I left my house before daybreak,
slipped out before my wife awoke,
left her and the children for the day
and walked in darkness to the market.
Others had got there before me,
eager like me for a day’s work,
a day’s food on the table.

The landowners arrived,
only a handful of them
and there were so many of us!
We crowded up around them,
jostling to get to the front.
The landowners barely looked at us.
They pointed to a lucky few
who followed them eagerly,
relieved at having been chosen.
They had the luxury
of a hard day’s work in the heat
with the promise of a fair wage
to sustain them.
The rest of us moved away in disappointment,
found a place to sit down,
ready to wait just in case
someone would hire us.

The sun rose higher in the sky.
The landowners returned.
We rose to our feet eagerly
and again crowded around the landowners
who again picked out some of us
but not me.
There was no work for the rest of us.

Heat and dust and silence now
in the hottest part of the day.
The lucky ones find some shade.
We think of our families at home,
my beautiful wife wondering
if I have been lucky,
whether we will eat
at the end of this long day.
Nobody leaves.
We have nowhere else to go.

A third time the landowners enter
and we all rush forward,
desperate for work.
I try to look strong, keen.
I push my way to the front,
trying to be seen by the landowners.
But there are so many of us
and so few of them.
I am not chosen.
My heart sinks.
What are the chances
of me finding work now?
And if I do, I’ll receive so little for it.
I remain in the market place.
Even if I get a few coins,
enough just to take the edge off our hunger …

It’s a long, dry day in the heat.
Another time the landowners arrive and leave
without me.
I remain in the market place, disconsolate.
I’m aware that there’s a slim chance
that someone might choose me
to run an errand
or to work for even a few hours.
I stay because of that chance
and for another reason –
I can’t face going home
to see the disappointment
in my wife’s eyes,
the unspoken worry,
the hunger of my children.
I had such high hopes this morning
and they have all come to nothing.

Suddenly, unexpectedly,
at the eleventh hour
one of the landowners strides
into the market place.
I see him first and run to him.
He nods at me and sends me over
to one of his men.
Such relief!
I’ll get something.
It won’t be much
but it’s better than nothing!
A few other lucky ones are selected
and we follow the landowner.

I arrive at the vineyard
and am directed to the fields.
The work is hard
but nowhere near as hard
as the long, anxious wait
in the market place.
I become absorbed in the work
and the hour passes quickly.
A bell sounds on the farm
and all of the workers assemble
to be paid.

To my surprise the landowner calls up
all of the last arrivals first.
I don’t know what to expect,
but I don’t expect much!
The first man goes up
and to everyone’s astonishment
he receives a whole denarius!
A whole denarius for an hour’s work!
He’s delighted
and a sense of anticipation spreads
through the crowd.
The next worker goes up.
He, too, receives a denarius.
My turn now –
and I joyfully receive a whole denarius!

I can’t believe this!
I’m so relieved!
I can go home now
and present this to my wife
who will slip out and buy food
for our wee family.
I leave the vineyard and start the journey home.
I’m delighted and puzzled.
I was only there for one hour
and the landowner gave me so much.
I didn’t deserve that. I really didn’t!
I’ve never met anyone
who treated people like that before.
What an unusual man that landowner is!
I can’t wait to go home
and tell my wife all about this.

(c) Claire Murray