Ever since my mother's untimely death I try to attend all happy family events. I feel that by having a gathering of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at a joyous occasion we give strength and continuity to the entire family. My father, in his mid 80s, called Zaidy Hecht, is asked to perform all the family weddings and does that happily.
The problems of getting hundreds of family members together involves days and weeks of planning but as much as we plan there is always something that pops up and turns all the plans upside down - topsey turvey. But in some way it works out. We believe that our dear mother, who is in heaven, looks out for my father and family.
Recently a wedding was called for a Tuesday night and we were to leave that Tuesday morning from New York to Detroit. The plan called for an early morning bus ride to the airport. It was to drive by Zaidy Hecht's house, stop, pick him up and proceed to the New York City La Guardia airport. Zaidy Hecht was to perform the wedding and he was ecstatic. His little carry-on was packed and ready to go.
It was Tuesday 8:40 a.m. and I asked my father “What time is the bus coming by?" He answered, "At 8:20 a.m. it will be here and I will arrive at the airport for a 10:30 flight."
"Well" I said, "I believe you have missed the bus as it is 8:45."
"No way" he said. Quickly grabbing his small carry-on he rushed to the front of the house and yelled at me "Any minute the bus will come by, the good Lord will not let me down. I need to perform the wedding. I want to marry off my sweet granddaughter."
Family from South Africa, Israel, Europe and the United States all flew in for the event. Family members were meeting in Detroit in order to make this the wedding of the year.
I proceeded to explain to Zaidy Hecht that there is in no way possible to get to the airport on time. It was simply too late and the bus had left quite a while ago. Half heartedly I said "I’ll try to find a cab." I thought maybe a miracle would happen but after five more minutes and seeing no cab I felt frustration and despair. More and more traffic was going by and no hope was in sight.
Then, unexplainably, I heard a police car siren go off and the street in front of the house was closed off, but a cab came by, with a passenger trying to give directions to the Indian cab driver. An argument broke out and the cab driver stopped right in front of my father who was waiting for the bus. I went to the cab driver and told him that I would speak to the passenger but he should take Zaidy Hecht to La Guardia immediately. The passenger turned out to be a Jewish student from Brazil who spoke very little English and was looking for the Jewish college representative who was to take him to Morristown, New Jersey. I helped him with his luggage. He looked at me and said something in Portuguese and then I told him no comprande. He answered "I - student - Brazil - need Hecht - Morristown school." It seemed that he had been in touch with my son at Morristown University and had flown all night from Brazil arriving at JFK. He was now in Brooklyn at the main school looking for directions to the Morristown school in a different state. The street was closed off by the Police due to an accident and the cab had been circling the block for the past 20 minutes. The driver was one block off. Incredulous I thought.
"Yes, my name is Hecht" I answered the student "I will take you to the right address a block down the street." Both the student and I left the cab and my father went into the cab hoping to catch the plane. Arriving in front of the school no one knew anything about the student. To my consternation I could not find anyone to speak to and I had to catch the next flight to Detroit. What a dilemma. Here I was stuck with a lost soul from Brazil simultaneously worrying about my father's cab to La Guardia and wondering if I would ever make it to the wedding myself. I had flown in the night before from California to travel with Zaidy Hecht to Detroit.
Suddenly the cell phone rings. "It's Zaidy Hecht. I am stuck in the cab full of traffic and the driver does not know where he is going. I wonder if he is allowed to drive a cab as he doesn't speak English. I am going back home. Maybe you will do the wedding."
"What an irrational thought" I said. "Please stay in the cab and say a prayer. After all, the Lord's ways are wonderful and mysterious."
Suddenly I noticed a young man passing by. I stopped him and said "Please help me as I need to catch a plane in a few minutes. Can you please get this guy to Morristown, New Jersey or try to do something but I have to go." Miraculously he says to me "I am from Morristown and I am going there myself." "Good," I say "Everything is under control."
The cell phone rings. It is the mother of the bride calling from Detroit. She is hysterical. The plane is leaving from New York and Zaidy Hecht is not there. Then my phone goes dead. I call her back but I cannot get through. In desperation I call Zaidy Hecht's cell phone. It goes into message mode. What a mess but I still have faith in the impossible. I grab my carry-on and leave to the airport with a heavy heart thinking no wedding ceremony without Zaidy Hecht. He is stuck in New York City traffic and who knows if he will make the flight. I believe that my mother in heaven wants all of us to be at the wedding and Zaidy Hecht to perform. With worry and trepidation I arrive at La Guardia airport and catch the plane.
After an hour and a half flight I arrive at my destination. Who do you think I see at the Detroit hotel where the wedding is to be performed? My smiling father. Think for a moment of all the events. Leaving one hour late for his plane, finding a cab with a driver who doesn't know the way, helping a lost university student find his way and all this coming together with a happy ending. If I didn't know better, I would have called it a coincidence, but miracles are the proper names for such an event.
Zaidy Hecht had an American Zaidy, Peretz who used to say "We don't believe in miracles, we just count on them." Once again I saw how faith beats logic.
Mazel Tov to the family and thank you dear Lord for your patience and thanks dear mom for looking out from up there and making it all happen.