Before Winter (7)

Five: Departure

“Remember that a group of brethren from Samos are coming this week. I don’t know how many there will be, so you may need to find more families for them to stay with.”

“I know, Timothy.”

“And don’t forget to visit Martha’s family today or tomorrow…her son-in-law is not a believer, but Miriam assured me that you could still come into the courtyard.”

“Yes, you told me already.” 

Tychicus stood by the table, watching Timothy fidget with his bags, adjusting the strap of his water cask for the third time. 

Straitening, Timothy rubbed the back of his head. “Have I forgotten anything?” 

“Do you have the letter back from Jason?”

“Right here.” Timothy flung his cloak around his shoulders and hoisted his pack onto his back, patting the right side pouch, where the letter was safely tucked away. “The ship is leaving in a few hours, when the tide starts going out, but I want to get settled on board in plenty of time.”

“Then I guess this is goodbye.” 

They shook hands, and Timothy turned toward the door. He took a step, and hesitated. “You know, the believers here are amazing people. You just have to get to know them…”

“Timothy. I’ll be fine.” Tychicus reassured him. “God be with you, my friend.”

“And also with you.” Timothy responded, waving as he headed to the dock. 

When he reached the water front, he scanned the port, looking for the Nero’s berth. She was a Roman ship, but he would only be sailing in her as far as Cyprus. 

“Get Mark, and bring him with you,” Paul had said, “for he is useful to me for ministry.”

That was his first task. He had asked Tychicus where John Mark was. 

“I don’t know for sure.” Tychicus had responded. “For a while he was near Rome, with Peter the apostle. However, when the persecution intensified again a few years ago, they left by sea. Mark was planning to go back to Cyprus, where he and Barnabas first evangelized almost twenty years ago. Whether he is still there I cannot tell.”

So, he had found the first ship going to Cyprus, and reserved passage on it. 

Timothy did not know Mark well, since he had only met him once, when Paul first visited Lystra. After he became a Christian and joined Paul as a missionary, he had heard the story of how Mark left the party. Now, he was searching for the man, because Paul wanted him in Rome. Hopefully Paul knew what he was doing. 

“Ahoy there, mate!”

Looking up, Timothy saw a hull of a ship looming above him, with a sailor hanging over the side, waving at him. 

“Where are you bound for, eh?” 

“I have a berth on the Nero, bound for Paphos, Cyprus.” Timothy called, tilting his head to keep the man in sight as the ship swayed back and forth on the waves. “Do you know where she is?”

“Aye, she’s just yonder.” He pointed behind Timothy.

Turning, Timothy saw another ship, one dock over. “That one?” he asked, motioning with his arm. 

“You see the light stripe of wood around the top of her hull?” The sailor shouted down at him. 

With his hand held above his eyes to shield them from the sun glinting off the water, Timothy saw that there was indeed a lighter band at the deck line. “Yes.” 

“Off you go then. She’ll be wanting to sail with the tide, whether you be on board or no.”

Taking his advice, Timothy trotted toward the ship, reaching the side in a few minutes.

As he approached, the helmsman peered over the side. 

“I’m sailing with you today.” Timothy told him. “I have a letter from your captain.”

He showed the piece of parchment to the sailor, who squinted at it for a long time. 

“Cain’t read.” He growled at length. “Hev to get the mate.” 

After a short delay, another head appeared on deck. 

“You must be our passenger.” The mate took the parchment from him and glanced at it before returning it. “Come on board. Hey! Jannes!” he shouted at the man behind him. “Throw a rope down for our guest here.” 

A ladder came clattering down into the water. The rungs were bits of board, attached by rope on each end. Timothy considered it. The ship was rocking back and forth, making the ladder look rather unstable. Everyone on board had lost interest in him, however, and he was left to his own devices.