OHH, OHH! Tommy! My bubeleh! How are you, dear? Huh? How are ya? You look thin! Why don’t you eat? Enh? Enh? How come you never eat? What, you trying to impress a girl? She’ll like you as you are or pttt pttt she’s not worth it. OH! You look so cute in your big boy suit, all farpitz. And you’re getting so tall. When did you get so tall? Huh? Soon I’ll be lookin up at you, enh? What a day!

Are you excited for your Bar Mitzvah? Enh? You been working with the Rabbi? Learning your Torah? Oh, you’re such a good little boy, Tommy. I love you. You know? Grammy loves you! She could stand to hear from you more often, like it would kill you to pick up a phone, do a mitzvah, but I love you.

So how’s life there? Vi gaits? School good? Friends good? Got yourself a girlfriend? Heartbreaka, you are! Oof! I always tells your mutha, that Tommy is gonna be a heartbreaka! Enh? You got a little girlfriend? Enh? Tell your grandmutha. She better be good to you, hear me? Let me tell you, it was different in my day. Back when I was living in the creek, must have been sixty years ago now, it was a different time. No cell phones, no internet. Just me, your Grandfather Pacey, Mi Amocha, may he rest in peace, and the creek. I was working as a server, you know what a server is? I was a waitress. Ha! Like a girl of my looks shoulda been doing that, I won’t ever know! Don’t get me started, enh!

I chased after your Grandfather! And let me tell you, he was quite the looka! Ooh! Full head of hair, attitude for days, a rebel like you don’t even know! Feh! He used to sleep with teachers, oy gevald! But he was a good man. I straightened him out. And he was a good grandfather, right? Ohh Tommy, such a great grandson! Are we gonna nosh? Let’s go nosh. Your grandmutha needs to feed you, you don’t get enough food.

I saw this interview you did on the computuh; my nurse showed it to me. You were on the TV with that big African girl and you were making such a scene, I don’t get it. What is this fercockta business with the couch? Why do you have to make such a fuss? You were always such a mensch. Don’t be such a pisher, girls aren’t gonna like you, you act meshuga like that. Let your Bubba tell you what’s what. You grow up and get a good job, be a docta or a lawya, and you make a family. Be smart. This acting business, feh, all it ever is is he schtupped her , she wears what, k’vestch k’vestch, and none of them ever eat. You want that for yourself, Tommy? Everything in the world such a shanda? Listen to your Grammy, she’s old, she knows what she’s talking about.

Alright, alright, I’m tired, oy vai, time to get me home. Tommy, you are a good boy taking your poor old Grammy out to lunch. You’re a good kid, you know that? You’re a good kid. How you doin’ with money? Enh? You need some gelt, Grammy’ll give you some gelt. No arguin’, just put it in your pocket, save it, buy yourself something nice. Alright? OK? Give me a kiss goodbye. Mazel tov, bubeleh. Go do something good now. Something fun for your Grammy, sitting up here in this home all by herself. Nothing and nobody to talk to.

Don’t forget to call your Grandmutha once in a while! It wouldn’t kill ya!

Oy vey!