Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: REED / READ (02/23/23)
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TITLE: A Basket of Reeds, a Basket of Dreams, a Monologue | Previous Challenge Entry
By Laurie Kiel
03/02/23 -
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Ah, my basket of hopes and dreams. All the manuscripts that I have sent out and had returned. My manuscripts I hoped they would read and publish. Instead of Miriam with Moses in the basket of reeds, here I am with my basket of reads. Miriam and her family had such hopes and dreams in Moses. I wonder what it would have been like to be Miriam.
(PUTS ON A HEADDRESS)
Aaron’s off on some mysterious mission that he won’t tell me about. So for now, I have nothing but my thoughts and memories.
I remember praying so many years ago, before the birth of Moses. (IN VOICE OF A YOUNG GIRL) “God, are you up there? Mother says you are. Don’t you see how cruel the Egyptians are to us? Don’t you care? Aren’t you strong enough to take care of the Egyptians? Mother is going to have a baby soon, maybe even tonight. Please let it be a girl. Do you know what the Egyptians do to baby boys?
My best friend Anna used to have a baby brother. Mother and I were visiting Anna’s mother and the baby, when the Egyptian soldiers rushed in, and grabbed the baby. Mother hid my face so I couldn’t see but I could still hear. I heard the soldier’s rough voices, and Anna’s mother screaming and the baby crying. And then there was a splash and only the sound of Anna’s mother wailing.
Our new baby just has to be a girl. If You can’t be bothered to rescue our people, can You at least make Mother’s baby a girl?”
I hear crying, the baby’s here.
Oh no. It’s a boy.
(MIRIAM RETURNS TO SPEAKING AS AN ADULT) I remember the day when Mother entrusted me with my brother in a basket made of reeds. It was the hardest thing I had ever done to put him in the river and wait. It wasn’t just my brother in that basket, it was our hopes and dreams.
And for awhile, it looked like those dreams were going to come true. My little brother adopted by Pharoah’s daughter? Who else but Jehovah could bring about such a thing.
I was so excited when Pharoah’s daughter saved Moses, that I had to go tell Anna.Words gushed out of my mouth like a fountain but my words dried up when when I saw the pain in Anna’s eyes as she spit out the words, “Where was your Jehovah when my brother was crocodile food.” And she stomped off.
But it still seemed that the plan was working. It was all so simple. Moses had been adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Some day Moses would become Pharaoh and would free us all. I was so sure. And so wrong.
How wrong I found out when Anna brought me some unwelcome news. Moses had killed an Egyptian overseer and now was on the run for his life. “Some deliverer” Anna told me with a sneer and left me to my demolished hopes.
My only thought that day was “Run, Moses, run for your life.” And run he did. And he’s been on the run ever since. I hear he’s a shepherd in Midian.
(LOOKS UP TO GOD) God, normally I would be complaining to Anna about You or the Egyptians, or both. But I can’t do that today, or ever again. And You know why. Anna is dead. When she collapsed, unable to carry any more bricks, the overseer beat her to death. No loss, he said, she was too old to be worth anything.
I suppose it’s time to put away a little girl’s dreams. God doesn’t hear, or doesn’t care, or He’s not strong to save us. I don’t know which is true and I don’t even care.
I hear footsteps, Aaron must be back from his mysterious mission… Is that two sets of footsteps I hear?
Aaron! You’re back! …and … Moses?
(WOMAN REMOVES HEADDRESS)
God had not forgotten His people. That basket of reeds and needs, hopes and dreams finally came to fruition. It was all in God’s timing. My basket of reads and needs, hopes and dreams will also someday come to fruition. God sees us, He cares for us and He has the power to help usp. It’s all in His timing and to His glory.
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