Something Special at Leonard's Inn by Benjamin Potter (popular novels .TXT) 📖

since the angels had finished their song. “Are we all simply crazy? Did we not all see? Did we not all hear? This message was meant for us. We must continue to search.”
“But, Jerome, there are no more stables in town. We have exhausted the mangers available in all of Bethlehem,” said Joshua, who was growing weary of the search that continued to leave them empty-handed. Some of the others who had enthusiastically been searching for half the night were nodding and mumbling their agreement.
“And what of Leonard?” Jerome responded. “He keeps a small stable behind that inn. I remember it from the last time we were on that side of town.”
“Do you really think the Lord would use the house of a dried up man who has no sense of humor,” Joshua said. “As I recall that last time, we were about Isaac and Josiah’s age, and that spindly excuse for a man ran us off with but barely enough time to gather the sheep from his courtyard.”
This comment brought rowdy laughter from the entire company of shepherds. Everyone, to a man, had heard the story of the sheep in the courtyard at least ten times. It had been the best story available to the herders fro twenty years’ running. The incident had also earned Jerome and Joshua permanent banishment from the street on which the inn was located.
“We must seek Him there,” Jerome yelled above the laughter. There was resolve in his eyes as he turned to make his way to the home and business of his childhood friend, the one whom he had not seen in twenty years.


4

Courtyard Memories

No one noticed one old shepherd as he faded back from the rest of the crowd. Everyone’s attention had focused on the south end of town and one small inn.
Jerome was running toward the inn, the inn that belonged to the man he had once called friend. Suddenly Jerome was struck with indecision. Part of him could not miss out on this event, this miracle of miracles, this event announced by angels. Part of him went back in time to the “incident in the courtyard” that had destroyed the friendship he and Leonard had once enjoyed.

“It will be great fun,” Joshua said. He was always talking Jerome into doing something they would both later regret. Jerome had that feeling about this latest idea for Joshua-style entertainment.
Jerome had mentioned his idea of giving one of their finer sheep to his boyhood friend, Leonard, as a gift because Sarah was soon to deliver their first child. The celebration of the new birth would be one that both young men could enjoy. It was as if the child would belong to Jerome as well. He envisioned himself stopping by the inn to visit with his old friend and having the young one (hopefully a boy) climb up in his lap to ask “Uncle Jerome” for another story about the adventures of being a herdsman. Jerome knew that he was no blood relation, but he also knew that he was closer to Leonard than any of the inn keeper’s five brothers had been.
“I don’t know, Joshua,” Jerome answered. “There are too many things that might go wrong. Besides, I don’t think that Leonard will see the humor in it when he has to clean up the mess left by seventy-five sheep.”
“Oh, he will get over it,” Joshua stated. “You will see. In a matter of days he will forget about the trampling of his courtyard flowers when he is cooing to his son and enjoying the feast provided by one of those lambs. After all, you said you are giving the humorless miser his choice from the flock, did you not?”
As usual, Jerome let his partner talk him into turning his gift into a “harmless” practical joke. He just hoped that eventually Leonard would find the humor in it. Perhaps Joshua was right. The birth of the new baby—especially if it was a son to inherit the inn that Leonard was so proud of—would take Leonard’s mind off of any damage incurred by the running of an entire flock of sheep through his beautifully landscaped courtyard. Perhaps a few flower stems would be broken, and if they were lucky, Jerome thought, the pitiful statue in the center of the yard would be knocked over. Leonard would soon be celebrating the birth of his son and would invite Jerome to join in the feast. He was providing the lamb, after all.

* * * * *
Leonard watched as Sarah practiced her mothering skills, teaching the young woman how to wrap the baby properly to keep out the night chill. His mind went back to the time twenty years ago when he was preparing to be a proud father, much like the young Joseph standing beside him. He could hardly wait for the day to arrive that he might lift a cup of wine with his friend Jerome to welcome the birth of his son.
Jerome. It was his fault. Leonard remembered how his friend and that stupid excuse for a business partner had destroyed all of his hopes.

“What in the world is that noise?” Leonard asked as he slowly moved from serving a midday snack to one of his patrons. He arrived at the door of his budding inn just in time to witness the commotion taking over his wife who was expecting their first-born. She had taken the notion in her mind to dress up the common room by placing flowers in jars on the tables. In the middle of the garden he saw the frightened sheep as they first knocked Sarah down, and then ran over her. One after another the flock seemed to grow as it raced through the courtyard.
Leonard searched the courtyard and beyond to see which thoughtless shepherds were responsible for the flock that was running wild through his home. He heard the bleating of the sheep, the yelling of his neighbors, and the swelling cries of his beloved Sarah. And then he saw them. Those two foolish herdsmen. One had been his bosom friend. One he had tolerated for the sake of his friend. His rage erupted.
“Get your disease-infested animals away from here!” Leonard yelled. He aimed his anger at Jerome, his one-time friend. He knew that running the sheep through town had probably been Joshua’s idea. However, he also knew that with a simple word Jerome could have put a stop to the entire escapade.
“Relax, oh wealthy inn keeper,” Joshua chided, the grin ever-widening beneath his young man’s beard. “Your precious flowers will grow back. Tell your friend of our gift, Jerome.”
But Jerome could not speak. As the sheep began to settle down after the run through town, he saw the fallen figure of the young mother-to-be that Leonard was tripping over sheep to get to.
“Go!” Leonard screamed again. “Get these filthy beasts out of my sight!” By now he had reached his beloved Sarah and was attempting to see if the frightened sheep had injured her badly.
Jerome grabbed Joshua by the arm and the two young shepherds quietly gathered all the sheep and left without leaving the best of the flock. Jerome heard that Leonard had banished him and his group of shepherds from even entering the inn for a drink of cool water. As for himself, Jerome had made it a policy to stay away from the street on which the inn was located.
The fall, and the fear caused by the trampling sheep, caused Sarah to lose the baby. He was born without life, and Leonard severed all ties with his former friend, Jerome—the man who was responsible for the foolishness that hurt his wife and killed his son.

Mary’s gaze and smile brought Leonard back to the present. She seemed to be telling him with her eyes that he should come and see the baby. As he walked over she gently handed him the child. Leonard could not put his finger on what it was, but there seemed to be a peacefulness about the baby. He could not open his eyes yet, but it seemed that he was seeing into the heart of the old inn keeper. Something seemed to melt within him.


5

Manger-Child

The noise outside was growing again as Leonard tried to extinguish all the lamps in the inn. And from the growing din outside, it promised to be longer before quiet settled in. How in the world had the miracle of birth found its way into the madhouse created by Caesar’s registration?
Looking down into the face of Mary’s child had somehow touched his heart. Holding the tiny fingers in his own had given Leonard a thrill beyond words. He was glad that he could never turn away any expectant mother, regardless of her ability to pay for lodging. He knew it was because of his own devastation when Sarah had been unable him with children after the incident twenty years earlier. It seemed that the only people Leonard could turn away were the shepherds in Jerome’s band.
Why can’t I get those uncouth ruffians out of my mind? Leonard thought. Tonight, I should be preparing for the rejoicing to be done for Joseph’s new son.
Leonard’s thoughts were interrupted by shouts from the streets. He recognized the voices of some of the neighbors.
“Go away, you noisy tramps. Let us get some sleep.”
“But we must find the right place,” a young man’s voice called in return. Leonard had never heard this voice before.
“This must be the place. The city is full of people like you. We blame it on the Roman Governor,” the neighbor yelled back.
“This is not the place,” a familiar voice rose above the mobbish sounds. “It is further down. Yes, I recognize it just down the street. Come along, Isaac, Josiah!” Leonard knew that voice, but he could not place it.
He made his way to the door and, looking out to the street, recalled the face that belonged to the voice.
“You!” he screamed. “Have you not brought your flock with you this time?”
Jerome knew that he would not be an expected sight after so many years of absence, but he hoped that those years might have softened some of the hatred Leonard harbored because of a poor decision made so long ago. Any other time but this, Jerome would have simply turned and walked away. But tonight was special. An angel had spoken directly to him. “We left the sheep alone in the hills, Leonard. We may lose all, but we must know—where is the baby?”
“You are too late. You will not ruin another man’s family in this place. You and your kind are welcome to leave,” Leonard snarled at the old shepherd standing just outside his door.
“Where, Leonard, where?” Jerome pleaded. The other shepherds were astounded. They had given up on the idea of finding the manger-child, for he was not to be found in any other stable in all of Bethlehem, nor in the surrounding country. Jerome could not leave, he knew he had found the place. Tonight he would get through to his old friend and let him know the sorrow that had been suffered over the crushing of a friendship by a youthful stunt. Or he would not. One thing he did know: he would see the child of the angel’s message. “Make me leave if you must, but first let us look upon the child. We have seen signs of angels,” Jerome said in the voice of authority developed over many years of being the shepherd leader.
“Let them come,” the quiet voice behind him startled the anger from Leonard. He turned to see Joseph, the young father, standing at the corner of the house. “Let them come, Leonard, for