“Miriam, the elder sister of Moses, spake against Moses. And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven days? And, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow. And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days; and the people journeyed not those seven days.’ ” The Bible.

Characters:-

-MIRIAM. Elder sister of Aaron and Moses.

-AARON.

-MESSENGER.

(The scene: Miriam enters, shepherding the family’s sheep in a field. After a few seconds, Aaron enters, hurriedly. Throughout the onstage activities there are opportunities for byplay interactions between persons and wayward sheep.)

MIRIAM: Aaron, what took you so long?

AARON: You are not going to believe what I have to tell you, Miriam!

MIRIAM: That after keeping us waiting over a year for his answer, brother Moses has accepted our invitation to have tea with us?

AARON: That after keeping us waiting over a year for his answer, brother Moses has married his second wife without caring to tell us. (MIRIAM is stunned silent for a few long seconds.) An Ethiopian. I do not even know what an Ethiopian looks like. Do you?

MIRIAM: No. Where is Zipporah and the children, Gershom and Eliezer?

AARON: Nobody is talking. Some were so obviously uncomfortable when I enquired. (A long tense silence.)

MIRIAM: Are we to wait until our brother chooses to inform us?

AARON: Those with whom I spoke to try to get access to Moses, made it clear to me he was too busy with our Nation’s business to be distracted.

MIRIAM: Did they know you are his brother?

AARON: I deliberately did not inform them because there are Egyptian secret agents everywhere.

MIRIAM: This is so not fair. After our parents died, the three of us have been so close. So close that we made a pact of loyalty when he said he wanted to marry Zipporah. Remember that pact?

AARON: (Wide-eyed, and conspiratorially.) Of course! That we would never let Zipporah know that our brother had to flee Egypt because he had murdered an Egyptian in a street fight, and, therefore, was being hunted by the Egyptian police.

MIRIAM: Aaron, first, I’m going to go with the hope that Moses is keeping us at arm’s length because he wants to keep us safe from those Egyptian undercover agents.

AARON: I agree. So, we wait until Moses contacts us?

MIRIAM: Yes, on the one hand. And on the other
hand, one of us travels in secret to Zipporah’s father, Jethro, in the country of Midian, to find out if he knows where Zipporah and her children, Gershom and Eliezer, are.

AARON: If he does not know?

MIRIAM: Aaron, he is a High Priest in Midian. He has the means to find his daughter and his grandchildren. And so if he does not know it will be good that we let him know.

AARON: Someone’s coming this way. (Both look in silence. MESSENGER enters.)

MESSENGER: Greetings. I have come from His Holiness, Jethro, the High Priest in the Country of Midian. I was sent to the house on that hill, back there. They sent me to you. Miriam and Aaron?

MIRIAM: Yes.

MESSENGER: Sister and brother of the great Moses?

MIRIAM: Yes.

MESSENGER: I am most honored to have been selected by His Holiness, Jethro, the High Priest of Midian to be the messenger on this mission, and to meet the siblings of the great Moses.

MIRIAM: You are welcome.

AARON: We have not communicated with our brother for so long, we can barely remember what he looks like. ( He looks at MIRIAM; she nods to the MESSENGER.) Friend, are Zipporah and her children in Midian?

MESSENGER: I have not seen them, sir. My mission here from His Holiness, Jethro, the High Priest, the father of Zipporah, concerns the safety of Moses and his family.

MIRIAM: Friend, what is your mission?

MESSENGER: Some persons in Midian, suspected of being Egyptian foreigners, have started a rumor that Moses could be involved in a murder that happened in Egypt approximately twelve years ago. The Country of Midian has a Peace Treaty with the Country of Egypt. Hence, it behooves the Government of Midian to co-operate with the Government of Egypt in the search for a murderer of an Egyptian in Egypt.

MIRIAM: That’s a long time ago. Utterly new news to us. (She looks at AARON. He nods.)

MESSENGER: This is good that the information is new to you. His Holiness, Jethro, the High Priest sent me in that belief. He said I tell you to let Moses know about the rumors.

AARON: Friend, our brother is so tied up in our Nation’s business, he hasn’t had the time to speak with us, in a long time.

MIRIAM: And the security around him at all times is so tight because of the danger of foreign agents, your High Priest will be able to approach him sooner, officially. So, please, return to Midian. Let the High Priest know that the two of us here are willing to be a part of any official approach to our brother Moses.

MESSENGER: It will be an honor to communicate your request to His Holiness, Jethro, the High Priest of Midian.

AARON: Please, may we request you let us know when the whereabouts of Zipporah and her children become public?

MESSENGER: Friend, I, personally, will bring the information to you, whether it becomes known publicly or otherwise.

AARON & MIRIAM: Thank you. (MESSENGER exits.)

MIRIAM: This is bad.

AARON: What?

MIRIAM: The Egyptians are hunting to tie Moses to a murder.

AARON: Could it be that Moses knows this and is staying away from us for our protection?

MIRIAM: I prefer that be his reason instead of that other.

AARON: What other?

MIRIAM: Really, Aaron? You have forgotten?

AARON: Really, Miriam I am sorry that I really have forgotten that “other” reason.

MIRIAM: That golden calf you and I encouraged the people to make and worship when Moses was away up in the mountains where, he said, he was talking to God?

AARON: (Softly and guiltily.) Ohh, that reason!

MIRIAM: Yes, Aaron, “that” reason which you have forgotten because God did not punish you for that blasphemy. He punished me by afflicting me with leprosy! What, brother, you have forgotten my leprosy from God? (Both exit, interacting with sheep mischievously belligerent to them and to other sheep.)