Holiday Magick by Rich Storrs Read Free Book Online Page A

ma’am?”
    Esther considered the hubbub of the night, the many lives turned upside down by her charm. Truly, matters of the heart were not to be meddled with.
    Then, Esther thought of her fledgling business, the money it had already made, not to mention the additional fees she could charge for undoing such charms. All Esther had ever truly wanted was to make her own way in the world, free of any husband or father to tell her what to do. All she needed were a few more spell books, and a few more weeks of study, and her charms would be perfect. Elisabeta wouldn’t have given up.
    â€œCertainly not.”

PURIM
The Esther
Meredith Morgenstern
    Purim is a joyously festive, early spring holiday that celebrates the courage of Queen Esther, a young girl forced to hide her Jewish identity after being chosen, as the most beautiful woman in the land, to be the new bride to King Ahasuerus of Persia. As the traditional story goes, Esther’s uncle Mordechai refused to pay homage to the king’s advisor, Haman, so Haman convinced King Ahasuerus that the entire Jewish race needed to be destroyed. In one of the most famous acts of courage in Jewish history, Esther risked her own life to reveal her true Jewish identity to her husband, the king, and in doing so saved her people.
    Purim is traditionally observed with the giving of sweets, the eating of a special triangle-shaped cookie called Hamantaschen, and general merry-making, including carnivals and games. It is the only Jewish holiday in which people are commanded to overindulge in food and drink. Jews also read the Megillah, a separate scroll chronicling Esther’s story of bravery. Every time Haman’s name is mentioned, listeners drown out his name with special “grogers,” or noisemakers. One of the most important aspects of Purim observance is dressing up in costume to commemorate Esther’s hiding of her true identity. Some may call it a Jewish Halloween with elements of Mardi Gras.
    However, what if Esther actually did more than hide her Jewish identity? What if she had to hide her magic— and her people’s history from Haman?

    I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve, but the stench of burnt bodies penetrated the fabric and continued to assault my nostrils. To my right my oldest sister, Brucha, blanched and placed a hand on her enormous belly.
    â€œYou should not be here, Brucha.” Our mother shook her head, placed two fingers at her lips, and spat between them. “It’s not good for the baby.”
    â€œShe’s fine,” Brucha said.
    Our middle sister, Tova, turned away from the carnage and whispered a Kadish, a prayer for the dead.
    Mother sighed. “And you’re so sure the baby is a girl this time? After five sons?”
    â€œMaybe this sight will scare the baby into being born a girl.” I spoke under my breath, but they all heard me.
    â€œHadassah!” Tova gasped.
    I shrugged one shoulder, dismissing their shocked faces. “Women endure this sort of thing because we have to. Men go to war over this and perish.”
    A fat tear rolled down Mother’s cheek. She gathered Brucha by the shoulders and motioned Tova and me to follow her away. “Is there no one who can stop him?” she asked the wind.
    â€œWho?” I held Tova’s hand and looked back over my shoulder one last time, staining onto my memory forever the image of the killing field, and the smoke rising from blackened tents where entire families had perished. The smoke from the destruction of this camp had risen so high into the air even we, miles away, saw it and came running. “Haman?”
    My sisters and mother waved their hands in the air and shushed me.
    Tova hissed into my ear. “Are you crazy? Would you call his very wrath upon our heads?”
    â€œHe’s not HaShem,” I said. “He can’t possibly hear me.”
    â€œHe followed us this far, over many lands and many seas.”