25.3 After all the congratulations, most of them go out onto the road. Mary wants to go to the stable to see whether Joseph has arrived. He has not. Mary is disappointed and worried.
Elizabeth is anxious about Her. «We can stay until midday, then we must go, to be home before night. He is too young to be out at night.»
And Mary, calm and sad: «I will stay in one of the yards of the Temple. I will go to My teachers… I do not know. I will do something.»
Zacharias makes a proposal which is immediately accepted as a good solution: «Let us go to Zebedee’s relatives. Joseph will certainly look for You there. If he should not come there, it will be quite easy for You to find someone who will accompany You to Galilee, because the fishermen from Gennesaret are continuously going to and coming from that house.»
They take the little donkey and go to Zebedee’s relatives, who are the very same people with whom Joseph and Mary stayed four months before.
The time passes quickly, but there is no sign of Joseph. Mary controls Her grief lulling the baby, but it is obvious that She is worried. Although it is so warm that everybody is perspiring, She has not taken off Her mantle, concerned as She is to conceal Her condition.
25.4 At long last, Joseph is announced by a loud knocking at the door. Mary’s face shines, cheerful again.
Joseph greets Her, because She is the first to go and meet him and greet him reverently. «The Lord’s blessing on you, Mary!»
«And on you, Joseph. And praised be the Lord that you have come! Here, Zacharias and Elizabeth were about to leave, to be at home before night.»
«Your messenger arrived in Nazareth, when I was at Cana, working there. I was told the other evening. And I left at once. But although I have travelled without stopping, I am late, because the donkey lost one of his shoes. Please forgive me.»
«I am to be forgiven by you, because I have been away from Nazareth for such a long time! But see, they were so happy to have Me with them, that I decided to please them up till now.»
«You have done well, Woman. Where is the baby?»
They enter the room where Elizabeth is giving milk to little John, before departing. Joseph congratulates the parents on the sturdiness of the child, who screams and kicks, as if they were thrashing him, because he has been taken away from his mother’s breast to be shown to Joseph. They all laugh at his protests. Also Zebedee’s relatives, who have come in with fresh fruit, milk and bread for everybody, and a large tray of fish, laugh and join in the conversation.
25.5 Mary speaks very little. She is sitting quiet and silent in Her little corner, with Her hands on Her lap under Her mantle. Even when She drinks a cup of milk, and eats a bunch of golden grapes with a little bread, She speaks very little, and hardly moves. Her looks at Joseph are a mixture of pain and enquiry.
He also looks at Her. And after some time, bending over Her shoulder, he asks Her: «Are You tired or are You not well? You look pale and sad.»
«I am sorry I have to part from little John. I am very fond of him. I held him on My heart only a few minutes after he was born…»
Joseph does not ask any more questions.
It is time for Zacharias to depart. The waggon stops at the door and they all go towards it. The two cousins embrace each other fondly. Mary kisses the baby many times before putting him in the lap of his mother, who is already sitting in the waggon. She then says goodbye to Zacharias, and asks him to bless Her. When kneeling before the priest, Her mantle slips off Her shoulders, and Her figure appears in the bright light of the summer afternoon. I do not know whether Joseph notices Her figure at this moment, because he is intent on saying goodbye to Elizabeth. The waggon leaves.