A dinner invitation

Anjali, Rosa’s newest bestest friend!

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” shouted little Rosa at the top of her voice as she ran out onto the deck. “Mummy! Daddy! Mummy! Daddy!” she changed her greeting upon seeing her mother sitting next to her father with her eyes closed holding a wine glass in her wing.

Sybil nonchalantly opened her eyes and turned to face her daughter. “Oh, hello Rosa dear. Thank you for including me in your daily greeting.”

Rosa chose to ignore her mother for the moment as she didn’t want to forget the reason she had run out onto the deck. “Guess what?” she asked standing in the doorway.

“Don’t tell me little one,” Sybil said taking a sip of her wine. “You just got your report card and you came top of the class.”

Rosa rolled her eyes. “No mummy, not even close.”

“Not even close to coming at the top of your class or not even close to the reason you came out here?”

“The last one,” Rosa was exasperated at her mother’s poor attempt at humour. “Guess what daddy?” She knew her father would treat her more like an adult.

George knew his limitations though when his wife was around. “Tell us Rosa dear and one day we know you will run out here and tell us you finished at the top of your class.”

Rosa ignored her father’s poor attempt at backing up his wife. “No, you’re all wrong! Anjali’s parents have invited us over for dinner.”

“Really?” George was genuinely happy, “when?” he asked.

“Tomorrow evening.”

“Oh, tomorrow evening,” replied her mother, “that’s not possible. It’s Shabbat and Timmy will never allow us to go anywhere for Shabbat dinner, especially if it’s not kosher.”

“It could be,” Rosa sounded incredibly deflated. “After all, they’re vegetarians and vegetables are kosher aren’t they daddy?”

“Yes, they can be,” and then out of the corner of his eye he saw the one child he had hoped hadn’t heard their discussion, Timmy.

“Who’s invited us for dinner?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” replied George, “we can’t go.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, the dinner invitation is for tomorrow night and that’s Shabbat.”

“That’s true,” Timmy remarked, “but anyway, who’s invited us because if it’s Moshe or Benne we can go, because they are strictly Kosher.”

“No, it’s my bestest friend Anjali parent’s and they aren’t Jewish.”

Timmy’s composure changed immediately. Eagle eyed Sybil immediately picked up on that and quickly knocked back her wine. She then stretched out her wing in Timmy’s direction. “Timmy do we a favour young man.” Sybil stressed the word man, “could you please go inside and fill up my wine glass.” He was about to protest asking his father to do it, when the look on his mother’s face changed the thought.

“Never mind,” he replied grabbing the wine glass and turning towards the nest. He stopped for a moment, “I’ll be right back. Please don’t make any decisions until I have returned,” and with that and a rush of the curtains, he was gone.

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Rosa hoping somehow someone could save the day. “Nothing more than Timmy seems to like Anjali.”

“Oh no!” she cried.

“What’s the matter?” asked George getting ready to jump off his lounge chair and save Rosa from whatever was bothering her.

“I think Anjali likes Timmy too.”

“What!!” both parents shouted together. Sybil began to visibly panic and George looked around for his non-existent heart medication.

Timmy appeared at the door. “You haven’t made any decisions, have you?” he asked.

“Did you leave any wine in the bottle, Timmy?” Sybil asked her son as she watched him walk towards her with the wine glass filled to the brim. “Usually, one bottle lasts me a couple of months.”

“Well, mummy, you asked me to fill the glass and so I did. I’ve never done this before.”

“It’s ok,” she watched her son carefully walking towards her getting ready to jump in just case a drop spilt on her clothes. But to his credit, Timmy did a great job. Not one spilled drop. Sybil had an idea. “Just stand there for a moment with the wine glass while I sip it,” but Timmy instead put it down on the table next to his mother.

“No Timmy. We can’t go because Julia is making a special challah for tomorrow evening. It’s a recipe she saw on one of the Jewish websites out there.” George wanted to become relevant again.

“Instagram, daddy,” he heard Julia say as she walked outside with the empty bottle of wine. “Did you drink all this mummy?”

“No, don’t be silly,” Sybil noticed her words were beginning to slur slightly. George noticed and was shocked at his wife who last got drunk on their wedding night twenty years ago. Rosa still stood there in between her parents with Timmy on one side of her and Julia on the other, not quite sure what had transpired.

“My bestest friend Anjali’s parents have invited us to dinner tomorrow night, but we can’t go because its Shabbat and Timmy won’t allow it.”

“Who said that?” Timmy looked at his father who groaned. Neither parent had seen their son display such behaviour.

“Because it won’t be kosher, that’s why,” replied Rosa.

“And I was going to make a special challah for tomorrow night. We can do it another night can't we?” Julia pleaded with her parents.

“It’s ok,” Rosa was resigned to staying home and doing what they did every Shabbat evening for dinner.

Both parents felt they had dodged a bullet for the moment. But that was until Rosa called Anjali who in turn said, “I realised that as well as my daddy after they sent you the invitation. So, they decided to make it for Sunday night.”

“How’s Sunday night?” asked Rosa of the other four. There was a mixture of answers ranging from yes to no. Rosa decided to take matters into her own hands and accepted from the family. “You’re vegetarians, right?” she asked.

“Yes, we are,” replied Anjali, “but my mother’s brother and his family are coming as well. They really want to meet your family and they aren’t.”

“But vegetarian food is kosher right?” she asked. Anjali wasn’t sure what that really meant but suggested it was.

“I’m sure my uncle’s family will bring food as well.”

“Ok good,” replied Rosa.

She was about to hang up when she heard Anjali say, “you will love his chicken curry,” Rosa let the mobile phone drop on the deck.

“Sunday is not a good day for them,” she said to her family.

“That’s not true,” said Julia, “I heard her say they were going to have chicken curry and that’s why you’re saying that.”

“Chicken curry and challah. I think that a wonderful combination.” Timmy was certainly stepping out of his comfort zone.

George looked around again for his non-existent heart medication and Sybil picked up the wine glass with her wing shaking perceptibly and chugged down the entire glass.

“Sybil,” said George out loudly, “what an example you’re setting for the children!” Sybil smiled and George panicked. He knew that smile all too well. It reminded him of their wedding night.

“Why is mummy looking at you like that?” asked little Rosa.

“Never mind,” replied Julia, “come on guys I need you in the kitchen. I have a new recipe for you to try,” and with that, she grabbed both her siblings and marched them back into the nest.

“So, are we going on Sunday?” Rosa asked.

Sybil closed the sliding glass door onto the deck with a loud bang. George groaned.