While we were trying to decide what to do, a car stopped beside us. The driver, who knew Lily from the neighborhood, saw us sitting by the roadside and asked if everything was okay. I was relieved when he offered her a ride home. I could manage the bikes myself.
Watching the car pull away, I felt as if part of my body had been torn from me. I was afraid for her. Despite what she said, I wasn’t sure she was okay. When I got back to the apartment, the door was open. The sound of running water led me to the shower. I knew I wouldn’t rest until I saw her safe and sound.
“I’m fine, so why are you so worried? It was just a little shortness of breath, like on the Yarkon Bridge.”
“Those damn bikes…” I slammed my fist on the counter. I blamed them, but really I meant myself – and maybe her too.
“Are you crazy? Look how much fun this is,” she said, spraying me with the showerhead.
“I’ll ride until I die. I’m not going to stop enjoying life.”
“Lily, this time it’s you talking about limits and death, not me.” I felt fear seeping through me.
“I’m not afraid of it,” she laughed from deep inside.
“Lily!”
“Enough!” she dodged me, “Enough, stop it!” Then she hugged me tight, letting me truly feel just how completely alive she was.
Chapter 19
Eve of the Officers’ Course
The last day of my internship had arrived. That was it – from tomorrow on, I would be a doctor. It felt strange to think that from now on, the weight of responsibility would rest squarely on my shoulders. Even though I knew it would take time before it truly did, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about the unknown. That anxiety almost made me forget about the officers’ course I was supposed to leave for two days later.
“I already miss you,” I heard Lily’s voice as I entered the stairwell. She was waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
“Miss me? Why?”
“You forgot? The officers’ course.” It seemed the course was troubling her more than it was me.
“And what about you? Aren’t you starting school?”
“Big difference – I’ll be coming back every night to an empty bed.” Dozens of colorful balloons dangled from the ceiling, swaying in the breeze.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, surprised.
“A party!” she grinned, ear to ear.
“At ten the gang is coming over. We’re celebrating you guys leaving for the officers’ course. You don’t mind, do you?”
“I’m not sure there’s much to celebrate. This course means being separated from you, my love.” Already, my heart ached with longing – before I had even left.
“So tonight, we’ll stop at your parents, then at mine.”
“You think it’s wise to visit my folks right before I leave for the course? You know how nervous my mother is. She’ll probably start crying and not stop.”
“Relax – I already met them, and I think they liked me. At least your dad did.” She tried to calm me.
Like the first visit, the second went smoothly. As we were leaving my parents’ place, my mother slipped a cake into my hands.
“So you’ll have something sweet,” she said. I hugged her. To my surprise, this time she didn’t burst into tears. Maybe Lily’s presence had something to do with it.
“Mom, you’ll need to bake twenty-five cakes – enough for all my friends.”
“You’ll know who deserves a slice,” she replied with her usual seriousness. For years, during my studies, my mother made me sandwiches every morning. Not just for me, but for David and two other friends I studied with. She wanted to make sure her beloved son – her “angel,” as she called me – never had to share his portion. Another twisted byproduct of the Holocaust survivors and the lives they led.
“If everyone has their own sandwich, you’ll eat all of yours,” she used to insist. Of course, everyone was happy about her obsessive dedication to eliminating “hunger” from our group.
