“What does it matter who said it? I heard things from people, and I’m telling you, we must get Chaya engaged — fast”

Nechami’s phone rings as soon as she finishes her conversation with Chaya. It’s Gedalya. He wants her to come over to the newspaper office; he has something important to discuss with her. He apologizes for not coming to her, but today he has to be in the office from morning to night, until this week’s magazine is ready for the printer. That’s a requirement of his job.

Nechami has no work contract and no boss. It’s the blessing and curse of the freelance life: She’s free to go, but she’ll have to put in two extra hours of work in the evening to finish the simulation. She promised the menahel at Yeshivas Beis Eliav that she’d have it ready by tomorrow.

Nevertheless, she finds herself getting up, boarding a bus, and going to Gedalya’s office. She doesn’t know how to say no to her older brother. She has trouble saying no to anyone.

The office is bustling today. She passes through the marketing department, where a few women stand in a cluster, chatting without moderating their voices.

“Hi! You’re Bernfeld, Yaffa’le’s sister-in-law!” one of them greets her, waving cheerfully.

“Yes.” They’re all looking at her. She feels like an outsider, a country bumpkin.

“I’m Moriah, a friend of your sister-in-law.”

Nechami has nothing to say, so she wishes the cluster a good day and moves on, to the end of the corridor. “Vaadah Ruchanit,” says the sign. She knocks, opens the door. Gedalya greets her with a nod of the head.

“Thank you for coming.”

“You said it was important.”

“Yes.” He sighs. There is no computer on his desk, and Nechami feels a flicker of respect. She doesn’t always agree with her brother’s priorities, but she appreciates the way he sticks to them. Only printed pages, and a red pen.

“How are the kids?” she asks. “And Tovi? Is the date set yet for her procedure? Who’ll be going with her? If you need someone to take the rest of the kids, we’ll be happy to have them.”

“We don’t know yet.” Her brother bends his fingers back and cracks his knuckles. “We might take turns over there with her, Shifra the first week and me the second week.”

“The date is set?”

Crack. Oof. Nechami forces herself not to comment. Until she does. “Gedalya, excuse me… but that knuckle-cracking… could you stop it, please?”

“We have to pay an advance of 30,000 shekels to reserve an appointment,” he says, and stops the cracking. “And, well… it takes time to come up with that money.”

Nechami can’t help. Shua doesn’t sign on loan guarantees that he doesn’t have resources to cover. He won’t even go into overdraft at the bank. “Wait — what about Abba and Ima’s savings fund?” She stands up excitedly. “Maybe they could lend you the money?”

“That fund is for Chaya’s chasunah,” Gedalya says gloomily. “And that’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about.”