“I’ve already decided why I want to dress up on Purim,” Evyatar said when he returned from soccer. “For Star Wars”
“Cool,” I said, swallowing the cornflakes quickly, before Mom told me, “Don’t speak with your mouth full.” “To which of them”?
To Darth Vader, Evyatar replied.
“Cool,” I said. I know all the Star Wars characters. A few weeks ago, on a particularly rainy Saturday, Dad Evyatar and I sat in front of the computer all day watching all the Star Wars movies, even the ones that came out before Aviatar and I were born.
Drath Ryder is the most important character in Star Wars. He is commander-in-chief of the Galactic Empire army and a servant of Emperor Palpatine. He was initially a young Jedi Knight, but due to his anger at his mother’s death and fear for the fate of his wife Padme, he turned to the dark side of the Force.
“Great,” Mom rejoiced. “Last year you decided only in the morning, before you went to school, why you wanted to dress up on Purim. We were lucky to have it at home.”
“I checked the store in the mall,” Avitar said, and the costume costs 250 shekels, but, he said when he saw our mother’s face, “I also checked online, and if you order now it will cost only 170 shekels.”
“We don’t spend that much money on a costume,” Mom said. “You’ll wear it for exactly an hour.”
“Wrong,” said Avitar, “there is a school parade on the street, and so there is a costume contest, and there is a prize for whoever wins!”
“The procession on the street is only on condition that it doesn’t rain,” I said. “If it rains, the parade is canceled, and then everything will be in the school gymnasium.”
“They didn’t ask you,” Evyatar said, kicking me.
“Aye,” I shouted, a little too loud, even though it didn’t hurt at all.
“Evyatar”! My mother was angry, “The decision not to buy a costume for 200 shekels has nothing to do with the fact that there will or will not be a parade at school, and don’t kick your brother for any reason.”
“Sorry,” Evyatar muttered
“I don’t have a costume either,” I said, pulling away from Aviatar a bit, just in case.
“Show me what Darth Ryder even looks like,” Mom requested.
“Vader,” Evyatar and I shouted together, and I opened the Star Wars page online with all the pictures.
“Darth Vader,” Mom said, tasting the first syllable, “wears a black suit, a black robe, and he’s wearing a mask.”
“That’s because he was injured by his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. And as a result of the injury, he wore a mask and black armor,” I explained.
“It’s important to know,” Mom smiled.
“Black pants, a black shirt and a robe, we have,” Mom said. “And even a lightsaber you have in the box of games you don’t play, we need to find a mask and armor.”
“You can only buy a mask,” Avitar said, “I saw in a store in the mall, it costs 45 shekels.
“It’s a reasonable amount,” my mother said, “I’m willing to invest up to 50 shekels for a Purim costume for each of you.”
“We have armor in our house when I once disguised myself as a ninja turtle,” Avitar recalls. “You can paint it black.”
“Great idea,” Mom said, you don’t have to run and buy. A little thought and creativity and we can find a solution to everything.”
“If I don’t dress up for anything, I asked, ‘Can I get the 50 shekels anyway?
Mom laughed.
We’ll see when Purim comes.