Postby KP Presents » Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:26 am
“Good afternoon, Cathy,” she said as she looked at us. “I suspect you were not expecting to see me here, correct?”
“Well, no – I didn’t even know you were...”
“Well, I’m not exactly, but my parents were, so when Rebecca invited me I agreed to come. Rather like you and your mothers, I suspect – hello Belinda, Penelope.”
“Hi Jo,” Mummy said as they embraced each other, “so are you ready to see what happens?”
“I think so – but I really want to just have some down time, if truth be told.”
“All right then – there’s your key,” Mum said as she handed me what looked like a library card, “let’s go and unpack, and we will see both of you a little later.”
“So how does this work exactly, Sam?”
“Well, we have the reading tonight, and then a meal for you lot while the menfolk leave. Tomorrow is more like a holiday, so I imagine there will be lots of games and dancing, and a big meal in the evening.”
“Listen,” I said, “if you’re free later...”
“Well, we’re disappearing to a different room, so I’ll see you afterwards,” Sam said with a wink as we headed to the bedrooms.
Once I had put my clothes away, I sat down on the bed and thought for a moment. The last person I had expected to see here was Doctor Frost.
Actually, no – scratch that. If her wife Cassandra Craig had come, that would have been even more surprising. She’s Jenny’s aunt, and a rather formidable woman in her own right, but most definitely not religious. But still...
As I heard the knock on the door, I said “come in,” and smiled as Mummy came in.
“We’re heading down now – shall we?”
I nodded as I stood up and we made our way down the corridor, down the stairs and into a main room, where quite a lot of women were taking their seats. As we found ours, I was surprised to see what looked like an old football tattle on the chair.
“It’s called a grager,” Rebecca said as she sat with us, and held hers in her hand. “You’ll know when to use it.”
Well, we had to go with the flow, didn’t we? So we took our seats as Samuel and what I presumed was the Rabbi took their seats at the front with some of the other men.
The room went silent as the Rabbi came forward and said “Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us regarding the reading of the Megillah.”
“Amen,” we all replied.
“Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who has wrought miracles for our forefathers, in those days at this season.”
“Amen.”
“Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.”
“Amen.”
I then smiled as Samuel came forward, putting on his reading glasses as he did so, and stood behind the dais.
“Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces). that in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him. When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days.
And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace; where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.”
I already knew this was the reading of the book of Esther, so I listened along, still wondering what the football rattle was for. Well, a few minutes later, I found out as Samuel read “And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name. And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
“After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman...”
At the mention of Haman – the character many would consider the villain of this tale – all the women started to shout and spin the gragers round, making so much noise it drowned out Samuel. When I looked, I saw he was expecting this, and waited for the noise to die before he continued.
“ The son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman...”
Now I knew what was expected, as we joined in. In fact, every time Samuel tried to say that name, he was blocked out – and I realised it must be part of the tradition!
Eventually, Samuel said “Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
“And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, to confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
“And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
“And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea. And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.”
As he stood back, everyone smiled and said “Amen”. The Rabbi then came forward and said “Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the Universe, (the God) Who takes up our grievance, judges our claim, avenges our wrong; Who brings just retribution upon all enemies of our soul and exacts vengeance for us from our foes. Blessed are You Hashem, Who exacts vengeance for His people Israel from all their foes, the God Who brings salvation.”
“Amen.”
There were then some recitations, before the Rabbi nodded and the men left, Samuel smiling at me.
“Ladies,” a grey haired woman said, “the meal is served in the dining room.”
After we had eaten, we came back to find the chairs cleared away, and a small band sitting on the stage as they started to play music. As we went to sit at a table at the side, some of the women started to perform a dance, the others clapping along as they did so.
“Well, that was interesting,” Doctor Frost said as she sat next to me.”
“I was not expecting that noise, Doctor Frost...”
“Cathy, call me Jo, otherwise I am going to get very embarrassed very quickly.”
“All right – Jo.”
“As for the noise, Rebecca warned me, so I was ready.”
“Well, will they do the same tomorrow?”
“Almost certainly,” Jo said with a smile. “So are you going to spend some time with Samuel this weekend?”
“If I can,” I said with a smile, “will you excuse me for a minute – I need to...”
“Oh of course – on you go,” she said with a smile, as I stood up and left the room, both of my mothers deep in conversation with Rebecca as I visited the smallest room.
As I stepped out into the hotel lobby, I looked round at the quiet space, and started to make my way back to the room – only to stop as I heard Samuel behind me say “oh no you don’t, Ms Harmer – come with me please.”
“Well, if you insist...”
“Oh I do,” I heard him say as he took me by the arm, and we walked put the stairs. As we stopped outside my room, he allowed me to open the door and then we both walked in.
“Now then,” he said with a smile, “I need to make sure you stay out of the way while I steal something. Do you have any ropes with you?”
“No,” I said with a smile, “but I do have some scarves.”
“All right – put your hands behind your back.”
As I did so, I felt him crossing my wrists, and then suing what felt like a band of silk to bind them tightly together. I was then invited to sit on my bed, and I saw he had taken his tie off as he opened a drawer.
“Wrong one,” he said with a smile as he moved to the next one, and took out a long green chiffon rectangle. Kneeling in front of me, he used it to secure my ankles tightly together, making sure he took it between my legs as well, and then used a second brown rectangle to secure my legs together below my knees.
“You horrible fiend,” I said in a quiet voice as he cinched that binding, “what are you going to do to me?”
“What would you like me to do to you?”
“Oh I could think of a few things,” I said as he sat next to me, and then gently kissed me, my eyes closing as I kissed him back.
“Listen – have you got any tights? I could use them to tie your arms to your sides, but...”
“Look in the next drawer down.”
As he did so, he took two pairs of American tan tights out, and used them to bind my arms to my sides, one set below and one set above my chest. I wriggled round as he tied them off – it was tight, and certainly felt different from the usual ropes.
“So what is it you’re going to steal from me,” I said as he looked at me.
“Another kiss,” he said with a smile – and then he did just that, before he held a folded handkerchief in front of my mouth. I smiled and then let him put it in, before he rolled up a white headscarf, tied a knot in the middle and used it to gag me.
“Ndnwnwhttt?”
He looked at me, and said “whatever you want...”