They stopped and turned to me. Yeshua knelt before me as he was tall and I was short. He asked, “What is this?”

“You're going to go away. They will dress you in fine clothing and I will not see you anymore. You'll be a mean scary Pharisee.” Near tears, I added, “Jude will punch me if you're not around.”

Yeshua drew me into his arms and hugged me tight. He said softly, “I will never leave you. Wherever I am, there you will be with me, just like now. All three of us are the same. We are one. Yohanan and I will walk one path, but you will walk a path beside us. You love the truth, do you not?”

“Yes,” I answered. I loved it when my brother explained things. He made life seem simple. He brought the sun out on a cloudy day.

“Yohanan and I will walk the path of truth,” said my brother, “and you will be there with us.”

I was confused. I stammered, “But... I'm to be a priest in the temple.”

He answered, “Truth is a path large enough for all of us. If we may all serve the Lord, are we not one?”

“Come on,” called Yohanan. “Let's go to the cave.”

Yeshua said to him, “We should be back by supper.”

Yohanan answered, “It's close. We'll be back in time.”

Now let me tell you about the cave. The rock had many colors and strange shapes. Wind and rain cut it with a sharp blade. I found the side of the high cliff eerie and the dark opening to the cave foreboding. I stood behind my brother, clinging timidly to his belt. The sound of wind rushing through the cave seemed like the cry of a disembodied spirit and raised the small bumps on my arms. At my age, I could easily imagine ghosts lurking inside.

Yohanan climbed to a ledge above us and sat, where he smiled down at us. He said, “I found honey in a cave not far from here. I got stung, but the honey was sweet. I come here often to think. Sometimes, I collect locusts.”

Curious, I asked, “What do you do with them?”

“I eat them,” He answered.

I shuddered at the thought of eating bugs. Yohanan jumped to his feet, then, and entered the cave. He called to us from inside; his voice sounding both loud and far off. Yeshua threw an arm around my shoulders and smiled down at me. Suddenly, I felt comforted. A small boy often fears the unknown; fathers and mothers are not always there to hold your hand or to kiss your face. I was fortunate to have Yeshua as my brother. His smile calmed me and gave me courage.

“Come,” he said. “Let's take a look.”

The cave was not as dark or frightening as I had imagined. The air inside was cool and invigorating. I saw the inside of the cave and was struck with wonder. The twists in the rock teased the eye. The colors were like nothing I had ever seen. I walked in behind Yeshua, straining to see everything. Yohanan was ahead of us beside a large twist in the colorful rock. It ran from the top to the bottom like a wet rag. To either side was a path further into the cave. Yohanan stood in the path to the right as he spoke and pointed.

“That way,” said Yohanan, “there is a deep empty pit with sand at the bottom. You think it should be dark, but light comes in from this side.”

Yeshua led me closer; Yohanan's voice became clear. I could see him smile at me. Yeshua said to Yohanan, “I would come to a cave like this to pray. It is quiet.”

Yohanan said, “If you step to the ledge on that side and yell, you can hear your voice come back to you in a strange way.”

Yeshua took my hand and led me to the ledge. I saw the bottom filled with sand. It was really deep. I saw the light enter from a hole in the bottom of the rock on the side of Yohanan. I looked into my brother's face and saw his smile of encouragement. It was a smile I could not resist. We turned to the pit and both of us yelled at the same time. Yohanan was right. Our voices sounded strange. We laughed and our laughter seemed like someone laughing with us. I heard Yohanan yell as we had, but the sound of his voice came from the hole at the bottom. I strained to see his face in the hole. That is when I fell.

The sand softened the fall, but I twisted my ankle terribly. A realization came to me through hot tears. I might never run again. I would sit on the side and watch others play. I was scared, I was hurt. I cried. Then Yeshua jumped in and took me in his arms. He held me in his lap and rocked me back and forth. He wiped my face with his hand and spoke gentle comforts, but I could not stop crying. It hurt so bad I could not help myself. I remember very clearly.

Yeshua held his hand on my forehead. “Breathe,” he said. “Breathe.”

And I began to calm despite myself. It was hard not to cry. I sniffed and gasped repeatedly until I heard Yohanan's voice come through the hole beside us. I turned my head and saw his face in the opening.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

Yeshua answered, “He fell hard. He twisted his ankle.”

“It hurts,” I said to Yohanan.