Bab 103: Chapter 103

????Barukh atah Adonai, m??qadesh ha-shabat. Amein.?? Joey brought the cup to his lips and swallowed the small quantity of wine, grimacing at its cloying sweetness.

From the kitchen, his mother carried in a large pottery bowl of warm water and set it in front of her husband. Once he??d finished washing his hands, she took the bowl to the sideboard, where the other diners had congregated. Joey had been watching Simon, perplexed at his sluggish, even pensive behaviour. Normally his nephew would be bouncing up and down with excitement, chatting away to him, earning sour looks from his mother. The sullen, downcast expression on the boy??s face was so unusual. Wanting to get to the bottom of whatever was upsetting the lad, Joey made sure he was immediately behind Simon as they queued to cleanse their hands.