“Nu, Bubby, come on, shtell hock,” he said, and she looked at him primly, as if she had no idea what he meant
Bubby liked to hock. The children didn’t know it, because they themselves didn’t have much appetite for it — they were busy enough with their own lives and didn’t find other people’s little intrigues and dramas that interesting.
But Brachi’s oldest son, Leizer, knew this about his grandmother, and he knew just how to play it.
It was Motzaei Shabbos, and the family was gathered for Chaim’s birthday party. Chaim hadn’t been much interested in the celebration, and Shaindy had been sort of let down by the reaction of her children when she called to tell them about it. She’d expected them to be more excited about it. Shabbos was over early, and she would make her own homemade pizza, a family favorite! When did they ever get together? And wasn’t Chaim worth celebrating?
She had moved to Lakewood for this very reason, and she was determined to do it. To be like every other couple in this neighborhood, who seemed to have children and eineklach coming and going at all hours.
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