Camp Mah Tovu by Yael Mermelstein

Author:Yael Mermelstein [Mermelstein, Yael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2021-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Getting Some Answers

Even though Tisha B’av is a fast day, girls don’t have to fast before they become Bat Mitzvah at age twelve, so our bunk was still served breakfast. It was a pretty pathetic meal—just boiled eggs, bread, butter, and some limp veggies. But we couldn’t complain because the waitresses were fasting and working in the hot kitchen.

I took a big gulp of milk and turned to Sarah.

“After breakfast,” I said under my breath. At least I thought it had been under my breath.

“What exactly is happening after breakfast?” Esmé said, looking at Sarah instead of at me. Uh-oh, if I get Esmé upset at Sarah, she’ll back out.

“After breakfast, an asteroid the size of the Empire State Building is scheduled to collide with the earth,” I said. “But don’t worry, I made a chart, and the chances of it landing on Mah Tovu are statistically nonexistent.”

“Is that another story you made up?” Jilly asked.

“Come on, leave her alone,” Marley said.

Shimona frowned, giving me one of those looks that said, This isn’t helping you, Lila.

After breakfast, we had kinos down by the lake. Kinos are special, sad Tisha B’av prayers that lament the destruction of our temples. I usually had a hard time sitting through them, but I felt like today I might connect to them more, considering what was going on with Lonny.

But I still hoped to escape early with Sarah to meet Lonny. I knew she’d work harder to save her once she met her. Besides, I missed Lonny terribly.

When we’d been there long enough, I squeezed Sarah’s hand. We got up slowly, walking quietly along the path. Then I ran, hearing the crunch of sticks and dry grass under my feet and the sound of Sarah behind me. The distance to the clearing seemed shorter than it ever had been before.

Lonny stood there, grazing, as if she’d been waiting for me.

“Told you,” I said.

“I believed you all along,” Sarah said breathlessly, staring at my beautiful horse.

Sarah knew enough about horses to stay back as I approached Lonny. I stroked her mane.

“Good girl,” I said.

I was pretty sure Lonny was happy to see me.

“I’m not going to let them hurt you,” I said, wishing I felt as convinced as I sounded.

“Neither of us will,” Sarah said, taking one step closer to Lonny. It felt amazing to have someone on my side besides Talia, for once.

We raced back down to the lake. The benches were overturned, as Tisha B’av is a day of mourning, and mourners are only allowed to sit low to the earth. I found an uncomfortable position and tried to concentrate on the prayers.

After a short rest in the bunk, we loaded onto the van to the senior center where we’d be listening to a Holocaust survivor tell her story. I felt bad to miss it, but Shimona told me she was recording it so I could hear it later. The van traveled an hour into town, and all anyone could talk about the whole way was the dumb canoe race.

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