Page 323 - WhyAsInY

WHat’s in a naMe?
I did. (Of course, the only person to ask now would be Phyllis, so until I find a way to work it into a conversation concerning one or more of our children or grandchildren, the historians will have to wait.)
In any event, after the congratulatory handshakes, kisses and hugs, and the I-knew-it-all-alongs, I had the first realization that you don’t just marry the bride: you marry her family, and that that’s not necessarily something that comes without cost. “Well,” said Harry, “Why don’t you join us in temple tomorrow?” Now, I had not been in temple for Rosh Hashanah services since my mandatory attendance at services at East Midwood Jewish Center in the autumn preceding my bar mitzvah. More than a decade of religious dereliction had passed since then, and I knew of no reason to break the streak. At least, I had thought that there was no reason. So, showing both my graciousness and my sophisticated knowl- edge of temple seating during the High Holidays, I replied—safely, I thought—with something like, “Oh, that’s such a nice thought. I’d love to, but how could you possibly find a seat with your family for me?”
This, it transpires, was a sentence that could not be rivaled in the annals of stupidity. I was talking to the chairman of the board emeritus of Temple Beth El of Manhattan Beach. He couldn’t get a seat for me? Fool. My only hope was that he would treat my reply as diplomatic, understand my reluctance, and let it pass. Which, as I immediately learned, is not the way in which Harry operated: Not to worry, it will be taken care of. What’s even better than the exchange itself is that, as I write this, it occurs to me that the extra seat had been obtained well in advance (at no small expense) because the engagement, over which I had done the normal male do-I-really-want-this-commitment-now fretting, was pretty much a fait accompli as far as every one else was concerned. And they were right.
The next morning I put on both the suit that I had fortunately obtained for the moot court finals and my gamest face, and I reported to the Rebells’ home at 9:30 a.m., as ordered. The time was selected so that we could walk the length of Hampton Avenue—past 414, it should be noted—to Temple Beth El at the peak of the very well-dressed neighborhood parade that would be heading to the same location, and
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