The Turmoil

The turmoil After a few seconds of hesitation Erella took the mobile into her and hands, while pacing to and fro on the broad Persian carpet in her elegant living room, she phoned and kept listening to its ringing sound holding it close to her ear. ‘Hello Yoske’, how are you?’ She asked in Hebrew as soon as she heard his voice. ‘Erella, what a pleasant surprise, could you call again in an hour, I’m a bit busy right now.’ ‘Then leave everything will you, for a moment or two.’ She ordered raising her voice angrily. ‘Okay, if it’s that urgent, okay…’ She heard his reply and his apology to some female at the same time in a whisper, against the slight background noise. ‘I wish to come for the tomb’s erection, on what date does it fall exactly?’ ‘It’s two weeks from now, on the twenty fifth.’ ‘Thanks, I do intend to come and I’ll call you soon for the rest of the details.’ Before he managed to sneak in a word, she added: ‘Do you know that I’ve bcome a widow just recently, didn’t you hear about it yet?’ ‘What… merciful God I’m so sorry, when did it happen?’ ‘In that horrible attack, Mike’s New York branch was in the three floors which were hit by the first plane.’ ‘Incredible simply incredible…’ Yoske’ mumbled clearing his throat in clear astonishment. ‘Why didn’t you call earlier, you must be in a…’ ‘Well yes it does hurt, but never mind we’ll talk about it when I’ll come – bye now.’ She remarked dryly and hung up. Yoske’ laid his mobile on the table before him absent mindedly, deeply moved still; he was waiting for Amanda’s answer, and as Smadar came in he raised his eyes to her. ‘What’s the matter don’t you feel well?’ She asked as she was moving towards the counter. ‘An old acquaintance of mine, has told me right now that her husband turned into thin air on nine eleven.’ ‘It did happen long ago, didn’t it? And now she found the time to tell it to you?’ She asked with a clear note of sarcasm. She must be thinking that I’ve told it to her on purpose, to frighten her, to remind her to where she’s about to fly… The dust didn’t settle down yet over Manhattan. ‘She must be shocked it’s a serious trauma don’t you think?’ ‘How should I know, do I know her?’ Smadar retorted angrily, took the tray with the steaming cups and moved on, crossing the hall towards the tables outside on the pavement. Yoske’ watched her with a puzzled look till she crossed the threshold, and turned to Amanda who was sitting all that time in utter timidness opposite him. ‘Well what’s your decision?’ ‘Good mister…’ ‘Don’t call me mister I’m Yoske’ that’s my name, okay?’ ‘Okay mister Yoske’, she answered confused. ‘You’ll get used to it in a short while, I reckon.’ He said as if he was thinking aloud. He knew well enough that she could not grasp much of what he was saying. ‘Smadar,’ he turned to her as she returned and was approaching them: ‘Show her what’s to be done, will you?’ ‘Okay, but not now from tomorrow on,’ she said pulling a chair back and joining them. ‘I’m off in a few moments.’ She added decisively. ‘There’s half an hour up to five o’clock, so instruct her in some kind of introduction…’ While he was still speaking a loud explosion sounded not too far off. ‘What that’s supposed to be?’ He called up rising to his feet and rushed to the

entrance. Smadar crossed the threshold before him, and was standing on the pavement watching already the smoke cloud at the street’s end; Amanda was lagging behind mumbling in Sapanish some prayers no doubt. The traffic froze and few pedestrians on both sides of the street froze just as well, including the two couples that occupied the pastry shop’s pavement tables. Wails of sirens filled the air right away, two police petrol cars and an ambulance arrived on the scene; the petrified pedestrians who kept gazing dumbfoundedly the street’s end were ordered to disperse backwards by a few policemen – the street was blocked. Yoske’ and his two working associates returned inside and a hoard of pedestrians followed them in, a meticulous search was carried out after some more possible charges. The police spoksman who turned to the crowed with the order to get back, did not update it what it was all about; there was no need as a matter of fact, there was not even a single person among those who croweded the pastry shop that did not know what the matter was. All the hall’s tables were occupied and even those who had no other choice but to keep to their feet ordered such service or another; thus Amanda was right in business without any introduction or much explanations, serving the guests under Smadar’s supervision. Before each sortie to a certain table or a guest on his feet, Smadar would prepare her pupil with a few words, and while they would pass each other carrying trays with refreshment and drinks. A young couple joined the pastry shop’s guests, pushing their way inward with diffuculty. Yoske’ watched the good looking young female and her escort, and discerned right away that their mutual entrance was a coincindence, nothing more. As that young female was doing her way laboriously in the crowded hall, her escort called up surprised: “You’re bleeding, it’s your back…’ They have attracted everyone’s attention of course, the young female opened up a pair of eyes and her mouth as if she was going to scream, but didn’t utter a sound. She must have been conscious to her pain all of a sudden, being frightened out of her wits she did not notice it up to this very moment. After some efforts Yoske’ reached them. ‘Come with me,’ he said and pushed the curious by-standers who gathered round them up to suffocation aside; the air was filled up with suggestions, with a few resolute movements of his one hand and pulling the young female with the other, Yoske’ made his way towards the empty backing room. ‘Smadar call an ambulance.’ He shouted over the human wall that seperated them. ‘Are you a doctor?’ The young female asked. ‘No I’m not, but we’ve got a first aid box over there.’ As they entered the darkened backing room her young escort caught up with them. ‘Are you two together?’ Yoske’ asked her, scrutinizing her escort as if to say: what are you butting in, to hold the lighted candle? That’s all you can do. We both know that you hardly know her. ‘Yes he’s with me,’ the young female answered after a short pause. A loud shot was heard and right after it a slight disorder took place; chairs were moved their temporary guests were leaving. The police robot shot the suspected charge, that must have been no more than someone’s lost bundle – the incident was over. The three of them turned their faces towards the hall, perceiving with their rich past experience what was going on; watching the backs of those who were on their way out. But the young female turned to Yoske’ with a beseeching pair of eyes, as if she was expecting his verdict. ‘Okay, expose you back,’ Yoske’ told her, while fumbling in the open first aid box. ‘Do you feel any pains?’ He added gently, pulling a small bottle of iodine and a bandage. ‘Yes it hurts,’ she replied, unbuttoning her shirt and taking it off; exposing a pair of glorious tits, held in a black bra.

Yoske’ coughed with embarrassment and turned around her, to face her back with the open bleeding wound. ‘What have I got there? It isn’t too big, they won’t have to stitch it?’ She asked frightened. ‘No it nothing at all, a superficial wound, it won’t even leave a scar.’ He did his best to calm her down while wrapping her torso with the bandage, as if he was embracing her seductive lovely body. He hardly finished to wrap her and the ambulance has arrived. ‘Oh there’s the abulance,’ he told her with mixed feelings of relief and regret. ‘Put on your shirt and we’ll go.’ She started to cover her torso with her shirt, swaying her glorious pair of white doves before his eyes; and right afterwards the three of them crossed the hall, passing on their way the few clients left and Yoske’ two loyal assitants. ‘I was sure you’ll embark on that abmulance with her, to escort her to the hospital…’ Smadar remarked mockingly as Yoske’ the threshold once again. ‘And abandon you two behind me, just like that. What for and for whom?’ He had some better wise cracks on the bit of his tongue, but the curious looks of the few clients that were left, helped him to overcome the surge of his feelings.