TITLE: A Whole Year?
AUTHOR: glasswrks
COPYRIGHT: June 11th – June 21st, 2012
RATINGS: (USA) T (UK) PG (AUS) PG
AUTHOR'S DISCLAIMER: Let's face it, I don't own "Yentl" or any of the characters, back story, etc. I'm not making a cent from it – if I did, I'd buy a new computer and some other things. The story; along with any original characters are mine though I think; pesky copyright laws.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the 1983 movie, Yentl, which starred Barbra Streisand, Mandy Patinkin and Amy Irving, amongst others. It is based on the short story written by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The movie was co-written by Jack Rosenthal and Barbara Streisand. The United Artist/Barwood production was co-produced by Larry De Waay and Rusty Lemorande. It was produced and directed by Barbra Streisand.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story came to me out of the blue. It's something we'll never see, but it would have been interesting. I had additional notes at the end of the story I hope you'll read as well. Thank you in advance to anyone/everyone who reads the story, let alone comments on it.
CHAPTER ONE: A mother knows.
Hadass watched as Anshel and Avigdor walked side by side down the street on their way to the Yeshiva, their heads bent close together as they talked and Anshel with a book in his hand.
She wondered briefly if he would remember what today was.
He was probably too busy with his studies to give this day any more importance then say, the price of fish in the market.
Hadass had asked her parents not to say anything to him. She did not want to embarrass Anshel, in case he had forgotten.
She on the other hand would never forget.
How could she?
Hadass had not wanted to marry Anshel, she hardly knew him.
What little she did know she had heard from Avigdor before their betrothal had been broken.
He would brag about Anshel accomplishments, how brilliant he was.
How Rabbi Zalman was pleased to have Anshel as a student.
How he would have ten answers for one question, "He's gifted," Avigdor once told her, with pride evident in his voice. She could tell he thought of Anshel like a brother.
"Avigdor..." she sighed.
If things had gone according to plan, she would have been celebrating her first year of marriage with him, instead of Anshel.
However, she was not one to question her father's decisions; not openly, although Anshel had. He had tried to make her father understand how much Avigdor loved her. How well suited they were for each other.
But her father would not budge, would not be swayed from his decision.
Hadass wanted to say she had no idea why he fought on Avigdor's behalf, but she was fooling herself. She knew exactly why: he was simply trying to avoid getting married, after all her father had practically thrown her at Anshel.
If anything Anshel was married to his studies.
She had never heard Avigdor mention any woman that had caught Anshel's eye.
"I've never seen anyone more dedicated to learning in my life," Avigdor told her.
She could not imagine Anshel giving up his pursuit of knowledge for love.
And Anshel most assuredly did not love her.
At first, she wasn't sure if he even liked her.
He hardly gave her the time of day. Not that he was ill-mannered to her, he was very polite.
She was just... Hadass, Avigdors' betrothed. She believed he tolerated her presence, not because he wanted to, but because he had to, for Avigdor's sake.
He never went out of his way to speak to her.
He was very quiet and for the most part kept to the background, as if desperately trying not to be noticed, whenever he accompanied Avigdor for supper.
He did such a good job of it, she was sorry to admit that she sometimes forgot he was there.
And he was only there for Avigdor's sake.
Over time, Hadass could see how close they were. Anshel hung onto every word Avigdor said. He copied his gestures without knowing it. And they were rarely out of each others sight.
So when Anshel had told her that Avigdor had begged him to marry her, she wasn't at all surprised that he agreed.
"I asked him: You love her that much? You would rather I marry her than anyone else? And he answered, "You have to, please." Anshel had looked away; she had seen his eyes grow bright and shiny. "So, I did."
"That was very generous of you Anshel." She had told him softly.
He looked at her for a moment or two before excusing himself and leaving her presence.
Hadass looked at him differently from then on. He was a man of principle; she could appreciate that quality about him. When he said something he meant it. When he told her on their wedding night that he would not force her to do anything she did not want to, he had kept his word.
She was not sure how long that would last.
A man has needs, or so her mother had told her, yet he never once approached her to demand his rights as her husband.
It was a year later and he still kept his word.
She continued to gaze out the window watching as they disappeared from view.
Knowing how busy it was going to get, she went into the kitchen to make preparations for supper.
She had decided to make Anshel's favorites.
He was always grateful whenever she made him something he truly enjoyed. When he thanked her, he was very considerate and she believed him. It did not sound as if he were saying it to be polite.
It was as if he knew how much time was spent in preparing the evening meal. He would comment on the flavors asking her what she had used and nodded as she gave the list of ingredients.
At first it was the only conversations they would have, they hardly spoke to one another, except for routine pleasantries.
They were for all intents and purposes, strangers.
Strangers thrown together in a situation neither of them expected, let alone wanted.
It was not until they had been married for three months when she noticed he came home with a smile on his face and she wanted to know why.
"I'll… I'll tell you during supper, if you really want to know," he said quietly.
"I would Anshel."
"All right."
Later on while they sat at the dinner table, he regaled them with a story about Shimmele and his fondness for sweets. He had purchased one earlier in the day and had not had a chance to taste it. He had left the room and some of the younger students decided to pull a prank.
"Shimmele was beside himself. He could not find it any where; he looked high and low, finally after ten minutes he stopped. He threw his hands up in frustration and sat down," Anshel had said. "When he sat everyone heard a loud popping sound, Shimmele jumped up from the chair as if he had been bit…"
"What happened?" she had asked.
"One of the students next to him had put the bag with the pastry on the chair right as he sat down. The force split it open and Shimmele had filling all over his pants. It was deadly quiet until Rabbi Zalman started laughing. 'It serves you right Shimmele. I've told you not to bring that in here.' He said."
Everyone had laughed afterwards.
"Tell me more," she asked him.
Hadass realized she enjoyed listening to him speak. He would actually hold her gaze, unlike before when he seemed almost frighten to be in the same room with her.
"Hadass… sweetheart…"
"Hmm…"
"Hadass."
"Oh, yes mother, what can I do for you?"
"Are you all right?"
Hadass frowned. "Yes, I'm fine. I was thinking."
"Of Anshel?"
She looked questioningly at her mother, seeing a slight smile on her face. "Yes Mother, I was, how could you tell?"
"Oh Hadass," Mrs. Vishkower reached out and took Hadass' hand in hers and patted it. "Sweetheart, you were smiling, you're always smiling when you think about him now."
"I do?" Hadass asked. Had she been smiling? If so, why.
Hadass' mother gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Yes you do. It makes me so happy."
"Happy? Why mother?"
"Hadass, you may not know it, but you've fallen for Anshel. I can tell, a mother can always tell," she gushed.
Hadass was flummoxed. She watched her mother leave the room daubing at her eyes. 'She's being silly,' Hadass thought. She was not in love with Anshel.
She could not be – she loved Avigdor.
'What was mother thinking?'
