I

don’t know what all the hoopla’s about. Everyone’s so excited about this new family that’s moved to town the Teichmans. Apparently they came fromKansas which is interesting because well Kansas! And they have a set of triplets which I get; they’re fun to look at since they’re identical or something. But still I wouldn’t get T.J. all in a tangle over some new kids on the block.

But tell that to my sister Ahuva. One of the new kids Temima Teichman is in her class. She’s one of the triplets and apparently they aren’t even identical and all three of them are in separate classes. Since Ahuva’s school only has two parallel classes they actually sent the third triplet to a totally different school.

But I digress.

“Ahuva!” I said. “Could you stop dancing around the house?”

“I’m going to have a new best friend!” she sang. And continued to dance. Girls.

“How do you know you’re going to be best friends?” Ima asked.

“Because we have so many things in common” Ahuva said. “And also because I just know these things.”

“Well we can’t wait to meet her!” I said. Not that I was serious. Ahuva’s friends are generally of the annoying variety. They squeal a lot like little animals and they seriously play the dumbest games often involving stickers glitter or jump-ropes.

Ahuva gave me a strange look. Then she went to school to bond with her new best friend.

Well guess what I found out after a couple of days? One of the Teichmans was going to be in my class too! His name was Shimmy Teichman and after all the hoopla died down because he was fromKansasand all he was just a regular old kid. A super quiet regular old kid actually. I couldn’t think of a single word he’d said and when we asked him questions aboutKansaslike “Do you have a lot of tornadoes there?” he usually just smiled and said “yeah ” or “no.” But I’m a big believer that the world has space for all types of people — those who chew your ear off those who keep to themselves those in wheelchairs whatever.

“So?” Ima asked Ahuva one night when her enthusiasm over her new friend had reached a bearable level. “When are we going to get to meet this Temima Teichman? We’re all waiting.”