Page 108 of Sheltering You

“What if he had?” Derrick’s tone was serious again. “Found the Bible?”

“Oh.” She shrugged, though Derrick didn’t see. “He probably would have killed me, at least before he knew I was expecting.”

“What a risk.”

“Perhaps, for some. But I was desperate to be free in whatever way God chose for it to happen—through escape or death. I would have taken either.”

Derrick winced. “That’s…” He lifted his hand like he was going to reach for her, then gripped the steering wheel. “I’m sorry.”

“‘To live is Christ, to die is gain,’ no?”

Derrick didn’t respond, but a muscle twitched in his cheek, which told her he didn’t like that answer.

“The Bible was my only friend. In Baghdad, after Mama died, I would read for hours and hours. It was my comfort. At the compound, if Khalid was away, I would read all night long. When he was there, I didn’t dare take it out, but he was with Salwa often.”

“Salwa is...?”

“His beloved wife.”

“Oh.”

Even in the darkness of the car, she could see the scowl that crossed Derrick’s face.

“And sometimes”—she hurried to add—“he would go on trips. He is the one who found Leila in Germany. He knew who she was because⁠—”

“You’re identical.”

“Yes. He recognized her immediately.”

“Makes sense.”

Derrick grew quiet, but Jasmine longed to prolong the conversation, to keep things from getting awkward again. Jasmine and Derrick had discussed their faith often enough, so this felt like a safe topic.

“Michael has several Bibles on a bookshelf in his living room, which he said I could look at. It is fascinating, all the English translations and how different they are—and also how similar, yes? And there is a book with the original Hebrew and Greek words and their definitions, and how they are used in different places in the Scripture. Also a book with archaeology and history, and some commentaries with people’s opinions about every verse in the Bible. Do you have these things as well?”

“I have a couple books like that, yeah.”

“Do you study these? Do you find them helpful?”

“I don’t use them as often as I should, I guess.”

“There were things I couldn’t understand before—historical events, for instance, about Israel and the world at the time of the Scripture. Michael’s resources have opened my eyes to the stories in a new way. But other things in those books I’m not sure the purpose of. Why have a man interpret Scripture when God will do it if only you ask Him?”

“Just for a different perspective, I guess.”

“But another perspective is better than God’s?”

“You’ve never found God to be silent? To not give you insights?”

“No. Have you?”

“Sometimes. Maybe I’m just in too much of a hurry.”

Ah, yes. It seemed to her that Americans were always in a hurry. “How many Bibles do you have?”

He considered the question a moment. “Probably…seven or eight, more if I count the ones I’ve had since I was a kid.”

“This is amazing, to have so many.”