all of Crown Heights—at least that was what the hand-printed sign in the shop’s window said.
Despite the earliness of the hour, the shop was filled with people waiting to be served by Mr. Goldblatt and his wife, Sara. Everybody seemed happy to get out of the house after celebrating the sanctity of Shabbos. Matrons with baskets over their arms stood next to young husbands in black suits and hats. Modestly dressed young mothers in stylish sheitels were cuddling their babies. Several of the men were pushing young children in strollers. Girls like me, dressed in long skirts and crisp blouses, were chatting with their friends. Devorah Leah was among them. She left the line and ran up to me.
“Chanie, what are you doing here? I came to pick up some potatoes for today’s lunch.”
“Mama asked me to buy apples. She wants to bake a pie before she goes into the City this afternoon.”
“That’s not fair. She’s gone so much and you have to do everything, in addition to taking care of Moishe.”
“You help your mother too.”
“Not like you.”
I shrugged. “I’m used to it. I just wish she would take me with her to the opera once in a while. I told her that I wanted to go, but she got mad at me. She won’t even talk about music with me. Won’t answer my questions about
Rigoletto
.”
“What’s
Rigoletto
?”
“It’s an opera she keeps listening to. It’s about a person called Rigoletto. His songs are so beautiful, they almost break your heart. But he’s so sad—you can hear it in his singing. I asked Mama why he was so unhappy, but she wouldn’t even tell me that.” I shook my head. “It was stupid of me to ask her to take me to the City with her. I should know by now that she won’t.”
“Oh, you and your music! Forget about an old opera guy!” Devorah Leah leaned closer. “Come over to my house this afternoon. Papa is going to one of the Rebbe’s
farbrengens
, and the boys have an extra session at their yeshiva. And Mama will be babysitting at Goldie’s house. So the coast will be clear and we can watch
Roseanne
!”
“I’ll come, but only if Papa is home. Somebody has to watch Moishe.”
“Watch Moishe—why?” asked a male voice behind me.
I spun around. It was David. The morning sun streaming through the shop’s windows burnished his hair.
“What are you doing here?!”
He laughed. “I was on my way to your house, actually. But when I saw all this fruit in the window,”—he pointed to a display of luscious apples and grapes—“my stomach growled, so I decided to come in. I’m going to buy an apple. I’m even going to get one for Yossi!”
“You and Yossi are certainly getting chummy,” I said.
“Oh, we are! We’re learning the Tanya together, and Yossi also wants me to become familiar with your Rebbe’s writings.” He grinned at me. “But I have a confession to make. I actually accepted Yossi’s invitation because it gave me a chance to see you again.”
I heard the sound of Devorah Leah’s indrawn breath. A woman in front of us gave us a disapproving look. I was glad she wasn’t one of our neighbors.
“Hush!” I told David. “Keep your voice down!”
He stepped closer. I could feel his breath on my face. His boy smell filled my nostrils. I stepped back.
“Go away!” I whispered.
“I’ll go,” he said, “but only if you promise to meet me later.”
“Do you want to get me in trouble?”
“I only want to talk to you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I looked around. Nobody seemed to have heard him except Devorah Leah, who was staring at us with her mouth open.
“Please?” David said. “Just to talk.”
He sounded so sincere that I found myself nodding.
“All right. But only this once. I’ll take Moishe to Prospect Park this afternoon around four. Wait for us at the entrance near the library. With luck, nobody will see us there. Now go away or I won’t come!”
I followed him out of the store with my eyes. As soon as he was
Despite the earliness of the hour, the shop was filled with people waiting to be served by Mr. Goldblatt and his wife, Sara. Everybody seemed happy to get out of the house after celebrating the sanctity of Shabbos. Matrons with baskets over their arms stood next to young husbands in black suits and hats. Modestly dressed young mothers in stylish sheitels were cuddling their babies. Several of the men were pushing young children in strollers. Girls like me, dressed in long skirts and crisp blouses, were chatting with their friends. Devorah Leah was among them. She left the line and ran up to me.
“Chanie, what are you doing here? I came to pick up some potatoes for today’s lunch.”
“Mama asked me to buy apples. She wants to bake a pie before she goes into the City this afternoon.”
“That’s not fair. She’s gone so much and you have to do everything, in addition to taking care of Moishe.”
“You help your mother too.”
“Not like you.”
I shrugged. “I’m used to it. I just wish she would take me with her to the opera once in a while. I told her that I wanted to go, but she got mad at me. She won’t even talk about music with me. Won’t answer my questions about
Rigoletto
.”
“What’s
Rigoletto
?”
“It’s an opera she keeps listening to. It’s about a person called Rigoletto. His songs are so beautiful, they almost break your heart. But he’s so sad—you can hear it in his singing. I asked Mama why he was so unhappy, but she wouldn’t even tell me that.” I shook my head. “It was stupid of me to ask her to take me to the City with her. I should know by now that she won’t.”
“Oh, you and your music! Forget about an old opera guy!” Devorah Leah leaned closer. “Come over to my house this afternoon. Papa is going to one of the Rebbe’s
farbrengens
, and the boys have an extra session at their yeshiva. And Mama will be babysitting at Goldie’s house. So the coast will be clear and we can watch
Roseanne
!”
“I’ll come, but only if Papa is home. Somebody has to watch Moishe.”
“Watch Moishe—why?” asked a male voice behind me.
I spun around. It was David. The morning sun streaming through the shop’s windows burnished his hair.
“What are you doing here?!”
He laughed. “I was on my way to your house, actually. But when I saw all this fruit in the window,”—he pointed to a display of luscious apples and grapes—“my stomach growled, so I decided to come in. I’m going to buy an apple. I’m even going to get one for Yossi!”
“You and Yossi are certainly getting chummy,” I said.
“Oh, we are! We’re learning the Tanya together, and Yossi also wants me to become familiar with your Rebbe’s writings.” He grinned at me. “But I have a confession to make. I actually accepted Yossi’s invitation because it gave me a chance to see you again.”
I heard the sound of Devorah Leah’s indrawn breath. A woman in front of us gave us a disapproving look. I was glad she wasn’t one of our neighbors.
“Hush!” I told David. “Keep your voice down!”
He stepped closer. I could feel his breath on my face. His boy smell filled my nostrils. I stepped back.
“Go away!” I whispered.
“I’ll go,” he said, “but only if you promise to meet me later.”
“Do you want to get me in trouble?”
“I only want to talk to you. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
I looked around. Nobody seemed to have heard him except Devorah Leah, who was staring at us with her mouth open.
“Please?” David said. “Just to talk.”
He sounded so sincere that I found myself nodding.
“All right. But only this once. I’ll take Moishe to Prospect Park this afternoon around four. Wait for us at the entrance near the library. With luck, nobody will see us there. Now go away or I won’t come!”
I followed him out of the store with my eyes. As soon as he was
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