“Why not?”

“It’s just the way it is.”

“So like, what? Your mother ignores you when you speak to her about issues and stuff?”

“Nothing like that. I just don’t talk to her about issues and stuff.”

“It must hurt her feelings.”

Shoshi was quiet.

“Shoshi,” Miri said, “you’re always giving me advice. Well, I have advice for you. Tonight, talk to your mother about something important, and see what happens.”

“It sounds more like a dare.”

“Maybe it is. Just try it. You might be pleasantly surprised.”

Shoshi looked skeptical. “I doubt it, but okay, I love a dare. I will try it.” She smiled mischievously. “Now, I have advice for you, too.”

“Uh oh,” Miri said.

“Tonight,” Shoshi rubbed her hands together. “I want you to ask your stepfather how his day was and have a civilized conversation with him.”

Miri considered it for a moment, then held out her hand toward Shoshi.

“Deal,” they said together, then shook on it.

“Devory,” Yael said. “Why are you standing here?”

“Yael!” Devory pulled her friend out of view. “Shh!”

“Who are you hiding from?”

“You are not going to believe this! I just saw Mrs. Klein call Miri into her office.”

“Sooo… wait! No way! You think she’s the one who took it?”

“I don’t know, but it totally looks suspicious.”

“For sure.”

Devory looked down the hallway. “She’s still in there. Something major is going on.”

Without warning, the office door opened, and Miri appeared. Devory jumped back. “Oh my, Yael, she just came out. She looks nervous.”

“This is not even normal!”

“It’s crazy.”

Devory and Yael peeked out from behind the door and watched Shoshi run up to Miri.

“Figures,” Devory said. “Probably with her accomplice.” She watched them leave the building.

Yael’s face was white. “I can’t believe it!”

“Ruchie, do you want to come with me to that carnival I told you about? It’s on Sunday.”

“I thought you weren’t going.”

“So did I, but my mother has to be home with my father, and the boys were screaming that they wanted to go, so, I guess I’m going.”

“Am I even allowed to go to the carnival?”

“I already asked my mother. She said you could take her place.”

“Really? I’m so excited. It sounds like fun.”

“Fun?”

“Yes, fun. You know you love carnivals.”

“Regular ones.”

“I don’t know what your problem is, Rikki Dee. Really! Just think how happy these kids and their families will be. I think it’s an amazing thing.”

“You’re right, and I know all that. It’s crazy. I don’t even know why I feel like I do.”

“I don’t know either, and I don’t believe that you’re not even a little excited about the carnival. It sounds incredible.”

“Maybe I’m a little excited, I mean, now that you’re coming.”

“You’re going to see, Rikki Dee. The carnival is going to be a blast.”

On her way home, Shoshi thought about what Miri said.

Maybe it did hurt her mother’s feelings that they didn’t discuss things together. She was suddenly excited to take on Miri’s challenge. She rushed into the house and stopped in the kitchen instead of going straight to her room. “Hi, Ma.”

Her mother didn’t look up. “Oh, hi, Shoshi.”

Shoshi waited for her mother to say something, but her eyes remained focused on the bill in her hand.

“Sixty-five dollars,” she said. She studied the charges, then dropped the bill on the table. Her brows raised slightly when she saw Shoshi still standing there.

Shoshi smiled. “How was your day, Ma?”

“Uh.” Her mother faltered for a moment. “Pretty good, and yours?”

Shoshi took a step closer. “Good. I mean, regular. Like every day.”

“That’s great.”

There was silence.

“Well, actually,” Shoshi said, keeping her side of the deal, “there was something unusual that happened.”

“Really?” Her mother looked interested.

“Yeah.” Shoshi sat down and told her about Mrs. Klein’s accusation that morning. “No one knows what was taken, and no one returned anything so far. At least, I don’t think anyone did.”

“That sounds pretty serious.”

“I know.”

“It’s sad to think that one of the girls did it. Is the principal sure?”

“I think so. I mean, she seemed pretty sure.” Shoshi placed her hands on her lap, unsure of what to say next.

“Shoshi,” her mother said, “I heard you made a new friend.”

“Um, I did.” Shoshi wondered where her mother had heard from. “Miri Lax. She’s new in school. Her mother just remarried, and she moved here. She married Mr. Weiss, another kid in my school’s father.”

“I heard he remarried. I remember his first wife. She was a really nice person.”

Shoshi had no idea that her mother knew the Weiss family, let alone Mrs. Weiss.

“The new Mrs. Weiss is also really nice.”

“Maybe I should call her, now that you and her daughter are friends.”

“That would be good.”

“Maybe. I’ll see.”

Shoshi knew what that meant.

“Let me know what happens in school,” her mother said. “I hope there’s a happy ending to this.”

“Me too.” Something light fluttered in Shoshi’s chest, and it took her a moment to realize that she was looking forward to continuing the conversation with her mother.

to be continued…

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 814)