“What years are you looking for?”

ZeeZee scrunched up her face, pretending to think. “Gosh, I’m not sure. I know Gitty was here in ’99. Shaindy… well, what year was your Chaim a baby? And then Leeba… she’s between Gitty and Shaindy. And Malkie… um… she’s two years after Shaindy. No, maybe three? And Baila… and Tzippy…” She spread out her arms. “ ’Kay, I’m feeling really dumb right now.”

The secretary chuckled. “How about I just give you all the alumni lists starting from 1999, and you can figure out which ones you need?”

How about I give you a gigantic hug? But ZeeZee controlled her elation. “Oh, that would be amazing,” she said with an innocent smile. “Thanks so much!”

Tammy couldn’t help but feel nachas as she looked at the four girls sitting around her dining room table. There was ZeeZee, acting so serious and responsible; Rusi, pushing herself past her natural diffidence; Dafna, speaking with more self-confidence than Tammy had ever heard before; and Ilana, breaking through her hardened shell to help someone else.

Ilana’s face was flushed as she gave her opinion on what they should say to potential donors. “We need to tell them it’s an emergency! Someone’s life is at risk! Legit! I mean, the way Devoiry sounds when she calls the store to give me instructions. You want to cry, seriously. People need to understand this.”

As Tammy watched her, it suddenly hit her that she was seeing the real Ilana for the first time. The thought made her want to cry.

Swallowing hard, she asked, “When will you be ready to start making phone calls?”

“Gitty said the page should be up and ready to roll by tomorrow,” ZeeZee said. “So I was thinking, tomorrow night we should get started. Rikki said her house is available then.”

“Rikki?” Tammy’s eyebrows rammed into her forehead. “Oh. I’d assumed you’d do it from here.” Why, why, why was she so immature as to feel hurt that they weren’t?

“Thanks, Mrs. H., but your home is too holy for us.”

At Tammy’s confused look, ZeeZee winked. “We need a place with Internet access.”

“Oh, of course.” Tammy hesitated. “So it’ll be just the four of you?” She wondered if it would look silly if she asked if she could join them. Should she just show up, assuming she was part of the team? Or would that totally ruin the girls’ fun? Then again, presumably Rikki would be getting in on the action if it was in her house.

Rusi said, “I still think we need to get someone else on board, to help us reach out from the US end. Y’know, someone who’s in their time zone and could respond to messages right away.”

“Well, there’s no way I’m asking Gitty to get more involved than she already is.” ZeeZee glared at the thought. “So who? Just ask some random old student?”

“I didn’t say a random old student.” Rusi rolled her eyes. “Even though there are a million of them, and I’m sure many would be thrilled to be involved.”

“People are busy with their own lives, y’know,” ZeeZee said.

“Please! You just don’t want to hand over the reins, Miss Control Freak.” Ilana smirked.

ZeeZee threw her plastic cup at her. “No one has ever called me a control freak.”

“Well, we’re the only ones who know the real you.” Ilana wiggled her eyebrows, while everyone else laughed.

Suddenly, Tammy had an idea that was so brilliant, she gasped aloud.

“Shani!” she cried. “Shani Mandel! She’d absolutely love to get involved!”

The four girls stared at her. “Shani?” ZeeZee said slowly, while Ilana asked, “Isn’t that the girl with the eating disorder?”

“I speak to her every now and then,” Tammy said. “She talks about Shvilei all the time. She’s always asking whether people miss her here.”

Both ZeeZee and Rusi squirmed in their chairs. “We’re terrible,” Rusi murmured. “We should call her.”

“I mean, I can’t pretend I don’t like having a couch in our room,” ZeeZee said. “But of course I miss her. How’s she doing?”

“Okay. She’s in therapy. And she started an undergrad program for computers.” Tammy didn’t add that she was trying to convince her to move out of her mother’s home, but so far all attempts had been unsuccessful.

ZeeZee squared her shoulders. “Way to guilt us, Mrs. H. Fine, let’s bring Shani in.”

Chava blinked in the dark room as she heard her phone ringing. It took her a moment to remember where she was, and why her neck felt so stiff. She shifted carefully, and her arm brushed against some soft hair.

Sari. She’d dozed off while lying down with her after Shema. It’d been years since such a thing had happened.

Yawning, she smiled down at the sleeping figure, wondering how such a cute little kid could push her to the brink of exhaustion. Then she pulled herself up and headed toward her ringing phone.

It wasn’t Devoiry; the number was an American one. Unless Elisheva was right, and her daughter was actually on an overseas vacation? She picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Mrs. Edelman! I’m so glad I reached you!” The voice on the other end was breathless, and vaguely familiar. “It’s Gitty. Gitty Levy.”

“How are you?” If this was another request to keep tabs on ZeeZee, she’d have to politely but firmly end this conversation. She had no koach to deal with this right now.

“I’m great, baruch Hashem. But how are you?”

Chava blinked at the inflection in her question. “Um… fine. Why?”

To her shock, the woman on the other end began to cry. “Oh, Mrs. Edelman, I was so upset when ZeeZee told me the news. Not just upset. Shocked. And I just wanted to tell you, I’m doing everything I can for you and your daughter.”

Chava’s blood ran cold. “For me and my daughter?” she whispered. “What… what do you mean?”

to be continued…

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 771)