A Special Connection

“Inbal! Are we still going to the mall tonight?’ Helen asked.

“Today is Friday! Of course! We have to celebrate the fact that I’ve finally finished my English project! ” Inbal exclaimed excitedly.

“Great! I’ll meet you at 7 o’clock. ”

Inbal was happy she could go out with her friend, Helen. Lately she has been so busy with homework and all kinds of projects for school, she didn’t have any time to hang out. Tenth grade is a busy year!

Inbal was lost in her thoughts as she was walking home alone. “I still have homework in mathematics to do and then I’ll go to my dancing lesson. After that I’ll come home, take a shower and change. I should be ready by 7 o’clock.” She thought and before she realized it, she was standing in front of the gate of her house.

Inbal put in the numbers of the code and entered the front garden. She was just about to put  the key in the lock of the house when  a sudden loud “BAM” stopped her.

“What was that?” Inbal asked, realizing she was talking to herself . She saw a ball rolling in the garden, stopping right next to her feet. Inbal was wondering whose ball it could be. She looked around and in the next door garden she saw two boys frantically looking all around for what seems like a ball. They were the new next door neighbors, the Cohen family.  Nice people who moved in last month. The only problem was Inbal’s mother. Whenever Inbal confronted her mother and asked her why they avoid and don’t talk to their new neighbors , she only says “They are religious and you don’t talk to them!”

Inbal picked up the ball and walked towards the house of the Cohen family.

“Hey! Is this your ball?” Inbal asked the boys.

“Yes! Thank you!” the boys answered, happily taking the ball.

A girl, about Inbal’s age came out of the house and shouted: ” Chaim and Meir! You have to get ready! Shabbos is coming soon! Oh! Hi! You are Inbal from next door, right?” the teenage girl turned to Inbal suddenly realizing she was standing there.

“Yes. I just wanted to return your ball. Eh… I have to go..” Inbal got confused. She wanted to continue the conversation but her mother’s prohibition pushed her away. “You have a guest coming,” is all she can think of saying. Inbal tried to leave but the girl stopped her.

“A guest? No!” said the girl thoughtfully, ” Shabbos is coming! She’s our special guest! You should stay and see..

“Thank you, but..” Inbal got even more confused. She was interested, but couldn’t.. her mother…

“I have to go. Bye” Inbal hurried out of the Cohen’s house before the teenage girl could stop her.

She ran through the gate of her house, unlocked the door and quickly closed the door behind her.

Rifkah slowly opened the door and let her mother in first. Then she walked in behind her and cautiously closed the door. The doctor was sitting behind his desk, reading from all kinds of papers.

“He’s probably reading all the tests results.” Rifkah thought to herself as she sat down. She could hear her heart pounding  loudly and she was sure the doctor and her mother could hear it too… “What will it be?” She thought to herself  “Maybe he’ll say I need to be hospitalized. Maybe I need an operation. i just hope he finds out what’s the matter with me..” Rifkah thought to herself.

It all started a few months ago when Rifkah started getting sick with fever. At first, Rifkah’s mother didn’y pay much notice to it, but then the fever started coming back again and again. After a while even the doctor said “Let’s make some tests”.

Rifkah found herself more at home, in bed, than in school. In the beginning, Rifkah was excited to be home ” No school! Great!” rejoiced Rifkah. However, how much can you read books? Play on the computer? In addition, on the days that she felt well, she went to school but didn’t understand what the teacher was teaching because she missed out so much! So, Rifkah’s good friends came over to give and explain some of the schoolwork. Since Rifkah is in tenth grade, the schoolwork is not always so easy to understand, especially with fever running through her body.  Rifkah was very worried about the examinations that are starting this year, however, the only fear she had now were the results of the tests. Rifkah prayed this morning longer than usual, pleading to Hashem that the doctor should give only good news. The praying calmed her down, and now, with a pounding heart, she was waiting for the doctor’s diagnosis.

At 5 o’clock Inbal was ready for her dance class. She took her bag and went out. Inbal took out the key to lock the house since both Inbal’s parents are still at work and come only after six. Standing next to the door there is a spot from where Inbal can peek into the Cohen family’s house. Inbal couldn’t resist herself. She had to see that “Shabbos guest”! Inbal saw Mrs. Cohen beautifully dressed in a white blouse and skirt with pink flowers on it. The teenage girl was standing next to her mother. Shining silver candlesticks were on the table which was covered with a white tablecloth. Mrs. Cohen lit the candlesticks and then covered her face with her hands. Inbal has never seen or felt such holiness! She felt she can almost touch it! “Why is mommy so much against religion? It doesn’t look bad! The opposite!”

All of a sudden, Inbal hears someone calling her. It is Rifkah! Rifkah is signaling to Inbal, inviting her inside. “A few minutes won’t hurt,” Inbal pondered over her options. She really wanted to discover more about this shabbos!

“Come!” Rifkah asks again and this time Inbal takes the invitation and enters the Cohen house. The Cohen family was having a small Shabbos party where children from the neighborhood come and listen to stories and learn about the weekly reading of the Torah. Inbal was fascinated. She could feel holiness in the air. Being engrossed in Rifkah’s stories, Inbal lost track of time. After half an hour, she suddenly realized she is late for her dancing class and had to run!

Throughout the dance class, Inbal couldn’t stop thinking of the Cohen family and the discovery of the inspiring shabbos. Inbal knew one thing for sure. She can’t tell mommy she visited the Cohen family and participated in a shabbos party!

The doctor looked at Rifkah and her mother seriously and  said: ” I have good news and bad news. The good news is we know what the problem is. Rifkah has a very rare disease which is called FRA. It is a genetic, very rare disease which only one in two million people have. Most of them don’t even know they are carrying the disease.” The bad news is you need an operation. “The doctor said looking straight into Rifkah’s eyes.  “Including one more person… Blood needs to be transplanted into you from someone with the same blood type as you. The problem is that you have a very rare blood type which only one in a thousand people have.”

” And then will I be healthy?” Rifkah asked fearing to rejoice before the doctor finishes.

The doctor with a stern face, said: “You’ll need to rest for a few days, go through a few tests to see the disease is gone, but then, yes, my dear Rifkah, you’ll be able to go back to school!”

“Wow,” Rifkah felt such a relief, but at the same time anxious for she needs an operation and who likes that? On top of that, how is she going to find someone with the same blood type as her?

“Maybe me or one of the siblings have the same rare blood type!” Rifkah’s mother suddenly proclaimed and smiled comfortably to Rifkah saying: “Everything is going to be alright.”

“No,” said the doctor, “we checked yours and your sibling’s blood type.”

At home, Rifkah and her brothers and sisters are busy preparing posters and making phone calls in search of a candidate with the same blood type. Rifkah’s brothers were putting the posters up in their neighborhood when at the same time Inbal was walking home from school. She stopped to read the poster. Inbal was trying to comprehend what the poster was saying. Rifkah Cohen? Is sick? Needs a blood transfusion? She is looking for someone with the same rare blood type?

“Mommy!”, Inbal was calling for her mother. “Did you see the poster? About Rifkah Cohen being sick? That she needs a blood transfusion?”

“Yes, but what does it have to do with you?” Inbal’s mother was looking suspiciously at her daughter.

“Maybe one of us has the rare blood type!” exclaimed Inbal.

“Inbal,” mommy looked into Inbal’s eyes the way she does when she is saying something serious,” you are always trying to save the world! You know I am very proud of you! Ok, you can check if one of us fits.”

Two weeks later…

Rifkah and Inbal are lying in two separate hospital beds, one next to the other. Rifkah is glancing at Inbal. A wave of gratitude overwhelms her. “I genuinely want to thank you for doing this for me. How can I return anything for you?”

Inbal looked smilingly at Rifkah and at her mother who was watching and listening:”Shabbos. You can teach me more about that!” Rifkah winked at Inbal and proclaimed:”That’s a deal!”

All the pictures in this book are chosen carefully and have no copyright attached to them.