of the cave. Five humans and one lamb were huddled around it, still not a little wet from the day's adventures, eating a simple supper. All save Lamby were wrapped in blankets. Outside the storm raged on.
"You know," said Abel. "I've been thinking."
"Uh-oh," said Cain.
Everyone laughed, including Abel.
"Like I said," continued Abel. "I've been thinking, maybe I was using the wrong kind of dirt. Maybe I need special dirt, and I know just where to get it."
"Where, dear?" said Eve.
"Eden!" said Abel.
Adam and Eve froze. Their smiles faded. Silence descended on the cave.
Abel paused, expecting the silence, but pressed on, "You told us that Eden's a special place, so there must be special dirt there. So can we go there? Can you take us?"
"Yes, can we?" said Naomi.
"No." Adam's word was darker than the sky outside.
"But why not?" asked Abel.
"We can't," said Adam.
"But why?" asked Abel.
Adam remained silent. Eve looked uneasy, but she did not speak.
"No, not again!" said Cain as he stood up and looked at them with all the righteousness a child can muster when confronting his parents. "You'll talk to us about anything except Eden. Why? If it was so wonderful there, why did you leave? Why do you seem scared whenever we mention it? Did something bad happen?'
"Is it our fault?" asked Abel. "Did we do something bad when we were little so that we can't go back?"
"If we're bad children, please tell us," said Naomi with a cry of desperation. "We're really sorry if we are. We'll be good forever if you only tell us what we've done!"
Adam gave Eve a desperate look, as if all his strength had vanished.
Eve looked at her husband, terror and guilt filling her eyes.
"Adam…”
Adam sighed. It was a sigh of defeat, as if an expected, inevitable doom had arrived, and in the gentlest voice he could muster said, "Sit down children.”
They obeyed.
Adam paused, trying to find the words to say what he had never wanted to say. He muttered, "On such a good Sabbath too."
He sighed again and continued, "There's something your mother and I need to tell you."