her gaze — yes, someone had managed to go all the way to the ceiling in order to cover the entire wall in this fabric! She lowered her eyes again. The hall was divided with a latticed wooden mechitzah, but she imagined that the other side of the hall was a mirror image of this one: Dark carpets covered the scratched parquet floors, and “her” plastic chairs were encased in glittery blue and silver chair covers. The oval tables — which were certainly not hers — were covered in silver linen tablecloths, and rising from the center of each one was a massive candelabra, covered with blue flower balls with dozens of little candles twinkling inside elegant glass cups. Now that the meal was over, the tables were full of dirty place settings, but even now, Shaina could see that all the tableware was top quality. Along the wall that faced the door was a three-tiered bar, but she could not see it well from where she was standing because a mass of women stood between them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, her cousin Nechama Kagan appeared at her side. “It’s amazing what they did here!” she said. “It’s like a real banquet hall! I’m telling you, this place is no less gorgeous than the fanciest halls that I know of! Come, Shaina, let me introduce you to Bayla Stockhammer, so you can see firsthand the person you did this chesed for.” “Chesed…” Shaina murmured, but her sotto voce remark was drowned out by the thudding drums. To be continued...
124 / THE MONSEY VIEW / September 4, 2019 www.themonseyview.com / 845.600.8484