Storytelling for Week Three: The Ambitious Granddaughter

The Ambitious Granddaughter 

Lilith is what most would call a "power woman." She spends all of her time working and reading, trying to climb her way to the top of her advertising firm. She dreams of becoming the CEO and paving the way for future women to come to power at the firm. All of the extra hours she spends working on projects for work take away from any social life she could have. She still has the occasional girl’s night and some drinks after work with office friends. But she does not leave much time for family or even dating for that matter. On her trips home to see her family everyone always harasses her asking when she will get married. She always shrugs them off but has a bit of a harder time with her grandmother. Her grandmother is pushier than the rest of her family, always making snide remarks about Lilith regretting her choice to focus on her career. Usually these remarks would mean nothing to Lilith, but her grandmother is a little crazy. Family rumors say she used to practice witchcraft and has always had it out for women who seem more powerful than her. So, as much as Lilith loved her grandmother she was always a bit wary of her.

One evening, she was walking home from work and bumped into the most handsome gentleman she had ever seen. All of her papers fell to the ground and they both scrambled to gather them before the wind took them down the street.

Being the gentleman he was, he quickly said, "I am so sorry! I didn't see you there. How can I possibly make it up to you?"

In a flirtatious tone Lilith replied, "Oh, it is okay! I did not see you either, but knowing your name would be nice." She added in her signature grin just for good measure.

The gentleman, looking flustered, said, "Of course, how silly of me. I am Adam. Pleased to meet you, Miss."

"It is lovely to meet you as well. I'm Lilith," she said thrusting out her hand.

Adam shook it, replying, "What a lovely name to match those beautiful eyes of yours. Let me take you to dinner, to make up for spilling your things." Lilith blushed but was unsure at first whether or not to say yes.

After some hesitation Adam said with a wink, "Don't worry, we can make it quick and I don't bite." She slowly nodded her head in agreement, conflicted between the reports she had to do and the handsomeness of this gentleman. They went down the street to a small café and ended up talking and laughing for hours, up until the café was shutting down for the night. Afterwards he kindly walked her home and they exchanged numbers. As she ascended the stairs to her apartment she thought to herself, “Wow, what a coincidence, this perfect man falls into my lap just after grandmother’s threats.”

The two went on dating for a few months but never getting very serious due to Lilith's lack of free time. During one of their quick dinners Adam worked up the courage to ask her to become more serious with him.

He said, "Lilith, these last few months have been wonderful. I am ready to take things to the next level, start planning our future together. Maybe even having you move in with me!"

She was a bit surprised at his forwardness and quickly replied, "Adam, it has been very fun for me too. But I am not ready yet. I have a goal of becoming the CEO of my company and I will not settle down until I have met that goal. Work is too important in my life right now to be thinking about marriage and family." He seemed angry at first and then a look of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

He said quietly, "I understand. I come from a background of women as keeper of the home and I can see you are not ready for that and probably never will be. Maybe it is best not to drag this on." Lilith's eyes started to water but she knew it was for the best.

She blinked the tears away and said, "I agree, thank you for dinner. I will see you around." She got up and hid her tears as she walked away.

Although Lilith was upset, she was not completely surprised. She knew that was the social norm but she also knew how important it was for her to lead the way to changing it. She went on about her life as usual. On her next visit home her grandmother called her aside for a chat. Lilith approached with caution sensing the anger in her tone. Once in the other room, her grandmother started lecturing her.

She said, "Lilith, I sent you that handsome young man to add structure to your life! You need someone to settle down with before you get any older. You are ruining your future!" Lilith was furious when she realized that her grandmother had set that boy up for her.

She started lecturing back, "Grandmother! I cannot believe you would do that. Stop interfering in my life, I know what I am doing and what I want!" The debate got pretty heated.

The grandmother said, "Child, you will listen to your elders, I know what is best for you!"

Lilith screamed back, "No! You have no idea what I need!"

Suddenly the grandmother started shouting in words that Lilith did not understand and a flash of smoke engulfed them. When the smoke had cleared and the family had come to check on them, the grandmother had recovered her normal composure.

She simply looked at Lilith and said, "The next one hundred babies you have will die at birth." Everyone stood in shock at these words and the grandmother swiftly left the room and disappeared from the house.

On her way home, Lilith convinced herself that it was an empty threat. Her grandmother could not possibly be a witch and Lilith would be fine if and when she decided to conceive. She went about her normal life but never visited her grandmother again.

{Flash forward 5 years}

Lilith is now a successful CEO with a very handsome and supportive husband. She has everything she wants in life except children. She and her husband have tried many times all ending by miscarriage or by still birth. She has been to many doctors wondering why she cannot have a child and no one can seem to find the answer. She always has that threat from her grandmother in the back of her mind but continues not to believe and is too prideful to ever ask.

Author's Note: After reading the full tale of Adam and Eve, I found the most interesting section to be about his first wife Lilith. According to this Jewish legend, she wanted to be Adam's equal because God made them both from the Earth so since they were made the same she felt they deserved equal treatment and power. Adam insisted she was simply there for his companionship and only he had rule over the animals and their relationship. She felt this was an unfair arrangement and fled. The angels went to find her and bring her back but she refused and in turn was punished. The angels sentenced for one hundred of her children to die. In revenge, she vowed to haunt all the little boys and girls, their only solace being a pendant of the angels kept around the child's neck. I kept her name and the general plot line including the punishment for my retelling. I changed the setting up to make it a bit more modern day and instead of using God I used a witch. I felt these changes gave more relation to the reader while still having a "power" (the witch) being involved. The idea of her being a powerful CEO came from the many fights women have had over the years to be at the top of their organizations. 

Bibliography:The Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg (1909).

Lilith, Adam's First Wife