“I’m building an ark.” Noah replied.
“What’s an ark?
“It’s a big boat.”
“You’re building a boat in the middle of the desert?”
“Yep.”
“Do you know anything about boat building?”
“Nope.”
“I guess not, since you’re building it in the middle of the desert. Why are you building a boat in the middle of the desert?”
“God told me to.”
Her eyebrows rose up, “God told you to build a boat.”
“Yep.”
“In the middle of the desert.”
“Yep.”
“I can’t even get you to fix the front door, and you’re building a boat.”
“God didn’t tell me to fix the front door.”
“God isn’t the one who cooks your dinner either.”
“I’ll fix the front door when I’m done here.”
“When are you going to be done here?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know how long it takes to build a boat. I’m still getting the trees.”
“Well, when you’re done building the boat, I’ll get your dinner.”
“All right, Woman, I’ll fix your door.”
“Honey, is this because of your 600th birthday? Are you having a mid-life crisis?”
“I am not having a mid-life crisis.”
His wife shook her head, “Other men just buy a fast horse or lose a little weight, mine builds a boat, in the middle of the desert, no less.”
Noah ignored her and continued working.
“How big is this boat going to be?” she asked him.
“Big. Big enough for two of every animal and all of our family.”
“Hmm, I suppose I could always turn it into a bed and breakfast.”
“Hey, Mom!” Three boys called out to her. She looked out into the distance to see her strong strapping youths coming towards them carrying tree trunks.
“Did you hear, Mom? Dad’s building an ark!”
“Yes, I heard, Shem. I see you’re helping him.”
“It’ll be cool.”
“Well, I doubt that it will be wet,” she replied.
Ham laughed while his brothers and Noah and glared at him.
“Didn’t Dad tell you?” Japheth asked.
“Tell me what?”
“It’s going to rain.”
“Oh, well in that case, by all means build a boat. Don’t let me stop you. But I still need someone to fix the front door.”
***
“They have to get wives.” Noah said to her one day.
“They’re too young,” his wife said.
“They’re all around a hundred years old.”
“Barely out of babyhood. Do you really think Ham is ready to get married? That boy can’t even make his own bed.”
“A wife could do that.”
“Oh yes, that’s what we women are good for.”
“Nevertheless, I have sent them out to get wives.”
“Just like that! Do you know how long it takes to plan a wedding, never mind three weddings?”
“Hey, if I can build an ark, you can plan a few weddings.”
“Fine! But I still need my front door fixed!”
***
She watched as Noah and the boys brought the animals on two by two into the ark. Then she sighed, “I won’t be able to turn that boat into a bed and breakfast now.”
She overheard her sons singing “The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah.”
***
After a nasty battle with sea sickness, she was able to get back on her feet and wander around the ark.
“Whose turn is it to clean up this mess!” she shouted looking around in disgust at the animal quarters. “Honestly, you people want pets and then you don’t even take care of them!”
“It’s Shem’s turn!” Ham shouted.
“It is not! It’s yours.”
“It is not. Maybe it’s Japheths.”
Noah’s wife stood with her arms folded in front of her. “I don’t care whose turn it is, you all can do it!” She spun around and stepped on a shovel which sprang up and hit her on the face.
“Who left this shovel in the middle of the floor!” she shouted.
“Ida Know,” they all said.
“Ida Know didn’t get permission from God to be on the boat! Where’s your father?”
“He’s talking to God.”
“Of course he’s talking to God. He’s always talking to God when there’s something to be done. Well, he’s going to talk to me.”
***
Ham’s wife sighed and said to her husband, “I’ll be so glad when we don’t have to live with your mother anymore.”
Shem and Japheth’s wives nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she makes us do everything around here.”
***
Noah and his wife stood on dry land gazing out at the water that was receding. He held her hand. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you too,” she replied. They were silent for a moment. “We don’t have to live in that boat anymore, do we? There wasn’t much for windows.”
“I’ll build you a lovely home with a white picket fence and you can have a garden where our grandchildren will come and play.”“Will you give me a front door that works properly?”
He smiled. “Of course.”
She sighed and cuddled close to him. “Who knew that a midlife crisis would come to this?”
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