My chair scrapes against the floor as I push away from the sewing machine I’ve been bending over for the last hour. I stretch, listen to my joints crack into place, and head to the pay phone to let my mother know that I’ll be home in an hour or so. She doesn’t mind that I’m staying late after school to prepare for the Chanukah chagigah, but she would worry if I didn’t call her with an update.
After propping the door ajar with an empty paint can and stepping around carefully so that my skirt stays away from the bright green paint I pull the string that turns on the bare bulb and begin shifting rolls of material looking for the one I want. I soon realize that we’ve used it all up and I’ll just have to buy some more so I pull the light switch again and turn to leave which is when I see them.
Eliza and Leah Rivka are sitting side-by-side on the edge of the stage legs dangling and thudding against the thin wood. Leah Rivka was my best friend up until last year which was when I ruined things.
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