“Romance novels …I didn’t know.”
“I don’t tel most people.”
“That’s real y amazing, that you can do that.”
“My hidden talent. Not that it takes much talent!”
“It takes a lot of talent. You have to know what other people’s fantasies are. That takes a special kind of genius.”
“Yes, that’s me. A genius. A genius at surviving.”
“I felt bad not leaving you any money, but I figured your father would help you out.”
“He of ered, of course. As it turned out, I didn’t need him. I’ve put away half of what I made for our trip.”
“I don’t want to travel, Dana. I don’t like people staring at me.”
“Who cares? Who cares? So you look a lit le weird, so what? Haven’t you noticed that everyone is a mis t? We’re al weird! You never cared before what anyone thought, why would you care now?”
“I liked who I was.”
“No one gives a damn. People aren’t interested in anything but their own lit le lives.”
“That hasn’t been my experience, general y speaking. If people weren’t interested in anything but their own lit le lives we wouldn’t have missiles dropping from the sky every second Tuesday.”
“Have you lost any students?”
“Yes. One died, and four are so disabled they can’t real y function anymore. One girl, the one who was kil ed, she was incredibly bril iant.
She was a math whiz, I couldn’t teach her anything. I put her in touch with a mathematician at the university —he was teaching her by email.
She would have been a scientist, or a physicist, she could have done anything with her life. But she was shot down at a checkpoint, on the way to visit her brother. They shot at the car she was in—the whole family was kil ed. Everyone who knew her was devastated, including me. She was something special, not only bril iant but also wise and sweet. But it’s always devastating.”
“I brought you a photograph.” I reached for my bag and took out the photo of the excited religious men and the birds in the sky.
Daniel looked at it for a long time. “Was this a funeral?” he asked.
“It was a memorial. For those thirteen Arabs the police kil ed. It seemed so shocking at the time, kil ing our own citizens. Now nothing seems shocking. We’ve lost the ability to be shocked.”
“This is wonderful. They’re get ing excited about the birds.”
“Yes. Do you think they thought the birds were the souls of the boys?”
“I don’t know. But it’s a great photograph, Dana. Thank you for bringing it. I’d like to see al your photos. You know, I probably wouldn’t have ended up here if not for you. I mean in Palestine. You see how ef ective your lectures were …”
“I didn’t mean for you to go this far …” I said, and we both laughed.
“Has anything changed in the flat? How are the plants doing?”
“They’re thriving. You can’t see the wal anymore. I’m thinking of trimming them a bit, what do you think?”
“Sure, sounds like a good idea …”
“Kit y died last year. She just went very limp suddenly, and I held her on my lap for a few hours, and she died, I guess of old age. Daniel, I’ve real y missed you. It’s been incredibly lonely.”
“Yes.”
“What a waste. What a waste of suf ering. For nothing, for absolutely nothing.”
“Most suf ering is for nothing.”
“It’s true. This fighting …this fighting is for nothing,” I said. “We’re al dying for nothing. Come with me to bed.”
“Al right. But don’t expect anything.”
“Okay.”
Daniel turned of the lights and undressed. He lay down beside me but he didn’t touch me.
“Remember al the things we used to do?” I said.
“Yes. It’s amazing how your body hasn’t changed at al . Your face is older, but not your body.”
“Yes. It’s amazing how your body hasn’t changed at al . Your face is older, but not your body.”
“It’s yours, my body.”
“You were always a generous person, Dana.”
“I’ve been loyal to you. I slept with a kid a year after you vanished, a one-night stand. I didn’t enjoy it, it was real y sad. I had no idea he was so young. Poor guy, I real y hurt him. And I’ve slept with Beatrice. She’s at racted to women, but she isn’t in love with me, it was always very casual, and it’s over now that we’re back
