Recap: Zevi’s parents left, and he and Jordie go to shul. On the way back from shul, there’s a car that seems to be following them and then it seems to be chasing them. Jordie asks Zevi for a different way to walk home. Jordie keeps looking behind him and Zevi is scared and wondering who was chasing them.
At shul, Jordie stood near me. I had a lot to daven for right now. Jordie kept turning pages. He needed help. How could I concentrate if I had to keep helping him? I took a deep breath and then I pointed to the right page. I wanted to daven now without interruption. I hoped he would figure out what to do.
I davened that those people in the car would drive far away and not come back. My stomach clenched, thinking of that car chasing us. I asked Hashem to keep us safe. I really wished my parents were still home.
After shul, we trekked home. I noticed that Jordie kept looking behind him. I had a pit in my stomach the whole way home.
When we reached my house, I noticed how dark it looked inside. I should have left the lights on. I let Jordie walk in first. I stepped in after him. Jordie flicked on the light. I found a note tacked on the fridge.
I let myself in with the spare key your mother gave me. I left you soup, chicken, rice, and broccoli in the fridge. Warm everything up and enjoy. Love, Aunt Ellie.
P.S. If you need anything, call.
The phone rang. I jumped.
Rafi was calling. “Hey, how’s it going?”
I took a deep breath. Except for someone trying to run us over and missing my parents already, everything was fine.
All I said was, “Yeah, it’s okay.”
Just then the doorbell rang.
“Someone’s here, Rafi. Can I call you back?”
Rafi hung up.
“Who’s there?” I was breathing shallow breaths.
“It’s Shuey.”
I let out my breath. I was so relieved.
Shuey, my chavrusa, had come to learn with me.
Jordie came over and said hi.
I didn’t want to include Jordie. It would be so boring having to explain everything in the Gemara to him.
“We’re just going to learn in the den,” I said to Jordie.
“Can I listen in?”
“Sure,” Shuey said before I could answer, so Jordie followed us into the den.
Shuey read the sugya.
I was starting to get into it when Jordie interrupted. “Can you explain what that means? I don’t understand.”
I knew it would be like this.
Shuey patiently explained.
So, this is how our learning would be.
It ended with Shuey teaching Jordie how the Gemara works and about different types of logic. We never got past the first line.
We were just finishing up when the phone rang.
Rafi was calling again. “You never called back.”
“Oh, sorry. Shuey came to learn.”
I wanted to tell him about my disappointing learning session, but Jordie was standing right there.
“You’re managing, Zevi?”
“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s okay. Aunt Ellie sent dinner.”
A minute later, I hung up and walked Shuey to the door.
The phone rang again.
“Bye, Shuey. See you tomorrow. We’ll talk.” I wanted to speak to him about learning somewhere else without Jordie.
I answered the phone, but there was no one there when I picked up, and I’d missed seeing the Caller ID.
“Rafi must have tried to call me again.”
I dialed Rafi but he didn’t answer.
The phone rang again.
This time I got a glimpse of the Caller ID. It said, “Unknown Caller.”
“Hello?”
There was silence and then I heard heavy breathing.
“Rafi, is that you?”
The phone went dead.
“That’s so strange,” I said.
Jordie’s forehead crinkled. “Was anyone on the line?”
“No, I just heard someone breathing.”
The phone rang again.
Jordie reached for it. “Don’t answer it.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t.” He held his hand over it.
“Listen, turn off the lights in the living room. We don’t want anyone to know someone is in the house. And make sure the door is locked.”
What was going on?
My stomach clenched.
“You have that book your grandmother gave you?”
I nodded. “What’s going on? Should I call the police? Is someone coming to my house?”
“I hope not. No, don’t call the police. Definitely not. Let’s read that book. Now’s a good time to get distracted.”
Why was Jordie making the house dark? What did he mean by not wanting anyone to know we’re home? Something strange and scary was going on, and I didn’t want to be part of it.
My hand shook as I picked up the book. We headed into the dimly lit den. All the other lights were off.
We sat together on the couch. I opened the book and we began to read.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of an historical fiction novel, Flight of the Doves (Menucha Publishing, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha Publishers, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha Publishing, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha Publishers, 2020), Denver Dreams (a novel, Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha Publishers, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021-2022), and Alaskan Gold ( 2023-2024).
