Time Travel Institute (Cold Curtain)

Pinkie Promise

"The good Jew is ritually observant and resists assimilation, in some sense living apart, never fitting comfortably into American or any other society."—Elliott Abrams

December 3, 2148

"I found somebody to train as an operator!" Alexander said when Benjamin answered the door to the apartment. "Hi, Gloria."

She waved.

"Really?" Benjamin asked.

"When I first saw her, I didn't really see her. Just the pile of books she was carrying."

"Do you know anything about her?"

"She's a physicist and gorgeous, but a Jew. She's going to start over the summer."

"How is she going to if you don't know her name?"

"Oh...She knows about the website, so maybe she will email. She knows how to Dutch braid."

"Okay, sorry, but I have to tell you this. You've got a case of hormones over a girl it's going to be impossible for you to be with." It made him feel hypocritical to go into Christian mode, but he would feel guilty if Alexander did something that normal Alexander would not do that Benjamin knew about and did not try to point out.

"I do not!" Alexander said.

"Yeah, you do. You remember how she did her hair because you mentioned it, and you normally don't remember things like that for more than a minute."

"Sometimes I do for longer."

"Hey, Gloria, are Dutch braids wacky?" Benjamin asked.

"Nope!" Gloria said.

"You only remember hairstyles if they are wacky. Plus, you called her gorgeous, and you've never called anybody that. And, you know she's a Jew, so you asked her what denomination she was."

"I didn't do that. She has a gold—a—that scripture thingy they hang on their doorways—a Mephibosheth or whatever—around her neck. Mephibosheth was a person, not a thing...."

"I know what you're talking about. Seriously, Alexander, if she was a Lutheran, I wouldn't be telling you this stuff, but she is a Jew! It's not even the same religion! Christians aren't supposed to marry outside the faith, remember? They do anyway, but not the super-devout ones like you," Benjamin said, "God will forgive you if you do, but that doesn't mean you can go out and do it."

"You're right. I'll forget about her. I can fix the stove now."

While he fixed, Benjamin checked the Time Travel Institute email. The only one said: Shalom! I'm the book girl on the steps. I forgot to introduce myself—My name is Chava Pfeiffer. Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with the Time Travel Institute! Chava :)"

Benjamin wrote:

Hello, Chava!

Alexander just told me about you. It's great that finally somebody not related to us doesn't think we are making it up.

He said that you are a Jew. Neither of us know much about Judaeism—we're from a historic Christian background—and don't be afraid to correct us.

The address is 317 Windsor Lane, off Scott Highway between Lithonia and Conyers. It's not far before Conyers Monastery—just drive straight down the lane until you get to an old, white plantation house.