“So she told them not to say anything. Not to publicly clear her name. Just to let her leave to America so that the teacher wouldn’t be embarrassed and could retire quietly in a couple of years, without being sent away"
Aunt Chana perches on Raizy’s bed, tucking her arm around Raizy like they’re best buddies. I guess she’s a cool enough mother, because Raizy doesn’t seem to mind.
“So, Shayna — your mother — is literally my hero,” she begins. That’s sweet, and Ima is kind of mine, too. Really, I just want to hear the story, the story that will answer — hopefully — all of my questions. What exactly happened that made Ima leave and go so far away to complete her school years? And why didn’t she come back when they were over?
“You have to understand that back then, things weren’t like they are now,” Aunt Chana says, earnestly. “Schools and teachers weren’t so aware and didn’t cater to girls who had a hard time in school. Girls who struggled with listening in class, taking notes, and studying simply didn’t do well. There weren’t slideshows, visual aids, colorful worksheets, any of that. And we never played games in class, either,” she adds, laughing.
“Sounds like you grew up in the 1800s,” Raizy remarks, and Aunt Chana pretends to swat at her, playfully.
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