Chani
The family attends Ezra and Lieba’s engagement party. Then, once things finally seem to be settling down, Mindy arrives in Toms River with Chezky and his family for a visit and some bridal shopping for Hennie and Lieba.
The following day, Zahava took off to buy provisions for the barbecue, and Ralph and Chezky went off to meet Ralph’s client. Chani took the morning off from work and went to meet the Moskowitz ladies at a nearby strip mall, where she’d been invited to join their shopping spree. It wouldn’t hurt to look for some clothing for herself for the upcoming Jewish holidays and wedding festivities shortly afterwards.
“Chani!” Mrs. Moskowitz cried warmly as she entered The Chic Boutique. “I’m so happy you’re joining us!”
Wow, Chani thought, it feels so nice to be appreciated for a change. Hennie and Lieba, floating in their kallah happiness, were equally effusive. Hennie had dropped a few pounds over the summer, her dirty-blond hair had new highlights from the sun, and she looked like a radiant version of her usual plain, workaday self; Lieba was thin after her ordeal, but cheerful and excited for her future. Chani gazed at them wistfully, wishing she might also be in the position of needing to shop for wedding attire. She did her best to suppress a rising bubble of jealousy.
Hennie and Lieba browsed through the racks of the store for clothing, aided by Mindy’s fashion sense and their mother’s ideas of what was appropriate. (“Too clingy!” Mrs. Moskowitz clucked over a slinky wraparound dress Lieba tried on, while Mindy cried, “Too dowdy!” at a ruffly flowered number that looked like it belonged on a prairie in 1880.) Chani bought herself a flouncy skirt on sale, while Mindy found a skirt and blazer whose lines camouflaged her disappearing waist.
“I never thought one of my girls would end up marrying somebody Sephardi!” Mrs. Moskowitz whispered to Chani as Chani helped her sort through a collection of dressy ensembles for mature women. “But he really is such a nice, respectful young man, and Lieba is so happy! Sometimes I wonder if that accident was just Hashem’s way of throwing her in the path of her bashert!”
“Could be!” Chani agreed. “And the cultural differences aren’t so huge, I’m sure they’re nothing she can’t get beyond. Ezra is a very sincere person. Did you like his parents?”
“They’re absolutely lovely! His mother seems to be a real tzadeikes! She’s always off at some Tehillim reading or making food for sick people. His father does daf yomi and has an import business—office supplies, I think. My husband liked him very much.”
“Does Ezra have siblings?”
“Just one sister, who’s married with a few children. She seems sweet as sugar!”
“Then Lieba will be just fine,” Chani declared. “I think they’ll balance each other well. She’ll lighten him up, and he’ll ground her. Both of them suffered big shocks in their life, which forced them both to mature quickly and think about their priorities in life.”
Mrs. Moskowitz surveyed Chani with admiration. “You chose your profession well!” she exclaimed, putting an arm around her and giving her a little hug. “You have such insight into people!”
After two more stores and a couple of hours of shopping, resulting in the acquisition of two sheva brachos outfits for Lieba and only one for Hennie (whose larger frame was harder to fit), they were ready for a break. “There’s a coffee shop right here,” Mindy said, pointing out a place further down the strip mall.
They entered a charming coffee shop filled with retro knickknacks, taking a load off their feet with cappuccinos and muffins while sitting near a window with a panoramic view of the parking lot. Suddenly Mindy cried, “Hey—isn’t that Rikki over there, talking to Yerucham?”
Chani shrugged. She couldn’t care less. “Come look!” Mindy insisted. “I’m sure it’s them!”
Chani reluctantly got up and went to where Mindy was sitting facing the window. Mindy was right—there was no mistaking Rikki’s long auburn wig. The two of them were chatting casually, amicably, next to their cars, with Rikki flipping her bangs from time to time in her flirtatious way and Yerucham holding a cup of coffee. But then they waved each other goodbye, and Yerucham got into his Lexus while Rikki continued towards the very shop the Moskowitzes had just left.
“That’s weird,” Chani said. “Yerucham told Tatty he was going to Lawrence today to take care of some things.”
But that small mystery was quickly forgotten as they left the café and continued their shopping. Chani, who had driven to meet everyone in her own car, left early to help Zahava prepare supper, spending the rest of the afternoon peeling potatoes to roast and chopping vegetables for salad while her sister marinated chicken and steaks and prepared burgers, occasionally consulting her phone for recipes. Even Velvel chipped in by firing up the barbecue, opening up folding tables and chairs by the pool, and taking a knife the size of a samurai sword to cut a watermelon into slices.
Their guests arrived with noisy hellos and arms filled with fruit and cookie platters. Chezky was happy to man the grill as Chani brought out platters of raw burgers and marinated steaks and chicken parts. Mrs. Moskowitz, more than happy to resume her accustomed role of balebusta, immediately rolled up her sleeves and went to help in the kitchen, yelling at Hennie and Lieba to help set out the plastic plates and cutlery: “Being a kallah doesn’t exempt you from helping out!” she called. “Better get used to being useful in the kitchen!”
Before too long they were all seated around tables, enjoying the food in the mild early evening air. As Rikki helped herself to a well-grilled burger, Mindy couldn’t resist piping up, “I saw you with Yerucham today, at the strip mall!”
Rikki smiled like a Cheshire cat. “Oh, that?” she said. “Yes, we just happened to run into each other. He had stopped to grab a coffee, and I was about to go shopping.”
“Wasn’t he supposed to be in the Five Towns for business?” Zahava said.
“He told me he got delayed,” Rikki said. “I’m not sure what his reason was; we didn’t get that far. But he said he’ll be back in a few days. Too bad you guys won’t be here long enough to see him!”
“We saw him briefly at the gala,” Mindy said. “He was very friendly all of a sudden. I liked his Armani suit, but his cologne could have wiped out a nest of roaches!”
Chani couldn’t resist laughing. “Maybe he confused his cologne with a can of Raid,” she said.
Zahava frowned. “You guys are terrible,” she said. “Try a little loshon tov for a change.”
“You’re right. Let’s change the subject. What are everyone’s plans for tomorrow?” Chani asked Mindy and the girls.
“What do you think? More shopping! We especially want to look at wedding gown gemachs. There are two of them we’re going to see. We have appointments already.
“We were thinking we could all have breakfast together at Patisserie—we wanted to check out the Lakewood branch of it—and continue on from there. Oh—and you know what? The Krausses are in town now too! They came to meet some tech people in Lakewood and check out the Lakewood scene, and they want to have breakfast with us. It’ll be a whole party!”
“All the Krausses?” Chani asked, her heart sinking.
Mindy wrinkled her nose. “No, I think Effi had to stay behind to man the ship,” she said. “He’s hardly been around. They all spent time at some conference in Boston and then Effi went to another one in Chicago. I haven’t seen him in weeks. It’s almost like he ran away!”
To be continued.