Erella – 'Summer Tempest' – an excerpt

A Friday morning meeting.

 

Having completed packing her personal effects, Erella descended to the hotel’s restaurant for a light late breakfast, and a cup or two of black coffee. She could have called room service and ordered them to bring it straight to her suite, but she preferred to get down to the restaurant at this late hour; to teach those miserable provincials how to behave, push around a bit the entire restaurant staff, make them sweat round her table.

Anyway they deserve it! She has descended this very morning at six am after all, to the swimming pool; to learn to her regret that it opens up to hotel’s guests only when the lifeguard arrives, at about nine am. Nothing helped her this time, all her demands for a VIP treatment, which was unquestionably due to her views were rejected. With no other choice she went out to the beach to bathe in the sea’s cold water a few moments, instead of her early morning habitual half an hour swimming.

While drinking her black coffee she thought of Yoske again, chuckling softly. Although she had to bathe in the sea this morning it reminded her her first date with Yoske, when they went to the sea shore together. It was her first ever time to go out with a ‘ben’, that’s how those hairy creatures were called during her youthful years; and in spite of that romantic recollection, she did not let him have her for another passionate round this morning, but sent him away quite rudely.

Her cell phone was ringing, barging into her thoughts, it was her sister Vivi.

‘Erella have you checked out already, I’ve phoned to your suite…’

‘I’m in the restaurant, what about you? Are you on your way or at home still?’

‘I’ll be with you in five minutes at the most.’

‘Vivid beauty!’ Erella muttered, expressing a kind of improvised happiness, using an archaic Hebrew term, drawn from the depth of her memory; the absolute right term at the times when she and her sister were teenagers, a term that reminded her the happy days of her youth. ‘Fine, we’ll have enough time to sit a few moments and have a nice cup of coffee.’ Erella added and switched off.

Hardly two minutes passed and her young sister stood at the hotel’s restaurant threshold, looking for her. As soon as she located Erella a rather easy task, as Erella was the only guest at that late hour, she rushed to her excited with blushed cheeks.

Erella bothered herself this time to leave her seat, and embrace warmly her young sister, she exchanged with her young sister kisses on both cheeks and affable smiles.

‘Sit down Vivi, sit down,’ she said pushing her sister gently toward the nearest chair. ‘How’s Itsik and the kids?’

‘They’re fine… You’re coming to us now, aren’t you?’ Vivi asked with a sudden sense of alarm.

‘Sure just as we’ve agreed, I’ll stay the weekend with you, and you’ll see me to the airport.’

‘It’s such a pity that you’re already flying back, I wanted you so much to stay with us at least two more weeks…’

‘Maybe next time Vivi.’ Erella replied raising her arm, to summon the lone waiter that was left to serve them. The latter rushed to their table, causing Erella to smile with much satisfaction.

‘More coffee and what pastry do you have? What would you like Vivi?’ She turned to her sister before the waiter managed to answer her.

‘With your permission I would recommend our…

‘Okay, okay fetch us your full assortment.’Erella ordered him briskly, sending him off.

‘Have you bought some presents for our kids, you promised them, remember?’ Vivi asked her as soon as the waiter left their table.

‘Oh com’on Vivi do you think that I’ve got time for such things? Besides, I don’t know what to buy for them. Alright don’t put on that Yom Kippur face of yours, we’ll buy it on our way, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Vivi agreed relieved, watching the approaching waiter.

They were silent while the waiter unloaded his tea cart and placed a steamy coffee pot, cups, the assortment of cakes on the table, made a polite slight bow towards them and left.

‘I’ve bought tickets to the Safari for Saturday morning.’ Vivi said while Erella was pouring the hot coffee into their cups.

‘What Safari what are you talking about? What kind of a Safari one can do over here?’

‘We’ve got an open zoo over here some years already, where visitors may enter it riding in their cars.’ Vivi remarked quite offended. ‘Do me a favor Erella, don’t treat us like some third world country. It isn’t maybe the level that you’re used to in America, but we aren’t lagging behind you in this country.’

‘Okay don’t get excited, what can one see over there?’

‘It’s a large and a fine zoo, with numerous kinds of animals, lions, elephants, even giraffes, and for the kids it will be an exceptional experience.’

‘They haven’t visited there yet?’

‘No they haven’t, and it will be a wonderful opportunity to be together and make the kids happy.’

‘Sure thing, where is that zoo exactly?’

‘Near Ramat-Gan not far from Mesubim junction, you know along the Geha road…’

‘Don’t talk to me in riddles Vivi, how long does it take to get there?’

‘About half an hour, or a few more moments.’

‘How do you expect us to get there? You’ve sold your car some three months ago, haven’t you? That’s what you’ve told me.’

‘Well, that’s no problem at all, we’ll take a cab.’

‘Oh com’on Vivi, a cab with a driver, we won’t be able to talk freely. We’ll hire a van with enough comfortable space. You’ve got a license as far as I know, so will load my luggage and drive straight to your home. We’ll hire it for a full week, thus you’ll see me to the airport on Saturday and enjoy it a few more days �" What do you say Vivi?’ There’s a solution to every trivial problem, and that would surely be the right one. Erella thought watching her kid sister’s worried face.

‘But I can’t drive a van, I’ve got a B license.’

‘How about Itsik?’

‘He’s got such license but he’s at work, and they’re so strict on working hours over there…

‘Call him, I’ll have a few words with his boss.’

 

© Haim Kadman 2007 �" all rights reserved.