Chani
Mindy invited the Krausses for barbecue, where they revealed that brother Effi will be arriving within the week. Chani learns that Effi is adored by the Moskowitz family for putting their wayward son Dudi in touch with them before his untimely death.
Well, now there was no avoiding it. Word came that Effi had arrived at the Krauss’s home, and the Moskowitzes, having met the Krausses and impatient to show their gratitude to Effi, insisted they join their entire family for Shabbos lunch. It was a long walk from the Elman house on Avenue K near Ocean Parkway to the Moskowitz residence almost thirty blocks away, but the Krauss family was encouraged to daven at a shul that was halfway there, breaking up the walk.
It occurred to Chani that not every family invited a couple with an unmarried brother when they themselves had unmarried daughters, but since Effi was at least eight years older than Hennie and Lieba, they probably assumed the age gap was wide enough so that it wasn’t an issue. As for herself, who at 27 was certainly the right age for a single 30-year-old, as usual they simply forgot she existed.
But her stomach was in knots at the prospect of facing Effi Weinberg at the Shabbos table. She had a brief, terrifying vision of Effi taking one look at her and shouting, “No way. There is no way I will sit at the Shabbos table with this woman who threw me away for no good reason!” No, she told herself. Effi—at least the Effi she knew–was too much of a gentleman to do that.
Effi, Effi!… What did he look like now? Would he studiously ignore her, or would she ignore him? Would they put on simpering hypocritical smiles and pretend they’d never met, and ask each other polite questions as if they were just getting acquainted? And what if he took a fancy to one of the Moskowitz girls, as young as they were?
She seriously considered getting in her car and driving to Toms River to spend Shabbos with her family. Or Mrs. Rosner—no, it couldn’t be Mrs. Rosner, she was with her daughter who’d just had a baby in Lakewood, and lived in a reportedly small house. And how would she justify to Mindy that she was abandoning her for Shabbos? Mindy would pout and say how much she needed her, how weekends with the kids alone were too hard, how she shouldn’t miss this golden opportunity to enjoy lunch with the Krausses at her in-laws’ house.
Honestly, part of her did want to see Effi again, if only to see his face and get a sense of where his head was at. She missed him! Despite the years, she still treasured her memories of their time together. Yet she was terrified he’d treat her with hostility or icy disregard. Dare she hope that his anger had dissipated and he wouldn’t be nasty? That he’d be courteous and maybe even friendly…no, that was expecting a lot, as much as she wished it would be the case.
She was finding it hard to concentrate at work on Thursday morning as she filled out progress notes and listened to Mrs. Bloom vent about Mendy’s ADHD.
She got home to Mindy’s that evening feeling frazzled, wondering how she’d ever get through Shabbos lunch, yet unable to find a way out. But she had barely put her briefcase and purse in the guest room when a bloodcurdling scream came from the backyard. All her own troubles were forgotten as she raced downstairs to see what happened.
Mindy and Chezky had a Little Tykes contraption in the backyard with a slide and steps and holes to climb through. It seemed that Pinny and Shloimie had gotten into a fight over who got to go down the slide first, and Shloimie—who was younger but had a wicked temper—gave his brother such a push he fell hard onto the ground and was now screaming in pain with his arm at a funny angle.
Mindy came running at the same time she did, and was now beside herself shrieking as both boys howled with sobs. Chani grabbed Mindy’s phone and called Hatzolah, and the scream of the ambulance was heard barely a minute later. Chani wasn’t sure where to put herself exactly—to try to soothe Pinny, who was shrieking, or calm Mindy, who was shrieking just as loudly. Chezky fortunately showed up from work just then, which took Mindy off her hands, and a minute later Hatzolah arrived.
The medic, a wiry young man who arrived with a partner, shooed the distraught family away while he examined Pinny’s arm. “The arm looks dislocated,” he pronounced. “But let’s get him to the ER.”
“I’ll go with him,” Chezky said immediately (they all knew Mindy was too hysterical). Mindy and Chani would stay to take care of Shloimie, who sat whimpering guiltily in a corner of the yard.
Numb with nerves, Mindy and Chani brought Shloimie inside, heated the baked chicken and potatoes Mindy had left in the oven, and tried to swallow some mouthfuls while waiting for the verdict. After an eternity, Mindy’s phone buzzed. “The doctor reset the bone, but he said Pinny bruised his back pretty badly and ought to rest up for a few days,” Chezky said. “But he’ll be fine in a week or so.”
Mindy burst into tears, this time of relief, and Chani gave her a long hug of comfort.
The little patient was brought home later in the Hatzolah bus, a little groggy from the painkillers but fascinated by the ambulance’s cool bells and whistles, and feeling very important from all the attention lavished on him. His arm was bound in a sling, and they were instructed to keep him quiet and immobilized as much as possible. Mindy tried to shovel some chicken into him, but he was really too sleepy to eat. She finally gave up and let Chani amuse Shloimie while she delicately changed Pinny into pajamas and put him in bed.
Fortunately, Mindy had shopped for Shabbos on Thursday morning before Pinny’s accident, so on Friday they had provisions to make the Friday night meal. They were expected at Chezky’s parents for Shabbos lunch. But now a new problem arose: What to do with their poor bedbound child? Chani wasn’t surprised when she heard her sister and her husband arguing downstairs over breakfast. She knew Mindy had been itching to see the Krausses again and meet the famous Effi so beloved by her in-laws. But if her son was in a bad way—and the doctor had warned he’d be in pain and fretful for a few days—she might have to forego it. “Of course you’ll have to stay with him Shabbos morning,” Chezky said. “You’re his mother, he wants you!”
“I can’t! I get way too nervous!” Mindy protested. “You’re much better than me, and he listens to you so much better! He’ll never stay in bed like he’s supposed to if I’m there!”
“Well, I promised my parents I’d come to lunch to meet the Krausses and their brother, and I can’t disappoint them. If Mrs. Krauss’s brother is there, I think it’s more important that I be the one to be there.”
“It’s not fair!” Mindy fumed. “Everybody else gets to go and have a grand old time, and just because I’m the mother I have to stay home and miss everything!”
Chani privately marveled at her sister’s immaturity. Wasn’t her son’s wellbeing more important than a Shabbos lunch? Hadn’t she come to terms with the idea that motherhood involves a certain amount of sacrifice of one’s own pleasures?
“Well, I’m going and that’s that,” Chezky pronounced with uncharacteristic firmness.
“You’re so mean!” was all Mindy could think to say. “Don’t talk to me!”
To be continued.
