Scenes From Village Life - Amos Oz [42]
"I can see that," Benny Avni said, "but I thought you might know which way she went."
"I'm sorry," said Adel. "I'm really sorry."
"That's all right," said Benny Avni. "It's not your fault."
He made his way home, via Synagogue Street and Tribes of Israel Street. He leaned forward as he walked, as though contending with some invisible obstacle. Everyone he passed greeted him with a smile, because the mayor was a popular figure. He too smiled, and asked how they were, and what was new, and sometimes he added that the problem of the cracked paving stones was being taken care of. Soon they would all go home for their lunch and their Friday siesta, and the streets of the village would be empty.
The front door was unlocked, and the radio was playing softly in the kitchen. Someone was talking about the development of the railway network and the advantages of rail over road transport. Benny Avni looked for a note from Nava in the usual place, under the vase in the living room, but there was none. His lunch was waiting for him, though, on the kitchen table, on a plate covered with another plate to keep it warm: a quarter of a chicken, with potato purée, carrots and peas. The plate was flanked by a knife and fork, and there was a folded napkin under the knife. Benny Avni put the plate in the microwave for two minutes, since, despite being covered, the food was not very warm. Meanwhile, he took a bottle of beer from the fridge and poured himself a glass. He consumed his lunch hungrily yet barely noticed what he ate, because he was listening to the radio, which was now broadcasting light music, with long breaks for commercials. During one of these breaks he thought he heard Nava's footsteps outside on the garden path. He stared out of the kitchen window, but no one was there. Among the weeds and junk was the shaft of a broken cart and a couple of rusty bicycles.
When he had finished eating, he put the dirty dishes in the sink and went to have a shower, turning off the radio on the way. A deep silence fell on the house. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall. The twelve-year-old twin girls, Yuval and Inbal, were away on a school trip to Upper Galilee. The door to their bedroom was closed, and as he went past he opened it and peered inside. The shutters were closed, and there was a smell of soap and freshly ironed linen. Gently closing the door, he went to the bathroom. After removing his shirt and trousers, he suddenly recovered his presence of mind and went to the telephone. He was still not worried, but he wondered where Nava had disappeared to and why she had not waited for him, as she always did, for lunch. He rang Gili Steiner and asked if by any chance Nava was with her.
"No, she's not," Gili said. "Why? Did she tell you she was coming to see me?"
"That's just it, she didn't say anything."
"The grocer is open till two, maybe she popped out to buy something."
"Thanks, Gili. It's OK, she'll probably be back soon. I'm not worried."
Despite which, he looked up the number of Victor's grocery and dialed it. The phone rang for a long time before anyone answered. Eventually Old Liebersohn's nasal tenor voice spoke, in a liturgical singsong:
"Victor's grocery, this is Shlomo Liebersohn speaking, how may I help you?"
Benny Avni asked after Nava, and Old Liebersohn replied mournfully:
"No, Comrade Avni, I am very sorry to say your lovely wife has not been seen here today. We have not had the pleasure of her charming company. Nor are we likely to, seeing that in ten minutes' time we are closing the shop and going home to prepare to welcome the Sabbath Bride."
Benny Avni went back to the bathroom, stripped off his underwear, adjusted the temperature of the water and took a long shower. While he was drying himself he thought he heard the door creak, so he called out "Nava?" But there was no reply. Putting on clean underwear and a pair of khaki trousers, he combed the kitchen for clues, then went to the living room and checked the corner where the TV was. He looked in their bedroom and in the enclosed