Amie Bernstein; Chapter 6

 

Amie Bernstein; Chapter 6

© 2022 by Amber Wright

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Date: Winter 1901

Place: London, England

Amie numbly found herself before the cherry wood table, fumbling with the matches. She took one deep breath and lit the little blue candle in her hand, placing it into the far right empty ring. At that, she felt her chest loosen and air rushed into her body once again. She had completed her first day of Hanukkah successfully. Tomorrow would come easier. The hardest part was over. The first day—that very first time—was over with.

“Now,” Papa smiled as he stood behind his chair at the head of the table. “We shall ask the blessing. Again, I am happy to welcome you, Amie. Thank you.”

Amie felt her mouth go dry. Oh—yes, now I must ask the blessing over the meal! Oh dear God, help me not to stutter or start crying. That would be dreadful. Please! She took a silent lungful of air and began. The words came out smoothly and she finished the prayer with words that rose from her soul.

“And thank You, Lord, for this wonderful First Day of Hanukkah—to remind us of days long ago.” Amie felt the candle beside her warm her cheek. “To remember when all hope is gone, You’re still there…ready to help us and to give us terribly nice things. Forever, I thank You. Amen.”

Amie opened her eyes as everyone added their “Amen”. Everyone took their seats and the dinner of tender lamb meat and salty latkes began. Lively conversation followed as everyone’s plates began to empty. She looked around in awe as she realized what this day had held. This was my very first day to light the candles. To celebrate our festival of lights!



Amie woke up the next day with a rumble in her stomach. She hopped out of bed, knowing what day it was. It was the Second Day of Hanukkah! And she was going to the shops with her oncle Gad in his new sleigh. Last evening after supper had been too late to even have a look at the sleigh, so today she would see and ride Gad’s new sleigh.

“Yes!” Amie found herself bursting with excitement as she looked out the window, into the new day. What new things would she discover that day?

First, driving in Gad’s brand new sleigh would be grand enough. Next, Danielle had told her the night before at bedtime that Amie had a surprise—a big surprise that Danielle was not supposed to tell her. Now Amie growled with impatience, knowing that Danielle knew about her surprise—and she did not!

“Oh well,” she told her bluebird in its cage that cocked its head listening, “I shall have a surprise too. I shall have a surprise all of my own! Won’t they die to know?” She reached into her closet to pull out her clothes.

Once washed and dressed, Amie paused to look at herself in the full-length mirror. On her feet, she wore black lace-up boots over thick-ribbed red tights. A pleated gray wool skirt hung below her knees, a red sweater vest was pulled over a soft black turtleneck shirt and a jaunty matching red headband with a bow set her outfit completely. She fluffed out her curly blond hair around her shoulders and smiled into the mirror, crossing her arms and posing her red bow just so.

The door to her room opened and she jumped back a step, flattening her smile. She did a little wave behind her and hoped it was not Kitt—catching her smiling into the mirror. He would never forget it or let her forget.

“I see you’re already up. Good morning, Miss Amie!”

Amie spun around to find her maid smiling from ear to ear. “Good morning, Annie! How do you like me? Do I look okay?”

“You look terribly dashing,” Annie pinched Amie’s cheeks playfully, “as always.”

“Thank you!” Amie thought Annie Montgomery in her trim black dress and ruffled white apron was the best maid in the world. She gave her a hug. “Dashing just like you.”

“Silly little girl.” Annie picked up a brush from the vanity. “Now, let’s get these tangles into curls. Stand still, just so. Thank you.”

“But I thought my hair looked okay like it was.”

“Not for Annie Montgomery.”

Amie saw Annie grin from her view in the mirror.



“This is absolutely fabulous!” Amie, garbed in her thick mitts, coat, wool tam and scarf, sat in the middle seat of the stylish new black sleigh between Gad and Kitt.

“I can’t think!” Kitt shouted above the noise, hiding under his scarf.

“Ah, but now’s the best time to think—in the middle of chaos!” Gad teased, merrily leading the team of silky brown Thoroughbreds through the noisy traffic.

Music blared from the streets—carolers walking in groups carrying a can between them for people to drop money into for listening, gypsies selling flashy red-and-gold accordions at stands and newly immigrated Russian Jews giving concerts on street corners. The city was indeed noisy and chaotic.

“But I love music!” Amie grinned and held onto her red-and-green-plaid tam. Their ride was turning into a run. Gad certainly knew how to drive fast through the city. “Don’t kill us, please, Oncle Gad. You still have to teach me piano.”

“Absolutely.” Gad winked down at her and pulled on the reins to slow the horses. “And we still have chocolate fudge to eat tonight.”

Amie felt her stomach growl at that.

Their frantically jingling sleigh ride toned down into a slow jingling trot. Her pulse relaxed, as did her whirling thoughts, as the scenery became more than just a white blur. They rounded Duke’s Street and, after a good thirty minutes of riding around in the snowy streets, the majestic Buckingham Palace met their view.

Amie felt her breath leave her, as usual. There it stood as grand as ever, the large and beautiful palace that Queen Victoria had built. This was another tribute to her Victorian Era—a time, with all respects, was the Golden Age of history. Now her son, King Edward VII, was ruler of this vast kingdom of United Kingdom and the Emperor of India. This same Edward VII who loves the Jews like me, Amie’s brows wrinkled thoughtfully, in this age of anti-Semitism. God bless him!

She leaned up when they approached the big gates. The changing of the guards always fascinated her.

French/English translation:

Oncle…………………… Uncle