Women's Minyan (6 page)

CHANA
: Even as a child I knew not to expect pity. And I don’t expect it now. [
taking out papers from her purse.
] Here. It’s a court order.

FRUME
: [
shocked
.] What?

CHANA
: You have to let me see them. It’s the law.

SHAINE RUTH
: [
reading
.] “The Court has decided to accept the recommendations of the social worker and, therefore, the Court nullifies all previous court orders forbidding visitation of Chana Sheinhoff with her minor children, and declares that the father, Yaakov Sheinhoff, shall in no way prevent or interfere with said visits. The mother shall be allowed to visit once a week…”

ETA
: Is this the law?

TOVAH
: There are laws, and then there are laws,
farshteyst?

FRUME
: This is the law of the godless State. It’s not our law. It’s worth nothing in Meah Shearim.

SHAINE RUTH
: No, Granny. It’s a Rabbinical Court order.

FRUME
: That can’t be! [
to
CHANA
.] The Rabbinical Court order forbids you to go near the children! [
grabbing the order from
SHAINE RUTH
.]

CHANA
: This is a new one.

FRUME
: [
cutting her off. Reading the words out loud, incredulous.
] “And after a trial period, the Court will make its decision on the mother’s request to remove the children from the father’s custody…” What?! Out of the question. You fooled the Rabbis too. Rav Aaron warned us. [
tearing the page to pieces.
] Here, here, here is your court order.

CHANA
: [
calmly taking more from her purse
.] The police have copies. I made a thousand of them. Enough for all of you to tear.

GITTE LEAH
: [
sticking her face into
CHANA
’s,
belligerently.
] It won’t help you. [
with a malicious smile, crumpling up the paper
.] All you have in your hands is paper. Your children are in our hands. And we will never give them back to you. Never!

CHANA
: [
for first time, losing control. She shakes
GITTE LEAH
violently by the shoulders, grabbing off her hair covering.
] God of the Universe! God of the Universe! God of the Universe! Give me back my children!!

GITTE LEAH
: [
fighting back.
] How dare you touch me! Criminal! Oy, my back!
Meshuganah! Pritza!
Mother!

FRUME
: [
rushing to help
GITTE LEAH
.] My
maideleh,
my child! Leave her alone.
Vilda Chaya
(wild animal)!

SHAINE RUTH
: [
trying to hold her mother back.
] Mother!

BLUMA
: Enough. Stop! Please!

SHEINHOFF
:
Oy vey iz mere
! (Oh, woe is me!) What is happening to us? Dear God. [
in a great voice.
]
STOP IT, ALL OF YOU
!

SHEINHOFF
: Look at yourselves! It’s a disgrace. Is this how pious women behave? [
pause.
] Attack her, slander her—that’s what we did the minute she walked through the door. You’ve forgotten completely that she’s the one who built this house with so much hard work and so much love. A Jew, even if he sins, is still a Jew. Let me speak to her.

ADINA
: [
delicately blocking
GITTE LEAH’S
way, helping her re-cover her hair.
] Come, Gitte Leah, let’s go to the kitchen. [
GITTE LEAH
shrugs her off belligerently.
] Bluma, can you prepare some tea? Everyone is tired and thirsty. Let my mother talk to her….

FRUME
: [
complaining to
SHEINHOFF
.]
Narishkeit
(foolishness). There’s no point.

ADINA
: Come, Mrs. Kashman. Have a little tea.

SHAINE RUTH
: Come, Granny, please.

SHEINHOFF
: [
in affection and pain.
] Chana, I can’t believe this is you—!

CHANA
: That was nothing. Just the roar of a mother lion. But if you keep me away from my children even one more day, I will do much more than roar, I promise you that!

SHEINHOFF
: Chanaleh, Chanaleh…. Isn’t it written: “All His paths are pleasant, and all His ways are peaceful?” Is it right for you to hurt your own family? To bring the police? To make wars? Why does it have to be this way?

CHANA
: [
pause
.] What way would you like it to be, Mameh Goldie? What choice have any of you left me?

SHEINHOFF
: The children are fine, Chana. They’re taken care of. You have my word. What is it you want?

CHANA
: All I’ve ever wanted: to do the right thing. Please believe me, Mameh Goldie.

SHEINHOFF
: You hear? The right thing, Chana, is for you to leave here now, quietly. What was, was. The rift is too deep to heal, and the clock can’t be turned back. If you insist on continuing, who knows where you will drag us all…. Go Chana. That’s the best thing for you and for the children.

CHANA
stares at
SHEINHOFF
:
What does she know? What is she afraid of?
SHEINHOFF
does not meet her eyes.

CHANA
: The best thing for my children is to see their mother. You can’t imagine…. Two years…standing outside the gates of their schools and kindergartens, like a leper, hoping to catch just a glimpse. Running between lawyers and courtrooms, and the money I spent, for a piece of paper….

CHANA
: I should have known Rav Aaron wouldn’t honor it, would send his thugs…If it hadn’t been for the police, they would have beaten me, too. (
SHEINHOFF
mumbles apologetically
) I thought I’d learned to stand up for myself in the last two years. But when my mother and my sister trample over me…I feel like a squashed bug, like that same old doormat…They’ve even poisoned my daughters against me. It’s terrible to see how they’re torn….

SHEINHOFF
: [
sorrowfully
.] Go, Chanaleh, before the riot starts again.

CHANA
: It would be abandoning them again. I just can’t. Please!

SHEINHOFF
: Nothing you could say would outweigh the harm of doing it this way. Please, if you love them…

CHANA
: (
worn down
,
beginning to give in
.) With all my heart! (Beat) Promise me you’ll watch over them, that you won’t let my girls be crushed by her, the way she crushed me…And even more, watch over my little ones…

SHEINHOFF
: You have my word. Show consideration for us now, and who knows? Perhaps in the future something can be worked out.

CHANA
: [
after a pause.
] I’ll go. For now. But I am not giving up my children. I will never give up my children. I’ll think about what to do next and I’ll be back. [
she takes her purse, shopping bag, and walks toward the door. Suddenly, with a heartbreaking cry, she turns back and kneels before
SHEINHOFF
.] Please, Mameh Goldie!

SHEINHOFF
: I can’t go against the family.

CHANA
: [
heartbroken, she rises, opens her shopping bag. Tearfully.
] This is the doll for Shifraleh, and these are the Chassidic music discs for Shimmy and Shmuel Zanvil, and these are the books for the older boys—[
she drops the bag on the table, unable to speak, turns to leave.
].

SHEINHOFF
: [
also in tears. Taking her hand
.] Chana, wait! We can say good-bye like human beings. At least sit a minute. Have a cup of tea before you go [
toward the kitchen.
] Bluma!