Here’s the same scene with every instance of “Iona” replaced by “Yona” (and adjusted grammar where needed):

  Yona: What are your plans for this evening?

  Thomas: I was going to practice my Spanish with the Mendez then go to JSBSO.

  Yona: Let me know when you go, I want to tag along or take you.

  Thomas dials the Mendez.

  Jose Mendez’s mother on the phone: Ayuda, mi electricidad se ha ido y hay una línea caída en mi patio trasero.

  Thomas: Dame tu dirección.

  Yona: What is up?

  Thomas: I think Jose’s mother is without power and a line is down in the backyard.

  Yona: Let’s go. Grandpa, we are going to help Ms. Mendez, Jose’s mother. It looks like she’s got an electric line in the backyard and is out of power.

  Sholomoh: Swing by the SBSO, get some of the JSBSO if any have arrived yet. They have a list of skills for members so we can find someone to help with the power line.

  Yona: Can we borrow the car?

  Sholomoh: You didn’t need to ask.

  They drive over to the SBSO office and rush in.

  Person at the desk, jokingly: Where’s the emergency?

  Thomas: Ms. Mendez, Jose’s mother, has a power line down in her backyard and she’s out of power. Do we have any JSBSO around? We’re heading over there now.

  Person at the desk picks up phone; it can be heard over the speakers that JSBSO members are requested to the front.

  A minute later Jonathan comes out with a few others.

  Jonathan: What’s up?

  Thomas: I went to call Jose’s family to practice Spanish. Ms. Mendez told me she had a power line down in her backyard and the power was out.

  Jonathan: How can we help?

  Thomas: My first thought is a few bodies in case we need to clean up, or have someone go get food. I was hoping we had a number for a lineman.

  Jonathan picks up the phone on the desk and dials a number.

  Jonathan on the phone: Hey, this is Jonathan with the SBSO. I’d like to report a line down in the backyard (Thomas shows him the address).

  Voice over the phone: You’re the junior, yes? My dad’s not here yet from work. Tell him we have a truck on the way.

  Jonathan: They’re sending the truck. If they know I’m not my dad over the phone, then they know us well enough to have a truck out there shortly after we get there. I can take four; I assume you can take three. That’ll give us seven.

  Just then Eric walks in with Wendy.

  Eric: What’s going on?

  Eric is explained the situation.

  Eric: Who’s leading this operation?

  Jonathan: Thomas is. I’ll relay his commands. He found it.

  Eric: Do you have an adult supervisor?

  Jonathan: Not yet.

  Eric: I guess I get to play the role.

  To the person at the desk: Let the members know where we’ve gone.

  They all take off to Ms. Mendez’s house, where they find Ms. Mendez in emotional shambles. Water is on the floor from the freezer defrosting.

  Jonathan: Thomas, what do you want to do?

  Thomas: Let’s see if there are some available trash cans. I’m going to make the assumption that dairy items will need to be replaced. Let’s open the freezer and start pulling things out and placing them in the sink to see if anything can be salvaged.

  About the time they get the food sorted out, it’s determined that most of it can’t be saved. It’s also questionable if the refrigerator is worth saving. The linemen show up and start repairing the power line.

  Thomas to Yona: Do you know if there’s any way I can get access to the money your dad pays me for helping out?

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Jonathan: Thomas, don’t worry about that. The SBSO has funds for emergencies like this. Well, I was planning on staying and getting the food thrown away. Do you and your group want to go resupply the food?

  Eric: Look, we can get the Crawfords to bring us a replacement. Thomas, what size?

  Thomas: It’s an 18-cubic-foot, I think.

  Jonathan: Who’s going to stay here and help with disposing of the food?

  Two hands go up.

  Jonathan: Okay, the rest come with me.

  Eric picks up the phone, calls Crawfords, and asks that an 18-cubic-foot refrigerator be delivered to Ms. Mendez’s house as quick as possible for the SBSO. He’s told it should be delivered within the hour.

  About this time the lights come on.

  Ms. Mendez’s face lights up.

  Thomas: Let’s go get some trash cans.

  They pull in two trash cans and start putting spoiled food in them. Everyone works together to get the trash cans out of the house.

  Shortly after the work is done, there is a knock at the door.

  Man at the door: Crawford here. I hear you guys are in need of a refrigerator. I pulled the best model in stock. Show me the old one so we can pull it out.

  They pull out the refrigerator and replace it with the new one.

  Crawford man: Hey, thanks for the opportunity, then leaves.

  Ms. Mendez goes into a back room and returns with four shekels in her hand and hands them to Thomas.

  Thomas calls over the two JSBSO members who stayed and hands them each a coin.

  Eric runs out and runs back in with four cards.

  Eric: Thomas, you should get the names and addresses on these cards for the shekels you give out.

  Thomas gets Dan and Chico’s information on the cards and starts to give them back to Eric.

  Eric: No, Thomas, you keep those with you. (Eric takes a number of the coins to put on the cards.)

  Jonathan returns and his crew puts the groceries away.

  Thomas holds up two coins.

  Jonathan: Where did you get those?

  Thomas: I think they’re Jose’s. Who here hasn’t earned a shekel yet?

  Jonathan points to two younger ones.

  Thomas gives them each a coin and takes their information.

  Eric: Good job, guys. What do you think, Yona?

  Yona: I think they need to report on their deeds.

  They say goodbye to Ms. Mendez, then drive back to SBSO.

  Eric: Thomas and Jonathan, I’d like you to stay behind and follow me.

  Eric and Yona lead Thomas and Jonathan up to the door of the Lodge.

  Eric knocks on the door three times.

  The person at the door asks: What is wanted?

  Eric: Two young men to stand for their deeds.

  A few minutes later the door opens. The person at the front of the room says, “Have them enter and stand before the shulcan.”

  Eric and Yona lead them to the table in the center of the room.

  Eric: Will you please put the four cards you filled out this evening.

  The man at the front of the room asks: Whose shekels did you use to record these deeds?

  Eric answers: They were given by Ms. Mendez for service freely rendered. Yet these two took none for themselves.

  They are asked by the Worshipful: Is this true?

  Thomas and Jonathan both reply: Yes.

  Worshipful: Secretary, please bring me their book of deeds.

  Two leather-bound books are produced.

  Worshipful: Do we have two witnesses of these deeds? Please come forward and declare their deeds.

  Yona and Eric both go to the secretary desk and tell them of the events of the evening.

  The Worshipful then reaches into his pocket, pulls out a shekel, and gives it to Eric to hand to Jonathan.

  Worshipful: What does that make for the total number of shekels for the two young men in front of us?

  Secretary: A total of twenty received by both of them—twelve for Thomas and eight for Jonathan.

  Worshipful: You two stand here and do us the honor of showing us the next generation can shun personal honor to recognize others in service. I wish to do something that I do not know has ever been done in this lodge. Bring me the skullcaps for Thomas and Jonathan. It is a quiet honor to recognize you both as probationary members of this lodge, even though you have yet to complete the training required for your next medallion. May you be back soon to verify your understanding.

  Both Thomas and Jonathan stand stunned.

  Worshipful: Let’s give them appropriate honors.

  There is a series of coordinated clapping among the members.

  Worshipful: Will Eric and Yona please escort these fine young gentlemen out of our fine lodge.

  Eric and Yona lead Thomas and Jonathan out of the lodge.

  Jonathan: My mom is going to freak out.

  Eric: You guys have to show your hats to Wendy.

  Thomas doesn’t understand until he sees Wendy’s face. The joy in her eyes is hard to ignore.

  She runs over and gives Thomas a hug.

  She says congratulations to Jonathan.

  Yona: If you don’t mind, I’ll leave you gentlemen and lady to it. I need to get this one home. He has class early in the morning.

  The moment Thomas and Yona step through the front door, Ruth is at the kitchen counter, sleeves rolled up, stirring something that smells like cinnamon and late-night comfort. She turns, tea towel still in her hands, and freezes.

  The probationary skullcap (simple black velvet with the tiny embroidered SBSO emblem) sits a little crooked on Thomas’s dark curls because he’s still not used to wearing it.

  Ruth’s eyes go wide, then instantly glassy.

  “Sholomoh!” she calls, voice cracking with joy. “Sholomoh, get in here right now!”

  Sholomoh appears in the hallway, barefoot, reading glasses perched low on his nose, an old Siddur still in one hand. He stops dead when he sees the cap.

  For a long second nobody speaks.

  Then Sholomoh’s face splits into the proudest, softest grin Thomas has ever seen on the man.

  “So,” he says quietly, “what exactly did you do tonight, motek?”

  Yona doesn’t even try to hide her smile.

  “He did the good we left the house to do,” she says. “And then he went and did something even better. Gave four JSBSO boys a chance to serve (three of them earned their very first shekel tonight). Took none for himself. Stood before the shulcan like a man twice his age and let the lodge judge his heart. They judged it good. So good they did something I’ve never seen: made him and Jonathan probationary members on the spot, training unfinished or not.”

  Ruth doesn’t wait for the rest. She crosses the room in three quick steps and pulls Thomas into a hug so fierce it lifts him half an inch off the floor. She smells like vanilla and dish soap and home.

  When she finally lets go, her eyes are shining, but her voice is steady.

  Sholomoh steps forward, rests both hands on Thomas’s shoulders, and looks him straight in the eye.

  “I heard from Mrs. Cohen next door that you kids sometimes call yourself ‘Trouble’,” he says, the corner of his mouth twitching. “May Hashem fill the whole world with trouble exactly like you.”

  He leans in, kisses the top of the skullcap once, very gently.

  “Good night, Tzuriel,” he whispers, using the Hebrew name he gave Thomas the first week he came to them. “Sleep well. You’ve earned it.”

  And somewhere in the quiet house, with Ruth still dabbing her eyes and Yona pretending she’s not doing the same, Thomas realizes the cap suddenly doesn’t feel crooked anymore.

  It feels like it was waiting for him all along.