Chapter 8: Shadchan's Interview
The floor was covered with Lego and puzzle pieces, scattered artistically in bright splodges of color. Shulamit kicked them aside and cleared a path to the dining room table. Brachy followed in her footsteps, trying her best not to step on any toys. Shulamit gestured to Brachy to sit down opposite her.
"So Brachy, tell me a bit about yourself please."
"Shuli, we've been friends since kindergarten!"
"I know, I know. But I still need to write down the details. Your personal information and stuff."
"Like what? You know who I am" Brachy thought this whole thing was ridiculous. Shulamit was getting carried away.
"Brachy relax. I know what I'm doing. I am an experienced matchmaker."
"Um, exactly how many matches have you made Shuli?"
Shulamit made a non committal sound. It was a sore point.
"Nu, how many?"
"One" Shulamit said. "But now I've learned the technique! This is just the beginning!"
"Right" Brachy said, not convinced. "So, what do you want to know? I'm called Brachy Miller. I live down the street from you. I grew up with you"
"Hold on, let me get organized." Shulamit opened up a loose leaf binder, pulled out a pack of fluorescent pink writing paper.
"I have a system", she told Brachy. "Pink is for girls, blue is for boys"
"So all you need to do is match the pink papers with the blue ones?"
Shulamit smiled widely. "Exactly!"
Brachy muttered something, but Shulamit pretended not to hear it. It didn't sound flattering.
"Brachy, tell me what you're looking for."
"Looking for in life in general? Or something in particular?"
"Looking for in a husband! Come on, Brachy, you agreed to this."
Brachy sighed. "I'm so tired of that question though. It's all anyone ever asks me. 'What am I looking for?' Like all I need to do is punch my order into a manufacturing system and a boy will come out the other end. And then, once I've finished spilling out my heart's desires, they tell me they don't have anyone, they don't even know any single boys. So why ask in the first place?!"
"Right. I can see how that can be upsetting. But we have to start somewhere."
Shulamit flushed a bright shade of pink. She matched the paper she was holding.
"You don't have any boys either, do you Shulamit? Admit it"
"I did meet one!" Shulamit defended herself. "Just this Friday I met a lovely boy who's interested in dating!"
"Great. So set me up with him."
"Oh. I don't think you two would really suit. I can't see you together..."
"Don't you think you should let me decide that?"
"Please Brachy, trust me, OK?"
"So Brachy, tell me a bit about yourself please."
"Shuli, we've been friends since kindergarten!"
"I know, I know. But I still need to write down the details. Your personal information and stuff."
"Like what? You know who I am" Brachy thought this whole thing was ridiculous. Shulamit was getting carried away.
"Brachy relax. I know what I'm doing. I am an experienced matchmaker."
"Um, exactly how many matches have you made Shuli?"
Shulamit made a non committal sound. It was a sore point.
"Nu, how many?"
"One" Shulamit said. "But now I've learned the technique! This is just the beginning!"
"Right" Brachy said, not convinced. "So, what do you want to know? I'm called Brachy Miller. I live down the street from you. I grew up with you"
"Hold on, let me get organized." Shulamit opened up a loose leaf binder, pulled out a pack of fluorescent pink writing paper.
"I have a system", she told Brachy. "Pink is for girls, blue is for boys"
"So all you need to do is match the pink papers with the blue ones?"
Shulamit smiled widely. "Exactly!"
Brachy muttered something, but Shulamit pretended not to hear it. It didn't sound flattering.
"Brachy, tell me what you're looking for."
"Looking for in life in general? Or something in particular?"
"Looking for in a husband! Come on, Brachy, you agreed to this."
Brachy sighed. "I'm so tired of that question though. It's all anyone ever asks me. 'What am I looking for?' Like all I need to do is punch my order into a manufacturing system and a boy will come out the other end. And then, once I've finished spilling out my heart's desires, they tell me they don't have anyone, they don't even know any single boys. So why ask in the first place?!"
"Right. I can see how that can be upsetting. But we have to start somewhere."
Shulamit flushed a bright shade of pink. She matched the paper she was holding.
"You don't have any boys either, do you Shulamit? Admit it"
"I did meet one!" Shulamit defended herself. "Just this Friday I met a lovely boy who's interested in dating!"
"Great. So set me up with him."
"Oh. I don't think you two would really suit. I can't see you together..."
"Don't you think you should let me decide that?"
"Please Brachy, trust me, OK?"
The writing is great, and sound lke it was written by a professional author. Although, to tell the truth, the idea of a single girl being a shadchan isn't very realistic. plus, it makes the reader believe that deep down, the real reason she took up this position is find her own match.
ReplyDeleteyou know... if instead of asking what are you looking for, they should ask, who are you. Matchmakers, with supposed people intuition, should be able to match people based on who they are, not what they're looking for....
ReplyDeletePatience, all will be explained - eventually.
ReplyDeleteBut in general, the idea of a single girl being a Shadchan isn't impossible. A lot of singles set each other up, Shulamit is merely taking it to the next level.
Actually, I knew a single man who tried to set me up with "nice young men."
ReplyDeleteI ended up marrying him.