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The Yes She Gives Twice

Chapter 1The first yes

At morning recess, Tova stands by the painted wall with her hands ready to clap.

"Chavi, will you do the new clapping rhyme with me at lunch recess? I practiced the hard verse."

Chavi loves the new rhyme. The last verse speeds up until nobody can keep up.

"Yes," she says. "I'll be there."

Tova smiles so widely that her hair clip slides crooked.

Chapter 2The second yes

In the lunchroom, Chavi eats her sandwich beside Sury.

Sury leans close. "I made a bead snake. It needs a tail. Will you help me at lunch recess? I'll wait by the fence."

Chavi looks at the little snake in Sury's hand. It has red, green and one yellow bead.

"Yes!" she says. "I'll help."

The word is already out when she remembers the rhyme.

Chapter 3The tight feeling

Chavi keeps eating, but the sandwich tastes like paper.

She has said yes to Tova. She has said yes to Sury. Both yeses are for lunch recess.

She could wait and see. Maybe one friend will forget. Maybe it will rain.

Chavi knows rain would not fix it. Somebody would still be waiting for her.

Her stomach feels tight, like a shoelace pulled too hard.

Chapter 4Mrs. Katz

After lunch, Chavi walks slowly to the door. Mrs. Katz, the recess teacher, stands there with her whistle and a navy sheitel that covers all her hair.

"Chavi, you look like someone carrying a heavy backpack with nothing in it."

"I said yes to two people for the same time."

Mrs. Katz nods. "Can you be in two places?"

"No."

"Then there is a problem to tell them about. It is easier before anyone starts waiting."

Chavi looks at the yard. Tova is already by the wall. Sury is by the fence.

"What do I say?"

"What is true?"

Chavi thinks. "I said yes twice. I can't do both at once."

"Start there."

Chapter 5Telling Tova

Chavi walks to the painted wall first.

"Tova, I have to tell you something. I said yes to you, and then I also said yes to Sury for the same time. I should have remembered you before I answered her."

Tova's smile gets smaller. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. I can clap the rhyme with you for the first half of recess, and then help Sury for the second half. Or we can do it another day. Which would you like?"

Tova kicks a little pile of sand.

"I wanted the whole recess," she says.

"I know. I can't give you the whole recess now."

Tova thinks for a moment. "First half is okay. But tomorrow, we do the fast verse again."

"Tomorrow I'll ask you first," Chavi says.

Chapter 6Telling Sury

Chavi runs to the fence.

"Sury, I need to tell you something. I said I would help with your snake, but I also promised Tova to do the rhyme with her. I'm coming after the first half of recess. Is that okay?"

Sury frowns at the snake.

"I wanted to start now," she says.

"I can't start now. I can start after the rhyme. I'm sorry I said yes without checking my other promise."

Sury sighs. Then she shrugs. "I'll start the tail myself. You can do the last beads."

"I'll bring the last beads," Chavi says. "I'll need a few minutes."

Sury is not smiling, but she is not walking away either.

Chapter 7The two halves

Chavi claps beside Tova, faster and faster, until Mrs. Katz blows the whistle.

She says, "Time for my other promise."

Tova waves her off. "Go."

At the fence, Sury has already made a short tail. Chavi adds three yellow beads and two green ones. They are not perfect. The tail is a little crooked.

Sury holds it up. "It looks like it is wiggling."

Chavi feels her shoulders come down.

She doesn't make both friends as happy as they would be with the whole recess. She doesn't keep both whole promises. But both friends know what is true, and she keeps the part she can.

Tomorrow, before she says yes to anyone, she will think of her other plans first. And if she forgets, she will say so early.