Summer: well gentlemen what do you think.

  Picksrd: well, if you want my thoughts on what we just seen and our response to it we fell him.

  Summer: what do you mean we failed him. Nothing happened but a quick introduction.

  Rosenberg: I think I know what you mean. He ask how he can help. What did we do to respond. We told him how great he was and we were wondering how he did it. Never answered his actual question. How can he help.

  Pickard: We were acting like he should know us. That he should respect us. Then finding ourselves fan boys. When have either of you introduced yourself to him before. I know he just showed up on my radar over the last couple of weeks. When I heard of the effect of the cricket game.

  Rosenberg: look it was not for family. We would not even know about this event today. I do not think he does it for the attention. I truly starting to suspect that he is in it to help.

  Pickard: do you think the other rumors are true.

  Rosenberg: I know how to find out.

  A few minutes later the are at the home of the Mendleson family rabbi’s house. Knocking on the door the are meet with a slightly irritated rebbitzen.

  Summer: Excuse us, what can you tell us about Thomas who is living with the Mendelson?

  Rebbensin: please do not tell me you bother them today.

  Rosenberg: Unfortunately we did check on him, what can you tell us.

  Rebbentzin: What are yo trying to know. I know that he takes thing seriously. Like when the Mendellsons told Shoshana that she would have to practice the laws of Niddah with Thomas. Thomas did as the law requiired and not touch her for a whole service that I could see. My understanding the whole weekend. The first morning service which I have seen him at. He looked like he belong there. Not even when he was called up to the bemah for the first time to say the blessing over the torah did he show fear. But I can tell you I found him in the yertzit room trying to gather himself together afterwords. I know the next day he did better. So, your surpise meeting with him did not go as planed after he was having an attention descussion.

  Rosenberg: Wow, he really did not touch shoshana at service.

  Rebbentzin; My understanding the whole weekend. At service is what a saw.

  Summer: I am afraid I am a little lost

  Pickard: I think I am too

  Rosenberg: Basically it would be telling those two they can not physically touch for half the month. Then seperate them on the half a month that they could. So the first time they see each other in close to a month they have to be distance. And you say you watch them, on the same bench.

  Rebbentzin: Yes

  Pickard: ok, either they think he is crazy, not ruling out the possibility. But something right now tells me , if the records are true we have seen. Then, i think, like we felt watching him, a bit of admiration. Then he is capitalizing on that factor.

  [one could see thoughts spinning in Pickard head]

  Rickard: Lets go to the center. I want to talk with a few people. I am hopping we can pull Erickson away from his shop and talk with member of the lodge he interacts with. I think that will help give us some answers.

  [a little while latter they where able to pull Erickson and Mr. Gold out of there shops, business for the most part having died down. To inquiry what they new of Thomas. ]

  Summers: What can you tell us of Thomas who is staying with the Mindelsons.

  Mickelson: Are you say my boy is in town. I am going to be calling david to talk to him on that.

  Rosenberg: It seems you have deep feelings about him. Why him, there are a lot of young men who come through here.

  Gold: No, we have a lot of young men come though here. I see a lot of men. Do you know what I see in most of there stances when I measure them. Its either trying subcounceously to make themselves bigger, or smaller. Thomas stood there with the grace and disipline that I have seen him continous to show. But he is only one I have seen that Isasc and to argue with him, to let us outfit him. Isaac made sure he had his probationary hat ready to go the first day we meet.

  Mickelson: It is the truth. Actually Pedderson is a little upset with Zeb right now. He felt that he should have the first opportunity to have thomas work for him inside the organization. Actually, that reminds me, there is a event the week he may be up here. I think Pedderson would love thomas to help.

  Rosenburg: He impressed Pedderson with what.

  Gold: Pedderson let him set his table at the awards dinner.

  Pickard: What was his standard he used

  Mickelson : Royal event

  Summers: Wow

  Erickson: So what was the thing that had you guys thinking so much about him.

  Summers: After meeting with the local youth group. We tried to talk to him. But he sorta brush us off.

  Rosenburg: He asked how he could help and we just

  Mickelson : You had no answer. You know that medallion we give out. The one that says in hebrew Heart of service.

  Gold: my cussion has made this for him

  [He pulls out a golden pendent with Heart of service in hebrew over a heart with grasping hands]

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Rosenburg: Wow, and why

  Mickelson: You know he is working in his virtues journal as of this time.

  Summers: When did you two meet.

  Mickelson: Right at the end of August, why

  Summers: when did he get his 9th Shekel.

  Mickelson: I know he got his 12 two week before we meet. He figured out suma theologic the over a month ago now. He was presented with a service opportunity and pulled Jonathan the local leader and some other youth. When given my the person he helped gave him 4 shekel. 3 kids who helped got there first shekel. One kid who helped to his third. Jonathan who supported thomas , was given his eight by the lodges worshipful master after they where brought into the lodge by Eric. He has done this again , that was the cricket came. Now, I think it is up to several youth groups are going the secret santa. Base of an idea of helping the younger ones learn to recognize opportunity for service.

  Gold: I bet you are thinking how you can best use him. Just forget that idea. Like the cricket game and secret santa. That is put into other hands. What you can do is let him do what he is going to do.

  Summers: I think we totally miss judge this kid.

  Mickelson: Look, I think that there is a bit of irony that the room he had, really his first room in his life was enclosed, dark, with a bed and lamp. He had almost nothing to his name. Yet, 9 guys benifted over the summer. He even cared enough to do do something nice for the biggest bully in his life. With the kind of freedom and tension that would have broken me that age. Ether with two much tension at home, or to much freedom. He found a way to make it work. He does not feel he needs help. He see what he is doing helps others.

  Summers: You have given us a lot to consider.

  Gold: Look, you are great in the leadership you provide. But if you want to work with Thomas. He has been instructed by Sholomoh mendelson himself. There are only 4 adults who can make demands on his life. Only two are outside of the Mendelson family. Eric and Daniel. So you will have to work with either the Mendelson or Eric and Daniel. Even Zeb works though his father-inlaw.

  Chapter: A Question Unanswered

  The den had just begun to settle after the youth group’s departure when Summers, Pickard, and Rosenberg lingered behind, processing what they'd just seen. Their thoughts were heavy, charged by the quiet charisma of a young man they barely knew.

  “Well, gentlemen,” Summers said, leaning back, arms folded. “What do you think?”

  Pickard was quiet for a moment, then exhaled. “If you want my honest opinion—we failed him.”

  Summers blinked. “Failed him? What are you talking about? It was just an introduction.”

  Rosenberg tilted his head. “No. He asked us how he could help. And what did we do? We praised him. Asked him how hedid it. We never answered his question.”

  Pickard nodded slowly. “We acted like he should already know us. Like respect was owed to us, not earned. And then we stood there gawking like fanboys. Be honest—when did either of you actually meet him before today?”

  “I hadn’t,” Summers admitted.

  “He just hit my radar a couple of weeks ago,” Pickard said. “Word got to me after that cricket game.”

  Rosenberg added, “Let’s not forget—if it weren’t for family chatter, we wouldn’t have known about this gathering at all. I’m beginning to believe… he’s not doing this for attention. He really is just trying to help.”

  “Do you think the other rumors are true?” Pickard asked, carefully.

  “I know how to find out,” Rosenberg replied.

  A few minutes later, the three men were standing on the stoop of the Mendelsons’ rabbi’s house. The rebbetzin opened the door, clearly not expecting company—and not entirely thrilled.

  “Excuse us,” Summers said gently, “We were wondering what you could tell us about Thomas—the young man staying with the Mendelsons.”

  The rebbetzin narrowed her eyes. “Please don’t tell me you bothered them today.”

  Rosenberg grimaced. “Unfortunately, we did. We just… wanted to understand.”

  She paused, then sighed, softening. “What are you trying to know?”

  “Anything you can share,” Pickard offered. “Anything real.”

  “Well,” she said, folding her arms, “I can tell you this: when the Mendelsons explained the laws of Niddah to Shoshana—made it clear she and Thomas would need to observe them—he didn’t balk. He kept his distance for the entire service. Didn’t even shake her hand. My understanding is, he kept that boundary the whole weekend.”

  They were quiet, surprised.

  “The first Shabbat morning,” she continued, “I saw him at services. He looked like he belonged there. No hesitation, not even when he was called up to the bimah to recite the blessing over the Torah. But afterward—I found him alone in the yahrtzeit room. Collecting himself.”

  “But he did better the next day?” Pickard asked.

  She nodded. “He did.”

  Summers frowned. “I’m sorry, I feel like I’m missing something.”

  Rosenberg turned to explain. “The laws of Niddah… they create a rhythm of separation and reunion. Essentially, they couldn’t touch for half the month—and then, even when they were permitted to be together, their first interaction was still at a distance.”

  “And they sat together at services?” Pickard asked.

  “Same bench,” the rebbetzin confirmed.

  Pickard rubbed his chin. “Either they think he’s crazy… or there’s something more. Because what we felt watching him today—it wasn’t bravado. It was… admiration.”

  An hour later, the trio stood inside the community center, having pulled Erickson and Mr. Gold out of their shops. Business had quieted for the afternoon.

  Summers cut to the point. “What can you tell us about Thomas? The one staying with the Mendelsons.”

  Gold chuckled. “You mean to tell me my boy’s in town and no one told me? I’m calling David after this.”

  “You sound like you care about him,” Rosenberg noted. “Why?”

  Gold answered with a craftsman’s clarity. “I fit suits for a lot of men. You know what I usually see? Men trying to puff themselves up… or shrink themselves down. Not Thomas. He stood still. Calm. Measured. Carried himself with grace. Like a man already sure of his place.”

  Erickson added, “Isaac argued with him for fifteen minutes just to let us outfit him properly. That boy’s stubborn—but he listens.”

  “Actually,” Gold said, “Pedderson’s still a little sore at Zeb for getting first dibs on mentoring him. And now there’s an event coming up. Pedderson’s hoping Thomas will help again.”

  Rosenberg raised a brow. “He impressed Pedderson?”

  Gold grinned. “Pedderson let him set the table for the awards dinner.”

  Pickard blinked. “What standard did he use?”

  “Royal event,” Erickson said. “Every detail.”

  Summers gave a low whistle. “Wow.”

  Erickson turned the question back on them. “So what’s got you all chasing down stories about this kid?”

  Summers hesitated. “He asked us how he could help. And we had nothing to say.”

  Gold walked to a drawer and pulled out a golden pendant. It gleamed softly in his hand—etched in Hebrew, the words: Heart of Service, overlaid on a heart embraced by grasping hands.

  “My cousin crafted this for him,” he said.

  Rosenberg stared. “Why?”

  “Because he’s earned it,” Gold said. “You know he’s keeping a virtues journal?”

  Pickard nodded. “When did you meet him?”

  “Late August,” Erickson replied.

  “And when did he get his ninth shekel?” Summers asked.

  Gold didn’t hesitate. “Two weeks before we met.”

  Rosenberg stepped forward. “What do you mean?”

  “Over the summer,” Erickson explained, “Thomas performed nine different acts of service—each one recognized by a different man, each one giving him a shekel. Then he helped Ms. Mendez during a power outage—food spoiled, she was overwhelmed. She gave him four shekels for that.”

  “Four?” Pickard echoed.

  “He shared them,” Gold said. “Three went to kids who helped—each earning their first shekel. And he brought Jonathan, the local youth leader, before Worshipful Master Bloomberg. Jonathan didn’t take a shekel—but Bloomberg gave him one anyway, for backing Thomas’ effort.”

  Summers looked down, deeply thoughtful. “We completely misjudged him.”

  Gold put the pendant away. “You’re not the first. But if you’re thinking about how to ‘use’ him, forget it. Like with the cricket game and the Secret Santa idea—he plants seeds. Others run with it.”

  Mickelson’s voice came from behind them, gentle but firm. “He’s not someone you assign. He’s someone you support.”

  “Even Zeb works through his father-in-law when it comes to Thomas,” Gold added. “There are only four adults who can speak into his life—and two of them aren’t even family. Eric and Daniel.”

  Summers looked up, quieted. Humbled.

  “You’ve given us a lot to consider,” he said softly.

  Mickelson nodded. “Then do what Thomas would do. Listen.”