The ship that left Miletus stopped first at Kos, then reached the island of Rhodes.
After staying there for one night, the ship turned east and sailed on.
At the next port, Patara, Dinah and Luke stepped off the ship.
From here, they would change ships and board one bound for Phoenicia.
Once they set sail again, the great sea—the Mediterranean—would stretch wide before them.
They would travel southeast in a straight line, keeping the island of Cyprus on their left, all the way to the city of Tyre.
Tyre was an old and famous port city in the land of Phoenicia.
For many years, it had flourished as an important place for trade, both by land and by sea.
But now, its former glory had faded.
The city of Caesarea, built by King Herod, had taken its place.
Caesarea lay about fifty kilometers to the south.
It was a new city with a grand artificial harbor, filled with the latest wonders of the age.
There were theaters where people laughed and cheered, and Roman-style bathhouses where merchants relaxed after long journeys.
Its location also made travel to Jerusalem easy, and it had grown into one of the greatest cities of the region, rivaling even Alexandria in Egypt.
For the mother and child who had traveled so far from Troas in Asia Minor, Tyre was the more convenient destination.
Carrying several bundles, they stepped onto the docks of the historic port city.
It was the dry season.
Rain was scarce, but a cool breeze blew in from the sea, brushing gently against their faces.
Far to the northeast, a line of mountains stretched across the horizon—the mountains of Lebanon.
One peak stood taller than all the rest: Mount Hermon.
Even in this season, its summit was capped with white snow—snow that never melted.
Dinah and Luke stayed the night in Tyre.
Before continuing on toward their homeland, they needed to prepare themselves.
To others, they looked like travelers from Greece, but in this unfamiliar town they felt small and uneasy.
The absence of a husband, of a father, weighed heavily on their hearts, more than ever before.
Morning came early in the port city.
Ships bound for distant lands hurried to set sail at dawn.
Vessels that had arrived the night before were busy unloading their cargo.
In the harbor market, voices rang out from early morning as people traded fresh seafood and special goods found only in Tyre.
Gold and silver ornaments, Tyre’s proud specialty, sparkled in the sunlight.
Glassware and rich purple dye were also much sought after, just as they had been for generations.
While Dinah went to look for a caravan to help carry their luggage, Luke stayed behind to watch over their belongings.
The harbor was not as lively as Troas, but the people here worked with cheerful voices and bright faces.
There were fewer people dressed like Greeks or Romans.
Most were from Asia, speaking languages Luke did not understand.
They waved their arms as they bargained, their voices rising and falling.
The men wore thick black beards.
Many of the women had long black hair like his mother’s, though they covered their heads with cloth.
Their clothes, however, were often brightly colored, and their faces shone with life.
Suddenly, something small leaped into Luke’s sight.
At first, he thought it was an animal he had never seen before.
It sprang down from a tall pile of cargo stacked on the dock.
The tiny creature landed on the stone pavement and, unlucky as it was, was struck by a passing handcart.
Even so, it darted away in a quick curve and slipped between the bundles of luggage beside Luke.
“Hey… are you alright?”
Luke gently peered into the narrow space between the bundles.
There, crouched low and breathing fast, was a small creature staring back at him with big, round eyes.
It was a cat.
A kitten—still very young.
The brave little rascal must have failed on its very first great adventure.
When Luke reached out his hand, the kitten did not resist.
It quietly let itself be held.
Its left front leg seemed to be broken.
Luke quickly found a piece of scrap cloth among the luggage.
He picked up a small bit of wood lying nearby and used it as a splint, wrapping the leg carefully and firmly with the cloth.
He remembered how his father, Alex, had once taken care of their pet cat.
“You’re my very first patient,” Luke whispered.
The kitten had completely calmed down now and rested peacefully in Luke’s hands.
“Oh—it’s a cat. Is it hurt?”
A voice spoke to him.
It was a boy, and he was speaking Hebrew.
“So cute. A Persian cat, right?” the boy said, looking closely at Luke.
“Is it yours?”
“No,” Luke replied.
“We just became friends a moment ago.”
The boy gently took the kitten from Luke’s hands and smiled, his face softening.
“So cute…”
“Andrew, what are you doing?”
Another boy, a little older, came over.
He was much taller than Luke and had a strong, sturdy build.
The first boy answered, “Oh, Peter, look! It’s a kitten.”
Peter’s serious expression melted the moment he heard the word kitten.
“Oh… it’s adorable. Hey, can I touch it too?”
The two boys were brothers—and both clearly loved cats.
After petting the kitten for a while, Peter looked at Luke.
“Where are you from?”
“Troas,” Luke answered.
“Huh. That’s far away.”
“Where are you going?” Peter asked.
“To my mother’s town,” Luke said.
“It’s called Nazareth.”
Andrew suddenly shouted, “Nazareth?! What are you going there for?”
“We’re going home. To my mother’s house.”
“But you’re Greek, aren’t you?” Peter said.
“My mother was born in Nazareth. My father was Greek.”
“Then you’re half Jewish,” Andrew said.
“Yeah. But I don’t understand the language very well yet.”
When Peter heard the words “half Jewish,” he felt a little relieved.
Their strict father had warned them not to talk with foreigners.
Peter and Andrew lived in Capernaum, a large town on the shore of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.
They went out fishing every day, learning the trade from their fisherman father.
Fishing was more than just work to them—it was what they were meant to do.
Nothing made them happier than the thrill of pulling up a net heavy with fish.
This time, they had come to Tyre by themselves to buy a new kind of fishing net their father had ordered.
Before Dinah returned, Luke had already made arrangements with the fisherman brothers.
They agreed to help carry the luggage as far as Capernaum.
The payment Luke offered would be a wonderful bit of cash for them.
When Dinah came back, still searching for a caravan, she looked relieved.
With help secured up to Capernaum, it would be easy to find someone to help them carry their things the rest of the way.
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