Tante Gitty outdid herself, with Mommy’s help of course; everything looked perfect. One of the chassan’s friends brought his keyboard and his music added just the right touch. Cousin Chavi simply glowed, and it wasn’t just because of her exquisite makeup and spectacular custom gown.

“A real Yiddishe simchah!” Great Aunt Breindel kvelled as she caught me by the arm. “And let me have a look at you, Talya. Oy, what chein, kenihara! Such a beauty you are! A real princess, down to the matching jewels.” I thanked her and admired the bracelet once more, and that was it. The next time I looked at my wrist it was gone.

“Baila, help! Please!” I begged my 18-year-old cousin. “I can’t find the bracelet my friend Chaya’s grandparents just bought her from Joseph’s! You’ve gotta help me!”

“What?! Talya! You mean you borrowed an expensive bracelet, from Joseph’s, no less, that your friend just got from her grandparents?! And you lost it?! What were you thinking?!”

“Well, I didn’t think I’d lose it! You know I’m responsible!”

“No, I mean how could you borrow such a thing?!

I’m glad Baila didn’t wait for an answer because I didn’t have one, not a good one anyway. I wasn’t thinking, not about how I was taking full responsibility for anything that might happen to Chaya’s precious gift. I was irresponsible, not in the way I took care of the bracelet, but by borrowing it to begin with.

“Talya, honey, it’s really late and the kids have to get to bed. I’m sorry but we can’t stay any longer.” My mother placed her arm around my shoulders and gently steered me toward the door.

“But Ma! Chaya trusted me with that bracelet, I’ve got to find it!”

“We asked the cleanup crew to look out for it. They have our number; maybe they’ll find it when everything’s cleared up. We’ll give tzedakah at home.” Mommy was sympathetic but insistent. It was time to leave.

I didn’t get much sleep that night. I just couldn’t stop thinking about that bracelet; I wished I’d never seen it! I wished it was red and gold! I wished Chaya had said no! And I wished more than anything that I hadn’t lost it. How could I tell Chaya?! She barely even got to wear the bracelet! And how could I afford to replace it?! Though I’d never been to Joseph’s I had an idea about their prices and they were not modest. And — oh, no! — maybe Chaya’s grandparents would be upset, maybe even angry! Oh please, Hashem, let it be found!

The next day I was so exhausted and distracted in school that everyone noticed. Chaya, my wonderful Chaya, came to my rescue, excusing me. “Oh, of course you’re wiped out; you must have stayed at the vort ‘til the end. I bet you even helped clean up!” With a wan smile, I ducked out of the room, claiming to need caffeine. I was really trying to avoid Chaya but caffeine actually sounded wonderful, so I headed for the soda machine. And, instead of reviewing Historiah dates, I spent the entire walk through the halls trying to come up with something to say to Chaya.

There was only so long I could postpone the inevitable; I couldn’t avoid Chaya forever, especially since we sat next to each other in class. Chaya, Miss Speedwriter, finished the test long before I did, but, when I walked out of the room, she was standing right near the door like she was waiting for me.

“So, um, how was the test?” I asked her.

“Okay, I guess,” Chaya looked at me strangely, “but aren’t you the one who hates rehashing tests, who says once they’re over they’re best forgotten?”

“Yeah, of course. So, um—”

“I’m still waiting to hear about the vort! And I’m dying to see how you looked! So, did the bracelet really work with the outfit?”

I was starting to sweat. “Yeah, um, it was great! Everyone thought so! Thanks so much!” Well, here goes, “I, um, don’t have it—”

“Of course you don’t have it here! I didn’t expect you to wear it to school! So who was at the vort?” And with that, Chaya granted me a reprieve, at least for the school day.

I ran to my mother as soon as I got home. “Did they call? Did they find it?” I asked anxiously.

“And hello to you,” my mother teased gently, then continued sympathetically. “I’m sorry; the cleaning crew didn’t call here so I called the hall. Nothing was found.”

I guess I needed to make some phone calls.

My call to Joseph’s Jewelry was incredibly frustrating — and horrifying. I spoke with two employees and a manager, describing the bracelet in exquisite detail, but they all insisted that they didn’t stock it. Finally, I gave up and simply asked them to estimate how much such a bracelet would cost. Impossible to tell — of course it was! — but after making several assumptions we came up with a possible price tag of $300! Where would I get that from?! But I knew. I’d been saving all my lifeguarding money to pay for a post-high school trip to Eretz Yisrael; I guess I’d be dipping into that.

I think my hands were trembling when I made my next call — to Chaya. I started apologizing as soon as she answered but it didn’t quite go as planned.

“Chaya, I’m so sorry, I hope you can forgive me, especially for not telling you right away. See, I was hoping they’d find it but they didn’t so now I am telling you… I lost it! I’d give anything for it not to have happened but it did so I’m sorry and of course I’ll pay—”

“Talya! What are you talking about?”

“Your bracelet! I lost it! I wanted to just replace it but the people at Joseph’s had no idea what I was talking about!”

“Why would Joseph’s Jewelry know about the bracelet I got at Claire’s?”

“Claire’s?! I lost the bracelet your grandparents bought you from Joseph’s!”

“You never even saw that bracelet, Miss-Can’t-Stop-Studying! I never had the chance to show it to you! Wait — you thought I lent you my grandparents’ expensive gift?”

“Um, yeah—”

“Talya! You know I trust you with my life, but my parents would freak if I lent you that! I hope that doesn’t insult you, but…”

“Chaya, I think that’s the nicest thing I ever heard! So, um, do you think we can go to Claire’s on Sunday? There’s a bracelet I need to replace.”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr. Issue 681)