Yossi's Goal Read Online Free PDF

were leaving when a voice cried, “Yossi Mendelsohn, is that you?”
    Yossi turned. A thin young man with pale watery eyes and straw-like brown hair was approaching. “Hello, Jonah,” he said without enthusiasm.
    â€œWhat are you doing here? Why aren’t you at lessons?”
    â€œThe Rebbe gave us the afternoon off. What are you doing here?”
    Jonah’s eyes shifted from side to side. “Oh, just doing an errand for one of the supervisors. They rely on me, you know. Give me special jobs. Run here, run there.” He gave an oily smile. “Well, I’d better get back to work. There’s a new shipment of wool coming in today. Very big, very important. But then, you boys wouldn’t know about such things.” With a smug expression, he waved goodbye.
    â€œWho’s that?” Milton said when he was gone.
    â€œJonah Fishkin,” Yossi answered.
    â€œSomething fishy about
him
,” Louie said, and the others chuckled.
    â€œI don’t like that fellow,” Benny said. “He thinks he knows everything.”
    Abie frowned. “At Steiner’s, he’s always hanging around the supervisors, like he’s better than the workers.”
    â€œTrying to get in good with Steiner, probably,” Louie said.
    â€œThat reminds me,” Yossi said. “How am I going to get back at that rotten son of his?”
    They had been making their way north, away from the waterfront, into a better neighborhood. Somewhere in the distance, a church bell pealed, three long rings and one short one.
    â€œThree-thirty,” Milton said. “You know, Max Steiner and his rich friends go to the fancy new Jewish school. They’ll be getting off in half an hour. We could ambush them and attack them with snowballs.”
    â€œHe deserves worse than a measly snowball,” Yossi grumbled. “But it’s better than nothing. Let’s go.”
    The boys started making their way toward the school. As they walked down an alley behind a grocer’s store, a man in a white apron came out the back door, holding a basket. A moment later, a putrid smell hit their nostrils.
    â€œPhew! What’s that?” Yossi said.
    â€œRotten eggs,” the storekeeper replied, frowning. Lifting the basket above a wooden crate full of garbage, he started to upend it.
    Yossi’s eyes lit up. “Wait! I think we can take those off your hands, sir.”
    Abie gaped at him. “Have you lost your mind, Yossi?”
    â€œGood riddance,” the shopkeeper said, handing the basket to Yossi before he went back inside.
    The others stared at Yossi. “What on earth do you want with a bunch of rotten eggs?” Louie asked.
    Yossi grinned. “Ammunition, boys.”
    Yossi had them take off their caps and, very gingerly, fill them with eggs. They walked to the edge of the schoolgrounds, lay down behind a snowbank and waited.
    When the bell tolled four, the front doors opened and boys started spilling out. Boys in smart winter coats and warm caps. Boys wearing leather boots. Well-fed boys with chubby rosy cheeks.
    â€œNow, remember,” Yossi whispered to the others, “Max Steiner is mine.”
    After a while, Yossi heard a familiar voice. He peered over the snowbank. Sure enough, it was Max and his cronies.
    â€œYou should see my new ice skates,” Max was saying. “Papa says they’re the most expensive skates in Montreal. They go like lightning!”
    â€œI have new skates too,” one of the other boys said.
    â€œNot as good as mine,” Max snapped. “Mine are the best you can buy.”
    Yossi raised a finger. “Now,” he whispered.
    The boys let fly.
Pow
!
Bam
!
Splat
! The eggs went sailing. Some smashed on the ground. Some spattered on arms or backs. A rotten stench hung in the air like a cloud.

    â€œWha’—?”
    â€œYuch!”
    â€œPhew! It stinks!”
    The startled boys ran every which