[ wp ] There is a tradition that when you save another 's life you ask them for a favor to balance the debt , but the favor is always impossible so that both parties can simply go on with their lives . One day you save a life and ask your favor . To your surprise , joy , or horror they complete their task .

The doorbell rings. I don ’ t usually get people dropping by this late at night. I ’ m hoping it ’ s girl scouts. I always forget what time of year they sell cookies. 
 
 I lick my lips as I look up in the mirror mounted on the wall in front of my desk. It ’ s a great way to see who ’ s there without having to get up. I look for a couple seconds, wondering if my eyes are playing tricks on me. I haven ’ t seen that face outside of my dreams and my nightmares for years. You see, custom goes, if you save someone ’ s life, they owe you a debt. I hadn ’ t saved anyone ’ s life before, so I didn ’ t know what to ask for. I just asked for the most ridiculous thing I could think of and we both had a laugh. I thought that was the end of that. 
 
 The doorbell rings again. My nightmares flash along the inside of my eyelids. It has to have been an hour since he rang. 
 
 This can ’ t be real. This isn ’ t happening. Farid barely spoke English. I didn ’ t think he even knew what I was asking for. He lived literally on the other side of the world. There ’ s no way he could have gotten what I asked for. I wouldn ’ t even know what to do with it. I had a shed out back, but there ’ s no way I could hide it there. 
 
 I rub my temples to try to chase away the flashback. I see the gunshots, I feel the searing heat. I still don ’ t know why I did it. He was trying to ambush us from behind. Damn traitors told them where we were hiding. Tommy turned around and put one in his chest. After we cleared everyone else out, something compelled me to go back and check the guy Tom shot. That was Farid. I lost control and pulled the bullet out, bandaged him up. Hadn ’ t even told him my name. 
 
 Third times the charm on the doorbell. I know he can see me. I get up and limp over to the door. 
 
 “ It ’ s in the truck, ” he says in an accent somehow thicker than I remember. 
 
 “ How, ” I manage to spit out. “ Why? ” 
 
 I guess he didn ’ t go back. They ’ d have killed him for not killing us. The desert does crazy things to folks. 
 
 It ’ s a good thing I live on the outskirts, his truck is glowing despite the black privacy tent in the back. 
 
 “ It takes four guys. ” 
 
 I look at him, dumbfounded. There ’ s no way it ’ s that heavy. It ’ s just a box. Sure, it ’ s made out of gold, but it ’ s just a box. 
 
 “ It ’ s full too. ” It ’ s like he can read my mind. 
 
 “ How do you know it ’ s full? You can ’ t open it. No one can. ” 
 
 “ The guardian said it was. He can. He said only the worthy can. ” 
 
 I pull back the curtain on his truck. Good thing I still had my sunglasses on, the ark shone like the sun. I held my arm up to check the dimensions, not that I thought he would try to forge this. The consequences were too high. 
 
 “ Two and a half long, one and half high. It checks out, ” I mutter as I sit on the edge of the truck bed, just staring. 
 
 “ They say his Spirit is still inside. ” 
 
 “ Well how else would you explain the glow? ” 
 
 We just stared at it. I hadn ’ t been to church in a long time, but I ’ ll be damned if it wasn ’ t just like Moses built it. 
 
 We grunted under the weight as we drug it into my house. The gold was so soft that it got lines from the carpet we balanced it on. This thing was for real. 
 
 Hours after he ’ d left, I just sat staring. My work could wait. I suppose I ’ d try to open it someday. The law was still in there after all. If Farid could get it, then surely I could open it. I had to be able to. The guardian priest said so. Even if it took a life debt, the ark of covenant was now sitting in my living room. I knew I wasn ’ t sleeping for awhile.
