This post is part of Writer’s Digest February Flash Fiction Challenge. Flash Fiction is a short, often under 1,000 words, style of writing. I hope you enjoy my 28 contributions!
Day 11 Prompt: Holidays
Andrew is a Catholic.
He knows about Jews and has even met a few before, but, having been brought up through parochial schools in the Midwest, his exposure to Judaism is what some might describe as zilch. It was no surprise that it took some convincing from Hannah for Andrew to finally agree to accompany her to this year’s family Seder. He had skipped last year’s feast, after all, when a swift and sudden case of food poisoning inhibited his attendance at the dinner he was “so looking forward to.”
So, as Hannah and Andrew arrived, hand-in-hand, to her Bubbe’s house, Andrew’s heart was pounding with anticipation, knowing all eyes would be on the Catholic at the table. Warm hugs were exchanged, Aunt Marge’s red lipstick was smeared on numerous cheeks, and judgmental remarks disguised as compliments were said. “Welcome to Passover,” Hannah joked, before directing Andrew to his seat in between her and Aunt Bee.
Everyone filed into their respective spots around the main table, while the children and an unfortunate cousin too young for the adult table but too old for the kid’s table, assumed their positions as well. Uncle Herb knocked one of the table legs as he attempted to scoot his chair in, creating a symphony of jingling glass and cutlery, accompanied by a series of dramatic gasps from the older attendees and a theatrical rolling of the eyes from Aunt Bee. “Everything looks beautiful,” Andrew said to Hannah as he eyed the colorful seder plate and richly embroidered matzah cover.
Andrew desperately glanced around the table as everyone began fumbling through their Hagaddahs, intent on not appearing too out of place so soon. Hannah’s Zeyde began to read with a hardly audible mumble that made following along all the more impossible for Andrew. Parched from the stressful situation he now found himself in, Andrew reached for his impossibly full glass of wine and took a quick swig. Far louder than he would have preferred, Aunt Bee scolded his sacrilege with a snarling, “We aren’t at that part yet!”
Time droned on and Andrew’s stomach was now audibly rumbling. The scents of savory matzah ball soup, sweet kugel, and hot beef brisket wafting from the kitchen did little to help stave off his hunger. Hannah placed a comforting hand on Andrew’s bouncing leg as the group sang the Kiddish in a chorus of off key and flat notes. “Now you can drink your wine,” Aunt Bee grunted. Andrew obeyed the command and guzzled the glass of Manischewitz without question.
At some point, Hannah’s Bubbe stop up, uncovered the matzah and broke off a piece, then proceeded to ceremoniously wrap it in another smaller embroidered cloth. She glanced over at the kids table and yelled, “Time for the Afikomen!” Judging by the explosion of screams and cheers, Andrew surmised this must have been some sort of game. To his surprise, Hannah’s Bubbe looked over at Andrew and said, “You can play too.”
Andrew smiled in response and began to stand, whispering to Hannah, “What exactly am I playing?”
Before Hannah could respond, Aunt Bee butt in, “They hide the matzah and you find it. It’s like a Jew’s Easter egg hunt, but with a stale cracker and no candy.”
Andrew forced a laugh then walked off to join the kids and uninterested semi-adult cousin in the living room.
After the semi-adult cousin collected his winnings amidst accusations of cheating, the scavengers returned to their respective seats and the service resumed. Andrew repeatedly snuck charoset and matzah whenever Aunt Bee wasn’t looking, finding the sweet and nutty mixture the perfect snack to hold him over until dinner. He stealthily flipped through the Haggadah, counting the number of pages left until the feast would begin, relieved to find there were only six pages left, complete with another ceremonial glass of wine.
The reading of passages rotated around the table until it was finally Andrew’s turn. As he read, Aunt Bee grumbled the Hebrew words aloud as Andrew struggled to pronounce them. Eventually, he would simply pause when a foreign word appeared and let Aunt Bee say it for him. The intermittent reading continued around the table, skipping over Aunt Marge who had long since fallen into a wine-induced slumber, until, at last, it was time to eat.
Sufficiently stuffed, drunk, and happy, Andrew sat back in his chair, unable to even think about food. He looked over at Hannah and smiled lazily. He turned the other way and smiled at Aunt Bee, who responded with a raspy, “What?”
As they left that evening, Bubbe gave Hannah a tight, loving hug. She turned to Andrew and put her hands on his shoulders. “And you – can we expect to see you at Hanukka?”
Andrew looked over at Hannah with a mixture of surprise and relief, then back at Bubbe. “Yes! Yes, of course!”
Bubbe looked at Hannah with her eyebrows raised, “Imagine that, a Catholic at Hanukka!” She turned to Andrew with a satisfied smile, “What a mensch!”
