It was Friday afternoon. Julia set a place for John at her family's Shabbat table.
Plate. Cup. Spoon.And a little card that said JOHN.
“There's a place for you,” she told the empty chair.Bear watched from the sofa.
“You too,” said Julia.
She sat him in John's chair.Bunny watched from the sofa.
“You too.”
Elephant watched from the sofa.
“You want the singing, don't you?”
Julia looked at his enormous bottom.
“We'll manage.”Bear sat on Bunny. Bunny sat on Elephant.
Elephant took up the WHOLE chair.
Nana came to the doorway.
“That looks like John's place.”
Julia looked at the card.
It did.She tried sitting everybody side by side.
Bear fitted.
Bunny fitted.
Elephant...
FLOMP.
Julia caught him against her knees.
“Perhaps not side by side.”She put Bear, Bunny and Elephant on her own lap.
Then she sat down.
Two long ears covered her eyes.
A trunk covered her mouth.
“Mmmph!”Nana rescued the trunk.
“A very full lap,” she said.Knock, knock!
John had arrived.
“There's a place for you,” said Julia.
She looked at the chair.
She looked at her lap.
“Somewhere.”John crouched beside Elephant.
“Are you staying for dinner?”
Julia made Elephant nod.
“And the singing. He especially likes the singing.”
John gave the trunk a little wave.
Julia stopped.
“The singing!”She fetched three cushions from the sofa and lined them up on the rug beside the table.A front row.
Bear sat down. Bunny sat down.
Elephant flomped onto his cushion.
This time, he stayed there.
“Can you see?” asked Julia.
John nodded all three heads.Julia straightened John's card beside his plate.
John sat in his chair.
Julia sat in hers.Nana brought the challah, golden and braided.
“There's a place for you,” Julia told her.
There was.Mom lit the Shabbat candles.They shared blessings, grape juice and challah.
John passed Julia the bread.Julia passed him a piece with a lovely soft middle.
On the rug, three friends waited for their favorite part.Julia began the little song she had made:
“There's a place for you,
and a place for me.
Come and sit beside us.
Here is where we'll be.”
John joined in. Mom joined in. Nana joined in.
Bunny's ears bobbed to the tune.
Julia was helping them.After the song, John looked at the front row.
Bear leaned on Bunny.
Bunny leaned on Elephant.
Elephant lay flat on his cushion.
“He looks asleep,” whispered John.
Julia tucked his trunk onto the cushion.
“Shabbat shalom, Elephant.”
