don’t I? What do you want me to say when he calls?”
“Tell him that we don’t want Alexandra confirmed. Period. You don’t have to give a reason.”
The longer I listened, the angrier I became. They were talking about me as if I wasn’t even there. “Why can’t I be confirmed?” I finally asked. “All the kids at Sunday school were ages ago.”
“This topic is not open for discussion,” Mom said. “Your father and I know what’s best for you.” She sighed. “I’ll call Father Mike tomorrow and explain.” She forced a smile. “How was school today?”
“Okay.”
“Answer your mother properly,” Dad said.
“I don’t want to talk about school. I want to know what’s going on.” I turned to my mother. “You have headaches that last for days. You won’t discuss the old pictures. You’re getting excited about Father Mike. What’s the matter with you?”
I was sorry as soon as the words had escaped my mouth, for her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“Nothing’s the matter, darling,” she whispered. “It’s just that…” Her voice trailed off.
“Stop upsetting your mother.” Dad jumped in. “She’ll explain everything to you when she is ready.”
We sat in silence for the next few minutes. “So, darling,” Mom finally said, “what are your plans for the weekend? Isn’t your school dance on Friday? Are you and Molly going together?”
“I’ll drive you,” Dad said.
I kept my voice casual. “That’s okay. I’m going with another friend, and I’ve been invited for dinner before the dance.”
Mom’s face brightened. “Isn’t that nice. Was it Jean who asked you?”
I fixed my eyes on the carpet. My cheeks felt hot, a sure sign that a major blush was about to follow. “There’s a new boy in my class. His name’s Jacob, and he wants me to come to his house for Friday night dinner. His father will drive us to the dance afterward.”
“It’s out of the question,” Dad said. “You’re too young.”
“Dad’s right, darling,” Mom said. “You’re only thirteen, much too young to be going out with a boy.”
“It’s just dinner at a friend’s house.” I tried to speak in a reasonable tone, though I was silently thanking my lucky stars that they didn’t know about my walks with Jacob. “Please let me go! Jacob’s parents are very nice,” I pleaded, casting an imploring glance in Mom’s direction.
“I’m sure they are.” She seemed to be thinking things over. “What do you think, Jonah?”
Dad’s face softened. “If you agree, Agi, I’ll go along with your decision.” He turned to me. “You may go to this boy’s house for dinner, and to the dance afterward, but only this once.”
“Oh, thank you!” I jumped up and kissed them both.
“Wear your new dress,” Mom said. “It looks very pretty on you.”
“There’s a stain on one of the cuffs.”
Mom sighed. “You should be more careful with your clothes, dear. I’ll take it to Freddy’s for you. I just hope the new owners are as good as poor Freddy was.”
I burst out laughing. “You’ll be meeting Jacob’s parents, then. Freddy was Jacob’s father’s uncle. When he died, he left his shop to Jacob’s father. That’s why they moved here.”
“But Freddy was Jewish,” Mom said.
“So is Jacob. That’s why he invited me to his house on Friday night. His family always has a special dinner on Friday.”
“Shabbos dinner,” Mom whispered.
“How did you know that’s what Jewish people call their Friday night dinner?”
Mom bit her lip and was silent for a long moment. “You must refuse the invitation,” she finally said in a hoarse voice. “You must not go.”
“Agi, we already gave our permission,” Dad said.
“She must not go,” Mom repeated.
I jumped up from my seat. “You never want me to go anywhere!” I cried. “You don’t know what it’s like to have friends!”
“Sit down, please,” she said. “I do know, and I also know what it feels like to
“Tell him that we don’t want Alexandra confirmed. Period. You don’t have to give a reason.”
The longer I listened, the angrier I became. They were talking about me as if I wasn’t even there. “Why can’t I be confirmed?” I finally asked. “All the kids at Sunday school were ages ago.”
“This topic is not open for discussion,” Mom said. “Your father and I know what’s best for you.” She sighed. “I’ll call Father Mike tomorrow and explain.” She forced a smile. “How was school today?”
“Okay.”
“Answer your mother properly,” Dad said.
“I don’t want to talk about school. I want to know what’s going on.” I turned to my mother. “You have headaches that last for days. You won’t discuss the old pictures. You’re getting excited about Father Mike. What’s the matter with you?”
I was sorry as soon as the words had escaped my mouth, for her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“Nothing’s the matter, darling,” she whispered. “It’s just that…” Her voice trailed off.
“Stop upsetting your mother.” Dad jumped in. “She’ll explain everything to you when she is ready.”
We sat in silence for the next few minutes. “So, darling,” Mom finally said, “what are your plans for the weekend? Isn’t your school dance on Friday? Are you and Molly going together?”
“I’ll drive you,” Dad said.
I kept my voice casual. “That’s okay. I’m going with another friend, and I’ve been invited for dinner before the dance.”
Mom’s face brightened. “Isn’t that nice. Was it Jean who asked you?”
I fixed my eyes on the carpet. My cheeks felt hot, a sure sign that a major blush was about to follow. “There’s a new boy in my class. His name’s Jacob, and he wants me to come to his house for Friday night dinner. His father will drive us to the dance afterward.”
“It’s out of the question,” Dad said. “You’re too young.”
“Dad’s right, darling,” Mom said. “You’re only thirteen, much too young to be going out with a boy.”
“It’s just dinner at a friend’s house.” I tried to speak in a reasonable tone, though I was silently thanking my lucky stars that they didn’t know about my walks with Jacob. “Please let me go! Jacob’s parents are very nice,” I pleaded, casting an imploring glance in Mom’s direction.
“I’m sure they are.” She seemed to be thinking things over. “What do you think, Jonah?”
Dad’s face softened. “If you agree, Agi, I’ll go along with your decision.” He turned to me. “You may go to this boy’s house for dinner, and to the dance afterward, but only this once.”
“Oh, thank you!” I jumped up and kissed them both.
“Wear your new dress,” Mom said. “It looks very pretty on you.”
“There’s a stain on one of the cuffs.”
Mom sighed. “You should be more careful with your clothes, dear. I’ll take it to Freddy’s for you. I just hope the new owners are as good as poor Freddy was.”
I burst out laughing. “You’ll be meeting Jacob’s parents, then. Freddy was Jacob’s father’s uncle. When he died, he left his shop to Jacob’s father. That’s why they moved here.”
“But Freddy was Jewish,” Mom said.
“So is Jacob. That’s why he invited me to his house on Friday night. His family always has a special dinner on Friday.”
“Shabbos dinner,” Mom whispered.
“How did you know that’s what Jewish people call their Friday night dinner?”
Mom bit her lip and was silent for a long moment. “You must refuse the invitation,” she finally said in a hoarse voice. “You must not go.”
“Agi, we already gave our permission,” Dad said.
“She must not go,” Mom repeated.
I jumped up from my seat. “You never want me to go anywhere!” I cried. “You don’t know what it’s like to have friends!”
“Sit down, please,” she said. “I do know, and I also know what it feels like to
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