“Echh” Itzik muttered to Faigy. “These shmattehs are disgusting.”

“Be grateful for them and follow me like a good boy” Faigy retorted. “Rivky come hold my hand. How are you feeling Itzik?”

“Awful ” he groaned holding a hand to his chest. “I feel nauseous. I can’t even breathe under all this stuff you piled on me.”

They walked out of the building straight into the demonstration without drawing any special attention. The crowd was busy shouting. They passed through a sea of red faces burning eyes and waving arms. Faigy estimated that there must be hundreds of Arabs among them.

“How can they let those Arabs come and demonstrate here in the Jewish part of town?” she said under her breath.

“Maybe they’re hoping things will calm down once they’ve blown off some steam ” Itzik suggested.

“Be quiet Sara’le before they hear your voice ” she hissed at him. “Don’t talk until we get to my house. I don’t know how you can even see anybody with that heavy veil over your face.”

I can’t actually Itzik thought. His heart was still pounding wildly but the nausea was beginning to subside and he was regaining enough presence of mind to be surprised at how hard the panic had hit him.

Rivky skipped along beside them in her little shawl calling Itzik “Ima.” She was a good little actress Faigy thought.

Ten minutes later they reached the safe harbor of the Krinsky residence. “At last ” said Itzik relieved to be able to speak again and even more relieved to cast off his humiliating disguise despite a chorus of giggles from the young Krinskys. “I can’t believe that people would wear a getup like this willingly every day ” he declared.

“Shh Itzik you’ll hurt the child’s feelings ” said Faigy.

Rivky sidled up to Faigy. “Faigy we have a wedding ” she pointed out. “In Bnei Brak. And my aunts have to do my hair when we get there. Is it very late now?”

“No no it’s not late at all ” Faigy assured her gathering Sarah’s garments into a large bag. “Itzik are you all right? Do you want to lie down? Can I get you something to drink before I go and set Sara’le free?”

Itzik shook his head and settled more deeply into the couch. “I always thought panic attacks were only for hypersensitive people ” he said softly staring ahead. “I thought that normal rational people don’t have to deal with these things.”

“And now you’ve learned otherwise.” Faigy shifted the bag with Sarah’s clothing into her other hand.

“I guess so. But what do you mean about ‘setting Sara’le free’? Can’t your friend come here to collect her property?” he asked gesturing toward the bag and the little girl. “If she’s in a hurry it would’ve saved her time if she’d followed us a minute after we left.”

“She can’t go anywhere without wearing these things Itzik.” (Excerpted from Mishpacha Issue 689)