Driving without a license is dangerous, but which teenage boy thinks he’s going to get caught? Invincibility, thy name is adolescence
“M
rs. Feltner? This is Dudu Roth Yoel’s friend. Remember me?”
Of course I remembered Dudu. He had gone to yeshivah with my 24-year-old son Yoel, and had later become a hotshot lawyer — something of a rarity in the Israeli chareidi community.
“Sure! Are you looking for Yoel?”
Pause. “Actually, I just called Yoel to get your number. You’re the one I need to speak to.”
Dudu was still single — did he need shidduch information? A Shabbos meal? “How can I help you?” I asked.
“I have some information I think you should know about.” Dudu was speaking in a lawyer voice. What could he possibly want to tell me?
“You’re probably unaware that I represented your son Shimshi in court a couple of months ago,” he began.
Shimshi? In court? What was he talking about?
“Shimshi was caught driving without a license before Pesach.”
I had to sit down to process this. Shimshi, driving? I have a bunch of boys, and of all of them, Shimshi is the last one I’d imagine doing such a thing. He’s a real eideleh neshamah, the type who wouldn’t dream of making any sort of trouble.
“W-what happened?” I stammered.
“Let me start from the beginning.”
This is the story he told me.
