ראפ סעפע ,טפירש

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OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE

BY: FAIGY GOLD

PROLOGUE:

Sometimes, all it takes is a knock on your head to help you discover the shining truth. It is then that all jagged glass pieces fall into place, revealing a luminous prism of light, catching the golden rays of the sun, and spreading a rainbow hue of joy into the world.

Trust me, that knock isn’t pleasant. It wasn’t pleasant for me; it was painful as can be. But I wouldn’t exchange that pain for any money in the world.

The day started just like any other: Jump out of bed, brush teeth, throw a slice of bread and cheese into knapsack, grab coffee, shout “Bye, Ma!” and meet Huva at the corner to walk to school together.

“Morning, Huvs,” I greeted her with a wave and tired smile.

Huva sipped her coffee and waved back. We fell into each other’s comfortable step and continued to school. Entering the familiar doors of Ateres Tzipora always filled us with the pride and comfort that only eight years of school can produce. Ateres Tzipora was our home away from home, but now that we were finally in eighth grade, we would soon be moving on.

I can still clearly recall exactly where I was standing when the bombshell was dropped. I was walking into the Cheder Tefilla, siddur in hand, when I heard my name being mentioned. I knew that eavesdropping was wrong, but hey, I was simply passing by the open door of my principal’s office. I stopped walking and remained glued to my spot.

And that’s where Mrs. Kreisman found me twenty minutes later.

“Tehilla?” I looked up to face a concerned but slightly annoyed assistant principal. “Shacharis began twenty minutes ago.” She suddenly noticed my tear-streaked face and gave a little startled jump back. “Uh… everything all right?”

I forced a huge smile onto my face and whispered, “Of course. Sorry, I just came a little late today.”

Mrs. Kreisman still looked unsure, so I simply said, “I am on my way to Tefilla. Can I go?”

She gave a barely imperceptible nod. I fled.

I don’t know how I made it through to the end of the day without falling apart. All I know is that for the first time in ten years, I chose to walk home to my house on my own. For the first time in ten years, I didn’t want to know the girl named Huvi, my close friend and confidante since kindergarten, ten years ago.

***

CHAPTER ONE:

“So? What do you say, Tehilla, blue or beige?” I looked up from the laundry I was folding. The blue dress was pretty, but the beige was unique.

“Hmmm… I think I like the blue. I mean, you can’t go wrong with dark blue, can you?”

A tinkling laugh followed my comment. “Practical and honest, as usual, Tehilla!” Huva folded both outfits and tucked it into the bag. I knew what was coming next. “Hey, do you want to come with me to the store to return the beige one?”

I sighed. “Huva, you know my mother said I need to fold all of the laundry before I leave the house. And we have a Chumash test tomorrow that I still didn’t start studying for. I think that you should go on your own.”

Huva looked at me. “Are you sure that I shouldn’t help you fold laundry, study for the Chumash test, and then go shopping with you to celebrate?” Her eyes twinkled. I smiled, a warm feeling spreading across my heart. “Huva, the store will be closed by then!”

As I walked her to the door, and gently closed it behind her, I once again was filled with gratitude to Hashem for the wonderful gift called Huva.

Huva had joined our kindergarten class in the middle of the year, having moved from Los Angeles to Brooklyn. We took to each other instantly, and never looked back.

I continued folding the laundry- a mindnumbing chore that basically never ended. High school…I hoped we would continue on together. Ateres Tzipora didn’t have a high school, so all of us eighth graders had to apply to at least three Brooklyn High Schools. Huva and I both knew one thing:

Wherever we went, we would go together. Because high school without Huva is no high school at all. ***

Chava Kaplan furrowed her brow. She stared at the phone in her hands as the hollow sound of the ringtone resounded in the room. Did that really just happen?

Chava Kaplan liked to believe that all people were truly kind inside, and although at times she had been the recipient of an unkindness, it was simply coming from deep inner pain, not cruelty.

So then how can she explain this unsettling phone call? And what did it mean for her and her family? It had seemed so ordinary, so innocent. She had tucked the phone under her snood and continued to stir the pot of steaming mushroom soup when the call came in.

“Mrs. Kaplan?” The voice on the phone was brusque, domineering.

“Hello, and who am I speaking with?” her warm voice floated through the wires.

“It doesn’t really matter. I am calling to let you know to stop doing this. How can a Jewish mother stand by idly and watch her own family behave like this? Mrs. Kaplan, I simply don’t understand you!”

Chava froze. What on earth? Was this a bored teenager on a prank call?

“Look, I am not sure what you are referring to. I think you have reached the wrong family. Perhaps you are confusing me with a different family Kaplan. I have not a clue what you are talking about. Have a wonderful day,” and she firmly pressed the end button.

It only hit her now that the woman hadn’t called on her home phone. It had been her cell phone. It couldn’t have been a phony call, she decided, because she knew my name and cell phone number. The mushroom soup was bubbling, and the oven timer rang.

A tray of perfectly baked chocolate chip cookies was removed from the oven. Chava faintly heard the whimper of a baby in the background.

Back to business, she thought weakly,

Motti was up and awake. Motti was too young to understand that this was the wrong time to beg for care. For the first time in a very long time, Mrs. Chava Kaplan, superwoman and supermom extraordinaire, craved some tender loving care for herself.

Motti shrieked again, his cries growing louder and desperate by the minute. Chava removed herself from her frozen state and wondered again if she was overreacting. Technically, a bored teen could have dug up her cell phone number, too. And her family wasn’t doing anything that necessitated this phone call. It didn’t make sense, did it?

The door swung open as she rocked Motti back and forth in her arms. A gust of wind accompanied Tehilla’s soft footfall into the house.

“How was your day?” she asked distractedly, trying to stir the pot of soup and feed her baby a bottle at the same time. No answer. Chava looked up. “Tehilla?” ***

“Mommy, I…” Tears burst forth from my eyes and loud, wracking sobs shook my body.

Alarmed, my mother quickly put Motti down on the floor and ran to where I was standing.

“What happened, my dear? Tell me now!”

As much as I wanted to, the words just wouldn’t come. There was an icy hand gripping my throat, refusing to let me speak.

There was a monster in the room, filling the kitchen with gray misty smoke, filling my lungs with pollution and despair, leaving me worn out, broken, and helpless. “Tehilla, please. Try to calm down. I need to know what is going on.”

I stared into Ma’s warm brown eyes. So filled with caring and love for the daughter she raised and admired. I was lucky to have a supportive mother who was always guiding me and gently prodding me in the right direction.

Ten minutes and two chocolate chip cookies later, I finally eked the story out.

“I was passing the principal’s office on the way to the cheder tefilla,” I began. “The bell had just rang, and I was in a rush. But then I heard my name being mentioned. The principal said something like- What will be with Tehilla Kaplan? What are we going to do with her? And Ma, I know I shouldn’t have listened, but like, hello, I am Tehilla Kaplan, and I don’t have issues that can cause a principal to sigh about me like that!” The words were tumbling out now in a rush, having kept them bottled up inside all day.

“She was on the phone with someone. She was telling them that,” my voice caught in my throat. “She was telling them that my family is unstable and that I secretly use technology in a way that I shouldn’t. She was also saying how worried she was about getting me into high school. Who would ever want to accept the local dropout?”

If it wouldn’t have happened to me, it would’ve been comical. Tehilla Kaplan, GO coordinator and top girl in the grade, should have a hard time getting into high school? I half expected my mother not to believe me, to think I maybe heard the wrong name. What happened next was so quick and shocking, I hardly had a second to look up.

My mother’s face turned ghastly white as she gripped the kitchen chair in front of her.

“Ma!”

The room spun wildly around me as I watched my mother lose her balance and crumble onto the floor.

And that’s where Ta found us when he walked in five minutes later. Me, bending over Ma on the floor, trying to coax her to get up and drink something. Trying to protect her from the unknown evil that had suddenly appeared and taken a seat in our ever so pleasant lives. Trying to deny that no matter what we said or did, our lives had just been irrevocably altered forever.

TO BE CONTINUED

תואירק יילרע ענעדישראפ ווייל

רוביצ תינעת ,מ"הוח ,ח"ר ,םיתבש רתסא תליגמ ראפ גנולייטפא ערעדנוזאב

ךילרעה םיקלח ןוא תורדס עלא

וצ גנירג ,רדוסמ

"עמראפטאלפ המיב" :עיצולאווער עיינ יד רעביא

תחמש ראפ האירקה חסונ עגיטראנגייא

ןענעק וצ דחוימ – "וינעמ עכילטנכעוו" א אד זיא ךיוא יוזא

ןענעק וצ ,סעיצפא יד טימ – הרדס עכילטנכעוו יד ןקוקראפ

ןוא תוילע יד טיול טלייטעצ רעדא ,לאמנייאפיוא האירק עצנאג יד עגיטכיוו ענעדישראפ ןרעה ןעמ ןעק ןינעה תלעותל .קוספב קוספ .ןענייל םייב עגונ זיא סאוו תוכרדה ןוא ןעגנוזייוונא

ךיז/ןענרעלוצסיוא ךיז

!רתסא תליגמ ןקוקראפ

עלעיצעפס א םעטסיס ן'פיוא אד זיא טיפענעב עקראטש א סלא

ןקוקראפ ךיז ןוא ןפארט יד ןענרעלסיוא ךיז ןעק'מ ואוו ,גנולייטפא

."רתסא תליגמ" ןענייל וצ

ןופ ןפארט עגיטראנגייא יד רעביא יללכ רועיש א אד זיא טשרעוצ .הליגמ יד

טלייטעגנייא רעדא לאמנייאפיוא הליגמה תאירק יד ןרעה ןעק'מ

גנירג ןענעק וצ ,קוספב קוספ ןוא ,רעטסקע לטיפאק עדעי

.ליוו'מ סאוו ןרעהרעביא רעדא ןייז ךישממ ןוא ןעמוקקירוצ

,תוכרדהו תוצע ,ספיט עראבצונ ןרעה ןעמ ןעק באגוצ סלא .ןענייל ן'טימ ןפלעהוצסיורא :םימי

,םעטסיס םעניא רעבמעמ א סלא ףיוא ךיז טנייס ריא סאוו םעדכאנ

רעד סאוו רעבמונ רעייא ןרירטסיגער וצ טייקכילגעמ יד ריא טאה

םעד טימ ןיירא טפור ריא לאמ סעדעי ןפאכפיוא טעוו םעטסיס

.רעבמונ ןשיפיצעפס

טנעק ריא !אי .םארגארפ םעד וצ טירטוצ ץלא ריא טאה םורא יוזא

סאד ןקוקראפ ךיז ןוא םירועיש ן'רזח'רעביא ,ןרעהרעביא רדסכ ייס ןוא ,טליוו ריא רעמיא ןעוו ייס ,טליוו ריא לאמ ליפיוו ,ןענייל .טליוו ריא קלח אראפסאוו

עגיליב :לכל הוש

!ןזיירפ רעבמעמ

ראפ עמראפטאלפ א

!םיכרבא ןוא םירוחב

'ךינב' ןופ טקעיארפ א – "עמראפטאלפ המיב" םארגארפ רעיינ רעד םיארוק ןוקית עלאוטריוו א ,םעטסיס עשיטאמאטיוא עיינ א זיא –רענעדלאג רעגילאמטשרע ןא טגנערב סאוו ,ןאפעלעט ן'פיוא ןוא ערעגנוי וליפא ןוא - גנעגראי עלא ןופ םירוחב ראפ טייהנגעלעג

ארקמה ימעט ןיא טייקראלק א ייז טלעפ'ס סאוו טיילעגנוי ערעטלע ןענעק וצ ,ןפארט יד ןפוא עגנירג א ףיוא ןענרעלסיוא ךיז ןענעק וצ –תויח א טימ ,םיחמומ םיארוק ילעב סלא ןעניד ןוא ןייז הרדס ריבעמ .ה"יא ןבעל ןצנאגא טיילגאב סאוו ,קאמשעג א ןוא

עראלק עכילרעה :דומיל !םירועיש

ואוו ,םירועיש עכילרעה 19 ןבעגעגרעביא טרעוו םעטסיס ן'פיוא .רבסה עראלק א טימ ןפארט יד ןופ קלח עדעי ךרוד טייג ש"יגמ רעד ןופ קודקד יד רעביא גנורעלקרע עכייר א טימ רועיש ערעדנוזאב א .ןפארט יד ןייז שיגדמ ףראד'מ יוזאיוו ןוא ואוו ,ןפארט יד רעביא ,הכלהב םירועיש עראלק עכילטע אד ךיוא זיא באגוצ ןיא .ארוק לעב א ראפ עגונ זיא סאוו תוכלה עלעוטקא ענעדישראפ החמומ ארוק לעב ן'כרוד טנרעלעגראפ ןראוועג ןענעז םירועיש עלא ,יסנאמ ראמטאס תודסומב להנמ א"טילש ןרעטש לאוי 'ר ג"הרה ןיוש טאה ןוא דלעפ םעד ןיא גנוראפרע עגירעיגנאל טאה רעכלעוו .ךלהמ עראלק א ףיוא ןפארט יד םידימלת רעטנזיוט טנרעלעגסיוא

;ווייל תואירק עלא :האירק !ןקוקראפ ךיז ןוא ןרעה וצ

טצונ'מ סאוו ,תואירק יילרע עלא ךיוא טגאמראפ םעטסיס רעד

ןענייל וצ םירוחב ייב טפא רעמ רעדא ,ןייז וצ הרדס ריבעמ ףיוא ,הרות תחמש ,תותבשל ,לוחה תומיל תואירק יד :יוו ,ןלוש יד ןיא טניילעגפארא ראלק ךילרעה סעלא ,'ודכו רוביצ תינעת ,ח"ר שיטקאפ ךיז ןענעק וצ ףליה עגידלאוועג א זיא סאוו ,ש"יגמ ן'כרוד ןייז הרדס ריבעמ וצ יוזאיוו ךלהמ רעד ןטלאהטימ ןוא ןענרעלסיוא םיארוק ילעב ראפ תלעות עקראטש א סע זיא לעיצעפס .ןענייל ןוא .לענש ןוא גנירג ןענייל סאד ןקוקראפ ךיז ןענעק וצ ךילרעה ,סוינעמ עכילטע ןיא טלייטעגנייא ןענעז תואירק עלא רפס עדעי ונייהד ;טכוז'מ סאוו וצ ןעמוקנא גנירג ןענעק וצ ,רדוסמ ךיוא יוזא .רעדנוזאב הרדס

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