Page 108 - Issue4-November2017_online_opt
P. 108
Until now she’d thought of marriage as a natural process like birth or
death. But maybe it was more complicated than she’d realized.
friends, and neighbors, Molly scribbling brood who had ditched his dark suit and apartment.”
like a schoolgirl. white shirt for black jeans and a T-shirt, “Then I really have to phone strang-
took the family’s ancient Volvo for a drive
“I’m sure you’ll be impressed.” and totaled it. ers.”
“What do I do now?” Shulamis put the watermelon into her
“You call these people and ask them Shulamis recounted the story to Mol-
anything you want to know about Ayelet, ly during their 6 a.m. power walk. cart. “Ask what you’d like to know about
just like you would if you were hiring the girl, her middos, her hobbies, her in-
someone for a job.” “Baruch Hashem, he came out with- terests, her family, and her job. And don’t
“But I’m not looking for a secretary out a scratch. That’s all that matters. The just call the names the shadchan gave
or a cleaning lady. I’m looking for a wife insurance company will give us more you.”
for my son, and I don’t know any of these than we would’ve gotten if we’d sold the
people and I don’t know what to ask.” car, but I don’t have wheels.” “What? Why not?”
“Trust me. Everybody does this. You’ll “If you want to find out the real story,
do fine. I’ve got another call I have to Of course, Molly volunteered to drive you have to go beyond the official refer-
take.” Shulamis to the supermarket on Rechov ences. Anyone the shadchan gave you
Why did she need to check out the Kanfei Nesharim. is likely to say good things. If you want
girl at all? Why couldn’t she just rely on to find the truth, you need to call other
Esther’s good judgment? But before she As the two friends examined a pillar people.”
could ask, Esther had disappeared. constructed from watermelons, Molly “Isn’t that spying?”
Could it really be that everyone made thought about telling Shulamis about “It’s part of our job as parents. We
calls that way? Were all of her neighbors, this new shidduch. What was her name want our children to marry well. Get a
all the people on her street, in her neigh- again, Ayelet Gold? But then Shulamis notebook and write everything down, or
borhood, in other neighborhoods and would ask about Dena Maizels, and Molly you’ll be thoroughly confused.”
cities busily calling strangers to ask nosy didn’t want to tell her about the rejection. Molly stared at her shoes. “Shulamis,
questions about potential spouses for I can’t.”
their children? Even though the papers Esther had left her thoroughly con- “Can’t what?” Shulamis asked. She
screamed about a shidduch crisis, there fused. As Shulamis tapped a watermelon was filling a bag with plums. “Take some.
were so many weddings. Hardly a week to assess its sweetness, the words slipped They’re a great price and make a great
passed when Molly didn’t pull a wedding from Molly’s lips. crumble.”
invitation from the mailbox. Until now Molly stood still, resisting. “Isn’t there
she’d thought of marriage as a natural “Someone red a shidduch for Asher? someone I can hire? A professional shid-
process like birth or death, never giving a Is that how you say it? By the way, I al- duch researcher, a private investigator?
moment’s thought to how those invita- ways wondered why it’s red as opposed Shulamis, I’ll pay you to do this.” She
tions came to be. But maybe it was more to blue or some other color?” could hardly believe this conversation.
complicated than she’d realized. She thought back to the morning at the
Shulamis laughed. “Not red, silly, redt. yoga studio – this was supposed to be her
uuu It means ‘suggested’ in Yiddish.” project, the cherry on the cake, and now it
felt like the cherry had gone terribly sour.
One warm Saturday night, Shulamis’s “Oh. After she gave me the girl’s name, “Sorry, dolly, you’ll be just fine. I’ll
fourth son, Ari, the only member of her she dictated seven or eight phone num- send you the list of questions I use. Ring
bers of people I’ve never heard of and she
said I needed to call them to ask about
the girl. Now tell me, isn’t that her job?”
“No, silly. You do your own research,
the same way as if you were buying an
100 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
death. But maybe it was more complicated than she’d realized.
friends, and neighbors, Molly scribbling brood who had ditched his dark suit and apartment.”
like a schoolgirl. white shirt for black jeans and a T-shirt, “Then I really have to phone strang-
took the family’s ancient Volvo for a drive
“I’m sure you’ll be impressed.” and totaled it. ers.”
“What do I do now?” Shulamis put the watermelon into her
“You call these people and ask them Shulamis recounted the story to Mol-
anything you want to know about Ayelet, ly during their 6 a.m. power walk. cart. “Ask what you’d like to know about
just like you would if you were hiring the girl, her middos, her hobbies, her in-
someone for a job.” “Baruch Hashem, he came out with- terests, her family, and her job. And don’t
“But I’m not looking for a secretary out a scratch. That’s all that matters. The just call the names the shadchan gave
or a cleaning lady. I’m looking for a wife insurance company will give us more you.”
for my son, and I don’t know any of these than we would’ve gotten if we’d sold the
people and I don’t know what to ask.” car, but I don’t have wheels.” “What? Why not?”
“Trust me. Everybody does this. You’ll “If you want to find out the real story,
do fine. I’ve got another call I have to Of course, Molly volunteered to drive you have to go beyond the official refer-
take.” Shulamis to the supermarket on Rechov ences. Anyone the shadchan gave you
Why did she need to check out the Kanfei Nesharim. is likely to say good things. If you want
girl at all? Why couldn’t she just rely on to find the truth, you need to call other
Esther’s good judgment? But before she As the two friends examined a pillar people.”
could ask, Esther had disappeared. constructed from watermelons, Molly “Isn’t that spying?”
Could it really be that everyone made thought about telling Shulamis about “It’s part of our job as parents. We
calls that way? Were all of her neighbors, this new shidduch. What was her name want our children to marry well. Get a
all the people on her street, in her neigh- again, Ayelet Gold? But then Shulamis notebook and write everything down, or
borhood, in other neighborhoods and would ask about Dena Maizels, and Molly you’ll be thoroughly confused.”
cities busily calling strangers to ask nosy didn’t want to tell her about the rejection. Molly stared at her shoes. “Shulamis,
questions about potential spouses for I can’t.”
their children? Even though the papers Esther had left her thoroughly con- “Can’t what?” Shulamis asked. She
screamed about a shidduch crisis, there fused. As Shulamis tapped a watermelon was filling a bag with plums. “Take some.
were so many weddings. Hardly a week to assess its sweetness, the words slipped They’re a great price and make a great
passed when Molly didn’t pull a wedding from Molly’s lips. crumble.”
invitation from the mailbox. Until now Molly stood still, resisting. “Isn’t there
she’d thought of marriage as a natural “Someone red a shidduch for Asher? someone I can hire? A professional shid-
process like birth or death, never giving a Is that how you say it? By the way, I al- duch researcher, a private investigator?
moment’s thought to how those invita- ways wondered why it’s red as opposed Shulamis, I’ll pay you to do this.” She
tions came to be. But maybe it was more to blue or some other color?” could hardly believe this conversation.
complicated than she’d realized. She thought back to the morning at the
Shulamis laughed. “Not red, silly, redt. yoga studio – this was supposed to be her
uuu It means ‘suggested’ in Yiddish.” project, the cherry on the cake, and now it
felt like the cherry had gone terribly sour.
One warm Saturday night, Shulamis’s “Oh. After she gave me the girl’s name, “Sorry, dolly, you’ll be just fine. I’ll
fourth son, Ari, the only member of her she dictated seven or eight phone num- send you the list of questions I use. Ring
bers of people I’ve never heard of and she
said I needed to call them to ask about
the girl. Now tell me, isn’t that her job?”
“No, silly. You do your own research,
the same way as if you were buying an
100 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
