She was saddened, but not surprised. They’d both known this was coming. Yanky’s yichus couldn’t protect him forever

I

t was after ten, and as Raizele walked her sister to the bus stop, she couldn’t stop looking at the pretty necklace she’d finished making this evening. Her phone rang, and she answered Yanky’s call with a cheerful hello, still rolling the little crystal beads between her fingers. Maybe she’d make herself a cell phone handle in the same style, to match….

“When are you coming home?” Yanky wanted to know.

“I should be there in about 15 minutes. I’m waiting with Racheli here at the bus stop, and once her bus comes I’ll come straight home. Any particular reason you need me there?”

“Uh… I just want to tell you something.”

“Well, what is it?”

Should he tell her? Not tell her? Spoil her good mood? Leave her in suspense all the way home?

“Nu, tell me,” she pressed him.

“Are you sure you want to hear it now? It’s not the greatest piece of news.”

“Just tell me.” Various scenarios ran through her mind. “The boiler’s leaking again? The washing machine stopped working?”

“No, it’s worse than that.”

“They’re both not working?”

“Worse.”

Racheli was getting on the bus. Raizele waved goodnight. She wasn’t afraid. She knew from Yanky’s voice that it wasn’t anything… tragic. What could it be? “The handle broke on the door to the kids’ room, and now the door is stuck shut?”

“No.”

“But am I getting anywhere close?”

“Not really.”

“Hmm… Bugi stopped paying the rent?”

“No. You know he already paid a few months in advance. Think in another direction.”

“Uh… Shaye Langerman asked you to do something annoying?”

“You’re getting warmer… warmer,” Yanky chanted in Morah Shoshana’s singsong. Raizele heard the slight break in his voice, and suddenly, she knew.

“They kicked you out of the beis medrash.”

“You’re very close.”

“They fired you from the yeshivah.”

“Yes.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’ll sit and cry.” Yanky said. She heard the sardonic smile there in his voice.

“So you’ll go back to full-time kollel?”

“No, I got another job offer. We’ll talk when you get here.”

She was saddened, but not surprised. They’d both known this was coming. Yanky’s yichus couldn’t protect him forever.