Revenge is a dish best not served. The statement was meant for the little boy not meeting the eyes of the wrinkled, greying, slightly bent man. It strayed into his auditory canal and stirred something in him. The weakling! What kind of advice was that? Revenge is a dish best served in more than enough measures. That was what his father told him, as received from his father before him. And, by Molech, nobody would say it had not served him well. It is senseless, and injurious, wounding what you cannot kill. Every strike should be calculated, thorough and effective. It was another wisdom handed down. So he had waited. Now he was close. He could sense it. Just a couple more things and his forebears could rest, knowing the injustice done them had been avenged. For the past twelve months, he and his diviners had been casting Pur daily to determine the time most auspicious to their enterprise. Now the stars had aligned—on Adar 13th. It was time to go see Shahanshah.
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His grandfather had been Agag, exalted king of the Amalekites. One day, Israel, led by Saul son of Kish had sent notice of war to him. Even though the two nations had descended from twin brothers (Edom and Israel) it had not stopped them from squaring off in the past. Armies had been mustered, battle lines drawn and the skirmish had raged hard and bloody. Amalek had come out worse off. Saul and his almost intact 210, 000 man army killed every man, woman, boy and girl they laid eyes on. They spared The Agag, and choice domestic animals¬—and led them away. His grandfather, a wise, visionary ruler, revered among the desert tribes, never returned. His grandmother, who had been pregnant at the time had managed to escape. On a cold, starry night, she had brought forth the son given by the moon, Hammedatha.
The boy grew up never forgetting. He would go on to have a son, Haman, and become adviser to the Chief of the tribe. Were it not for those Jews, he would be Agag, among his people. He made sure his boy understood just what had been taken from them. He made him promise to neither forget nor forgive. Before joining his ancestors he ensured the boy became a helper to a katib. Haman rose to dapir and then vizier. The king of kings, Xerxes, in recognition of his invaluable service, made him Prime Vizier. It was the crowning achievement for a career diplomat and about the happiest moment of his life. His 365 counsellors, 10 sons and wife, Zeresh were elated, he was ecstatic. But Mordecai served to remind him of the debt he owed. It was for good because, left alone, he probably would have taken longer to pay back the greedy skinflints. And then he found out by some talents dropped in the right quarters, that Mordecai’s great grandfather was the father of the man who had all but decimated his people. He thanked Molech and Ahura Mazda for the obsession of Jews with genealogies.
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Convincing The Shahanshah had not been difficult. He was after all a man with particular vanities that could be pandered to. The offer to pay 10, 000 talents of silver into the royal coffers had not gone unnoticed. The clincher was telling the king that the customs of the people in question were different from that of other nationalities in his domain¬—and that they did not obey him. Xerxes' eyes almost popped out of their sockets at that. Xerxes the Great, son of the union between Darius I of Media and Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great of Persia ruled over the combined kingdoms stretching over 127 provinces. He had had to quell a number of uprisings, prominent among them the revolts in Egypt and Babylon. The last thing he wanted was dissidents or people with strange ideologies. He wanted to focus on the constructions he had in mind and the expansion of his realm. It was good of Haman to have seen the trickle before it became a flood.
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He was sitting on his throne, facing the doorway, contemplating, when he saw a vision. By heaven, she was a sight for sore eyes. Beholding the magnificence and radiance of his queen, the king was glad to be distracted. He was so enthralled he did not remember that she had come into his presence without invitation, an offence punishable by death. Vashti had never affected him this way! He held out his gold sceptre. And Queen Esther approached with surer steps¬—the prayer and fasting for the past 3 days and nights had not been in vain, Yahweh heard. She invited the Shahanshah and his favourite vizier to a banquet the following day. It was an elaborate affair. When the king pressed her to make a request, she deferred it, asking that both men join her for another round of feasting. Haman left the palace feeling very pleased, until his eyes rested on Mordecai¬. Everybody else bowed to and knelt for the vizier, it was the king's command¬—except him. Haman boiled with rage. This commoner, a mere gatekeeper worth less than a horse, had nerve. He was so blinded with fury he walked past his house and had to retrace his steps. He boasted to his wife and friends how the king had elevated him above all else. Even the queen had joined the wagon¬—inviting him twice to an exclusive dinner. The only blot on the horizon was Mordecai. His audience came up with a solution: build a 75 foot gallows and the next morning, obtain the king's permission to have Mordecai hanged on it. There was an abundance of reasons that could be given.
First thing the next morning, he arrived at the palace to present his request. Before he could speak, the king asked him to recommend measures appropriate to honour one so deserving. Haman felt there could be no such person other than him, so his proposal was just short of declaring here is the heir apparent. The king mandated him to do just so for Mordecai who had revealed a plot to assassinate the king. While conducting Mordecai on horseback through the streets of Susa, Haman wished the ground would open. Haman ran home mourning. He was still lamenting the morning's turn of events, when the king's servants came to fetch him¬—dinner was ready. That night Esther told the king that she and her people had been earmarked for extermination, she petitioned that they be allowed to live. The king was incensed, who dared…? Esther pointed across the table. The king, in fury, rose and went into the garden. He needed some fresh air to aid his thinking. When he walked in, Haman was prostrating on the couch were Esther was reclining.
"Will he molest the queen even in my presence?" The king thundered.
As the words left his mouth, servants came in, slipped a hood over Haman’s face and dragged him out. He ended up swinging from a rope, seventy and five feet above ground level.
On the 13th day of the month of Adar, all Haman’s sons and all those sympathetic to his cause lost their lives. Their properties were confiscated. *************************************************************************************************************************************************
How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,
your dwelling places, Israel! Like valleys they spread out,
like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD,
like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets;
their seed will have abundant water. Their king will be greater than Agag;
their kingdom will be exalted.
Num 24:5-7
© 2016 John Chidi
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