“Do we have to go?”
“Miri, it’s the chance of a lifetime. Why wouldn’t you want to go?”
I sighed. Ima was so excited about going to Spain and staying in a castle. Even Lizzie, my best friend, thought it sounded amazing. There was a really good reason why I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t tell it to Ima.
“I like it at home with Lizzie next door and my own bed,” I said.
Ima laughed. “Miri, you need to be a little more adventurous. Besides, Katie is so happy you’re coming.”
“Ima, Katie is...”
I didn’t want to say anything bad about her. It was just that my cousin Katie is so different from me in every way. Katie is like exploding fireworks: streamers of orange, red, silver, and gold. I’m a quiet, starry night. My colors are muted beige and tan. She likes lots of noise, loud music, and excitement. I don’t.
“Come on, Miri, give it a chance – please, for me.” Ima put her arm on my shoulder.
Just then, the phone rang. Ima ran to answer it. I felt that sinking feeling I get now when Ima rushes to the phone. I could tell by her quick hello and her broad smile who was on the line.
I slunk back to my room. I found the book I’d taken out of the Jewish library about Spanish Jewish history. I plunked down on my bed to read. If I was going to Spain, I might as well brush up on its history.
I started reading: The Inquisition began in the 1400s. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand decided to expel all the Jews from Spain unless they agreed to convert to Christianity…
I could hear Ima’s laughter from downstairs. I tried to block it out. The person she was talking to on the phone was the main reason she was so excited to go to Spain this summer. That was the reason I didn’t want to go.
A while later, Ima appeared in my doorway. “Mr. Norman was on the phone.”
I pretended that I hadn’t heard and kept reading the same line I’d already read a few times about the Marranos.
“Miri, Mr. Norman said he’ll pick us up at the airport when we get to Madrid. Isn’t that kind?”
I shrugged and mumbled something.
“Katie will be here tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to make her bed.” Ima hummed a tune as she strode away.
...
The next morning, Katie arrived bright and early. She knocked on my bedroom door just as I was heading downstairs to daven. Katie looked like she’d been forced out of bed. Her curly dark hair was flying in all directions, and she was rubbing her eyes. Next to her was her little sister Breindy.
“Sorry for popping in so early. My parents’ flight is leaving now, so they dropped us off on the way to the airport.”
“Your bed’s set up if you want to sleep more,” I said. “I didn’t know Breindy was coming. Sorry, I’ll find a cot for her.”
“I don’t want to go to sleep,” Breindy said. Her thick dark braids swung as she walked toward me. “Can we play checkers? I learned how, and Katie said you would play with me. She’s too tired.”
“I’m not a morning person.” Katie sank onto the bed and slid under the covers. “You don’t mind playing with her, do you?” She yawned and closed her eyes.
“Okay, Breindy.” I sighed. I couldn’t exactly say no.
“Good. I brought my checkers. Aunt Hindy is weighing them in my suitcase.”
I followed her downstairs. I hadn’t planned on spending the morning playing checkers. I thought about Katie. She liked to sleep late, and I liked to get up early. Again, we were opposites.
Downstairs, Ima was busy weighing her suitcase along with Katie’s and Breindy’s. “We have to head to the airport by five. I need to weigh your suitcase,” Ima said. “Are you all packed?”
“Almost,” I said.
Breindy and I played a few games. She surprised me; she was pretty good for a seven-year-old. “Are you excited to go on the plane?” I asked her.
“I like it. I went a lot of times,” she said.
Katie didn’t appear until close to 11:00.
“Sorry, I was so tired,” she said. “Let’s call Aidel and Batsheva and we can play Machanayim.”
I didn’t want to play, but that’s how it was when Katie appeared. Girls from her school would come over and there would be a ton of games and noise. They piled into the house, everyone talking at once. Aidel waved at me.
“Miri, don’t you want to play?” Katie called.
I shook my head. Breindy was sitting on the couch reading a children’s book she’d brought. I plunked down beside her with my Spanish history book.
“Do you like my dog?” she asked.
“Huh?”
She held her stuffed dog toward me. It looked like it had been through the wash a few times – a brown, fuzzy animal with floppy ears and sad brown eyes.
“Daisy is my dog. I got her for my birthday last year.”
“She’s cute,” I said.
Breindy seemed satisfied with my reply and went back to her book. I heard Ima talking on the phone. I could tell by her laughter whom she was speaking with.
This was going to be an awful summer. Nothing was going right...
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of 11 popular Jewish books, including her newly released historical fiction novel The Blizzard (Menucha 2026) and recently published novel Captured (Menucha 2025). She is also the current news editor of Binyan Magazine.
