After wishing her friend “mazel tov,” Michal headed over to do her job. She assured herself that Bina’s lack of enthusiasm must have been her imagination

“Five o’clock?” Michal repeated. “No problem. I’ll see you then.”

“Looking forward!” Bina replied, before hanging up the phone.

Michal was certain that she would have plenty of time to get ready on Sunday afternoon. She would do her homework, help her mother by playing with the younger kids or washing dishes, and around four o’clock she would start preparing to leave. She was invited to Bina’s younger sister’s bas mitzvah party. Michal knew Shevi from the hours she had spent at Bina’s house over the years. I remember when Shevi was six! Michal smiled to herself. It would be fun to come early and set up the centerpieces with Bina before the guests arrived at 5:30.

Now, though, it was time to get ready for Shabbos.

“Michal?” her mother called up the stairs. “It’s already three-thirty, are you still coming?”

Michal closed her book with a bang and stood. “Sorry, Ma! I’m coming now.” She was supposed to read chapters seven and eight for homework. Of course, since she loved to read, she had completed all of her other homework and left the best for last. The interesting plot, however, had drawn her in. She hadn’t even noticed that she was starting chapter 12 until her mother’s voice reached her.

She ran down the stairs. She had offered to watch Shmuly and Penina when she finished her homework, so that her mother could get some work done. Now it was later than she had planned, but if she watched the kids until 4:15, she should still have enough time to get ready for the bas mitzvah.

“Okay, gotta go up to my room now!” she informed her adorable brother and sister.

“Cwean up time,” Penina said, trying to fold the game board with the pieces still on it.

“No, Penina,” Shmuly told her. “You’re going to break it!” He tried to yank the board out of her hands. Michal intervened, and put all the game parts into the box. Then she brought the kids to the den where her mother was waiting.

After starting to get ready at 4:20, Michal only managed to finish at five o’clock… and that was with rushing! There was still the walk to the shul, which she hoped to do in ten minutes. Bina probably wouldn’t even notice that she was ten minutes late.

Twelve minutes later, Michal entered the simchah room of Khal Nachlas Yosef. Bina handed her a box of centerpieces and pointed to the tables at the far end of the room. After wishing her friend “mazel tov,” Michal headed over to do her job. She assured herself that Bina’s lack of enthusiasm must have been her imagination. There’s no reason for Bina to be annoyed. She’s probably just busy…

***