Excerpt
Available on AmazonHe stood outside the dressing room with his arms crossed. "I was starting to fear I'd need to send in a search party."
"I'm sorry," Ruth said. "I met the sister of one of your friends."
"Chayele," Abraham chuckled. "That explains it. That girl could talk the hind legs off a donkey."
He steered her to the line for the stairs and gestured for her to open her bag to be examined. "They fear people stealing scraps for sewing at home."
Ruth held her bag open wide as the guard poked through. Eventually he nodded, and they exited through the door to the stairs.
"Chayele seemed really nice. She introduced me to her friends as well. She said you were good friends with her brother?"
"Yankel," Abraham nodded. "He's good folk. He took me under his wing when I got here. Makes me get out and have some fun from time to time."
Ruth pondered that for a moment and considered Chayele's painted face. "She's not a—what do you call it? Floopsy, is she?"
Abraham laughed. "No, Chayele’s not a floozy, though she might be the center of any party. She's just been here awhile and has embraced America."
"America encourages painted faces?"
Abraham tilted his head and thought before answering. "America encourages fun, at least in your free time. Not like in Russia where you just go to work and come home."
"How do you spend your free time?"
Abraham turned to face her with a twinkle in his eye. "All kinds of ways. Seeing performers singing in shows, going to the circus, heading out to Luna Park."
"What's Luna Park?"
"An amusement park in West Brighton Beach. You can ride a roller coaster and see recreations of villages from all over the world—it's amazing. I'll take you one weekend."
Ruth mulled over this new word, weekend. She had no clue what a roller coaster was, but it sounded exciting. Everything Abraham mentioned was foreign and strange. They'd sung as a family around the piano or even in the street with neighbors on holidays. But shows? Performers? These were novel ideas.
Abraham glanced over at her with a mischievous smile. "Still love running?"
Ruth smiled.
"Race you home!" he shouted and took off ahead.
"You gonif! You still cheat!" she shouted and took off after him.
His laughter floated back to her as she ran. The cityscape flew by as she weaved in and out of people on the sidewalk, some shouting insults in response. They rolled right off Ruth. Her exhaustion evaporated, the caress of cool air on her face sweeping away her lethargy. She dug deep to run faster, her competitive instincts kicking in. She'd never felt so happy and free.
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