As far as ZeeZee could tell, the Edelmans didn’t have much of anything except seforim

Chana Malka was wearing a long, pleated Shabbos skirt, and her hair was tied back in a demure pony. She looked like she could be Mrs. Edelman’s daughter, ZeeZee thought, smirking as she cast a sideways glance at her niece, sitting next to her at the Edelmans’ Shabbos table.

Sitting on ZeeZee’s other side was Elisheva, the Edelmans’ teenage daughter. ZeeZee felt an instant kinship with her. She knew what it was like being the bas zekunim, the only child at home. Across from her were a married daughter and son-in-law and their two little kids.

Rabbi Edelman had just finished saying a long devar Torah, something about teshuvah and Selichos, which were starting Motzaei Shabbos. ZeeZee hoped they could start up a normal conversation now, but Chana Malka was shyly piping up with her own contribution.

“My Mesilas Yesharim teacher, Mrs. Fine, said the same idea the other day, when she was talking about teshuvah turning aveiros into mitzvos…”

ZeeZee tried not to roll her eyes. Seriously, if it was the same idea, why bother repeating it? Mrs. Edelman, of course, was drinking it up, nodding vigorously at Chana Malka’s every word.

“You remind me so much of your mother,” she said fondly, as Chana Malka beamed. “So sincere and thirsty to learn! I still remember when…”

ZeeZee let her eyes wander around the room. The white paint was peeling in a few spots, and two of the gedolim pictures on the walls needed straightening. There was no other artwork, no breakfront. As far as ZeeZee could tell, the Edelmans didn’t have much of anything except seforim.

She could see practically the entire apartment from where she was sitting. There was the small kitchen to her right, an enclosed porch to her left, and, in front of her, a short hallway leading to three bedrooms. She wondered how many children Mrs. Edelman had raised in this tiny apartment.

She turned to Elisheva. “How many siblings do you have?”

Elisheva glanced uncomfortably at her mother, and ZeeZee realized belatedly that Mrs. Edelman had launched into a full-fledged devar Torah.