Chapter 16 The spud saves Hanukkah
Leah packed up a bag and soon the couple headed out to the Long Island Railroad to catch the train. They snuggled together and quietly each read their own book until they were deep into the suburbs of Long Island. They took a cab to Gabe’s parent’s apartment complex and rode in the shiny elevator up to a dark hallway lined with vanilla-colored doors.
Gabe knocked on one and soon Nancy opened up. Leah remembered the last time they were here, their first Christmas together. Nancy had opened the door covered in paint and Leah had been surprised to learn about her painting hobby through the nudes positioned around the apartment. There were more nudes now, paintings hung on every surface and stacked against the walls.
There was a Christmas tree in the living room and stockings hung up on a mantle. Last time, there had been no signs of Christmas in the apartment. Gabe had taken Leah to buy a tree while his parents went on with their business as though there was nothing special going on. They’d only really felt the holiday once they went to Gabe’s brother’s house.
“What’s with the tree this year?” Gabe asked after hugging his parents and putting their bags down in Nancy’s studio where they would sleep on the futon.
“We thought it would be fun to get into the Christmas spirit this year,” Nancy said. “We’ve missed Christmas. I was thinking we could all go to midnight mass tonight too.”
“When was the last time you went to midnight mass?” Gabe asked as he walked into the small kitchen and pulled coffee mugs from the cabinet.
“Exactly why we should go! I used to love midnight mass,” Nancy said. “We went until your brother was born and then we were tired parents! We tried going a few times when you were kids, but you were always so tired! It’s such a meaningful experience, it’s really the only way to celebrate Christmas. We’ll go after Christmas Eve dinner at your brother’s home. They won’t want to go because of their kids.”
Gabe looked at Leah and she shrugged. Maybe it would be a good experience for her to attend the midnight mass. She’d never been to a church before, never heard the prayers except for in movies. She could go from an anthropological standpoint, to learn about her future in-laws. And if she was compromising Hanukkah for Christmas, well, might as well go all the way.
“How’s your job going?” Sam asked Leah over coffee. Sam had worked in “investments” before he retired. While Leah never fully understood what his job was, he was very interested in her position at Club Business.
“I’m actually looking for a new one,” she said. She explained that Club Business had been spun off and shut down.
“Maybe you should get that MBA now,” Sam said. At least Gabe’s dad had one thing in common with Leah’s parents in that he thought grad school was the answer to any crossroads in a young person’s life.
After coffee Leah and Gabe freshened up. “I’m sorry about my mom,” Gabe said while they got ready. “I don’t know where this whole thing about midnight mass came from. But if you wouldn’t be too offended, it might be nice for her if we attend.”
Leah knew exactly where the midnight mass thing came from. The same place her mother was getting all her ideas about Gabe’s and her wedding. But Leah just smiled and agreed to play along. After all, how many times had Gabe sat through a Passover Seder or Shabbat dinner? How many Purim parties had he dressed up for? If she wanted those to continue, she’d have to attend midnight mass.
Leah and Gabe sat in the back seat of his parents’ car as they drove to Gabe’s brother’s house. There was a huge blow-up snowman on the front lawn and lights twinkled along every edge of the house. Leah remembered how excited she was to see that the last time she’d spent Christmas there, but this year it felt so in her face, so disingenuous as though they had decorated the house just to spite her, which of course they didn’t. Every house on the block was just as decorated.
“Leah!” Gabe’s sister-in-law, who Leah had only met once, said when she opened the door. She threw her arms around Leah as though they were friends. “Congratulations! Welcome to our family!” She squeezed Leah tight, and Leah actually did feel welcomed. She was handed a wineglass that looked filled with milk, but Leah knew it was eggnog with brandy mixed in and she accepted the drink as Gabe led her inside to the sounds of banging and screaming. Inside she saw two kids wrestling in the living room and a third standing on the couch banging blocks together.
“Too much sugar,” Gabe’s—and now Leah’s future—sister-in-law said, motioning to her kids. “They are always like this at holidays.” She said it so calmly, like it was completely normal. Leah hadn’t spent a lot of time around kids except for when she was one, but she was sort of sure it wasn’t normal. She’d hoped, at least, because that was not what she wanted in motherhood.
She couldn’t remember her sister-in-law’s name, so she quietly asked Gabe. She didn’t even need to whisper to ask quietly because of the loud background noise. Cindy. She should have remembered that. Leah then took a leap of faith and decided to leave Gabe’s side and try to bond with her new sister-in-law Cindy, who seemed like the only person excited about their engagement.
“Can I help you with anything?” she asked Cindy in the kitchen.
“You want to plate the fish?”
Leah nodded and Cindy showed her where the serving platters and utensils were.
“So have you and Gabe thought about where you want to get married?” she asked.
Leah shook her head. “It’s been complicated.” She responded as she scooped one type of fish into a large bowl. She noticed the next pot had lobster in it, shellfish, as one of the seven fishes served on Christmas.
“Complicated?” Cindy scoffed. “Getting engaged is supposed to be the fun part! If it’s already complicated, what’s going to happen when it’s actually complicated?”
Leah felt her heart drop and Cindy must have noticed.
“Oh, honey, sorry, I didn’t mean that, sorry, it sounded awful!” Cindy dropped what she was doing and put her hand on Leah’s shoulder. “I mean, I’m sure it can be complicated planning a wedding! I’m just saying, when I got engaged to Derrick, it was just so exciting and fun! I never would have described it as complicated! Things didn’t get complicated until we had three kids with different doctor appointments and practices and parent-teacher meetings. You want to talk about it?”
“It’s the religion thing,” Leah responded. Cindy looked at her as though she wasn’t sure what Leah was talking about. When Cindy didn’t react, Leah clarified. “I’m Jewish.”
“Oh,” Cindy said. “Is that a big deal?”
“To my family it is,” Leah said. “I didn’t think it was to Gabe’s family, your family.”
Cindy shrugged. “I mean, we just celebrate Christmas because it’s fun. I bet Jewish holidays are fun too! You have Hanukkah around now, right?”
“Actually, tonight is the first night,” Leah said. The statement seemed like a confession. Like she had been hiding something by not celebrating.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Cindy said. “We could have celebrated! Can we do something for Hanukkah?”
“We light candles,” Leah said. “Tonight is the first night, so it’s two candles, one to light the other.”
“I’m sure we have candles somewhere here.” Cindy stared rummaging around in a drawer and pulled out an open package of Spiderman birthday candles. “Will these work? How do we light them?” She looked around the kitchen and then grabbed a raw potato from a vegetable rack. She stuck the pointed candle holders into the potato. “I’m sorry I don’t have a menorah,” she said.
Leah didn’t correct her. (Hanukkiah, not menorah for Hanukkah!) “It’s OK,” was all she said, the smile on her face said the rest.
“Guys! Everyone in the kitchen!” Cindy called the rest of her family. “Guys! Come here!”
Once everyone was crammed into the small kitchen with their eggnogs refilled, still chatting and laughing together, Cindy clapped her hands loudly.
“I need everyone’s attention,” Cindy’s voice beamed and Leah wondered if she would ever have that kind of confidence to summon her in-laws that way. “Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah!” she announced.
Leah looked around. Gabe’s brother was focused on his eggnog. His three kids were pinching each other quietly. Nancy and Sam looked at each other and sighed. Gabe smiled when Leah caught his eyes.
“I didn’t know that Leah was Jewish,” Cindy said. “If I’d known, I’d have been more prepared, but we made do! We’re going to light the Hanukkah candles before our Christmas dinner.”
Leah wanted to throw her arms around Cindy. She wanted Cindy to be her best friend, she wanted the girls to be such good sisters-in-law that they dropped the “in-law” part and simply thought of themselves as sisters.
“Leah, will you do the honors?” Cindy handed Leah a matchbook and Leah looked at the potato with the candles sticking out. She grabbed the Shamash, the one that was a little higher on the uneven potato and lit it.
“ Baruch Ata Adonei Elohenu Melech Haolam Asher Kideshanu Bemitzvotav Vetzivanu Lehadleek Ner Shel Hanukkah ,” she recited the blessing. Normally, she would have sung it to its tune, but she felt a little uncomfortable singing in front of everyone. At least saying the blessing was enough. “ Baruch Ata Adonei Elohenu Melech Haolam Sheasa Nisim Leavoteinu Biyamin Hazeh Bezman Hazeh .”
And then the shehecheyanu , which can only be said on the first night. “ Baruch Ata Adonei Elohenu Melech Haolam Shehecheyanu Vekiyamanu Vehigiyanu Lezman Hazeh .”
She lit the first candle and stuck the Shamash back into the potato. And just like that, Hanukkah was saved by a spud. It wasn’t the spud’s usual appearance for the holiday (it usually came shredded and fried into a latke, but it appeared nonetheless.)
“Can we blow them out?” one of the kids asked and Cindy looked at Leah for the answer.
She shook her head. “We have to let them burn all the way down.”
“Let’s hope this isn’t a fire hazard,” Nancy commented. “What a story, Hanukkah candles before midnight mass. We must be the only family to do both.”
Leah stared at the candles while everyone found a place around the table, except Gabe, who squeezed her shoulders. She put her hands over his.
“That was so sweet of Cindy,” she said. It was more than sweet, it had meant so much to Leah that someone showed her how easy it could be to integrate their two traditions. And that Cindy didn’t think their differing religions were such a big deal.
Gabe kissed her cheek and led her to the table where Leah sat next to Cindy. Maybe it was the brandy in the eggnog, or the wine that was later passed around, but Leah started to feel relaxed. She smiled, laughed, even made a few jokes herself, and enjoyed the meal.
When it came time for midnight mass, she followed Gabe into the car, curious and excited to go. But also a little angry at Gabe. Why hadn’t he been eager to stick up for her the way Cindy had? Why was he happy to simply ignore or delay her traditions that interfered with his?