54 days of captivity.
Of all the days of the war, the day of the first release from captivity of some of our hostages was a deep wound. It is the little fan who runs into his father's arms that fills my eyes and makes my stomach clench in pain. So many of us there... so many. And the little fan is a mirror for everyone, for every story. Every morning I write next to the date in my diary the number of days that have passed since they were taken and send them my love, because she is all I have in this sea of helplessness.
In between, I think about the "Habitat of Terror". Women give birth and terror maims their babies and turns them into brutal war machines. Only such a habitat could have spawned this unimaginable war. Perhaps the hardest thing that I am going through, as a mother, is the impossibility of hiding, protecting or dulling a little what happened and is happening from my daughters. It turns out that there is an end to childhood and it passed suddenly.
In this week's episode, in the book 'Daughter Number Four', the great drama unfolds that took place before Hila boarded Cherkas' yacht. The one who ruined her childhood does not let go of his grip and tries to continue to control the terror he imposed on her. When will we know as a society to stop this unfolding event of crimes within the family?
pleasant reading,
Lily
Chapter 42
A few hours earlier, Gregorius Church
"I love you, John," Hila woke up at once and sat up in her bed. She wanted to wake up to him, share the narrow bed with him, next to him. She knew it would be a problem to convince him to actually be with her, but yesterday she had hope. He wouldn't have kissed her like that, he wouldn't have said the words he said if he didn't mean them. These thoughts wandered through her heart for a few seconds before she woke up completely, as a too soft hand caressed her hair. She didn't even notice that there was anyone in the room. someone
"Beautiful?" For a moment she did not understand if she was in the church or at home. And what kind of house is this anyway? The last time Shipif stroked her head like that and sat by her side was in the hospital, after she cut her veins. What's going on? It looks like the room in the church. But where is John? "John? John? Where's John, handsome?"
Her sister's hand froze from its movement. "Hila..." Hila didn't like that voice. Yafit sounded like she did then, when she told her about their father. God, only nothing happened to John. Something happened to John?! She jumped out of bed and looked at the empty bed in front of her.
"John," she called and was answered in silence.
She turned to go out and look for him in the kitchen. She was almost out of the room when she realized that the guitar was not in the room. Maybe it made sense that the guitar wouldn't be in the room, he might have gone out to play on the beach, but the guitar cover, which is usually thrown in the corner of the room, wasn't there either.
The guitar cover was not there.
the open closet
the void
her heart Hila put a hand over her mouth and tried to stop, she didn't know why. Maybe she didn't want a broken voice to come out. She felt a hand on her shoulder and remembered that there was something else strange here. "Yiphit? Yiphit, what happened? Why are you here? Where's John?"
"Oh, my God," she said after turning around and seeing her sister's face. "He's left. He's gone. He's not here," she murmured as if in a trance and then asked in disbelief, "He's left?" can not be. He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. He said he had a year here. Why did he leave earlier?
"I need your help, Father Francis."
"What's wrong, Martin? Little Audrey, is she okay? My God, tell me she's okay."
"She's here, she's here, it's nothing like that."
"But it's the middle of the night and you're calling. Our conversations at night are always about her, tell me what happened."
"It's John. John's gone."
"What do you mean went? Where?"
"I don't know exactly, to Cyprus? I accompanied him to a taxi and came back. And even though I know it's the right thing, suddenly I don't know, Father Francis, I don't know. The little one woke up and now her sister is here. She looks terrible, and he looks terrible too, and I think, I Thinking that maybe I was wrong in what I told you then. Maybe you were right and I was wrong. Because if I wasn't, then why do I feel like I committed a terrible sin when I let him go?"
silence.
"Father Francis? Father? Are you there? Hello?"
"Yes, yes, I'm here. I think we should do something, I just don't know what."
"Wait, Father Francis, it's beautiful here." He heard them talking. "No, I don't know exactly where he is. Said he was sailing with someone, funny name, can't remember his name." Then he heard the little one, "I know where he is."
Before they could convince each other to act differently, the two priests enlisted the help of the sisters.
Yiffit called Dr. Klein to drive them to the anchorage and Father Francis called his brother in Cyprus.
"Hello Brother."
"Francis, what happened? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, yes, I'm sorry to startle you at this time of the morning."
"It's okay, I didn't sleep, I'm just not used to receiving calls from you at this hour."
"It's not a bad thing. I need your help with a marriage license."
His brother laughed. "Since when do you need me to marry two Catholic souls?"
"That's exactly the point, that neither of them are Catholic."
"I'm listening."
~~~
Outside the Gregorius Church, Hala held the hands of her good neighbor in silent gratitude. Father Francis squeezed her hands lightly, "Hey happy, little Audrey." Again she thought about the opportunity she had received, the trust the priests had given her and the home they had generously given her.
They both flinched when they heard a car pull up next to them. No cars came to this quiet area. Dr. Klein was already inside the church, helping Lipit and Reverend Martin to arrange last things before the trip to the port.
Her eldest brother went down first. His face is as angry as the day he slapped her. And then he, the second one, his eyes are crazy as in those times. "Get your hands off my sister, you stinking Christian!" Father Francis tightened his grip, signaling to her that he was not going to leave.
But she has already given up. Her dreams fade away at the sight of them both. They will never let her. She can't drag this precious man who gave her to the underworld without asking for something in return. Yafit suffers because of her, John escaped because of her, she was not ready for Father Francis or Reverend Martin to get involved with the law because of her. With a trembling body, but determined, she shook her hands from the priest's hands. "Aura," he whispered sadly. "Hila, don't—"
"Get away from her!" Her older brother shouted and in the night shouting was heard as Shifit ran out of the church and Dr. Klein followed her. "You will fly, you piece of Ijo de Foote!" she screamed. Even though Reverend Martin stood behind Hila and held her shoulders, her tremors knocked her to the ground. Her head moved from side to side, from side to side And here she is lying on the shower floor, after he finished and left, leaving her naked, ashamed, broken.
"Hila!"
"Audrey!"
"Quatro!!!"
~~~
".Me estás avergonzando"
from mom Her voice brought her back to a moment she didn't want to go back to. She didn't notice that a taxi had stopped next to them. Now Ima is here, scolding her again, you are embarrassing me. Hila shrunk in her place, sat with her head tucked between her knees, tried to steady her breathing. color. She hoped to hear him sing to her about the morning that comes with the sun and everything is fine. "It's all right," she murmured to herself, rocking back and forth in prayer.
"Mama?" It was the second. His voice caught her attention, it sounded too quiet, and she froze and listened.
"You embarrass me." Is he embarrassing her? "you both!" Now she dared to look at what was happening and saw her mother pointing her finger at her brothers.
"But Mama, she's dating a Christian!" It was the first.
"This Christian is better than a thousand like you. God forgive me, I raised monsters at home. Your father is turning over in his grave!" Only the sound of the waves testified that the world continued to spin on its axis. There was silence, her words echoed among those present.
Then the slamming of the minibus door.
They leave. They leave?
Still on the floor, Hila looked at the same mother who picked up the blanket and returned it to its place, the same mother who demanded her to be quiet and not to be ashamed.
The same mother looked at her with sorrow and her face bathed in tears. "Lo siento, my wife. Quattro mia." Then she looked at the priest, lowered her head and left.
And suddenly Yafit was by her side, hugging her. They were so surprised, they didn't even shed a tear. "What do you know, Ermanita, the days of Messiah."
~~~
Hila shyly looked at Dr. Klein. He was her doctor at the hospital after her two suicide attempts. He knew everything. And here he is again here to help her.
"Don't worry, Hila, you are in good hands. Maurice is not only a policeman but a good and valued friend. He will take you safely to the boat." Officer Morris smiled at her and added that he and the doctor have been friends since he was an intern. He and Dr. Klein exchanged words and teasing and Yiphit pulled her into another hug, "Because I need a million of these that I will save for days of longing." And she added another kiss on one cheek and the other and more, and Hila giggled and teared up with the memory that came up, of Yiphit doing the same when she left for the university the hebrew
"So what? Dr. Klein?" Hila motioned with her eyes to the doctor who was talking to Morris by the police boat.
Her sister answered her with a small smile and her eyes shone with a great light. "Well, it's not just you who fell in love with the Doctor. Saban's girls take the best. Why settle for less?"
"What are you planning?"
"A wedding, my little sister. A wedding in the synagogue in his neighborhood, in Dania."
"Awww, Dania, a bit snobs aren't you?"
"A bit much." they laughed "You should see his parents, they talk so quietly, you can't hear them. And I arrived with all of Argentina on me, and you know, I don't shut up for a moment." It was good to laugh with her sister. It had been a long time since she had laughed with anyone in her family.
"I'm sorry I won't be at your wedding." Now the tears have come.
"I'm sorry I won't be yours." They hugged. "But hey, that's how we are Pete!" You can always count on her to get them out of trouble.
"You invite..." Yafit shook her head strongly. "Until an hour ago, I would have told you an absolute 'no'. I would have said that she would not have this pleasure, to marry a daughter, and with a doctor. I would have told you that she died as far as I was concerned. She died on the day she chose. She and he and everyone who knew and did nothing, They are all dead to me." She barely stopped to breathe and this is one of the things that Hala loved and adored about her sister. They were such opposites. With Hila, everything happened slowly, with difficulty. And what's for sure, quietly. "Now I'm not sure about her, but with all the mess, it's better not."
"And what about Cinco and Sayce?" She asked about their little sisters and Yip teared up again and replied no.
"I thought about it a lot. To invite only them, I would have to explain to them why. Avner said he would support me in any decision. That's why I'm getting married in a synagogue. I don't want a big wedding. His parents didn't understand at first, but they're Ashkenazi, you know, so A small wedding suits them. They have almost no family. Holocaust and that. It's really a joke to think that with all our huge family and uncles, we're getting married in the presence of two and a half people, without some traditional tango dance and... you know."
She finally stopped her flow of speech and looked at Aura who probably looked as she felt, worried and tense. "Mi Chiquita," she hugged her. "Don't worry, huh? Your doctor only sees you. You'll see he'll be happy to find you on his escape boat. What did he think? That we don't know how to fight? Soaps aren't soapy, that's for sure!" Hila laughed when Shifit quoted their slogan in the neighborhood. No one dared to bully them. We always protected each other. And here, this time too, her sister did not disappoint.
"Beautiful..."
"No, don't start. It was never a question of doing the right thing. You will always come first to me." Reading her thoughts again, Aura nodded.
"But at the wedding, take a lot of photos. Don't skimp on photos. And when I have an address, I'll send it to you, and you have to send me a lot." Hila snorted, "Lots and lots of pictures because I haven't boarded this boat yet and I already miss you." She clung to her sister until she felt strong enough to leave.
Yafit wiped her tears. "I think that's the longest sentence you've said in your life, I'm shocked."
Thank you so much Tammy 🙏🏼 for reading and commenting and how fun it was that you connected. Shabbat Shalom.
I was excited and scared and loved along with the heroine. Direct power. You write beautifully
Hello Meir, thank you for writing to me
And it's nice to know that you connected with my short stories.
I would be happy to try and help with the unrealized writing if I can.
You can write to me via email: [email protected]
Hi Lily. A name close to libido. My name is Meir. Also has a talent for writing, after 2 creative writing workshops from several years ago. Not fulfilled. By the way, I read a bit. I don't even have patience for myself these days. Sorry. The writing makes a professional impression. Would rather start reading your short stories. It suits me better these days. and from there…
I'd love to talk to you if you want. You can also correspond through the email I left. Have a good week, peace of mind, and a return(?) to some kind of 'normality'. Meir
There is no place for Christianity here within the greatest Judaism of all, maybe you will find yourself with the Pope and I would recommend you to try and understand the Jewish Tanakh better, you will find that it is more interesting.
An important article for Lily Milat. Good and blessed week.
The title is taken from the presented chapter.
But when you take on the role of 'critic', you don't really have the patience to read, but you do have the patience to criticize, even if it's misplaced.
Hope you know more days of patience and tolerance. good Saturday.
It is desirable that you adapt an understandable title to the continuation of the article / the story / the confusion that we don't have the patience to read these days!!!!
And I immediately stopped
And I preferred to respond here.
disappointment.