It all began on Sunday morning, two weeks ago, when little Shmully came running to tell me that he had dropped a coin in the kitchen sink. I don’t know where he found that dime, but now it was no longer.
I checked the sink. As water ran from the tap, it bubbled as it slowly went down the pipe, obviously blocked by that coin. My husband tried snaking the pipe, but he couldn’t get the little bit of metal to budge. “I’ll try again in the morning,” he said, hoping that time would work its magic.
Running a household without a kitchen sink was a challenge, but I refrained from using it for another few hours. Next try at amateur plumbing didn’t work well either.
My husband was stalling before calling a professional. Ever since he lost his job, we were tight, financially speaking, and a house visit would be an extra burden on our faltering budget. As it was, I was finding it challenging to keep my spirits up.
By Tuesday morning, I was near despair. “How much longer should I wait?” I asked my husband. “I can’t go on without a sink for too much longer.”
He advised me to try using the sink in the meantime. Sure enough it was working. We just needed to be patient and let the water do its thing. It was annoying, especially when washing dishes. I had to take breaks after rinsing every two or three pieces, otherwise the sink would begin to fill up.
There seemed to be no choice. We needed a plumber.
That afternoon, I called the man who had been to our house a number of times before. He couldn’t come right away but put us in for the following morning. But when Wednesday came, he called to cancel for emergency reasons. My desperation level was rising.
On Thursday, as I stuck my hand into the water-filled sink to shift the strainer, I felt my ring loosen. I pulled my hand out of the water and gasped. My diamond ring was gone! I shrieked as my precious ring made its way through the slimy pipe into the dark unknown.
My husband, who spends his days at home now, came right over. We contemplated our options and ended up calling a plumber from a highly recommended team, in hope that the ring could be retrieved. Deep down, I knew my chances of being reunited with my precious ring were slim.
Yet, sure enough, that little annoying coin stuck in the pipe turned out to be the “refuah l’fnei hamakah” – Hashem had prepared the cure before sending the misfortune. Two little items were pulled out of our sink drain that day and I felt I was surrounded by His love. It was my little hug in the midst of such challenging times, a little wink reassuring me that better times are on the horizon. I just better hold on tight and daven for our salvation to come soon.