Eve chewed and swallowed. As the fruit slid into her stomach, she felt a lump in her throat, and the fruit was not sitting pretty.
She looked around, the garden seemed so much different now. Shadows stalked amidst the trees. The serpent was laughing at her, and she felt ashamed. A light breeze blew across her skin and she realized how naked she was, how vulnerable. And her stomach was so uncomfortable.
She thought about Adam. What would he say? What would God say? She was in so much trouble.
Moments before, eating the fruit made so much sense, but she couldn't remember any of her arguments now. Everything felt so strange. For the first time in her life she was afraid, and sick. She bent over and threw up. Throw up did not taste good and it didn't feel good either. She stayed bent over for a moment, then began sobbing.
Animals fled. The sound of sorrow had never entered the garden before. What had she done? Her only hope now was Adam eating the fruit. As long as he ate the fruit, they would survive together, if not, she would wander alone, living a life of sorrow and regret until she died, while Adam lived forever alone in the garden.
She picked up a new, clean piece of fruit, wiped her face clean, and headed off to find Adam. Would he see that she was different now?
As she walked, she thought about how she would approach her husband. She could tell him to eat the fruit and if he didn't he was an idiot. She could cry and apologize over and over, hoping he would see her side. She could fold her arms and say, "Eat it, or you'll be alone, and I don't think you want that."
For a moment she felt like the serpent. The serpent offered her the fruit, now she was offering it to Adam. She felt so low, so dirty. Adam was too good for her anyway. She didn't have much hope of him choosing to be with her now. Her heart ached in her chest. She could even say, "If you love me, you'll eat the fruit."
As she saw him standing by the watering hole, watching the fish, dread landed on her like a meteor. She stood, holding the fruit, watching him from a distance, wondering if she could get out of this without offering it to him. If she pretended like she had never taken it, could they go on like they had before?
But God knew. God knew everything and he would kick her out. And if she was kicked out, Adam had to come with her. It was the only way.
With a festering ball in her stomach, she approached her husband.
At the sound of her approach, Adam looked up and smiled. "Eve," he said. "I just love watching these fish every day, They have been the same fish every day for the past thousand years, and I've gotten really attached to them. All these animals are so great. You just missed Sandy, the black bear, she passed by a minute ago eating a nectarine."
"Adam," Eve said.
Something in her tone stopped his excitement. His smile faded as he looked at her. Then he noticed the fruit in her hand, then he looked back at her. "Eve," he said, feeling worried for the first time in his life. "Eve, tell me you didn't..."
Her voice and her body melted into sorrow. She tried holding the fruit out to him, but she felt so weak.
"Eve!" Adam held her arms. "Eve, talk to me!"
"Please," she said, looking at the fruit in her hand. "I will be kicked out."
"You ate it?"
Unable to look at him, she said, "I didn't know how else to progress." When she finally lifted her eyes to his, she said, "Will you come with me?"
Adam looked at the fruit, then looked at his sad and beautiful wife, who was somehow more beautiful than ever before.
"I will," he said, and took a bite.
"We'll be kicked out," Eve said, feeling relieved and even joyful. "But we'll be together. I'm sorry to do this, but it was the only thing that made sense."
Adam nodded. He was experiencing all of his emotions for the first time, seeing light and darkness, feeling sick from the fruit, then feeling the sickness pass.
They looked at each other for a long moment.
"Well," Adam said, feeling happy and nervous for the first time. "I guess we should talk to God now."
"Yeah," Eve said, worried, but not nearly as much as she had been.
They held hands and went to face God and their consequences, together.
She looked around, the garden seemed so much different now. Shadows stalked amidst the trees. The serpent was laughing at her, and she felt ashamed. A light breeze blew across her skin and she realized how naked she was, how vulnerable. And her stomach was so uncomfortable.
She thought about Adam. What would he say? What would God say? She was in so much trouble.
Moments before, eating the fruit made so much sense, but she couldn't remember any of her arguments now. Everything felt so strange. For the first time in her life she was afraid, and sick. She bent over and threw up. Throw up did not taste good and it didn't feel good either. She stayed bent over for a moment, then began sobbing.
Animals fled. The sound of sorrow had never entered the garden before. What had she done? Her only hope now was Adam eating the fruit. As long as he ate the fruit, they would survive together, if not, she would wander alone, living a life of sorrow and regret until she died, while Adam lived forever alone in the garden.
She picked up a new, clean piece of fruit, wiped her face clean, and headed off to find Adam. Would he see that she was different now?
As she walked, she thought about how she would approach her husband. She could tell him to eat the fruit and if he didn't he was an idiot. She could cry and apologize over and over, hoping he would see her side. She could fold her arms and say, "Eat it, or you'll be alone, and I don't think you want that."
For a moment she felt like the serpent. The serpent offered her the fruit, now she was offering it to Adam. She felt so low, so dirty. Adam was too good for her anyway. She didn't have much hope of him choosing to be with her now. Her heart ached in her chest. She could even say, "If you love me, you'll eat the fruit."
As she saw him standing by the watering hole, watching the fish, dread landed on her like a meteor. She stood, holding the fruit, watching him from a distance, wondering if she could get out of this without offering it to him. If she pretended like she had never taken it, could they go on like they had before?
But God knew. God knew everything and he would kick her out. And if she was kicked out, Adam had to come with her. It was the only way.
With a festering ball in her stomach, she approached her husband.
At the sound of her approach, Adam looked up and smiled. "Eve," he said. "I just love watching these fish every day, They have been the same fish every day for the past thousand years, and I've gotten really attached to them. All these animals are so great. You just missed Sandy, the black bear, she passed by a minute ago eating a nectarine."
"Adam," Eve said.
Something in her tone stopped his excitement. His smile faded as he looked at her. Then he noticed the fruit in her hand, then he looked back at her. "Eve," he said, feeling worried for the first time in his life. "Eve, tell me you didn't..."
Her voice and her body melted into sorrow. She tried holding the fruit out to him, but she felt so weak.
"Eve!" Adam held her arms. "Eve, talk to me!"
"Please," she said, looking at the fruit in her hand. "I will be kicked out."
"You ate it?"
Unable to look at him, she said, "I didn't know how else to progress." When she finally lifted her eyes to his, she said, "Will you come with me?"
Adam looked at the fruit, then looked at his sad and beautiful wife, who was somehow more beautiful than ever before.
"I will," he said, and took a bite.
"We'll be kicked out," Eve said, feeling relieved and even joyful. "But we'll be together. I'm sorry to do this, but it was the only thing that made sense."
Adam nodded. He was experiencing all of his emotions for the first time, seeing light and darkness, feeling sick from the fruit, then feeling the sickness pass.
They looked at each other for a long moment.
"Well," Adam said, feeling happy and nervous for the first time. "I guess we should talk to God now."
"Yeah," Eve said, worried, but not nearly as much as she had been.
They held hands and went to face God and their consequences, together.