Game of Silence, page 5
“I really respect your mother, but I am honestly not saying it because of her.”
Eventually, I chose to put the discharge idea on the back burner for the moment. There’s no hurry. I felt I was an important part there and we still had a few operations to finish.
“Gorilla!” I shouted from the living room at the direction of Yaron’s room. “Get a move on, are we going?”
It was Saturday night. We loved celebrating the weekends the most, and this time we went out to meet Sagie, one of our good friends from the unit who was discharged from service, like most of the guys, between the age of twenty three and twenty four. We made arrangements to meet him and his girlfriend at a bar on the intersection of Shada”l and Rothchild streets.
They were waiting for us at the section situated on the roof of one of the Bauhaus buildings of the “White City”. It was a typical Bauhaus structure; low, three stories high, painted mustard-yellow and defined with straight white lines. The fact that it underwent a process of preservation, gave it youth. The interior of the building, which was artistically designed, constituted a perfect setting for the exterior appearance. An entire residential building which conquered time in favor of the best celebrations in town. Mainly, it was the hot spot for the most connected partygoers. It was almost impossible to get in, not to speak of getting a table at the gourmet restaurant on the second floor.
Gorilla and I hopped on our bikes and rode to the bar.
The plaza near the entrance was packed with people – a mixture of youngsters in their early twenties and thirties, youths who just pleadingly waited for the venue’s hostess to let them in. I could never understand it. The selection in places of entertainment always reminded me a little of the social division in high school into those who were “popular” and the rest; only it was done in the world of grown-ups. As it turns out the same instincts that ran us at the age of thirteen continued to do so in our thirties.
Every once in a while, the venue’s hostess would raise her hand and let in the newly arrived, the familiar ones, those who don’t wait in line for one minute. The security officers would make room for the chosen ones, who received a surprised gaze overwhelmed by jealousy from the crowd.
We crossed the road that led to the entrance. Over the five steps, on the raised part of the entrance area, standing tall and condescending over the assembled masses, she stood there like the queen of the night. Fortunately, she noticed us and immediately smiled and signaled to the security officer.
Lilach, the selector, was an officer in our war room and fresh out of the army. She stood there in high heels which matched her slender black dress and highlighted the curves of her feminine body.
Her light-colored hair shielded a pair of almond shaped eyes and through it, her exposed neck sported a tattoo I had never noticed before, climbing up from her back in a type of calligraphy that in a glance looked Japanese. And I, who was used to seeing her in an oversized army uniform, was momentarily shocked by the change that had taken place in her.
The security officer who was next to her signaled us to pass through, and the masses that lined at the entrance moved to the sides as if the Red Sea had parted under them. Gorilla moved through them and in a paralyzing style, cleared a path for himself and for me. He didn’t leave them much choice – move aside or be run over. As we passed her by, I gave her a kiss hello on her cheek, not before giving her a smiling wink and saying “thanks”. Gorilla joined me. Had she not been on duty, surrounded by the crowds, I have no doubt she would have pounced on him; she always said, “it’s simply a must” and then burst into laughter.
The first impression I got upon entering the joint was the large black and white tiles that made the floor look like a giant chess board. A hall with internal arches served as a foyer and led to stairs which curled up at the end and to the top floors. Next to them stood a large vase with an elegant flower arrangement in all its glory. Whoever it was, they did a great job conveying the magic of going back in time to an unknown past, by way of commemorating in an amazing manner an ancient house which housed one of the founders of Tel Aviv’s aristocratic families. To my right was an abandoned reception desk, which served to hold belongings during the winter. I passed it by and stopped for a few more minutes, impressed by the architecture, Yaron joined me. I noticed that next to the crimson curtain that sought to direct to the staircase, there was a hidden entrance to an unknown area. We went in for a second to see what it was all about. It was a huge living room, which spread over an entire floor area. It was nearly empty of people. In its center there was a dance floor, with several high bar tables and a tiled floor decorated with matching colors. The whole setting looked as if it was taken straight from an old issue of a prestigious magazine. The bar on the left side of the hall was made of mahogany wood and housed bottles of alcohol that gleamed in the misty lighting. There will be time for it later that night. The party on the roof will move here at midnight.
We went up to the roof. There were about eighty people there already. It wasn’t difficult for me to find Sagie and his girlfriend, Einav. The music – a mixture of Dance-House tunes that echoed in the background – completed the ambiance, along with the urban view of Tel-Aviv spread below us. The wide boulevards that cross through town promoted a mesmerizing combination of innovative high-rise towers with low and wide European Bauhaus buildings.
We approached them. Sagie rose towards us for a strong hug reserved for close friends only. his girlfriend Einav stood behind. But even before I gave her a hello kiss on her cheek, through the corner of my eye I noticed the most beautiful human creation I ever had the privilege of seeing. She sat at the far end of the bar. Her seemingly simple look radiated a captivating silence. Non-sparkling, effortless beauty. Her light complexion highlighted her incredibly beautiful face, marked with a pair of captivating dimples that formed whenever she spoke. At first I tried to ignore it – it’s impossible for someone to be that beautiful, I said to myself, but in a moment I will look again and find out.
Next to Einav stood another girl. “Allow me to introduce,” Einav signaled me, “this is Sivan, a friend of mine from school.”
Ah, I thought to myself, she set me up with this cutie. Over the past year she mentioned she had a perfect friend for me, several times. I was always in a hurry to change the subject and dissolve her generous plot to introduce me to her, hoping she will get the message and let me off the hook. I didn’t know how to explain it, but I felt it wasn’t right for me. And now she’s here, this friend of hers.
Einav started with mundane small talk and Sivan joined in. I answered with a polite smile, but I had no desire for an empty discourse about nothing with a girl who doesn’t interest me, especially when at the time, my eyes kept wandering from them to the side, towards the beauty sitting at the bar.
The situation that formed prevented me from approaching her. Even if I was here only with Gorilla and without taking Einav and her friend into consideration – it is not my way.
To directly approach a girl you don’t know always seemed forced to me. I am a true believer in coincidences and naturally occurring opportunities that are presented within situations. But I had to get to know this mesmerizing woman, no matter what.
Fortunately, Yaron saved the day. He offered me a beer and pushed his way into the conversation. I had to think of something, and fast. I noticed that one of the times I looked at her she noticed me, and perhaps even smiled a little, almost unnoticeably. Or is it just my imagination?! I wasn’t sure, but it was enough for me to mumble something to Einav and Sivan and apologetically move away.
Uncontrollably drawn to her I proceeded several meters towards the barman, and asked him, discretely pointing to her: “What is the girl over there with the black dress drinking?”
“Margarita,” he answered, “and it’s her third, maybe you’ll have a chance to approach her. You won’t be the first tonight,” and laughed.
“Okay then, get me two frozen Margaritas please,” I said.
He nodded affirmatively and a few seconds later served me the drinks.
Without giving it a second thought, I walked across the bar with a confident stride and approached her with my gaze pinned on her having a little hidden smile on my face. Only when I got really close did she turn to look at me. She gave me a look that attempted to keep the distance, which turned me on even more. At the same time she gave out that clear vibe of patiently waiting for me to approach her. I handed her the glass. She naturally took it from me.
“Cheers, I’m Yanai,” I lifted the glass in a gentle gesture.
We clinked our glasses, and her vibe was of a reserved smile. “Cheers, I’m Ya’ara,” she replied, making a gesture inviting me to sit on the bar stool next to her.
Upon sitting, I said in an apologetic tone: “I can’t remember ever being hypnotized by someone to bring her a Margarita, well done.”
She did not respond, but the slight tightening created by her dimples around her eyes answered for her. She took a few sips from the Margarita, pinned her gaze to an unknown point in space, and suddenly turned her head to me and said: “I understand that this is what you say to all the girls you bring a frozen Margarita to.”
“No, only to the mesmerizing ones,” I laughed. “I just told you, you are the first one, but if you are fishing for more compliments, I can tell you, it’s not my strong point.”
“You are actually doing quite a decent job, go on,” she was having fun trying to embarrass me. But the fact that she almost finished the Margarita in several sips testified to the fact she was no less embarrassed than me.
The conversation flowed naturally and pleasantly. Ya’ara turned out to be a brilliant girl and demonstrated impressive knowledge. She talked about magical places in the world I haven’t had the chance to know and demonstrated a great deal of knowledge of their history. She had a maturity about her, feminine, albeit a little distant. And especially, she had the whimsical eyes of a doe which emanated self-confidence. Confidence that I sensed I may have managed to crack a little.
Very soon, and the more the conversation deepened, I realized that I had fallen under the spell of a girl who knows exactly what she is capable of. Alarms started to go off in my consciousness: You are participating in a game that is more dangerous than diving into the Tartus Harbor in Syria! And just as I felt we broke the ice, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took a peek and saw it was a call from the unit.
“I am so sorry, I have to take this,” I said.
On the phone was one of the girls who regularly mans the operations war room.
“Yanai, how’s things? Orange Cherry plus one hour. I can’t give more details. Is anyone else from the unit with you?
“Yeah, Sagie and Gorilla,” I yelled into the device trying to overcome the background noise.
“Good, bring Yaron too. I called him a minute ago, he was unreachable. Sagie is not on the call list.
“Got it. Orange Cherry plus one hour.”
I hung up the call and stood up. The immediate significance of it was that I had an hour to take Gorilla out of here, grab our rifles from the apartment and get to the unit.
“Gorilla?” asked Ya’ara, amused.
“Yes, that’s Yaron’s nickname, a friend from the unit who is here with me.”
“From the unit?” She lifted her brow in an inquisitive look.
“Yes, but this is for another time,” I replied. “I honestly have to get out of here, and I still need to find Gorilla in this crowd.”
“That won’t be too difficult,” she smiled.
Finding it hard to say goodbye and leave, while attempting to equate this unusual mobilizing with a light ambience of a routine situation, I said very seriously: “But you should know that I truly meant what I said at the beginning of the evening. I am not accustomed to picking up girls in this manner.”
She smiled her most confident and mischievous smile she could muster and whispered in my ear: “I regret to tell you that I was the one who caused you to come over and talk to me.”
And for the second time tonight, I felt that the hunter had become the hunted.
It was also the moment I realized that if this dangerous beauty really interests me, I will have to be careful not to fall into her trap as easy prey.
I looked straight into her eyes, and kissed her goodbye on her cheek: “Sorry, I really have to go. It was a pleasure meeting you, but maybe we should leave something to fate.” I smiled a sneaky smile, creating a twist in the plot she didn’t anticipate. Without waiting for an answer, I waved at my friends I left at the other side of the bar, knowing she is looking at me while maintaining a confident façade on the outside, but being quite surprised on the inside.
I found Gorilla holding his second glass of beer and I whispered to him quietly: “Orange Cherry, one hour.”
He looked at me inquisitively, trying to figure out whether it was yet another one of my pranks. One second was enough for him to see that I was serious, and say: “We’re off”.
Sagie, who noticed what was happening, approached me. I signaled him secretively and whispered the meaning of the mobilizing to him. His eyes reflected the disappointment for not being invited to this shindy too.
I quickly apologized to the girls, said we needed to go, and didn’t hang out long enough to see their reaction. On our way out towards the staircase it came to me. I felt the intense need to go back and properly say goodbye to her. I stopped, turned towards Gorilla, tapped him lightly on his back and said: “wait a minute, I’ll be right back,” and turned around.
He squinted his eyes at me in wonderment and stopped, but I already moved on from there without any explanation.
When she noticed me from a distance approaching her, she suddenly smiled in relief. It was evident that she was disappointed by the fact I never asked for her telephone number, but made an effort to conceal it. “Missed me already?” she asked, and her two dimples showed up in all their glory.
I didn’t answer. I stood silent, and looked straight into the sunflower colored iris in her eyes. I placed my hand gently under her chin, stroking her cheek with my thumb, and slowly examining as if seeking approval, I brought her face forward to mine, until I felt her lips.
Surprised, she responded with a long, caressing kiss.
Her plump lips wrapped me with warmth which radiated from the tip of my tongue straight to my diaphragm, creating a sense of a distant memory, of an unclear closeness. In reality it probably lasted just a few seconds, but for me it seemed like an eternity.
I looked in her eyes with a gaze that said it all. I reached into my motorbike jacket and took out the Chapstick which protected me against the drying wind. I placed it in the palm of her hand and said: “I can’t just leave these lips to fate. This will keep them moist, until fate decides to bring us together again,” and I smiled in a way which was neither embarrassed nor provocative. “But now I really need to get out of here,” I concluded and turned toward Gorilla. Once again, I didn’t ask for her phone number.
Fool, I said to myself, what was this nonsense with the Chapstick? Have you completely lost control of your faculties?
Gorilla watched the scene from the sidelines in wonderment, and by quickly skipping down the stairs he yelled at me amused: “Get a move on man, they ruined your lay, the Syrians.
“They will pay for it, don’t worry.” And burst out in loud laughter.
Right at that moment, I felt like I was floating on clouds.
4.
Put the paddle to the metal
Gorilla and I stormed out of the bar. On the way out we bumped straight into Lilach, who was standing with her back turned to us, sifting through the crowds awaiting their fate in anticipation. I could have sworn that some of the people standing there were still waiting from the time we went in. Lilach looked surprised when she noticed us.
“What happened, geriatric bunch? Hot chocolate milk and to bed?” She said sarcastically and pointed at Gorilla who was stuck behind me, “Never mind the old guy, but you? Where are you going? To read him a bed-time story?”
“Hey, I can see you are full of confidence all of a sudden, what happened? You checked out courage from the logistics warehouse and forgot to return it when you got released? I answered with my own sarcasm. I kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear - “Orange Cherry”.
The provocative smile she had on her face immediately turned to that of shock. In an instant, within all the mayhem around her, these two words took her back to those not too distant days, which were still very much a part of her.
I intended to keep on walking, but she gently held on to my arms for yet another moment, forcing me to turn to her. Giving me a piercing look, she nodded her head in a kind of sad acceptance and let my arm go.
She hopped on Gorilla slightly, hugged him and said: “take care of yourselves, ha?”
“Lilach!” A call was sounded which diverted her from us, and she immediately signaled in enthusiasm to a colorful partygoer who was wearing orange sunglasses, whereas we turned to our motorbikes that were waiting for us near the entrance.
Within a few minutes of the bike ride, we arrived at our apartment. With expertise saved for those thousands of times we had to do this, we changed into our fatigues, collected our weapons and small bags with equipment, and within seven minutes we were out of the apartment.
At the entrance to the residential building, a moment before we hopped on our bikes again, I looked at Yaron and said: “we have thirty six minutes left, we are cutting it close and there are speed cameras out there. I hope we won’t encounter patrol cars on the way.” He nodded in silence which enabled me to add, just to be clear: “We have no choice, fold your license plate and step on it.”
