“Moshe, I just got off the phone with the nursing home. Zeidy… he’s not doing so well”

Present Day

M

oshe Eliyahu Kaplan was not having a good day. His sandwich for lunch had fallen out of its foil. Now all his notebooks smelled like tuna fish.

“I don’t even like tuna fish.” Moshe slumped down next to his best friend, Aryeh.

“And I don’t like Brussels sprouts, but what’s that got to do with—” Aryeh’s nostrils flared. “Oh, ew.”

“Yeah.”

“I hate when my sandwich gets all over my backpack.”

“Yep. It’s been one of those days.”

“Here.”

“You sure, Aryeh? Chalav Yisrael chocolate pudding with milk chocolate pieces, sprinkles, and cookie bits? I didn’t even know they’d invented that yet!”

“They didn’t. My father works with this kosher dairy company. This product is still in the experimental stage. They suspect it might cause headaches, stomach cramps, and some nausea, so I’m one of the people testing it out to make sure it’s safe to eat.”

“Gee, thanks for offering it to me.”

“Sure.”

But the day only got harder.

“Moshe, I—”

“Don’t worry, Mommy, I’m hanging up my coat right now, but my backpack needs to go in the wash.”

“Moshe, I just got off the phone with the nursing home. Zeidy… he’s not doing so well.”