Mommy looks at me, but says nothing. I shrug and keep reading until my name is called

"P

ride,” I say baldly.

“Principles.”

“Pride.”

“Principles.”

Okay, we can do this all day. “Naftoli,” I explode, “just admit it. You couldn’t stay in yeshivah longer than five seconds because of pride. You felt that they didn’t really want you back, so you bolted.”

I cross my arms and flip my ponytail over one shoulder in the universal sign of “I’m always right.”

Naftoli imitates me rather well, adding an eye-flutter to the image. “Hate to break it to you, Bellka, but you’re way off. I mean, yeah, I have pride, I’m not going to lie. But the fact is that it boiled down to principles. One of the teachers made a speech about protektziya and how basic rules don’t apply to everyone, and I was out of there.”

Ouch. “Oh boy. Tuls, that’s really hard,” I say softly.

He shrugs and gives a half smile. “Eh. The person I’m really worried about is Ma.”

“For good reason,” I say. Mommy had not taken Naftoli’s return well. “I think she just really wanted her couch back.”

Naftoli throws a couch pillow at me; I duck and it lands on the floor.

“Well, ’tis time for me to depart for the doctor,” I say in a lofty voice. “Good day, brother dear.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says.

I walk out laughing. I’m weirdly happy Naftoli’s back. I wish he could work out all his issues, but honestly, the house would’ve been super quiet without him.

***

The magazines have not been replenished since my last visit, so I pick up the same Highlights I’d been reading and delve back into the article on penguins I’d been perusing. Mommy takes out her sefer Tehillim and I feel guilty for not joining her, but I really need something to distract me right now. Tehillim is special but it doesn’t exactly take my mind off the present like an interesting article does.

Mommy looks at me, but says nothing. I shrug and keep reading until my name is called.

Dr. Frankel is smiling when we walk in.

“Bella and her mom. How are we today?”

Oh, so doctors using the “we” is a real thing. Lovely.

“Baruch Hashem,” I say, maneuvering onto the examining table.

Mommy sighs at my impatience. “Yes, thank G-d, we’re doing well, Bella Rena has been going to her rehab, she uses the boot whenever she walks, and is overall feeling good and ready to get back out there.”

Ma smiles brightly but I blush. I haven’t really been using the boot whenever I walk. Mostly, but not all the time. At night, for instance, when I walk to the restroom or get ready for a shower, it was just too much of a pain. Okay, I’m sure it’s fine….

“Well, let’s see how we’re doing.” I roll my eyes, but obligingly stick out my boot.

(Excerpted from Teen Pages, Issue 801)