"The Last Speck of Light"
by Jasmin Jerry, Grade 7
The seventh night…. The crystalline glass reflected Anielle’s face, and the fluorescent light behind her small room, as she gazed outside her window into the starlit sky. The dozens of other menorahs, through the other pane windows, surrounding her house; bounced there light one to the other, as she tried to drown out the voices coming the from behind her...
“Haya! Yes! Gimme half the candy!” Lisa screeched with giddy. A smile erupted out of her, as she pushed the dreidel to the side and leaned her arms across the table, pulling half the candy out of the pile onto her own.
“Hey! No fair! You already landed on Gadol as well. You already got me broke with candy!” Belle grumbled, dissatisfaction in her voice, as she slumped back into her wooden chair.
“Belle, you’re saying that’s unfair. We all landed on Sham at one point, except Lisa,” Nicky retorted. “I have a really bad feeling that dredial is cursed....”
An hour later, their mother called that dinner was ready, as all four sisters stampeded into the kitchen. Each one grabbing plates of food, sat quietly at the table as their father walked in. Gingerly plucking latkes and other fried foods, he set himself down at the other end of the long, rectangular, wooden table. Annielle’s mother and father had grim looks on their faces, as they whispered quietly to each other.
“We have... bad news,” mother uttered finally, speaking out loud. “We can’t celebrate Hanukkah anymore.”
“What? Why not? I thought the king was fine with us celebrating Hanukkah,” Anielle said, speechless. “This is a joke right?”
Her father looked up finally from his plate and said so quietly that Anielle had to arch her head forward to hear, “After dinner, girls, start putting away the decorations. This is the last night of Hanukkah. Make it memorable…”
While her parents and three other sisters started taking down the tapestries and decorations, and stuffed them grimly into the boxes, Anielle crept quietly out of the brick house. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she glanced out and saw the glistening castle, it’s peaks almost touching the sky, as she started the long trek to King Antiochos IV home. Anielle passed by the beautiful houses with the lit menorahs, a living memory in each passing one.
Two hours later… Anielle approached the marble, white, stone castle, it’s structure like the Taj Mahal, as she strode up to the porcelain glass door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
Upon entering, Anielle took a 360 degree turn around as she took it all in. A red carpet walkway leading up to the dias, the king seated on his golden throne, and the chandeliers reflecting off all the candelabras lining up to the stone steps. Reaching the stone walkway, and willing her feet not to tremble, Anielle curtseyed and arose swiftly, looking at the dictator hard in the face.
“What do you want, peasant?” the king boomed, shaking the candelabras around her.
“I came here to take back what was ours. My families, my friends, my communities tradition. Because the only thing you did was take it away from us!” Anielle said, raising her voice ever so slightly, surprising herself that she talked back to the king.
King Antiochos smiled very slowly and then erupted into a fit of laughter, “You my girl... Are very brave!” the king said, abruptly stopping his laughter and walking off his throne and down to the girl. “You may have your traditions back, peasant.”
“Oh…. I didn’t think you were going to actually listen to a little girl like me. But why listen to me?” Anielle repeated, meeting the kings icy, sea, blue eyes.
“This was actually a test to see who would stand up to me. I’m still very surprised that a girl came up not some older peasant.” the king replied, with a wave of his hand.
Anielle retreated back home, the kings finale words to her before she left, ringing in her head, “would you like anything little girl. Since you are the first person to stand up to the laws.”
Anielle could see the menoras being re-lit, seeming the enforced rules have already reached awaiting ears. “I already have everything I already needed- family, friends, traditions, and safety. I wouldn’t want anything else King...” The words were spoken and never to be taken back. The words, in which she hoped would make her family proud. As the brisk wind came tumbling by and lifted all her memories up high.
Cupping her head in her palms, Anielle looked out into the night sky, through her pane window, as the stars entered into the atmosphere. Today was the eighth and last night of Hanukkah this year. The night before, went by in a blur, only remembering her family members and neighbors clapping her back and thanking her, her parents giving her a stern lecture about walking out of the house without telling anyone, and Anielle collapsing into bed. Once again, back in her own thoughts, Anielle watched as the wind ran by blowing out the candles of every single house. It seemed to softly whisper to every candle, “you will be litten again, and I will blow you out every eighth night.” It finally came to a rest at Anielle’s house pausing at the menorah, waiting for her permission. Anielle’s lips tugged into a smile as she looked out into the empty void of houses, each one pitch black dark. Her house was the only one who had life in it, claiming it’s name of being the the last speck of light miles down.
“Haya! Yes! Gimme half the candy!” Lisa screeched with giddy. A smile erupted out of her, as she pushed the dreidel to the side and leaned her arms across the table, pulling half the candy out of the pile onto her own.
“Hey! No fair! You already landed on Gadol as well. You already got me broke with candy!” Belle grumbled, dissatisfaction in her voice, as she slumped back into her wooden chair.
“Belle, you’re saying that’s unfair. We all landed on Sham at one point, except Lisa,” Nicky retorted. “I have a really bad feeling that dredial is cursed....”
An hour later, their mother called that dinner was ready, as all four sisters stampeded into the kitchen. Each one grabbing plates of food, sat quietly at the table as their father walked in. Gingerly plucking latkes and other fried foods, he set himself down at the other end of the long, rectangular, wooden table. Annielle’s mother and father had grim looks on their faces, as they whispered quietly to each other.
“We have... bad news,” mother uttered finally, speaking out loud. “We can’t celebrate Hanukkah anymore.”
“What? Why not? I thought the king was fine with us celebrating Hanukkah,” Anielle said, speechless. “This is a joke right?”
Her father looked up finally from his plate and said so quietly that Anielle had to arch her head forward to hear, “After dinner, girls, start putting away the decorations. This is the last night of Hanukkah. Make it memorable…”
While her parents and three other sisters started taking down the tapestries and decorations, and stuffed them grimly into the boxes, Anielle crept quietly out of the brick house. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she glanced out and saw the glistening castle, it’s peaks almost touching the sky, as she started the long trek to King Antiochos IV home. Anielle passed by the beautiful houses with the lit menorahs, a living memory in each passing one.
Two hours later… Anielle approached the marble, white, stone castle, it’s structure like the Taj Mahal, as she strode up to the porcelain glass door, took a deep breath, and knocked.
Upon entering, Anielle took a 360 degree turn around as she took it all in. A red carpet walkway leading up to the dias, the king seated on his golden throne, and the chandeliers reflecting off all the candelabras lining up to the stone steps. Reaching the stone walkway, and willing her feet not to tremble, Anielle curtseyed and arose swiftly, looking at the dictator hard in the face.
“What do you want, peasant?” the king boomed, shaking the candelabras around her.
“I came here to take back what was ours. My families, my friends, my communities tradition. Because the only thing you did was take it away from us!” Anielle said, raising her voice ever so slightly, surprising herself that she talked back to the king.
King Antiochos smiled very slowly and then erupted into a fit of laughter, “You my girl... Are very brave!” the king said, abruptly stopping his laughter and walking off his throne and down to the girl. “You may have your traditions back, peasant.”
“Oh…. I didn’t think you were going to actually listen to a little girl like me. But why listen to me?” Anielle repeated, meeting the kings icy, sea, blue eyes.
“This was actually a test to see who would stand up to me. I’m still very surprised that a girl came up not some older peasant.” the king replied, with a wave of his hand.
Anielle retreated back home, the kings finale words to her before she left, ringing in her head, “would you like anything little girl. Since you are the first person to stand up to the laws.”
Anielle could see the menoras being re-lit, seeming the enforced rules have already reached awaiting ears. “I already have everything I already needed- family, friends, traditions, and safety. I wouldn’t want anything else King...” The words were spoken and never to be taken back. The words, in which she hoped would make her family proud. As the brisk wind came tumbling by and lifted all her memories up high.
Cupping her head in her palms, Anielle looked out into the night sky, through her pane window, as the stars entered into the atmosphere. Today was the eighth and last night of Hanukkah this year. The night before, went by in a blur, only remembering her family members and neighbors clapping her back and thanking her, her parents giving her a stern lecture about walking out of the house without telling anyone, and Anielle collapsing into bed. Once again, back in her own thoughts, Anielle watched as the wind ran by blowing out the candles of every single house. It seemed to softly whisper to every candle, “you will be litten again, and I will blow you out every eighth night.” It finally came to a rest at Anielle’s house pausing at the menorah, waiting for her permission. Anielle’s lips tugged into a smile as she looked out into the empty void of houses, each one pitch black dark. Her house was the only one who had life in it, claiming it’s name of being the the last speck of light miles down.