Dina was bored stiff; she wanted something new to do, something exciting, something challenging. Dina was a thirteen years old; she had long blond wavy hair and a very fair complexion. She was a very talented girl who absolutely loved writing. She wrote stories, poems, essays, songs, and anything else you can dream of. She had high hopes of becoming a famous author one day.
One day, as she was all snuggled up in her bed reading her favorite book, she heard a knock at the door. Oh, I don't feel like getting up and opening the door. she thought to herself. Let Mommy do it. But when the knocking continued, she reluctantly put down her precious book and padded down the carpeted hallway and jumped two at a time down the steps to open the door.
As she opened the door, her face turned to a look of surprise. "Mr. Rubin! What are you doing in California?! You came here all the way from Israel?!"
Mr. Rubin was her father's childhood friend when they both lived in Israel, but when her father got married, he moved to California.
"I've been asked to come to places all around California to give writers' workshops, and while I was here, I thought I would come and surprise your father, as I haven't seen him since your parents came to Israel two summers ago," answered Mr. Rubin with a smile. "Is your father home now?"
"Well he left about an hour ago to lean with someone, but he should be back pretty soon," answered Dina.
"OK, I guess I'll wait here till he comes. By the way, I thought you might like to know that I'll be judging the writing contest that your school is making," Mr. Rubin said cheerfully.
"Really?" answered Dina, "I didn't really hear about the contest until today at school. I don't really know any of the details."
"Did you hear what the prize is going to be? Asked Mr. Rubin.
"No, actually I didn't," answered Dina. "What is it? Anything good?"
"Yes, it's something really good!" Mr. Rubin answered beaming, "It's a trip for four to Israel!"
Dina was shocked beyond words, "all for one little writing contest?! At first I was going to enter just for the fun of it, but now that I have a chance of going to Israel for my first time, you can count me in!" exclaimed Dina excitedly.
Now Dina was even more excited, and she wanted to start writing as fast as she could. Just then her father walked through the door. When Mr. Rubin came over to offer his hand for Shalom Aleichem (greetings), her father's eyes almost popped out. Dina ran upstairs willing to miss their reunion, in hopes that she would be able to finish her entry before Mr. Rubin left.
She wrote and rewrote. Her desk was full of crumpled up papers slowly drifting off the desk. After about two hours she had completed her entry.
She ran downstairs hoping to catch Mr. Rubin before he left. Dina breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was still there.
"Here," she said. "I just finished my entry for the contest. Please take it."
"you're finished already?! The deadline isn't for another five weeks!" said a surprised Mr. Rubin. "Actually, I can't take it since I am the judge, you can give it in at your school tomorrow. But, I can tell that you really have a love for writing, or else you wouldn't have finished do fast." Dina blushed.
It's true, she thought. I really do love writing.
That night, as she was doing her homework, she heard her parents talking in loud whispers in the kitchen. What could they be talking about? She ran downstairs into the dark dining room and peeked through the doors and tried to hear what they were saying. She listened very closely. What was that? Could it be? Oh my! I can't wait! She thought.
All night she was tossing and turning. I can't wait until it happens, she thought excitedly. Finally she fell into a restless sleep.
The next afternoon her whole class was talking about the contest, and discussing what sort of entries they would send in. They had also just heard what the prize was going to be, and they were all very excited. Dina had handed in her entry earlier in the morning, but the thing she had heard the night before was occupying all of her thoughts. She just could not wait until it finally happened.
Suddenly, she was broken out of her reverie. Her teacher was calling her name and telling her that she had a phone call in the office.
Who could it be? She thought as she almost ran to the office. Oh, of course! It's Mommy telling me that it has happened. "Hello?" Dina spoke into the phone.
"Dina, guess what?!" she heard her mother's voice saying. "Suri is engaged!!" Suri was Dina's older sister, who taught in London. She was 20 years old.
"Mazal Tov (congratulations)!" shrieked Dina into the phone. "Mommy, I just can't believe it! To who?!"
"Yosef Yitzchok Goldberg from London, England," said her mother.
From the shout of Mazal Tov that they heard in the office, girls came running to see what was going on. "Suri is engaged!" Dina cried. Everyone was talking and shouting at once. Suri was a very popular girl, and everyone was excited for Dina.
At this moment, Dina had forgotten all about the writing contest, with all the excitement that was going on.
After the L'chaim, Vort (parties made in honor of the bride and groom), and everything else, Dina got a letter in the mail saying the official date in which the winner would be picked, and when the winner would be going to Israel.
Dina, who had all but forgotten about the contest by now, suddenly became excited again. She couldn't wait to hear the winner. She really wanted to go to Israel so badly!
If she won first place, she wondered, who would she take to Israel with her?
Forget it, she thought. And anyway, don't get your hopes up too high, because then if you don't win, you'll be really upset. Meanwhile your sister's wedding is a few months away! Now isn't that something to be excited about?
It was only when she went to her calendar to mark down the day that the girl who won would be going to Israel, and saw the date of her sister's wedding, that it dawned on her, that if she won the trip to Israel, she would be missing her sister's wedding!
Oh, no! she thought. What if I actually do end up winning? I've been looking forward to a chance to go to Israel for so long, but then if I go, I'll be missing my sister's wedding, and I can't do that! All her high hopes slowly began drifting away until they were gone.
Later Dina discussed this with her parents, telling them how she wanted to go to Israel so badly and that this would be the perfect chance, and that they could even make this a family trip.
"Listen Dina," her mother said quietly, stroking Dina's long blond hair. "Everything Hashem (G-d) does is for the best. If He wants you to win, then we will be proud of you, but you just have to accept that you may not be able to go."
Dina felt this hard to deal with, but she decided she would just believe that everything Hashem does is for the best, and see what would happen.
About a week later, her parents called her into their room. They both had smiles on their faces and they looked very happy. Dina wondered what was going on.
"Dina," her father said. "We just got a phone call from the Choson's (groom's) side in England."
"What do you mean? What is going on?" Dina asked nervously.
"What we mean is," her mother said with a huge smile, "they've asked us to schedule the wedding for a little later, because they are having a hard time getting plane tickets for that week. Besides, we never really decided officially to have the wedding then."
Dina let out an excited yell, and she became very happy. "Now I do have a chance to go! She said happily.
The day came for the winners to be announced.
Dina sat on pins and needles all through class that day. She just couldn't wait to find out who the winners were. It didn't really bother her anymore whether she was picked or not, because she believed that everything Hashem does is for the best.
"…And the first place winner is… None other than… Chaya Rosenbloom!" The whole crowd cheered and applauded. Dina included, she wasn't the least bit upset as she ran up to congratulate her best friend where she stood on the stage.
"Dina, guess what? I've been thinking it over, and I decided that if I won I would take you, my best friend along! It would be so boring to go with just my family!"
Dina stared in shock. "You really mean it?!" And Chaya nodded her head. Then Dina suddenly grabbed Chaya by the neck and hugged her and started laughing and crying at the same time.
As she walked back to her seat together with her friend, she was startled to her Mr. Rosen calling, "And the second place winner is… None other then… Dina Rosen!" Dina was stunned! Could it actually be that she had won after all this? Yes! She saw Mr. Rubin standing on the stage together with her parents holding her prize, a 75$ gift certificate.
At this moment she realized that what her mother said was true, Everything Hashem does is indeed for the best. She smiled, everything worked out perfectly.
Get your own Free Home Page