A Wall of Light - Edeet Ravel [19]
Lunch takes a long time. The tomatoes are mushy and the cucumbers are bitter.29 I put a slice of tomato on my head. Lulu laughs and puts a slice of cucumber on her head. Someone else is giving us lunch today so we can do whatever we want.
Dessert is bread and jam. We don’t want to be late so we fold the bread and eat it on the way out. Then we run down to the chicken coop.
Baby Diary
July 10
For three days she had five feedings. But each time I got up at 4:00 to feed her. I took her outside for the first time and the next day I gave her her first bath. She responded nicely and lay comfortably and quietly in the tub.
And then I took her for a walk. Every day after the third feeding at around 5:00 she wakes up. I give her water and wait another hour for food. She has a rash on her face. I’m worried.
Dori
Well here we are in Gush Halav. Or Jish. We’re sitting on two benches in the back of a truck. The back of the truck doesn’t have a roof. It was windy riding here even though there’s no wind when you stand still.
An old Arab man comes over to our truck and gives us a honeycomb. He’s very smiley and excited. We take the honeycomb which makes the man even more smiley and excited. There isn’t much honey on it but it’s fun to suck.
Lulu’s father goes away to talk to someone. The houses in Jish look poor. The windows don’t have glass or screens so I don’t know how they keep the bugs out. There’s a pretty well on one side and a donkey tied to a tree. I like wells.
David says they don’t even have bathrooms. He says they have to go in holes in the ground.
I say I don’t believe you.
Some children with bare feet come over to look at us. I wish I had something to give them. I feel like the ostriches who forgot to bring their presents.
Dori
We’re back from Gush Halav. I’m having a fight with my brother David. He calls me zonah and I call him zoneh and he laughs and says there’s no such thing as zoneh.30 I don’t care.
It’s because he wouldn’t read me the joke that came with his Bazooka bubble gum. He wouldn’t even let me look at it. He kept it all to himself and laughed at me because I was begging.
The only reason I like Bazooka bubble gum is the wrapper with the jokes. I like the pictures and the way the paper feels and smells. And the jokes of course.
I find Lulu and we sit under the stairs that go up to her parents’ Room. That’s where we sit when Lulu gets her little round box of candies on Friday.
Lulu says my father is a calboy. I ask what’s a calboy and she says someone who looks after horses and wears a calboy hat. I say my father cooks for the whole kibbutz. Lulu kisses me on my cheek and I kiss her back on her cheek and she kisses me and then I kiss her and we laugh until our stomachs hurt.
Thy Neck with Chains of Gold
MARINA
You’re sure you don’t have anything more to tell us?
MICHAEL
No, I think that’s it.
MARINA
So, with your permission, I’ll go look at your son. He’s
sick, in case you forgot.
michael
How is he?
MARINA
You can get the details (as she slams the door) from his
Minder! (Exits the room. On the porch MARINA puts on
her boots and exits)
michael
(to RICKY) Did I say something wrong?
ricky
Did you say something right?
michael
Well, I’d better look in on Effie.
ricky
Good idea.
michael
(to RITA) There’s dancing tonight …
ricky
She’s tired.
RITA
(to RICKY) Thank you. It’s nice to have a spokesperson.
Saves my breath.
RICKY
Always glad to be of help.
(MICHAEL puts bottle of Arak on table)
RICKY
Where did you get that?
MICHAEL
Some of my best friends are Arabs.
RICKY
When the ravens fed Elijah in the desert and he had
visions—it must have been Arabs giving him arak. You
see, “orev”, raven, and “arav”, Arab, have a common
root. (Gives MICHAEL a hard sock on the arm) Thanks,
pal. (Returns to his writing)
MICHAEL
(holding his arm) What’s this all about?
RITA
A bird project.
MICHAEL
(rubbing his arm) I don