#scarsdale

"Clearly, you are not forgetting them. Tell me, what did they do for Hanukkah? Who grated the potatoes? Who hoarded the geld?"

"mama.. but.. funny story..."

"Aye?" Gently encouraging the eshu to tale-tell.

And she relates the story, of how Grandmother used to grate the potatoes, when she was very young, but when her arthritis came in, mama took over.. BUT..."Grandmother decided she would SUPERVISE.. hovering over mama's shoulder, telling her the 'right 'way... to grate potatoes. Mama nearly lost it." She laughs but there are tears too "one day mama did.. she just stopped grating, and instead mashed them right in front of grandma... said 'there, happy?' without missing a bit, grandma puts her finger in it and goes 'needs more salt'"

A soft rasp of near-laughter. "Never sass a Bubbe."

"And thy Papa?" Nudge, nudge.

"Oh papa made sure my brothers stayed out of trouble, no geld swiping, everyone has to follow the rules. We got him Black and white striped socks because he was our referee"

More whispered encouragement - Zara wants all the stories, of brothers and little-Tizzy, of family traditions, of favorite gifts.

Turns out, her papa had a fun side "Sometimes, we would play Jewish Life.. dad would referee and NARATE that... it's just the board game, Life? But he would translate... " She mimes a masculine voice "'you have disappointed your parents, go back 3 spaces and think about what you did"

"When I was really young I used to laugh so hard at that, but when I got older I started to roll my eyes because , you know, your dad can't be FUNNY or cool. But inside I was still laughing"

"Oh, aye. One must needs maintain teenage indifference. I, of course, am too old for that now..." Says the 20-year-old.

With Dewey eyes, she smiles but sincerely this time "Oh yes. You'll need a walker soon." wry "Oh speaking of walkers... my brother, he decided Bubbe's walker needed 'bling'... now at the time, we had a cat.. so she sees this stuff dangling from Bubbe's walker and..." another tale, one that could go bad, but, amazingly, doesn't. ... still, there were consequences "And for a month, the cat wouldn't go NEAR that walker"

Raspy sluagh "laughter" and, again, encouragement. The whisperer does have very good ears! The girls' feet have led them to a snow-draped lot - the blanket of white obscuring the black scars left from the fire, softening the hole where a house once stood.

"I guess there's really nothing to cry about good memories and all" she wipes at her eyes as she sees the hole, "I mean, yes there is, but there were good times too. And I guess I remember more than I thought. I just wish .. they could be here again and see that I'm taken care of. That I'm okay"

"There is no shame in tears, bubeleh. Tears are part of the story, too."

"And they know. They know thou art cared for, and loved. What more could they wish for you? It is okay to be happy. It is okay to be sad, too. You may be both at once."

"I'm a teenage girl, I think I can handle at least seven emotions in five minutes and let adults back away.. slowly" Tizzy is crying but apparently still crafts an easy mental image

Then.. she sees it, and her face falls

says the sign

The lot has already been sold.

That's not unheard of. Valuable property. But one would think a new house would be put up first

"I kind of want to kick it" She says eying the sign

"So - kick it."

Proof of eshu reckless nature ,she lashes out with her foot and bangs the sign, once it tilts, the second time it falls over. The third time she stomps, and then she jumps on it "People lived here, you insensitive Zhlobs!"

Zara waits, allowing the eshu to vent.

Tizzy ends up crouched on the flattened sold sign, tears flowing fully now until some sobs come out. The rage broke the dam of her reserve of tears entirely open

Zara joins her, providing a bony shoulder to cry on.

And Now Zara is latched onto and her shoulder is getting wet. Good thing Zara put on her own jacket

Zara doesn't shush the eshu, but simply pets her hair and gently rocks. She'll cry as much as she needs to.

The crying comes hard and fast, then slow and sorrowful, but by ten minutes she seems done "SOrry about that" She wipes at her eyes "I guess I really did need to .. admit somethings"

"No sorry. For you see, I, the sluagh, now have thy secrets. Mua-ha-ha." Grey lips quirk in a gentle smile.

A chuckle "Right, " She wipes her eyes "Like Eshu are shy about giving out stories. Thank you, Zara." A sigh. She looks at the flattened sign, and with a shake of her head, props it up again though it's damage is still obvious "I hope whoever bought the land puts a nice house on it and are nice people"

Zara 'catches' Tziporah's wish in her spidery hands, and gestures as if collecting it into a snowball.

A murmur of blessing, and she "tosses" the wish towards the lot. "Mazel Tov."

The magic goes into the air. ah yes, it's taking root and... then the oddest thing happens. It works. Zara knows it worked! But ... she also feels suddenly very dizzy

"Mmph..." She clutches onto Tzip for stability.

Tzip holds her steady "Zara, you okay?"

Zara almost passed out. Yet she also feels oddly like smiling. What just happened?

"I... aye, I'm okay. I think. Dizzy."

"Wouldst thou be alright to go home now?"

"Sure.. here, I'll help support you"

"Tea, I think." She kens the area. What happened?

The only glamour here is hers. Why would the spell have had that side effect?

She tries kenning herself, but that is always a tricky wicket.

"Zara?" Tziporah is distracting but..

wait, Zara realizes she's been fair fortuned. or at least, got a part of it

Casting soothsay on yourself for greed can be dangerous, but she didn't do it for greed, and she didn't know it would also grace her. What does this mean?

"Just.. something curious."

"Da'an can be mysterious, a'times."