Page 155 - Eggs and Ashes pages

154 Eggs and Ashes

A Passover meal for thirteen

How come it’s always me that gets to lay the table and never the boys?
A Passover meal for thirteen, mum says,
in our upstairs room;
ten courses,
best dishes,
two jars of wine,
and they might need a waitress.
Job for you, Naomi, mum says.
Maybe a bit of pocket money in it –
you’d like that, wouldn’t you?

Me – I’d rather be out playing with my friends,
but what choice do I get?

So here I am
setting the table for thirteen.
Best cloths, Passover dishes, best cutlery – the works!
I wheedled it out of mum that the meal
is for Jesus and his friends,
but I’ve got to keep it secret.
They don’t want their enemies
to burst in and disturb them.
Mum’s a bit scared about there being trouble.
Jesus has been known to liven up a few parties –
the water and the wine mystery
and the perfume in the parlour scandal
to name but two.
But I’m sure mum needn’t worry.
Jesus is our friend,
I’m sure he wouldn’t cause trouble for her.

But all the same
I’m going to keep my eyes and ears open tonight –
I might have a few stories later
to share with my friends.

Ruth Burgess

*Mark 14:15