Recap: Evie is teaching her new friend Rikki how to skate. Rikki invites Evie for supper, and Evie is happy to go to avoid Mr. Cohen, who is coming to her aunt’s house for supper.
Rikki’s house was part of a building with large windows. She lived upstairs. “The downstairs is our shul,” she said. She saw I didn’t know what that was, so she gave me a quick tour.
“Here’s where the women sit in the women’s section, and the men sit there.” She pointed out the aron kodesh, which had a magnificent gold velvet cover, and that was where the Torah scrolls were kept. Also, there were stained-glass windows, each one representing a different tribe.
“You never learned anything about Judaism?” she asked.
I shook my head. “My mother told me I’m Jewish. She grew up in Russia, and you weren’t allowed to practice any religion there. Anyway, she never learned anything about it either.”
“Wow! Well, it’s not too late to start learning about our beautiful heritage – yours and mine.”
She showed me the prayer book and some of the prayers.
I knew there was G-d. My mother had taught me that, but I’d never learned how to pray or anything like that, and I’d never even seen a Torah.
“You’ll have to come for Shabbos. Hey, maybe you can bring your family and come for Friday night dinner and then come in the morning to shul. You aren’t staying far from here, you said.”
“I can ask them. Thank you so much.” I doubted my mother would want to come. She was busy with the rink and with that Mr. Cohen. I wasn’t sure about Aunt Ruthie and Uncle Arnold, but it was worth a try to tell them about the invitation.
…
“No, I can’t take Emmie out at night, but thank her for inviting us.” Aunt Ruthie was busy brushing Emmie’s hair.
Maggie was standing in the distance. She didn’t acknowledge me, and I was tired of greeting someone who didn’t respond, so I ignored her, too.
Mom already said she had a dinner date with Mr. Cohen.
I called Rikki and told her it would just be me.
“Do you want to come over early? We might even get in a game of ping pong. Do you like ping pong?”
“Sure, but I have to warn you – I’m pretty good.”
“Oh, I’m not worried,” she laughed.
“What should I wear?” I asked my mother. She was looking at her phone.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s Shabbos, and I think they get dressed up.”
“Well, wear your dressier pants.”
I wasn’t sure if that was the right thing. I noticed Rikki only wore skirts, but I didn’t have any skirts.
“I’ll be back later tonight,” I told my mother.
“I wish you could’ve stayed here tonight when he’s coming.”
I didn’t wish that at all.
I passed by Emmie and Maggie playing in the den.
I didn’t say anything to Maggie, and she didn’t say anything to me. I headed out the door.
The afternoon sun sparkled on the bushes and trees. I was excited to spend time with my new friend.
There were two little boys playing catch with a big ball in Rikki’s front yard. They turned to me and stared.
“Who are you?” the boy with curly blond hair asked.
“I’m Rikki’s friend.”
“What’s your name?” He looked like he was around six or seven years old.
“I’m Evie.”
I strode toward the door, and the two little boys went back to playing catch.
Rikki answered. She ushered me in. “You got here fast.”
“You live really close.”
She smiled. “Come, we have time for a quick game of ping pong before we have to get ready for Shabbos.”
The hallway was cluttered with various riding toys and toy cars.
“Don’t mind the mess. We’re going to clean it for Shabbos.”
A lady wearing a pink headscarf and an apron strode out of the kitchen. “This must be your friend Evie. So nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I said.
“We’ll come up and help soon, if that’s okay. We want to play a quick game,” Rikki said.
“Of course. The potatoes will be waiting for you.”
The basement was full of bookcases jammed with kids’ books and an assortment of toys. In the corner was a ping pong table.
“Your mother is so nice,” I said.
Rikki handed me a ping pong paddle. “That’s my grandmother.”
Rikki served the ball, and we began a lively game.
We had some great volleys. After a while, Rikki put down her paddle. “We better go help Gran.”
I followed her upstairs.
“Your mother’s at work?” I asked.
There was a beat.
A pained expression flashed across Rikki’s face and then melted into her usual easy smile.
“No.”
I shouldn’t have asked her that, I realized. It must be a sensitive question for some reason. I wondered why.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of a newly released historical fiction novel, Captured (Menucha Publishers, 2025), as well as historical fiction novels Please Be Patient (Menucha, 2024), Flight of the Doves (Menucha, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha, 2020), Denver Dreams, a novel (Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials, and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, and “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021–2022) and Alaskan Gold (2023–2024).
