Chana Leeba cut a piece of grilled chicken into small pieces and brought it to the children’s table. “How should I know?”

“Oh stop it you speak to Mommy ten times a day” Nechamie said. “You know it and I know it she has never — and I mean never — done this. She’s always been there to make sure Tatty has his supper the moment he walks through the door and that his hat is brushed and his suits are pressed. This is not her style. What’s the story?”

“What’s the big deal? You’re making a bar mitzvah she feels bad for you that she’s away in camp so she’s coming out to help you” Chana Leeba replied. “Period. It’s too far for her to drive to Lakewood and back in the same day and Tatty can’t get away now so she’s sleeping over tomorrow night also.”

Chana Leeba stabbed a slider with a fork with a bit too much force as if willing the conversation to end.

Shira Reimer spoke up. “You can probably ask Yudi for the scoop. He and Tatty are BFF’s these days they’re always talking and texting” she said proudly.

It suddenly got too quiet. Yudi frowned and both her sisters-in-law wore matching looks of irritation.

Chana Leeba who moments earlier had nothing to say seemed to panic at the thought that Yudi would move into her insider role and sighed as if accepting that she had no choice.

“Look” she said giving a cursory glance around the large porch to make sure no children were listening. Several of them were but she didn’t notice. “It’s very weird for her. She’s been trying to get Tatty to like camp forever since they’re just married and she couldn’t schlep him up for any money. Remember how he used to make fun of it? And now all of a sudden he’s Mr. Camp — when all her kids are married and none of her siblings are there for the summer. He’s busy around the clock and she’s left walking with Bubby. It’s like a tease — in camp but not the way she ever imagined it you know? It’s frustrating.”

Nechamie nodded. “Oh I hear it’s like my father-in-law.” Her husband Boruch was still inside getting the drinks so she spoke quickly. “He always wanted a Jeep his whole life but my shvigger didn’t think it was acceptable. You know they’re from Boro Park. Now for his 70th birthday she bought him a new black Jeep. He told Boruch it hurts his back and it’s hard to climb in and he has no use for it. He can’t even figure out how to adjust the steering wheel.”

“Poor Mommy” Chana Leeba said with finality another attempt at ending the conversation.

Yudi hadn’t spoken yet but since Shira’s announcement there was a ripple of anticipation as if he would deliver the truth.