Book of Esther
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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!
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