“Gosh, she is so beautiful!” Thought the man. “She is nothing compared to the other companions that my friend has given to me!”
“She is able to walk on two legs like me! Unlike the dog and donkey my friend has paired me with”
“She isn’t too big like that clumsy T-Rex”
“She isn’t too small like that hard working ant”
“She is unable to fly like that sparrow, allowing me to reach out and touch her”
“She does not breathe underwater as well, fortunate for me, if she breathes underwater, how can I speak to her?”
“She does not have a hard shell like that lobster; I am able to feel her warmth.”
“She looks very much like me and my friend. I wonder why?”
“She just suddenly appeared after I fell asleep one day… Maybe I should ask my friend where he got such an amazing companion for me!”
The man walks through the garden to where his friend resides.
“My friend, can I ask where did you get such an amazing partner for me?”
The friend replied, “I got her from you!”
The friend went on to explain that one day he cause the man to fall asleep and he took a rib from the man and made it to become his companion. His friend went on to explain that he did not take a bone out of his head for her to trample over him, neither did he take a bone out of his feet to let the man trample over her. Instead he took a rib near the heart for the man to love her and protect her.
“Wow! No wonder she is perfect for me! Thank you my friend! You know me the best!”
The man continued his work on the garden like he is supposed to. He passed by the tree that his friend told him not to touch of.
“This fruit looks great, I wonder how it taste like?” The man thought to himself.
“Nah, I should not think about it, my friend knows what is best for me!”
However, deep inside the man, doubt started to grow. Now every time he walked passed the tree, he would take a break and look upon the vibrant colored fruit. Never going so far as to touch the fruit, but he spent time observing it. He noticed that no animal went near the tree. There was no grass around the tree. Not even a bird stood on one of the branches to rest.
“I wonder why nothing living is around the tree? I guess my friend is right when he said, ‘you will surely die'”
A very crafty animal saw the man’s curiosity and begin to speak the the man as well. He started asking questions that did not even cross the man’s mind.
“Did your friend say you are not to touch of it? Maybe he simply intended that you are not to eat of the fruit, surely touching makes no difference!”
“Why would a good friend keep something bad in front of you?”
“Why return to work on other fruits when this fruit is so good?”
The man hence decided to lay hands on the fruit. He touched it and smelt it. Upon seeing that the fruit was good for food, he brought his companion with him to the tree that he had observed.
The animal realized that the companion was not around when the friend told the man not to eat of it, hence found it easier to tempt the woman instead.
“Did the friend really say that you are not allowed to eat if any tree in the garden?” The animal asked the woman.
The woman replied, “we can eat from any tree in the garden except for this tree, we will die if we eat or even touch the the tree”
“You will not surely die, the man touched it and he did not die!” The animal said to the woman. “Perhaps when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened and you will become as powerful as your friend!”
The woman touched the fruit to experiment if the fruit will kill her. She touched it and nothing happened. She then plucked the fruit. The man who was beside his companion felt a deep spirit in him telling him to stop the woman. The man however, also desired the fruit. Hence he ignored the spirit’s prompting.
The woman began peeling off the skin of the fruit. Inside the vibrant colored skin was flesh that was dull and black. The look if the flesh should have deterred the consumption of the fruit, however the smell captured the couple’s attention.
“A fruit that smells so good should not be bad! A fruit that smells like that must be good” thought the couple.
The woman took the first bite. The fruit tasted extraordinary. It seemed sweet at first, then it became sour, then spicy, then bitter and finally, the fruit lost it taste. The woman did not swallow the fruit yet, but the flavor is all lost.
The woman then took the fruit and have it to his husband. The man took the second bite and enjoyed the pleasure of the taste just like his companion. After the second bite, he saw the core has a seed that was blood red.
The man looks up. “OH MY GOSH, we are naked!” He exclaimed.
The woman realized and shouted, “Have we been naked all this time? Have we no shame?!”
The couple then sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. As the friend was walking by. Upon hearing his friend’s footsteps, the couple his themselves in the garden.
“Where are you?” The friend shouted in the direction they were hiding, like he already knew where they were.
“I heard your footsteps, but I am naked, so i hid” the man answered.
“How did you know you were naked? What have you done? Have you eaten from the tree I told you not to eat from?” The friend asked.
“My friend, the woman you put here with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it!” The man justified himself.
The man, who admired the beauty of the woman, whom he was supposed to protect, threw the blame on the her instead. The man felt disgusted with himself after saying what he said.
The woman was shocked that he blamed her and bounced back, “it’s the animal, it tempted me to do it!”
The woman felt betrayed for she thinks the man was to blame, it was the man that brought him there. Yet, she knew that she was the one that brought the fruit to the man’s mouth. She felt disgusted at herself after saying what she had said.
The animal could not answer.
The friend cursed the animal.
The friend cursed the woman.
The friend cursed the man.
The friend had a disappointed look on his face. As if a father failed his duty as a parent.
The friend looked upon the badly sown fig leaves. He sighs and fashioned robes for them.
The robes were red in color. The same shade as the seed of the fruit. With a brown leather belt. Gave them sandals to protect their feet.
The man and woman wept as they put on the outfit that the friend gave them. Begging him not to throw them out.
Yet, when their tears stopped, they saw that the friend was also weeping. “Why did you have to eat from the tree?”
“I loved you so much, I gave you so much, what do you expect me to do now?”
The man saw the consequence of his actions and only uttered, “I am sorry my friend…”
The couple walked out of the garden ashamed even though they were wearing clothes.
They knew that life will never be the same again.
________________________________________
In case you haven’t realized what this story is, this is based on the story of Adam and Eve.
The man is Adam.
The woman is Eve.
The animal is the serpent.
The friend is God.
I wanted to show the contrast in reaction towards Eve when Adam was caught after eating the fruit. Before, he loved and admired Eve’s beauty! He explained how perfect she was and wanted to love and protect her. However, once he was caught, he blamed her for everything instead of protecting her.
I know that the Bible has no account of Adam being tempted before Eve. It is just an imaginary scene. The devil is clever. He makes small cracks on the wall and then finally lands a huge blow, breaking the wall. Using different people in our life to tempt us.
I added italics whenever the man talks about the friend. I wanted to show the lack of reverence for God when man fell(the italics for ‘my friend’ was removed once they ate the fruit).
The design of the fruit. Vibrant skin. Black flesh. Blood red seed. The knowledge of good and evil. It is both attracting and repulsive. With blood red seed, because everything is created through Jesus.
It is also God’s grace that he gave Adam and Eve clothes. I mean why not just destroy them on the spot? Instead The Lord gave them clothes, let them live.
-Kelvin-
blessedoneNthu 