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Galilee was a beautiful part of the world and, when he didn’t have any assignments to worry about, Aziraphale enjoyed rambling around the countryside. Especially in the spring when new life was blossoming all around. The sun was bright, but the lovely breeze blowing off the sea left the air pleasantly cool. The area around the inland sea had once been wilderness, but had grown up considerably over the centuries, so one couldn’t go far without running into a settlement.
He smiled as he glimpsed smoke on the horizon, enough to suggest a sizeable village. Wetting his lips, he walked faster, stomach growling in anticipation of a lovely fish dinner, with a nice white wine and dates for dessert if they were available.
His smile faded as he grew closer, stomach twisting as he was hit with a wave of emotion. It was heavy in the air, thick and cloying, a soul crying out for comfort. Frowning, he started to move faster, seeking out the poor human suffering such pain. It didn’t take long; as he approached the village, muffled sobbing reached his ears. Following the sound, he found a girl sitting under a tree just outside the village, her forehead pressed to her knees as she rocked back and forth, crying and whimpering.
Heart full of sympathy and chest aching, he moved over to the girl, crouching in front of her. “Child?”
She gasped, recoiling and staring up at him with wide eyes. She seemed so tiny, the poor creature, far too small to hold so much anguish in her petite little frame. There were other emotions roiling in her, too: confusion, shame, sorrow, and dread.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, slowly extending his hand. “I won’t harm you. I heard you crying on my way into town, and I want to help. Can you tell me what happened to upset you?”
She stared up at him with wide eyes, fearful and a bit dubious. He could feel her doubt, mingled with a kind of wary acceptance, as if she’d been hurt recently and knew she would be again. She didn’t take his hand, just stared sadly up at him. Her snotty nose and tear-stained cheeks only reinforced his impression that she was very young. Far too young for whatever she was facing.
Smiling reassuringly, he miracled himself a clean cloth and gently began wiping her face. Closing her eyes with a pained sigh, she submitted to his attention, even obediently blowing her nose when he was finished.
“There, that’s a little better, isn’t it?” he asked, smiling kindly.
She bit her lip, nodding weakly and offering the cloth back to him with a quite, “Thank you, sir.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure,” he assured her, taking it back and discretely miracling it away again. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Maryam, sir.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Maryam. Now, my dear, why don’t you tell me what’s happened to put you in such a state?”
She hesitated for a moment, looking around quickly, as if to ensure that they were alone. Finally, leaning close, she whispered, “There was a man.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, fresh tears welled in her eyes.
Anger flared within him, unexpected and almost dangerously powerful. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head, but only started crying harder. “He said I hafta… but I don’t want to!” she protested, the last word dissolving into an anguished moan.
Her words didn’t help his indignation, and he gathered her into his arms, tugging the tiny creature into his lap. Most children would be scared of a strange man, but Aziraphale had always had a way of soothing people. It was as if they could sense his goodness and concern as much as he could sense their pain. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Maryam pressed her face into his shoulder, mumbling her thanks. She was crying again, and he let her, stroking her hair as she got it out of her system. He could feel her pain and fear recede to a dull ache, exhaustion and resignation moving to the fore.
“Tears cleanse the soul, don’t they?” he asked. At her nod, he added, “Now what happened? Who was this man who upset you?””
She hesitated, face still pressed into his shoulder as she whispered, “An angel, sent by God.”
He frowned at that, continuing to stroke her hair. “What could an angel possibly have done to upset you like this?”
“He said I’ll have a baby.”
“Well, I’m sure you will some day.”
“He said it’s already inside me,” she whispered, swallowing hard and staring fearfully up at him. “I’m not married yet! Yosef won’t have me if he thinks I’m impure,” she whimpered, fresh tears forming. “No one will. And the poor child. We’ll be outcasts and, if he doesn’t learn a trade…”
“Hush, my dear,” he soothed, rocking her gently back and forth. “This Yosef is your betrothed?”
She nodded weakly, swallowing hard and asking, “What will I do if he puts me aside? I would never find a husband after that…”
“Of course you’ll find a husband,” he promised. “I’ll see to it.”
“Are you sure?” she murmured.
“Oh, positive. Some of us work in mysterious ways.”
Eyes wide again, she hesitantly asked, “Are you an angel, too?”
“Yes, I am, but don’t tell.”
Gasping, she scrambled out of his lap, throwing herself face-down before him. “Forgive me!” she begged, fear in her voice. “I didn’t know, sir!”
“Stop that!” he protested, pulling her up off the ground. “I’m just a minor angel, not a god, child.”
She bit her lip, watching him as he gently wiped the dust off her face. “But you’re a messenger of God, aren’t you?”
“More a protector than a herald,” he explained, giving her a gentle, reassuring smile. “Did the angel who told you these things tell you his name?”
“Gavriel,” she answered quietly. “He said it was a great honor and that I would be remembered forever. He said I should be proud of bearing the Messiah. But I’m not. I’m just scared,” she admitted, looking ashamed of herself. “All I ever wanted was to marry Yosef and be a good wife with many children.”
“You can still be a good wife to him, and have as many children as you like,” he promised.
She closed her eyes, whispering, “Do you promise? I know I shouldn’t ask an angel for any favors. I should be offering you hospitality and loyalty, and make offerings…”
“The only thing I want from you, my dear, is for you to live a long life, with as little trouble as possible. Do you care for this Yosef?”
“He’s very kind and gentle, and he makes a good living. He can support me and many children, and I don’t think he could go astray, even if he wanted to.”
“Well, as I said, if you want to marry him, I’ll see to it,” he assured her again.
“Thank you, sir,” she whispered, giving him a weak smile.
She was obviously calmer now, but he could still feel the pain and fear radiating from her. “What’s the matter, my dear? What else is troubling you?”
“Gavriel said that my son would be reviled in his own lifetime and die a criminal’s death at a young age.”
He choked at little, staring at her with wide eyes. “Gavriel told you that?”
How could the Archangel put the burden of knowledge like that onto the shoulders of a child? Aziraphale’s anger was back, along with a powerful need to protect this innocent girl. He wanted to comfort her the way she should have been comforted from the moment she received this horrible news. Raising the Messiah, watching him be the victim of hate, scorn, and finally execution. No mother should have such knowledge forced onto her.
“Come here, child,” he whispered, extending his hands to her and spreading his wings wide.
Maryam gasped, staring at his wings with wide eyes for a long moment before whispering, “They’re so beautiful.”
Aziraphale smiled warmly at that, taking her hands and urging her back into his lap. She settled there comfortably, expression so full of trust and faith that he realized, for the first time, that she was beautiful, and not just in appearance. How had he have missed the divine favor burning gently in that exceptionally pure heart of hers?
“Little Maryam, you are full of Grace, and the Almighty will always look after you,” he soothed, wrapping his wings tightly around the girl in his lap.
She gasped softly at his words, but her eyes fluttered shut at the first touch of his wings. Wrapping her arms around him again, she whispered into his shoulder, “I am a handmaiden of the Lord. I’ll do my best to do what’s been asked of me, with humility and faith.”
“You’re a good child, and you aren’t alone,” he soothed, stroking her hair and keeping her gently caged in his wings. “You’ll never be alone. Now rest and, when you wake up, you’ll feel better.”
She went still and quiet in his lap, just snuggling close for some time before she slipped into a deep sleep.
“There we go,” he whispered into her hair, continuing to hold her close with his arms and his wings, sheltering her and doing his best to shut out the world for at least a short time.
The poor child would have a difficult road ahead of her. Despite the fact that she was a vital part of the plan to Save every human in the world, he would not have wished the burden on anyone. He’d been holding her for hours before he heard someone calling her name, and he quickly shook her awake.
She opened her eyes, giving him a warm, almost adoring smile. “Thank you, sir.”
“It will be difficult for you, but I’ll do what I can to make it easier,” he assured her, urging her off of him lap. “I’ll talk to your Yoseph. I’ll bring him around.”
She let out a sound like a whimper, eyes swimming. But her smile was almost serene as she took his hand in hers, covering it with kisses in between whispered words of thanks. Nearby, someone impatiently called her name and she looked up, edging away from him.
“My mother’s looking for me...”
“Best run along, then. And don’t worry about a thing. I’ll handle it all.”
“Thank you,” she whispered again, looking for just a moment like a happy child. “For everything, sir, I thank you,” Maryam murmured, kissing his hand again, then leaning up to press her lips to his in the kind of chaste kiss that only a child could manage. When she heard her mother calling again, she turned and darted off without another word.
A little startled by the profound pleasure that could come from such a small, innocent gesture, he nodded, feeling slightly dazed as he watched her run off. She was a good and dear child, innocently pure in every way. She would love the Son so much: filling His every need and raising Him to be a good man. It would not be easy for her, but he couldn’t prevent her from having to suffer through what was coming. He could, at least, ease her way somewhat. It would be far better for her to have company and support through her trials.
~~~~~
19 Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 She’s afeared that ye might get the wrong idea about alle this. 22 She really is quite a sweet girl and this much stress is simply not good for the baby! 23 I mean, verily, I’m not trying to tell thee how to live thine life but it really would be the kinde thing to do.”
24 And so Joseph did take Mary to wife and, in due time, she gave birth to Jesus the son of the Lord , who is called Immanuel , and who would grow to be a very nice young man with ideas muche ahead of his time.
25 And finally did the angel of the Lord get to enjoy his fishe suppre, with white wyne and dates for dessert.
Citation
Buggre Alle This Bible, Book of Matthew 1:19-1:25 . London, Bilton and Scraggs, 1651. Print.