50 50 - Novel

A woman stands at a crossroads. Fifty-four years are behind her, the golden years ahead of her. Who cares? Just an extra line on a resume. Sima, Mah Chadash’s bookkeeper, doesn’t think she looks a day over thirty-five, anyway. At any rate, to Bella, she’ll always be maidele. No connection to the anti wrinkle creams that Bella sells. And as Esther says, at our age, life itself is the main thing. And Esther knows what she’s talking about. She escorted two parents who were too young to their final resting place. They’re maidele’s parents, too. It’s only thanks to her that there’s color on their matzeivos. Life is good, baruch Hashem. She was zochah to Nachum, a husband head and shoulders above the rest. She cannot let him go back to the seventh floor! And also four children who are long past childhood: Avigdor, Margalit, Diti, and Chaggai. Margalit is ashamed of her, Diti ran away to Connecticut, Avigdor is married to Adina, and Chaggai has yet to marry, but other than all the above, fortunate is the one who bore them. The grandchildren are an age-related bonus. She’s a proud, full-time savtuta. Her freezer’s always full, baruch Hashem. It’s unclear how that’s possible with Avigdor’s appetite. And every Shabbos and Yom Tov, she has to expand the table. If Tuvia plans on closeting himself in his room, he should say so in advance! Her work at Mah Chadash is nice, all in all. It fills up the Pesach envelope hidden behind her creams. Osnat is a wonderful boss on the days they don’t wear the same sweater and each of her colleagues is terrific. Unless her name is Gila and she’s set on becoming her daughter-in-law. The bottom line is that when she looks at herself, she feels complete. One hundred percent Shoshi. 50/50 would be more precise. 50/50 is a meeting of body and soul, with the question that awaits us at every junction: Where to now? Devora Rand is the author of a slew of out-of-the-box bestsellers including: Aleha Hashalom, Escape Room, Freedom of Choice, More or Less, and To Be Continued.