(loosely based on a true story)
Kaila knew it wasn't going to be her best day when, first
thing in the morning, she stepped on a pointy little toy.
Still, in her optimistic manner, she forged ahead with
planning her day's events. After davening and the
usual scramble of getting her kids out of the house (Shoshie
went off in Shabbos shoes because she supposedly couldn't
find her school shoes which just happened to be in their
place by the door, but never mind...), Kaila found a moment
to drink a cup of coffee as she perused her calendar for that
day.
"Oh, how nice, Rene is making a bar mitzva tonight and it's
right here in the neighborhood. I remember when that little
boy, uh, young man, was born. It was when we were doing play
group together," Kaila mused as she put on her coat and
headed out to work.
The day continued with mishaps small and not so small. The
bus pulled away from the stop just as Kaila had reached it.
"More time to say Tehillim," she guessed. Everyone
seemed to be in a bit of a sour mood that day at work and
Kaila's supervisor asked her to stay an extra half hour.
Since the supervisor didn't normally ask this of her, Kaila
knew it was really important. Kaila's feet hurt by the time
she headed towards the bus stop. She spent a lot of time
walking around. Although this time she didn't have to wait
for the bus, she immediately gave away her seat to an older
woman.
Kaila was thankful that her daughter was able to pick Shoshie
up that morning. Shoshie wasn't so pleased and made her
disagreeabilty known to one and all. "I'm sorry, sweetheart,"
Kaila tried to placate her, as she hurried to serve lunch.
The afternoon went along in a bumble, as Kaila tried to
balance her housework along with helping the kids with their
homework. A neighbor needed some information about where to
buy appliances. A close friend wanted to share all the latest
simcha news. "I mustn't forget about Rene's bar mitzva
tonight," she cautioned herself as her head whirled with the
day's activities. The laundry had been completed for the day.
Supper was almost ready and the papers were neatly organized.
"Not bad," she thought.
Then the phone rang. It was her husband. "Don't forget, the
mechutanim are coming over tomorrow before they return
to the States. If you want them to take anything back with
them, you'd better have it all ready," he told her calmly. At
that moment, Kaila thought that her head would crash. She
needed a second set of the most recent family pictures made
up for relatives across the ocean. She wanted to pick up some
sort of farewell gift for the mechutanim, themselves.
She also needed appropriate food to serve them for tomorrow's
lunch. In a split second, Kaila apologized to her daughter
for leaving her to babysit once again that day. The urgency
of going out and taking care of these errands was
immediate!
Out the door she went. First to the photo store, where they
promised that the pictures would be ready in one hour. In the
meantime, she could take care of the rest. The neighborhood
gift store didn't provide too much of a selection, so it was
hard for the normally decisive Kaila to choose the
appropriate gift. After resigning herself to the best option,
she went in line.
"Would you like that gift-wrapped?" the sweet young cashier
asked. "Yes, please," Kayla answered, happy that the gift
would at least look presentable. The cashier was a real
perfectionist. Kayla started to grit her teeth, when the
young woman redid the wrapping for the third time because, "I
know how important it is to have a gift wrapped nicely."
Kaila grabbed the gift away as the cashier wanted to refix
the bow on an angle and said, "It's just perfect enough,
sweetheart. Thank you so very much." Then she ran on to her
next errand. In the supermarket, she found just the right
things to make a pleasant lunch. "Not too light, not too
heavy," she thought, satisfied. Luckily, the line at the cash
register wasn't too long.
"This will go fast," Kaila assured herself. It would have,
except that the cash register ate up the charge card of the
lady in front of Kaila and everyone was in hysterics. "Maybe
this isn't my day?" Kaila thought exaperated. Ever the
optimist, she told herself that at least her charge card
wasn't eaten up. Finally it was time to get back to the
photo store and pick up the pictures. There were almost no
mishaps and Kaila at last, found herself rushing home,
breathing as if she'd just run a marathon.
She was greeted by a messy kitchen, papers all over the
living room and a miserable Shoshie, "waiting for Mommy to
put me to bed." Kaila took a deep breath, said Shema
with Shoshie, read her a story, and put her to bed. One by
one, the others followed suit and found their way to bed.
Then Kaila attacked her living room, bringing it back to
order. After all, the mechutanim were coming the next
day. The dishes washed, Kaila sat down for a much needed cup
of coffee.
"Don't you have a simcha, tonight?" Kaila's son asked
as he looked at the calendar.
"Oh m'gosh! Rene's son's bar mitzva!" Kaila looked at her
watch. "I'm just going to have to go right now or not at all.
Tomorrow I've got to be up early to prepare for the
mechutanim." She quickly smoothed out her
sheitel without even thinking of putting on a nicer
outfit, grabbed a coat, and wished a hurried goodbye to her
son with instructions. "At least it's just down the block,"
Kaila thought gratefully.
As Kaila entered the hall, she spied her image in a full
length mirror. "How could I show up to a simcha
dressed like this?"she thought as she sized up her slightly
rumpled skirt and rather drab sweater. "Oh, well, if I'm
already here, I may as well go in. I'll just give a quick
handshake and leave," she resigned herself.
Being rather late, the hall wasn't so full. "Well, at least
there aren't so many people here to see me looking like
this," Kaila comforted herself. Hesitantly, she approached
Rene to wish a Mazel Tov. Rene looked lovely. Her face glowed
with Yiddishe nachas. "Mazel Tov, Rene! It 's hard to
believe that it's been thirteen years already. "
"Thank you so much. May you also make many simchas,"
Rene answered, joyfully.
"Uh, please forgive me for not being dressed for the
occasion," Kaila felt the need to explain. "I had to do some
sudden shopping and it really put me off schedule. I didn't
want to miss your simcha so I ended up coming like
this." Kaila felt like sinking through the floor as she made
her excuse.
Rene's face lit up even more. "That is the nicest thing I've
heard all night!" she exclaimed. "You're telling me that my
simcha is important enough to you to come, even if you
didn't have the time to come dressed up?"
Kaila stood dumbly.
"Why, in my eyes," Rene continued, "you can qualify as the
best-dressed lady."
Kaila sat down and happily enjoyed a delicious piece of
cake.
