Free Grave Endings by Rochelle Krich Page B

means), but if you don’t set firm limits, you can end up spending the farm.
    In this case, Zack’s parents’ farm. In Orthodox circles the groom often pays for FLOP—flowers, liquor, orchestra, and photography (still and video). The Abramses had given Raul a generous budget that he’d urged my parents to supplement for “this once-in-a-lifetime magical event,” which he’d momentarily forgotten wasn’t my “once.” My dad, a contractor, had groused (“Six hours later, what do you have left? Put the money in the new kitchen”), but he had been ready to give in. I had nixed the extras.
    â€œIt’s beautiful, Raul,” my mother said. “Exquisite. It’s everything you promised and more.”
    â€œBeautiful,” I echoed. My mind had skipped to Creeley, who at this moment was choosing flowers for the funeral of his son. Aggie’s killer?
    My mother nudged me. I glanced at Raul. He looked crestfallen, his smile dimmed.
    â€œI absolutely
love
it, Raul. It’s
breathtaking.
”
    Back in his office, Raul shoved stacks of magazines off chairs for us so that we could sit, and after taking his place behind his French desk, he showed us sketches for the chuppa and the preceremony reception that culminates in the
bedeken,
during which the groom views the bride and lowers the veil over her face.
    The veil originated with Rebecca, who veiled herself when she first saw Isaac. The rite, which assures the groom that he’s marrying the woman he chose, stems from the experience of Jacob, whose crafty father-in-law Laban substituted his older daughter, Leah, for her sister Rachel on the wedding day. According to the commentaries, Jacob and Rachel, anticipating Laban’s treachery, had exchanged secret signs so that Jacob would know if it was Rachel behind the veil. But Rachel, taking pity on her sister and wanting to spare her humiliation, revealed the signs to Leah. And in spite of that magnanimous gesture, Leah was jealous of Rachel and the love her younger sister shared with Jacob when he took her as his second wife. And it was Rachel who was barren for so long while Leah and Jacob’s two other wives triumphantly bore many sons and daughters to their husband, Rachel who died young and was buried on the lonely roadside.
    In my mind’s eye I saw myself inside Rachel’s Tomb, circling the sepulchre and pressing my red thread against the dark velvet. I saw Aggie slipping the locket, a snip of the red thread inside, around her neck. I saw Trina Creeley clutching an identical locket before she dropped it out of sight. I wondered again where Creeley had obtained the red thread and the locket, and why.
    Raul was gesturing with his free hand and explaining while his pencil flew over page after page of his white pad. I forced myself to focus. Soon thoughts of Aggie and the locket receded, and I was caught up in Raul’s excitement. That’s how I’d been since Thursday—grieving for Aggie one minute, giddy with anticipation the next.
    My mother asked about the
mechitza.
I would have been fine without the partition that would separate the men and women during the dancing throughout the dinner. So would the Abramses, who are less strict than their son, the rabbi. But we’d been overruled by Zack and my parents.
    â€œThe
mehitza
will be a grand surprise,” Raul said, pronouncing the word without the guttural
ch.
“Gorgeous, fabulous, everybody will be talking about it for weeks.”
    And he would stay within the budget, he assured my mother.
    â€œEven if I have to do this at my cost. But don’t tell Dani.” He cast a worried look over his shoulder and put his finger to his sensuous lips.
    â€œBecause you are family, you know,” he said a moment later as he gave each of us a kiss and a long-stemmed yellow rose and ushered us out of the shop.

eleven
    I TOOK MY ROSE AND MY EUPHORIA TO THE HAIR SALON on Melrose