Finally, Chapter I

The Adventures of Becca and Freddie, The Turtle Dated 11 September 2009

Chapter I

This story takes place in New York City, home of a gazillion people. My name is Hannah Rebeccah Harris, and this story is about my future turtle, Freddie. I come from a Jewish home, not ultra religious, but we have a great love for God and His Word, and for each other. My Mother is called Ima, My Father is Abba. My family calls me Becca all the time, a shortened version of Rebeccah. I like that name.

My best adult friend is Bubbe – my Grandmother. Bubbe and my Grandfather live in the same building as I do, but they live about 9 stories below, on the first floor. Bubbe takes me to school in the morning, and picks me up after school. When I have friends over after school, Bubbe sometimes makes us cookies, and sometimes we’ll just have cheese and crackers with bread and butter pickle slices. Yum! My favorite!

My home with my parents is in the penthouse apartment right across the street from Central Park, in the Upper East Side. This city is full of very tall buildings, many of them buildings where people go to work, and many of them apartments where families live. A penthouse is the very top story of an apartment building, and it’s quite special because you can walk out onto a large porch area that has trees and flower pots, and in our case you can see right across the street into Central Park.

Central Park is quite special, as it has wonderful trails where people jog every day, and a big play area for kids, like me. The Central Park Zoo is close by, and Friedsman Carousel is so very much fun. There is a wonderful small lake where people can rent a canoe and paddle away for hours; there are large rocks quite popular for the boys to climb; the forests are thick and dark, home for little critters like squirrels and chipmunks, little field mice and bugs. LOTS of bugs, even fire flies at night that are fun to run after and catch in little jars. But you have to be careful to let them go after awhile so they can join their family.

My parents both work full time; Ima works in a bank and helps people start new accounts. Abba sells property, like office space in the large buildings called “sky-scrapers”. Our whole family, including my Grandparents, gets together every Friday night to have dinner together. We welcome in the Sabbath with candles and a beautiful braided loaf of bread, called Challah that Bubbe bakes, with my help of course! Abba shares from our Bible great truths we need to know about and remember. On Saturday, Abba and my Grandfather leave early in the morning for Synagogue, at Temple Emanu-el and later we take walks through the Park, often times having a picnic of left-over Challah with cheese and fruit. I love my family!

Sometimes after school or during summer break, Bubbe and I take the subway to the Museum of Natural History, or just walk through the park. Once in a great while Bubbe treats me to a carriage ride and I always prepare myself by bringing a couple of whole carrots for the wonderful, gentle horse. My friend Sophie and I get together quite often, and her little brother, Jacob, often comes over with her. Jacob is just a year younger, so the three of us have a great time together. I think they are my very best friends!

I love being with Bubbe, but … well, some days I just want to have something to take care of by myself, instead of being taken care of. One day, Bubbe and I sat down after school, when it was just the two of us. It was storming something fierce outside and we just sat quietly, watching the lightening out of the large windows. I was apparently more quiet than usual, as Bubbe asked me what was going on in my pretty little head.

“Becca darling, what’s troubling you, child?”

“Oh Bubbe”, I said sadly, “I love the time I spend with you and all the things we do together, but sometimes I’d really like to have something that I could care for, like a pet!”

“I totally understand,” said Bubbe, pulling me closer to her, her arm holding my shoulder tightly. “Sometimes a little girl just needs to have a buddy, other than a classmate or your old Bubbe.” We both giggled at that comment, as I didn’t ever think of Bubbe as old! Just a little crinkled here and there.

So, that night when we were sitting down for dinner, I prepared to have a little pow-wow with my parents. Bubbe had fixed our meal, and my Grandfather also came because he likes to eat too!

Bubbe spoke right up, “Becca and I talked today about her need to have a pet. I think she’s old enough, and with my watchful protection, she’d have an opportunity to take care of something, and learn things along the way.”

Becca chimed in, “Yes, Ima and Abba… I’d really like to ask your permission to have a small pet that I can care for!”

Becca’s Ima said, “I’d love for you to have a pet, sweetheart, but the apartment rules are such that they don’t allow dogs or cats. Let’s check with the Superintendent and see what he recommends. Perhaps a caged little pet would be acceptable.”

Abba spoke right up, “Yes, I think being eight years old is a great age to have some responsibility in caring for a pet. I think you’d be perfect as a pet owner.”

I was SO excited, I jumped up from my seat at the table and gave each Parent and Grandparent a BIG hug and a kiss on the cheek. Later that evening Abba had to go to the neighborhood market for milk and bread, and returning to our building, bumped into the Super (short for Superintendent) in the elevator.

“Hey there, Walt. You know our Becca quite well; say, what do you think about our getting a small caged pet for her?” Abba asked the Super. “Would that be acceptable to the rules of our building?” Walt agreed right off, without even thinking in great detail. The Super has known me since I was about four, and we’re pretty good buddies, anyway. I guess he just couldn’t turn me down - I always give him a big smile in the elevator.

So, that night in bed, I was so excited that I could hardly sleep at all. When I finally drifted off to sleep, my dreams were filled with all sorts of pet options: hamsters, goldfish, a ferret maybe? When I thought about a turtle, I was sure this idea was unique and a great decision. I fell asleep finally and dreamed of a turtle, not just any turtle, but MY turtle!