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.