[Against all odds, this shidduch went through. It
should give us second thoughts about eligibles, compatibles
and random suggestions...]
"I don't want to get married, yet. I'm much too young!" my
sister Chedva insisted. "Can't you just leave me alone?"
"But you're almost eighteen! Just the right age to BEGIN
shidduchim," Mother noted quietly but decisively.
"Anyway, it's only a meeting. Who's talking about getting
married?"
"I haven't finished school, yet! Besides, I have a math test
this week. I can't spare the time to go and meet someone."
"Since when do you study for math tests?" asked Mother.
Chedva got hundreds with her eyes closed. "I insist that you
meet this boy, Chedva."
"I promised the girls I would help them review the material.
They'll be coming soon," she pouted.
"Listen, Chedva. This boy came especially to Yerusholayim and
he is a busy young man, too. You aren't risking much by
sparing an hour or so. No one is going to force you to marry
him! All we ask is that you meet him. Just once." Father's
soft but firm tone made an impression on Chedva. She was
outnumbered, she could see.
"O.K.," she capitulated. "I'll meet him just this one time,
for both your sakes. I do hope he isn't too tall. But it
really doesn't matter, does it? I'm not going to marry him.
Or anyone else, not for a long while."
Mother sighed. Chedva, the brainy daughter, presented many
obstacles. She kept dreaming of higher learning, but in
Jerusalem of those days, there was no higher education for
chareidi girls. Besides, Tzila, her junior by only a
year and a half, was already interested - yes, and ready --
for shidduchim. The idea of letting Chedva do as she
wished was unthinkable, really impossible.
"What are you going to wear?" Mother looked through the
girls' wardrobe. "You need some new dresses."
"It doesn't matter," said Chedva indifferently. "What I'm
wearing now is good enough."
"Put on your pink blouse and black taffeta skirt, Chedva."
"What? That's what I wore to Mina's wedding! It's my best
outfit! This occasion doesn't merit such a fancy get-up!"
"Yes, it does. I believe one should do their best on any
occasion," Mother countered. "Especially when it comes to
shidduchim..." she added.
"Oh, really, Mother. This is just a meeting, and I'm only
doing it for your sake. Nothing will come of it, so why go to
such bother?" A look at her mother's face made her
capitulate. "O.K. I'll do what you say and get it over with."
Chedva's resignation was somewhat surprising. Very ambitious
in her studies, she did not care much for fineries. "So when
and where do I meet him?"
"I'll take you there," her father said. "That's the proper
thing to do, since I haven't seen him yet, either, even
though I've heard all there is to hear about him, and I'm
very impressed. I'll be back after maariv to fetch
you. You had better be ready, Chedva."
Chedva took a book down from the shelf and was soon lost
among its pages.
"Chedva, it's time to start getting ready. You aren't
supposed to keep Abba waiting for you."
Chedva began dressing. "I sure hope he's not too tall. I
don't want to spend the evening craning my neck and looking
up to a giant."
"The shadchon said he's regular size," Mother
reassured her. "Why are you fretting so?"
Chedva was ready by the time her father returned. They left
together.
"Where do we meet him?" she asked.
"At the entrance of the Palatin Hotel. Oh, I think it's that
young man over there by the entrance to the lobby. He is the
only yeshivishe person in sight."
"Abba! I'm going right back home! He's twice my size! Why do
you do this to me?" Chedva looked exasperated.
"Please, Chedva, don't embarrass me. We've come this far. You
needn't spend more than a short while with him. Remember,
he's supposed to be a big talmid chochom. There, he
sees us and is coming towards us. It's not right to turn back
now."
Chedva reluctantly followed a step behind her father, who was
headed towards the young man. From the look on his face, he
seemed just as disappointed, also having noted Chedva's
unusually short stature. Father duly introduced himself and
Shlomo did likewise. Father left the two together, hoping
that no catastrophe would take place.
*
It was hours later that Chedva returned home, jubilant.
"It was really good," she told her parents. "We made up to
meet tomorrow evening."
"Well, what do you say! This world is surely full of
interesting surprises." He winked at Mother and added,
"Pilei plo'im! Wonder of wonders!"
[This story has a happy ending, that is, a happy beginning of
a fine marriage!]
