A scene of jealousy

A meeting between old friends takes a nasty turn.

 

‘Summer tempest’ �" an excerpt

 

Ruvke’ Etsioni was about the same age as Yoske’, the difference between his age and Talma his wife was four years at the most. He was too a member of the ‘Working Youth movement, at his time, but at the far Borochove district branch. Talma met him in one of the hikes to the southern craters, and since then she did not leave him. It was a real love story as Nehama used to note it to Yoske’, recently in particular to tease him indirectly; for he had to marry her although he loved Erella with all his heart, and if Erella would accept him this very day though he has not seen her face since then �" and how she does look now he can’t know, he would have followed her blindfolded. Particularly now after the way Smadar has betrayed him without a second thought one might say, as if he did not exist any more as far as she was concerned. Thus he was thiking sprawled in the comfortable armchair, watching one of the Etsioni’s abstract paintings on the opposite wall.

Nonesense, he scolded himself after a few seconds, she too made a fool of me, even more than Smadar, and I loved her more then any other woman.

Ruvke was answering that time Nehama questions on their visit in the U.S.; famous cities names were filled the air, New York, Chicago, Niagra falls, the Grand Canyon. The conversation details from its start has not penetrataed Yoske’s conscience, but Talma’s appearance carrying a big platter with drinks and refreshments, woke him up from his day dreaming.

A lively conversation flowed up, pictures were drawen and after a short preparation they watched a video abundant with details; thus although his gloomy feelings, this evening was going to be a very pleasant one �" an evening that would push aside the last ramnents of the slight alienation between Nehama and him. Ruvke’ poured him a few glasses of high quality bourbon, and Talma brought the details of a conincindental meeting between them and Ruvke’s first girl friend at Niagra Falls.

‘…that Yemenite girl from the neighborhood, which you were simply dying on her.’ She remarked laughing.   

And Yoske heard himself telling them a childhood event about a Yemenite that many were dying on her. ‘I was then some nine or ten year old, I climbed up to the roof to look for my best friend. His mother was busy with their laudry, and at those days every family had a week day in which the roof were at their disposal �" and there was a laundry room up there were a fire was burning under a boiler, instead of today’s penthouses. This friend was supposed to help his mom, watching the fire, fetching woods and so on. Well that Yemenite reminded very much Shoshana Damari (a famous singer), but Shoshana wasn’t as beautiful as she was. She was married to my best friend step father, and she was still courted by young men. I reached the roof and saw her standing near the parapet with a yound pale man beside her, while she was hanging some linen. He talked and she watched him from time to time with a mysterious Mona Lisa smile. I approached them to ask her where my friend is, and my lips were almost pronounciating the question: ‘Eli’s mother where is Eli…’ when I heard the young man saying: “Just one word from you and I’ll jump off the roof!” Yes that’s what he was saying to her and he was much younger than her, about twenty two twenty one years old at the most.

She turned to me and with an amused smiled asked me: “Shall I tell him?” While I shocked as I was raised my two arms and hands above my head beseechingly and cried out: “No, no,’ and ran away.

‘Did she mess up with them?’ Ruvke’ asked him after the wave of laugher that swept them subsided, Nehama was the only that didn't laugh and was not impressed at all. 

‘No I don’t think so, she must have simply liked all that bustle around her.’

‘How do you know, you said you were nine or ten years old, didn’t you?’ Nehama scolded her husband angrily.

‘That’s what I call a loving man!’ Talma barged in with feigned enthusiasm, with a quick attempt to restore the pleasant atmosphere.

‘Would you have jumped for me?’ She asked Ruvke.

‘Oh come on who jumped off roofs then, did you ever hear of such a thing?’ He turned to Yoske.

‘Nobody jumped then and nobody jumps today, it’s just someone who wished to have her, must have been infatuated I guess.’

‘That must be it more or less, even if she would have told him to jump she would have stopped him in the last moment �" although he was just pretending to jump…’

‘That’s what you all are a bunch of pretenders!’ Nehama retorted resolutely. ‘Give the car’s keys.’ She added turning to her husband.

‘What for?’

‘I want to see something okay!?!’ She answered angrily raising her voice.

The Etsionis’ were dumbfounded. Talma was about to say a word to Nehama, but changed her mind. The issue was much more serious than what she and Ruvke’ could have thought of.

'I'm off,' Nehama said and raised to her feet. 'You may crawl back home for all I care!'

 

© Haim Kadman 2007 �" all rights reserved.