Scene from Ancient Egypt

Scene from Ancient Egypt

Svitak, Adora

 

It was a cool day. The breezes from outside blew into the kitchen as fig leaves rustled outside. Ankhar bent down and rubbed dough between his fingers. Ankhar was the baker's assistant's son, and his father truly did all the work. At least this was what Ankhar thought.

 

"Get on with that!" his father said gruffly to Ankhar and Ankhar's friend, Nef. "The time you two spend talking could be spent in better things." Ankhar sighed and jumped on the dough vehemently. His father nodded in approval. 

 

"Your father isn't looking now," Nef said once Ankhar's father had gone. "Do you want to go and see Nefthis?"

 

Nefthis was Nef's sister. She was a servant to the Pharaoh Ramesse's Hittite wife and always had some funny story to tell Ankhar. I wish I could be her, Ankhar thought enviously. All I am is a lowly baker's assistant's son.

Ankhar came back to reality and nodded to Nef. The two jumped out of the dough tub with slow deliberateness and crept along the hallway clinging to the walls. It still smelled of flower buds from last night's feast.

 

"Off! Get off!" They heard shouts down from the hallway. "Nasty thief!"

 

Nef looked pale, but Ankhar recklessly rushed ahead. Four men were trying to wrestle a torn pouch of lapis lazuli from one of the scribes, and barely noticed Ankhar. Shards of glass lay on the floor. Ankhar smelled beer and camel dung and figs.   

 

"What are you doing?" Ankhar exploded, tripping up on the scribe's arm as he skidded to a halt.

 

"None of your business," one of the men said roughly, and put his hand over Ankhar's mouth. Ankhar tore away and raced down the hallway as fast as he could until he slammed into Nefthis.

 

His mind was a jumble of thoughts. He realized that Nefthis was wearing a ceremonial dress and a headdress and that he had knocked a vase of water out of her hand. That meant she was preparing to accompany Ramesse's wife to the temple with holy water--and, as he noticed his father marching down the hallway, that he was in big trouble.