The Future of the Past

The Future of the Past

By Julia Sezov

Chapter 1

In a house not far from here live two children. Their names are Richard and Deborah, but everyone just called them Rich and Deb for short. They were identical twins, with Deb the older by one minute. 

One day, they were playing outside having a contest on who could swing the highest when the ground suddenly shook. They jumped off their swings and went to investigate. Inside a miniature crater was a box. 

“What is it?” Rich said.

“I dunno. It looks like it has something inside of it, though.” Deb replied.

“Should we open it?” Rich asked.

“I don’t see why not.”

They looked, but they couldn’t find a latch. The top of the box felt a little rough, but it wasn’t a latch, and they couldn’t see well enough to tell what it was (the sun was setting). Eventually, frustrated out of his wits, Rich hit the top of the box. The box glowed bright green, and then, as Rich and Deb watched in amazement, a gray mist suddenly surrounded them. They reached out for each other’s hands and Deb shouted,“What is happening?” “I don’t know! Stay together!” Rich shouted in reply.

The mist dissipated. They stood in the middle of a dirt road. A man strode past them. He wore the sort of clothes that Rich and Deb had seen before only in picture Bibles. They looked down at themselves and were astonished to see they wore the same sort of clothes! “What – what happened?” Rich gasped. “I don’t know. Where are we?” Rich opened his mouth to respond, but two women running past them in the road, each holding a wrapped up bundle, interrupted him. “They look upset. Do you think we should go after them and see if they’re okay?” Deb asked. “Why not? Maybe in return they could tell us where we are and what’s happening.”

So they followed the two women. After about five minutes of walking, they came to a big house. “It looks like a castle!” Rich exclaimed in amazement. 

The women went to a small door in the fence surrounding the house and knocked. A man came out with a sword attached to his belt. Rich and Deb gasped, but the women didn’t seem to find this at all unusual. They spoke to him for a couple seconds, then he nodded and walked in the door, with the women following behind. Rich and Deb looked at each other. “Shall we?” Rich said, holding his hand out for Deb to go in front of him. 

By now, of course, they had guessed that this was a palace and a king lived inside. They had also guessed that the two women had gone to ask this king for help. They walked to the door and knocked. The man came out again, and asked “What is your business with the king?”

Rich said, “We need to ask him a very hard and confusing question.”

The man responded, “Well, that’s just what King Solomon is best known for, then, isn’t it?”

He smiled at them, then turned around and went in the door. Rich and Deb followed, looking at each other. “King Solomon!” Deb said in a whisper.

“Did that box somehow bring us back in time?” Rich whispered back. 

“Those two women-they must be the two women in the Bible who lived together and each had a baby the same day and one died, and the one stole the baby from the other!” Deb gasped, in awe.

By this time, the man had led them into the inner court of the castle. The great hall lay just ahead. As they approached, one of the women came out. She carried the live baby, and it was cooing softly. Rich grinned. “Happy ending, but I wonder what happened to the other woman,” he said.

“I dunno, but I hope it’s the same with us,” Deb said.

“Me, too.”

“Let's go.”

They walked slowly into the great hall, stepped toward King Solomon’s throne, and bowed low. 

“Rise,” King Solomon said. “Why do you seek my counsel?”

“Sir,” Rich said, trembling just a little, “We have an unusual problem, and we ask that you not stop us in the middle of our story but wait until the end.”

“Very well,” King Solomon said, “What is your problem?”

“Well, sir, its a long story.”

Rich proceeded to tell the story, starting at finding the black box in their yard. “So, you see, sir, we are from the future, and it’s a huge honor to meet you, because we read about you in many books, including the Bible.”

“What, exactly, is the Bible?” Solomon asked.

“Oh, …The Bible. Well ...”

Deb nudged him. “Tell him,” she whispered.

“Tell me what?” Solomon asked. “I need to know it all before I know how to help you.”

“Well...” Rich hesitated. “In our time, the promised Messiah has come. The Bible is made up of smaller books written by many different people in many different times. The first five books are the Torah, with which I’m sure you are familiar – the five books of Moses. Then there is the book of Joshua, and the book of  the Judges, the story of Ruth, and first and second Samuel, which is about Samuel, your father David, and some stories about you, O King, and that isn’t even half of the Bible, but I’m not sure I should tell you any more, since they tell about your future, our past.”

“Oh.” The King was, for the first time in quite a while, speechless.

“I know it seems impossible, but you have to believe us, O King, please.”

“Hmmmm,” the King sat silently for a long while. Rich and Deb were practically holding their breath. At last, he said, “If you want me to believe you, you must do three things; you must show me this Bible of yours, you must  also show me this black box of yours, and I wish to briefly see your time.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, O King!” Rich and Deb chorused together. 

“Here’s the Bible, sir,” Rich said, “I have a pocket one I always carry with me.”

The King flipped through it. “Why, this is the Book of the Law! Written by Moses! This is still in common use in your time?”

“Yes. We have in that Book everything from the creation of the world to the Messiah’s ministry and then some of His disciples’ ministries after Him.” Deb replied.

“I just thought of something. How is it that we understand each other and are speaking in the same language despite the fact that you live in an entirely different time?”

“Oh, we think that has something to do with the black box. We don’t have these clothes in our time, but we were wearing them as soon as we arrived here, so the box must have done it. It’s probably the same with languages.” Deb clarified.

“Very well. I think I am actually starting to believe you, despite all common sense!”

Rich and Deb said nothing, but inside they beamed with delight. “Next up, the black box.” Rich said to the king.

They followed the king as he swept out of the throne room, through the huge palace, and into the courtyard. “I’m in need of some common air, Nathaniel,” he said as the big guard jumped up in question at the gate. 

“Yes, my Lord,” he stuttered.

 He glanced suspiciously at to Rich and Deb, who smiled sweetly at him in return. “I have a feeling he plans to follow us from behind,” Deb whispered.

“I was about to say the same thing,” Rich whispered back. “We must be careful.”

By this time they were approaching the site of the black box. However, something was happening that neither Rich or Deb had thought of, because they didn’t have to worry about it. All the people who lived in the city wanted to get the attention of the king, either for money, or time, or a question, or a job at the palace. Finally, the king said, “Everyone who needs to talk to me may come to the palace tomorrow between nine and 11 in the morning.”

The crowd dispersed, and Rich and Deb sighed in relief. “That was close,” Solomon exhaled, almost too quiet to hear.

“Here, in here,” Rich motioned to the king.

Rich led the group into a field and right up to the black box. “Here we are,” he said to the king. 

“Amazing!” Solomon answered. That phrase was not something he said often, yet now he’d said it twice on the same day! He wasn’t sure what to think, also something unusual. “How do you work it?” he said at last. 

“That’s just it. We came here by accident, and have no idea how to get back. We got here by hitting the top, but if we do that again, who knows where we could end up. With Genghis Khan in Mongolia, likely as not. A pretty pickle we’d be in then, that’s for sure. We’d prefer to stay here until we figure this thing out.” Rich explained.

Solomon looked blankly at Rich. “Genghis Khan? Mongolia? Pretty pickle?” he asked. 

“Oh sorry. Genghis Khan was one of the most ruthless rulers of a country called Mongolia, way east from here. Pretty pickle is one of the ways we say ‘in big trouble’ in our time.”

“Oh.” the king said. “Well, I have a plan of action. Why don’t you hit the top while I’m with you, then I’ll be able to help you no matter what time and place you’re in. And, once we figure it out, you’ll have no trouble returning me to my time.”

“Why didn’t we think of that?” Rich and Deb exclaimed at the same time.

“All right, everyone, hold hands. Rich, at the count of three.” Solomon instructed.

Rich nodded. “One, two,...”

“WAAAAAIIIIIITTTTT!!! What do you think you’re doing, kidnapping the king! I’ll have you imprisoned and tortured for life!” 

Everyone turned to look, and saw Nathaniel running full tilt toward them as fast as he could go. He drew his sword and pointed at them, panting. “You are under arrest, under charge of attempted kidnapping.” 

Solomon leaned over and whispered something into Rich’s ear. “Three!” Rich shouted. He hit the top of the box, and the gray mist enveloped them once again. “Amazing!”Solomon said, yet again.

“What’s happening? I demand an explanation!” came another voice.

“Oops. Didn’t mean to bring him along,” Rich muttered.

“Hey! That’s not original! Thief from C.S. Lewis! Thief from C.S. Lewis!” Deb teased.

“Aw, shut up,” Rich grumbled.

“None of that language, if you please,” Solomon interrupted.

“What is going on? King Solomon, where are you?” Nathaniel wailed.

“Aw, shut up, Nathaniel.” Solomon ordered.

“Language,” Rich teased.

“Ha, ha, very funny.”

The mist dissipated, and Deb and Rich looked around in wonder. “Where are we?” Solomon breathed.

“Would someone please explain what’s happening?”

“Shut up, Nathaniel!” everyone said at the same time.

Nathaniel muttered some things no one could hear and then was silent. Everyone stood quietly and took in their surroundings.

They were standing in the most beautiful garden anyone had ever seen. It contained all the colors of the rainbow. There were tropical trees, perennial plants, and fruit trees. They looked down and saw they were in togas. “It’s beautiful!” Rich exclaimed.

“Stop! Hold it right there!” Several soldiers rushed toward them. “What are you doing in the queen’s garden?”

Chapter 2

“Hit it!” Deb screamed.

Rich hit the box once again, and they were enveloped in the now-familiar mist. 

“That must have been the hanging gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World! Rich, don’t you remember that history song we learned in CCA? The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are the Colossus of Rhodes, the great pyramid, the Mausoleum, and the temple of Artemis, the hanging gardens, Pharaohs lighthouse, and the statue of Zeus!’” Deb  sung.

“Who are you and where am I – and what is CCA?” came an unfamiliar voice. 

“Uh-oh!” Solomon, Rich, and Deb said.

“Who’s uh-oh? Never heard of him. Why is it so dark, and what were you doing in the garden?”

“Yeah, um, hold on a sec,” Rich said uncertainly.

The mist faded. They were in their own backyard! “Yes!” Rich and Deb exclaimed. “Solomon, Nathaniel, and soldiers, may I show you the future as in our backyard!”

“What are these clothes I’m in?” one of the soldiers asked.

“Oh, the box does that.”

“I don’t like them. So tight!”

“Oh, stop it,” Rich commanded.

“Rich, Deb, time for dinner, come on in!”

“It’s Mom!” Deb whispered. “What should we do?”

“We tell her everything.” Rich said. “Mom, we need you, would you please come here?”

“What about you coming here and helping me set the table? Do kids never help anymore? Oh, fine, I’m coming.”

“I still want an explanation,” Nathaniel whined.

“Hear, hear!” the soldiers agreed.

“Later, guys!” Deb hissed.

We heard Mom coming to the door. She opened it and stopped in her tracks. “Oh, um, hello! Who are you?”

“Uh, Mom, this is King Solomon, Nathaniel his guard, and three soldiers.” 

“Rich, Deb, what is this?”

“Yes, well, um, Mom, you see, we were playing on the swings when we heard and felt a bang. We went to investigate and found this black box in the middle of a crater. We thought it had something in it so we tried to open it but we couldn’t. Rich got frustrated and hit the top of the box. We were suddenly surrounded by a gray mist. When the mist went away, we saw we were somewhere else. Eventually, long story short, we ended up meeting King Solomon and he wanted to experience it for himself. However, we accidentally picked up Nathaniel on the way. We ended up in the hanging gardens, and these soldiers chased us. Then we ended up back here, but we also accidentally picked up the soldiers on our way.” Rich explained.

“Uh-huh. We will talk more about this later with your father, but for now – won’t you all come in and eat?”

They all trooped into the house, and Rich led them to the table while Deb helped Mom in the kitchen. “Rich,” Mom called from the other room, “please see what is taking your father so long, and...” 

“Yes?”

“Tell him we have company.”

“Ok, Mom.”

Rich left to get Dad, and Mom and Deb brought the food to the table. “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself properly,” Mom began. “My name is Julia, and I am Rich and Deb’s Mom.”

Solomon nodded, but Nathaniel and the soldiers looked confused. “Um, ma’am,” Nathaniel began uncertainly, “Who are Rich and Deb?”

Mom glared at Rich and Deb. “What, these aren’t even your friends? You just grabbed random people in the street and made them play games to satisfy your wild imagination?”

“Uh, Mom, we told you...”

“What you told me was a bucket of lies, that’s what. I am ashamed of you, and you should be too.”

“Who’s a bucket of what?” Dad inquired as he entered the room. “Whoa, what’s all this?”

“This,” Mom began angrily, “is a figment of our children’s imaginations.”

“What!?” Dad exclaimed, very confused at this point. “What’s going on?”

“Mom, we weren’t lying,” Deb began, but Mom cut her short. “You’re the older one, Deborah! You should have held your brother in check, not gone along with him!”

“Older by one minute,” Deb said, very upset.

“Hold me in check? I’d like to see her try! And who says I wanted any of this to happen?” Rich exclaimed.

“All right, that’s it, both of you to your room! We’ll be up shortly to talk about this absurdity,” Dad roared, very confused, and also very angry. “Now,” he said, speaking more quietly to the guests, “where do you live? I’ll drive you back home immediately, and I’m sorry for the inconvenience this must have caused you.”

“Uh, we don’t have anyplace to stay at this time,” Solomon said. “But...”

“GUYS!” Dad yelled up the stairs to Rich and Deb, “YOU WERE PLAYING WITH A BUNCH OF HOBOS?!”

“Hobos!” Solomon said, outraged. I am Solomon, King of Israel...” 

“I’m the captain of the Israelite guard...”

“Very respected and high ranking soldiers of the Babylonian army...”

The whole house turned into an uproar! Everyone was yelling and screaming at someone else. Rich and Deb looked at each other and nodded. “It’s the only way.” Rich said. 

They ran to Deb’s room, which had a tree next to the window they could climb into and down to the ground. They ran to their backyard and got the black box and carried it inside. They set it down in the dining room doorway and hit the top. The mist surrounded them, and the arguing and yelling stopped abruptly. “What’s going on?” came Dad’s voice. 

“This, Mother and Father, is what we were trying to tell you about, but you wouldn’t believe it, so we had to show you.” Deb explained.

“We’re sorry. But what is this? I thought you said that box was a time machine, not a mist-maker?” Mom queried.

“Yeah, it should go away soon.” Rich asserted.

The mist cleared. They stood outside what looked like a huge, spectacular building, but King Solomon recognized it. “Why, that’s the temple! The one God told my father I was to build!”

“So it is true! You are King Solomon!” Dad gasped, amazed.

“Well, I guess we got you back where you belong,” Rich started. Then they heard screaming and yelling. Lots of Israelites surged past them as one, and soldiers chased after them. “Babylon attacking Jerusalem!” Deb screamed. “Hit it, Rich!”

Rich hit the box and they were surrounded by the mist. “Oh, the gods save us!” said someone they couldn’t see in a voice they didn’t recognize. 

“Oh, no, not again!” Rich agonized. 

The mist cleared, and they saw that indeed they had picked up ten Israelites and five more Babylonian soldiers. “Oh, come on!” Deb groaned. “When can we not pick someone up?”

They looked around at their surroundings. The soldiers, a little calmer now, looked too, and the Israelites were just happy not to be chased by Babylonian soldiers anymore. They were standing in secluded desert. “Well, now, at least, we can see how this thing works.” Rich said. The others started looking around while Rich, Deb, Mom (or Julia), Dad (or Alex), and Solomon leaned over the box. “Look!” Solomon exclaimed. “There’s something on the top of the box!” 

“They’re buttons!” Rich exclaimed joyfully. “Look! There are ten buttons with numbers on them – 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9, a miniature keyboard...”

“A miniature what?” Solomon asked. “And what are buttons?”

“You know, buttons are things you push. And a keyboard has letters on them;a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z, one button that says Enter, and one button that says Home! I think the way it works is you type the year, month, and day you want on either the keyboard or the number pad, hit enter, and then it takes you there!”

“Hooray, we figured it out, but how did we not see that before?” Deb questioned.

Well, if you think about it,” Rich began, “The first time, it was sunset in our backyard, and getting darker, the second, it was also getting dark in Israel, the third, there was shade from all the trees in the hanging gardens, and we kind of didn’t look at it that time because we were there for like ten seconds before we got chased by the soldiers –” 

“No offense, by the way,” one of the soldiers called. “Also by the way, I’m Shedon.”

“– and then the fourth time, we were back in our steadily growing darker house and yard, as well as the fifth time, the sixth time we didn’t really look at it either, and this is the seventh time we’ve used it, and we are finally able to see it clearly!” Rich finished.

“Wow,” was all Mom could say.

“Hey guys, now that you’ve figured it out, could you take us home?” one of the soldiers called. 

“Are you kidding?” an Israelite said. “I don’t know who all of you are and where you came from, but I’d rather be anywhere than where I just was.”

“You know...” Deb started.

“Great idea!” Rich said.

“All right, guys,” Deb called, after consulting with her parents for a moment, “huddle up!”

She whispered to Rich, and he said, “Except for King Solomon and Nathaniel, who have to go back, any of you who want to may come live in our house, provided you share in household chores. Anyone who wants to go home, stand by King Solomon and Nathaniel so we can differentiate you from those

who don’t want to go.” Everyone shifted, and to no one’s surprise, the soldiers wanted to go, but the Israelites did not. “Very well.” Rich said. Israelites, are there any family members of yours that you would like us to pick up for you?”

“Nope,” said a man in the group. “this is my family. My wife Adara, my daughter Tamar, my son Joseph, and our servant, Reshab. These are my parents, Ashalal and Hannah. My brother, Josephus, and my sister in law Rahab, and their daughter Abigail. And me, of course. I am Asher.”

“Very well, then I take my leave,” said Solomon. “Words of wisdom for the Babylonian soldiers and Nathaniel, don’t speak about a word of this. And Rich and Deb? Come visit whenever you want. Just make sure it’s after you saw me the first time!”

Everyone laughed. Rich tapped in the code and dropped everyone off at their times. Then, with Deb, Mom, Dad, and the Israelite family, they turned for home and had dinner at last. “You know,” Mom began. “I think I’ll invite our pastor and his wife for a little adventure tomorrow, what do you think?”

“I think it’s a great idea. John has always loved the Apostle Paul. Why don’t we go meet him?” Dad said.

“Excellent idea. We invite them for dinner, and as soon as everyone sits down, Rich, have the box ready. Then...off for another adventure.” Mom agreed. “Rich, Deb, you have off from home school tomorrow. Alex, take off from work.”

“Why, hon?” Dad asked, puzzled.

Mom smiled. “CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Rich leaned over to Deb. “Some things never change,” he said.

“What does clean mean? Who’s a pastor?” Asher queried.

“You’ll find out tomorrow.” Rich gr umped. 

As they went to bed that night, Rich told Deb, “I can’t wait to show the pastor and his wife the black box!”

“Me either,” Deb yawned, “but that’s for another day.”

“Yes,” Rich thought, “that’s for another day.”

Epilogue

The next morning when they woke up, before they went downstairs to begin a day of haggling cleaning with a slave driver for a Mom (Rich was already thinking that school was better), Deb had an idea. “Hey Rich, why don’t we write about our adventures yesterday? I bet it would make a good story.”

“Better idea,” Rich countered, “let’s write about our adventures yesterday, publish it, and then if people (and publishers) like it, we can write one about our adventures today, and maybe if that’s really popular, even more adventures after that!”

“Nice,” Deb complimented.

And that is what they decided to do.

The End – or is it?