Virago | 2018 Wattys Shortlist

nine

N I N E

Yraqia,
2023

★ ★ ★

"If you think opression of the Bantu Peoples ended with slavery then you are greatly mistaken. Look at who holds the positions of power, look at the elites, the ones with access to capital and privilege. Show me where you see a black face amongst them. Just show me." - Alimayu Kofi , The History They Don't Want You To Know - The Untold Story of Kediakin's Bantu Peoples.

★ ★ ★

The year of 2023 started on a trepidatious suspense for Hadassah Sarfati and her family. Like in the days she had fasted and asked G-d for a miracle to save her people, the atmosphere in the palace had been anticipatory.

It felt as though the presence that had been looming over them had gotten closer and they could almost taste its arrival in the air that skittered past their tongues. Hadassah, Nura, Mordecai, Hegai, Memukan and their entire team of trusted spies and accomplices had mastered the art of superb acting and masked their underlying motivations beneath a perfect façade.

Queen Nura hosted her annual New Year's Eve fireworks show a few kilometres out of the desert. Hadassah spent the majority of the night swept up in her wife's arms and marvelling at the bright sparks of light that exploded into the sky.

She remembered the first time she'd attended this show a few days before Queen Nura was set to choose a wife. She'd been filled with an anxious energy, her future filled with an unknown but fruitful possibilities. Now she was filled with anxiety again, only this time, it was the kind fuelled by fear.

The future was uncertain and threatened by the impending danger and the possibility of innocent lives being lost, despite what the queen had done in all of her might to prevent such an outcome.

Hadassah had dismissed all of her servants to go and enjoy themselves and take part in the festivities. She was perfectly apt to take care of herself for a few hours.

Elaheh - as her right-hand woman was reluctant to abandon her duties as she thought it improper and it had taken Hadassah a few minutes of compelling persuasion to get her to finally let loose.

All of the Court of Advisors was there too, including Haman and his brood of ten strong sons and a little wife. Hadassah had taken a careful look at the family of the man who was plotting to kill her - his demure, obedient wife who was covered from head to toe (it didn't matter that her burqa was made of cashmere silk.) It spoke volumes that in a country where the burqa wasn't insisted upon by law, the Agagite still chose to make his wife wear such a thing in this heat.

All ten of his sons were gorgeous creatures - all with the same homely brown skin, fine strong dark hair and broadened shoulders. They definitely hadn't gotten their looks from their father. They all looked to be between the ages of twenty to forty, the oldest one in the bunch already spotting a mature beard.

She wondered if these eleven people knew how evil the man they knew as their head of house was or if they were as evil as him. She wondered how they'd fare with their father if and when he died. Mordecai strolled over to her with Malak on his arm.

"Mama, the fireworks are going to start soon!" the little girl said. She had her arms wrapped around Mordecai's neck and her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Hadassah.

"You love the fireworks?"

"Yeah, they're the best part. Uncle Mordecai's going to put me on his shoulders so I have the best view. Wassim is going to be so jealous," she said.