Chani
Recap: Chani, Mindy, and the Moskowitz women go shopping for wedding finery. As they take a break in a nearby café, they spy Rikki and Yerucham chatting in the parking lot. At dinner, Chani is invited to join the Moskowitz ladies in the morning for breakfast before embarking on more shopping.
The following morning, Chani woke up to pouring rain. “We’re still doing breakfast,” Mindy texted.
The whole gang was assembled at Patisserie when she arrived shortly after ten, dodging raindrops through the parking lot: Mrs. Moskowitz and her daughters, Mindy and Chezky, Ralph, and the Krausses. The bakery smelled heavenly and was outfitted like an elegant French bakery, with mint-green walls, brass sconces, and small marble tables. “I guess we’ll linger over our coffees until this rain lets up a bit,” Mrs. Moskowitz said, frowning, as she settled her ample self onto a cane chair that squeaked under her weight. “Girls, what would you like?”
“Just coffee for me,” Hennie said. “I want to fit into my wedding gown!”
Lieba, still thin, opted for a large carrot-cheese muffin. Mindy took two croissants (“I’m eating for two!” she said in response to Hennie’s startled glance), and the others made their choices.
Chani suddenly realized that Effi was also in the bakery! Her heart gave a lurch as she spied him sitting off in a corner with Ralph and the Krausses, hunched over a laptop working on something. What was Effi doing with them? Had he come down to join his sister and brother-in-law for that business meeting, or was he helping Ralph and Chezky with their business negotiations?
Oh well—too late to run away. He didn’t seem to have noticed her, so she’d pretend she hadn’t noticed him either. She wondered if he still thought she had a connection to Yerucham. How could she disabuse him of that horrible notion?
She ordered a latte and sat herself at the women’s table, where the ladies were chattering about fall weddings and whether pale blue was too summery for late October (Hennie’s wedding) or mid-November (Lieba’s wedding date).
“I think you can get away with blue for Hennie,” Mindy said. “We have a lot of blue-eyed people in the family, not just Hennie but my single sisters, and I’d like them shown off to best advantage!”
“I don’t want pale blue,” Lieba said. “I don’t want to be like my sister, and a November wedding needs deeper colors. Maybe burgundy or navy? Or hunter green?”
“Not green,” Hennie said. “I have a friend who chose that color and they went crazy trying to find gowns. Not many people look good in it, IMHO.”
“Navy is slimming,” Mrs. Moskowitz said approvingly.
“I also opt for navy,” Mindy said. “I don’t want to look like an Xmas tree or a glass of claret. In my case, a balloon glass!”
Hearing them laugh, Mrs. Krauss left the men’s table and moved over to sit with them, coffee in hand. “Sounds like things are moving along!” she said to Mrs. Moskowitz.
“They are!” Mrs. Moskowitz beamed. “I’m so thrilled these girls found their mazal so quickly! And the fact that Chaim found a shteller so fast makes me feel better about them getting married so quickly.”
“Well, long engagements aren’t a great idea in many cases,” Mrs. Krauss said. “It just gives the families—or the couples—reasons to find things wrong. I got married fast and it was the best thing.”
“I completely agree!” Mrs. Moskowitz said. “Why make a young couple wait more than they have to? Chaim and Hennie have been pining for each other for a long time, and even if he hadn’t found some income, I think it’s better they get married first and figure out the finances later.”
“Totally! Anyway, I don’t approve of young couples starting their marriages with huge bank accounts and everything they could possibly need,” Mrs. Krauss said. “What’s left for them to build together? My husband and I started with nothing—both our families were very modest. Today we’re proud of what we have because we built it up together. It brings a couple together to struggle a little at first.”
Chani noticed Effi was listening in on the conversation, but when she glanced in his direction, he quickly bent his head over the laptop.
Hennie was glancing out the window. “I think we should run out to that gemach now,” she said. “The rain is letting up, and we made appointments.”
Mrs. Moskowitz threw the empty paper cups onto a tray and heaved herself out of the chair. “Yes, let’s go, girls,” she said. “Pray we find something quickly! Chani, are you joining us?”
“No, I’m leaving in a minute,” Chani said. “I promised Zahava I’d pick up groceries for the house, and I have to work a little from home.” What she didn’t say was: It hurts to see my sister’s two young sisters-in-law get married before me. She wanted to finish her coffee before she left, and—honestly—use the opportunity to surreptitiously steal a few more glances at Effi.
The Krausses rose now too. “Effi, we’ll see you back at the house in Brooklyn later tonight, right?” Mrs. Krauss called, gathering a navy rain slicker. “Safe drive back, then. Goodbye, everyone!” Effi waved absently, concentrating on his spreadsheet.
After a few sips of coffee Chani rose to leave as well. But before she could follow the others, Ralph detached himself from Effi and gestured to Chani to join him at an empty table. He put his hand in the pocket of his windbreaker and drew out a small box. “What do you think of these?” he said, opening the box to reveal a pair of white gold cufflinks in an elegant, stylized design.
“They’re beautiful,” Chani said. “Who are they for?”
Ralph sighed. “I originally bought these for my sister Frieda, to give to Beyda for the wedding,” he said. “Now I’ll probably just make a gift of them to Lieba, and let her do the honors. It can be a sort of wedding gift. I’m happy for him, but as you can imagine, it’s very bittersweet for me to see him move on. I don’t think Frieda would have moved on from him so fast!”
“I imagine not,” Chani agreed.
“She was a very loyal person, and a person with deep feelings. She really loved him.”
“I think most women, when they truly love someone, are like that!” Chani said.
Ralph shrugged. “Are you sure? Usually in films and books it’s the women who are fickle and the men are left upset.”
Chani laughed, trying not to sound bitter. “Maybe that’s because most of them are written by men,” she said. “Men are out in the world, running around, trying to grab some learning time after work, so they find ways to distract themselves from a lost love. Women are stuck home in a quieter life. We have more time to reflect, and no way to appropriately run after anyone new.”
Ralph frowned. “I don’t know. I think men’s feelings are very strong, maybe corresponding to their stronger bodies, don’t you think? Women aren’t as intense.”
“Maybe, but women are more sensitive, and they’re more loyal,” Chani maintained. “And good shidduchim are much harder to come by for women, so when a shidduch doesn’t work out, women are more deeply disappointed.”
“That’s probably true,” Ralph said. “It’s not a level playing field.”
“Yes,” Chani said. “And if a woman makes a mistake and passes up something good, it can mess her up for years. Maybe forever!”
“Ouch,” Ralph replied. “But I see that when my sister passed away, it obviously didn’t mess up Beyda forever.”
“I think he was kind of on the rebound, and he just needed someone to love,” Chani said. “But you’re probably right that if the tables were turned, your sister wouldn’t have found someone new so quickly. So I rest my case—women love longer and more faithfully!”
Ralph laughed. “I see I’m not winning any arguments with you!” he said. He turned back toward the table where Effi was now working alone. “Effi, you almost done?”
“Just a few minutes more,” Effi responded.
“No pressure! Chani and I are having a DMC,” Ralph joked. “Chani, I think we’re each standing up for our own gender. But I’ll tell you something: my wife is everything to me. I only have the courage to go out and face the world because I know my wife has my back.”
“You’re a tzaddik! Would that all men were like you!” Chani said. “But I still maintain that women love the longest and most loyally. Even if”—and here her voice caught for a moment, causing Ralph to look at her sharply—“even if all hope seems to be gone.”
“You know what, all this is making me think too much about my sister, and I probably shouldn’t go there,” Ralph said. “Let’s not talk about love and loyalty anymore. But Chani, you’re a special neshama. I really hope you find a guy who’s worthy of you!”
To be continued.