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Vashti's Journal...

by Rabbi Leah Richman

The past 180 days have been absolutely ridiculous. I mean, who would have a party for 180 days? I didn't even try to talk him out of it. We hadn't been talking so much anyway. I heard he was planning this party from the servants before he told me. It's so obnoxious. I don't know who he is trying to impress anyway. He's the most incompetent ruler. I can't believe I got sold into this marriage by my father. In the beginning it was only going to be a month or so, but it just kept going month after month.

I wouldn't mind it if it weren't for all the gluttony and drinking. He gets so drunk he basically passes out drunk every night or collapses on the couch in his courtyard. Then he wakes up, barks a few orders at the servants, and plays with the cat. Sometimes he calls for one of the concubines or one of the jesters. Or he schedules a public execution if the weather is good.

Next comes the planning of the menu for the party that night. He has like three favorite dishes and we've just been rotating through them for 180 days.

But he must have gotten bored because he came to visit my wing of the palace last night. He told me that he wanted to open up the party to the entire population of Shushan for one week. Up until now it had just been the heads of all the provinces, as if that wasn't enough. I tried to tell him it was ridiculous to have a week long party for an entire city but it didn't matter. He insisted and said that since it was for the whole city I would have to entertain the women. Previously, since it was just the governors, the women stayed home. And while he and all the governors were passing out drunk and vomiting, making lewd jokes, I was just embroidering and journaling and writing letters or taking walks.

But for the past seven days I had to sit in my stupid throne and pretend to enjoy entertaining the entire city. All the peasant women drank so much they were as lewd as the men. They upset all the tables of food and one almost fell on the cat. After the third day I told Ahashveirosh I would only do a few more days of this, that I would agree to let this party go on for the 180 days too. So when he wanted me to go the men's party and endure their jeers, I refused.

And I hope it gets me fired!