Heretical thoughts

At the day's end while driving in the city streets on his way to their pastry shop. Yoske heard the news – a terrorist attack in the town of Hedera. He turned right away to their home, parked his car and rushed to their apartment, to watch the live broadcast on TV. Instead of sitting without doing a thing in their pastry shop, and watching Smadar hopping around their clients  and picking up Nehama after closure time. He thought he'd better watch the live news broadcast.

How long would that broadcast take, not much; let's say they'll end it up at about six pm, even then I'll have enough time to help Nehama. Yoske decided and switched on the TV set, and sat watching the terrifying sights.

The scum of the earth that's what they are, devoid of human feelings, they are unable to overcome their jealousy; they are unable to guide it into positive channels like normal human beings.  No they won't say if they have succeeded we shall succeed even more. No, they aren't able to think positively, they must annihilate their rivals' success those retarded morons! They'll never admit their responsibility to their defeat, they'll keep blaming us… They've opened up the war with the intention to throw us to the sea, they've lost it and they blame us for their shortcomings. No it wasn't their Mufti (religious leader) that urged them to run away and leave their homes, their villages and return with the victorious Arab armies that would defeat us; they won't blame their leaders that have lied to them, they blame us the morons. Just as they've ruined Lebanon in a senseless civil war this prosperous country, which was called Swiss of the Middle East. The astounding success of her Christian inhabitants that made Lebanon the richest country of the region, was a thorn in the eye of those primitive morons, they had to ruin it and turn it into a Muslim country; after they have overflew it with hundreds of thousands refugees. That retarded religion of theirs! In what religion do the devotees of this retarded religion, that pray touching the ground with their brows five times a day like slaves. What other religion define the nonbelievers as heretics that should put to death?!?

During these furious thoughts Yoske exhaled the air accumulated in his lungs, without listening to the broadcast reporter or their interviewees.

The only positive thing in this stupid agreement The Oslo Accord that we have signed on, is the fact that all that scum of organization it concentrated here; we won't need to run after them in Europe or all over the world. He kept thinking furiously watching the horrendous sights on the TV screen, while the end of day was getting closer, and darkness started to fall gradually.

The entrance door opened up and Nehama his wife entered.

'You said you'll come in an hour or two to help me, and we'll return home together.' She opened up with a rather mild complaint.

'Oh, it's that terror attack…' He muttered surprised. She didn't expect to find me at home she must have had her suspicions again, and as she realized that she's wrong, she would surely calm down and won't get on my nerves as she usually does.

Thus against his own will Yoske reverted again into the dreary reality of their mutual life.

'So there was a terror attack, there were past attacks and there will be attacks in the future. It's hard to believe that it did impress you that much? Do you want me to believe that you've sat all along the afternoon before the TV set, at your age? You aren't an inexperienced youngster, and I'm not the fool that would believe you!' She added in a sudden loud cry.

He started to cough and clear his throat, and was about to answer her but kept silent with much effort.

'Talma and Ruvke are coming tonight, have you forgotten it? What am I saying they should have been here already.' Nehama added angrily watching him with an accusing stare. 'What's the matter with you, do you expect me to do all the work alone, after I've been standing on my feet all day long?' She kept on grumbling.

'So help me I've really forgotten it.' He noted surprised with a short laugh, trying to calm down the atmosphere.

The Etsiony's arrived within a few moments, Yoske received them cordially after the usual greeting he accompanied them to the living room, as soon as he installed them in the comfortable armchairs opposite the TV screen that kept displaying the horrible sights and to broadcast the hysterical reporters voices, Yoske rushed back to the kitchen for another round of refreshments. On coming back he put the load on the small round table and joined their guests – Nehama was still in the kitchen.

'Why don't you cut that fuss off, and sit with us, who is hungry at all?' Ruvke remarked gloomily.

'That's true indeed, who feels like eating, and Nehama hasn't finished yet cooking. But you shall have to eat or face Nehama's wrath…' Yoske replied ironically.

Talma burst out in a nervous laughter, while her husband sitting between her and Yoske, did not comment.

The three of them sat on in tensed silence, watching the TV screen, till Nehama returned from the kitchen and switched off the TV set.

'Enough, how many times do we have to watch these horrible scenes? They won't stop repeating those atrocities all along the evening!'

'We waited to see the commercials,' Ruvke muttered with emphasized indifference.

© Haim Kadman 2007 – all rights reserved.