I thought that now that Yisroel was back, everything would be back to normal

Elka

“Yisroel!” I shrieked, scooping him up into my arms and planting a big kiss on his cheek. He looked exactly the same. Maybe a little skinnier than before he went to the hospital, but otherwise my same delicious Yisroel. “Thank you,” I added breathlessly to his babysitter, Morah Nechama, who was watching me greet him.

“You’re welcome.” Morah Nechama smiled at me.  “We’re glad to have him back, too.”

Normally, I’d let him walk some of the way home, but today, I carried Yisroel all the way to our apartment.

“Yisroel!” Miriam greeted us excitedly as we got to the door. She held out her hands and took him from me, smothering his tiny face in kisses.

“What’s for lunch?” I asked Miriam. Yisroel was probably hungry, and he hadn’t had Mama’s cooking in days. Who knew what they served them in the hospital? It couldn’t be that good, that was for sure.

Miriam looked at me for a second, then diverted her gaze back to Yisroel. “Mama left a note saying we should go to Yocheved’s for lunch.”

I made a face. Ugh. Go to Faiga’s house for lunch again. I thought that now that Yisroel was back, everything would be back to normal.

“I knew you’d complain,” Miriam said, glancing at my face. “And so did Mama, by the way. She wrote that she’s bringing home food from the Yeshivah for supper so we don’t have to eat at Yocheved’s house.”

I looked at Miriam, surprised, and went to the dining room table to check the note myself. Mama never took food from Yeshivah. She said there were enough hungry bochurim to finish off every last crumb and that she wouldn’t take food out of their mouths. And she was right. The bochurim who rented the bedroom of our apartment were always famished. Mama was always giving them some of our food because how could she serve us and not share with them?

“What? You don’t believe me?” Miriam demanded, noticing me looking at Mama’s note. “See what all your kvetching did. Even Mama knew how annoyed you were. What do you have against Faiga anyway?”