“And about Elka,” Bubbe's letter continued, “maybe she would enjoy coming to Riga for a visit in the summer"

Elka

“W

hew,” I said, dropping my school books on the dining room table and plopping down on the chair beside it. “Didn’t today feel longer than usual?”

Miriam dropped her school books on the table beside mine. “Not really,” she said mildly. “It was nice to see everyone again.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, “but there’s nothing like vacation.”

“Well, it’s almost the summer,” Miriam responded, getting up to serve lunch to Leiba who was already whining that she was hungry.

“Yeah, yeah,” I nodded. We’d never really get each other, Miriam and I. I shouldn’t even try. Dovid always understood me but these days he was never home.

And speaking of Dovid, the door slammed open and he walked inside. “Hi,” Dovid called into the room.

“You’re home for lunch?” I asked. He was always supposed to come home for lunch, but since Yisroel got sick he never actually did. I wondered if Mama knew about it.

“Zalman came too,” Dovid said, nodding towards the figure behind him. “He’s going to let me try writing today and we came to get some supplies. They’re here in his room.”

“Oh, wow. What are you going to start with?”