Below is an extract from the novel I’m writing called after the flood. Check out the Novella category for more information, or altunitively there will be an AFTER FLOOD PAGE added to the blog soon.
Not much happens in this extract… were I to always put the exciting bits up no-one would want to read the thing once its finished for all the spoilers I’m giving away. But what this extract does show is something about how the family (having spent so long in ark construction and now having to be completely self-sufficient) are incredibly industrious doing far more work than your average eight adults might manage.
8
Family industry
Ham made his way over to the shade of the main tent. In the years since landing the tent had been extended a number of times for the addition of storerooms. The whole thing had just been taken down and re-oriented to make room for still more additions to the family when it was discovered that Dodi was pregnant again. As well as the tent there were a number of wooden outhouses to store different things from tools, to drying crops to curing meats. There was a porch outside the main entrance of their tent. It was draped with vines to shade the family when the sun was too hot but the indoors too stuffy.
Building the ark taught the family a degree of self-sufficiency that was only fully realised now that their time was not monopolised with its construction. Beneath the vines Naamah beat flax into long fibres the colour of her hair. Linen was not easy to produce but it was the coolest fabric to wear in the summer and the only thing that kept Noah from putting on his old skins. He wore a robe covered by a short tabard with a sparsely embroidered sash, all linen. But his hair and beard was as untamed as ever, in fact his new clothes only served to make his thicket of hair seem wilder as it stood out all the more. He was inspecting the vine and its fruit, fat grapes hung ready to be crushed. As Ham passed Noah placed a hand on his shoulder,
‘How’s the boat coming along son?’
‘Its all finished dad, we’ll be ready to set out after the anniversary offering.’
‘Good,’ said Noah in his strong and gentle voice. ‘I spoke to Japheth a minute ago.’
‘Oh yeah?’ said Ham vacantly looking at the floor.
‘He says you could do with some time to yourself. Don’t worry about coming to the vineyard with me this afternoon. Shem and I will manage it.’
It took Ham a moment to realise what his father had said; his thoughts were so distant. But when he looked up at Noah to protest he saw a look of grave concern on the old man’s brow.
‘Thank you father,’ he said and went inside.
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