A Day Before Today

And Adam said this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:
She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother
and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:25

“Hey mommy… mommy, can you read the story from the book again?” Evelyn asked as she pulled her bed sheets up to her nose.

“Okay, Evey– as long as you go to sleep right after darling” her mother replied as she reached over to the nightstand and picked up the hefty book lying there.

“And the serpent said… hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree in the garden? And the woman said… we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it.”

“So what happened next mom? What happened?” Evelyn asked as she rolled around in her bed with great anticipation.

“Well… the serpent said, ye shall not surely die, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil,” she continued as she glanced over at Evelyn who looked on without blinking, “the woman then wanted this knowledge, but told the serpent that God would be deceived if she were to eat of the fruit. The woman then walked off to where Adam was sitting and told him of her conversation with the odd serpent in the tree.” Myra then closed the book and kissed Evelyn on the forehead, “Goodnight my love, sleep tight.”

“But what happens next mommy? I want to know more… oh please, go on!” Evelyn whined as Myra turned off the light.

“We’ll finish it tomorrow Evey,” she replied, quietly closed the door behind her. Evelyn lay in the darkness thinking about the woman in the story. She kept on wondering what would happen if the woman would have eaten the fruit that the serpent said would bring the knowledge of a God. “Maybe we would all be really, really smart or something!” she murmured to herself.

The next morning Evelyn rolled out of her bed, walked into the washroom, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and then made her descent for breakfast.

“Why good morning Evey– how did you sleep?” Myra joyfully asked as she set down a plate of figs (which she had just picked from the garden) in front of Evelyn.

“Um–I slept well–but–I had an odd dream about people that wore leaves on their bodies,” she responded as she sat down to her plate. Over her shoulder, Evelyn heard her older sister Martha whispering to her father, “Have you seen Ethan lately? He has so much back hair now.”

“Well, it’s just natural, just like you and I–natural–that’s all,” Abel replied as he sat down at the table.

“Hey mommy… can I get that new body modification treatment? I don’t want to look like the other kids in the gatherings anymore!” Martha complained as she took a piece of fruit from the basket in the middle of the table that no one ever touched.

“Miss, you know just right, that you aren’t allowed to do such a thing to your body in this family, it’s just not natural!” Myra retorted.

“But mom, all the other girls are doing it! I just don’t want to look like everyone else,” Martha responded in a sulk, “and when are we going to move down south again? It’s getting cold here again!”

“Well, I’m also starting to get a little cold once again, it’s just that your father stays warmer that you and I,” she said glancing over at her husband, “but there will be no body alterations whatsoever young lady,” Martha sharply responded as she got up from her chair and slowly poured water into Evelyn’s glass.

“Hey mother, in the story that you read to me last night, what do you think would’ve happened if the woman would have eaten the forbidden fruit in the garden?” Evelyn asked as she looked up at her mom who had just finished filling up the glass with
water.

“Well–I don’t know Evey–maybe–”

“They wouldn’t be like us, they wouldn’t be like us,” Abel quickly interrupted, “… the brutes would wear clothes.”

“Do you think?” Evelyn cried out as she looked out the window to see Ethan pick up the daily newspaper from his front lawn.