[Au Tus way from the Orthodox quarter of Sha‘aei Hered in Jette othe pres stech of and where the diver alle out“Neve Midbst” and searched for her in is rearview mirror, Victoria [Abrsvnelhe heat pounding sd her fs lenched—had only one thong on her mind. She took some bread in brown paper and aa apple this votes core out other sing bag and adjined the blesing om ‘he ult othe prayer for travel as prseibed. Her eyes wer aed on the yellowing landscape spesd ou infront of her—and her are Was fuel on her rebellions daughter Rivka, who had left che Orthodox ‘eighorhood sx moat cree and gone olive ona kibbutz of Ghar Jews, Now Vitoria had found out ffom her ster Sarath ‘Rivka was shaving 3 room with bos. sleeping in his bed and ving as his wie ‘All eeough the eightchor tip.she pondered how ae woul ‘wten she wes face to face with her daoghter: maybe she Tajle her if she were’ angry with her each her about gi naman’ eys,expsin sense ies, one woman fo another: he would wart out with res of despa, shout ot er grief the face that Rivka ad brought dowa on their noble family ai petenved mourner unt he neighbors heard, Or maybe even her mission ste, raw her dager aay fom th ue news and hen pt erin her room oder lock and key trate all wace of bes. Or maybe she would tersfy hey ellFlor, Yosef Ehloufs daughter, who fill in love with some boy, gave ‘up he virginity for im and then he deserted et so she lst her mind ad wandered around te cree pulling lle children bythe ext ‘On the oud fom Beesher, she came up with something new she would attack the hoy with hee nals ip offi skin a poke out his yes for what he had dane to this chinge-ofife danghtr of her. Het Adughter would come hick Jerusalem with he, which was what she promised her sister" bring her back even if have ro drag hee by he hae” From her sister Sara Vitor already knew that her daughter was sixteen when she met him, He yas an arty aficer and was brought ‘noel chem about tary service for Orthodox gs Later on chee ‘vasa fuss about letting peopl fom the arity come and poison the srt’ heas, but the venom had aleady worked on Rivka, Canning Fed sent he letters thoogh a rend even afer he had reared ro hi Kibbutz. And she the fk who was known for nether grace noe beaty— even when she wat a bib, people would mistake her for «boy she fl fori and when shewas eighteen she picked up and went him i the dover, ‘Te frtherVietoria got fom Beershos, the mors hee heroic pci deserted her andthe pietre in her imagination made her sigh ‘What if Rivka turned it back on her and shrew her out? What the boy ase is hand fo sik her? How would she spend the night st ‘the locked her ou a he bs di’ eave lhe next mein? What ifehey da other mesiage? She dd’ now saychingaboxt tay ling, hadn't been oubide of the neighborhood since the barren ‘Shifa Ben-Susion of Thera ave birth four years ago. ‘ht when the drive led out "Neve Midbse gsin and found her ' is to she go off the ts, alg her basket behind er. She stood | ‘ere inthe and he dry wind sriking her rose How con you leave the pure ar and beaut moustsis of frulem—and come here? ‘By theme he amet apa and ound weenan tak abot Riv rivulet of sweat were seaming from her kerchiet. Victoria plodded ‘on, looking dizeily ata woman whose arms were aden with ows of ots ne imide dhe ode er bare leg in mens shoes and folded aan socks. Coming towart them on the opposite path was i, aso wear Jing pants, whose air was cropped shor. "Heres Riv” wid the ‘apPtas #oM THE DESERT woman. Jus asVitora was about to ay"That’ not the ne Tent” ‘he recognized her daughter and burst nto ashowt that sounded ike fab. The ge por down the Inandry basket she was crying and ran to herr he dr forward ad her eyes weeping. hats his... whats is?" Victor sratched her nose. "Where ae your braids? And thote panes that’s how you des ...0y ¥e!" Rivka Lughed:“I knew das whar you'd say [wanted to get dese but dnt have ne. thoughe you'd come onthe fur o'clock bus “When did you lee hone? Sn? Come on. Enough thi crying Mere ‘ur goom, And heres Dub” ‘Saned by the shor hig the Fayed twousers with patches om the Duck, and he snes sped wih chicken doping Victor found her~ se squceed in ob ema fife clos o hers, anda male voice {sid "Hell, Mocher” Her basket wa aleady in bis hand and she— hot uadersanding herself, her hands suddenly ight—was drawn tee her daughter nto a shaded room au seated on achat. At once there wasa gs of juice in her bind he ees looked ba didn know vat they sa and later on se remember oly the double bed cov- red with a patchwork gilt and the voice ofthe gant with golden Inia "Wleome, Moter”And won as she her him sy "nthe pin vet clay. she swallows sme ue that weat dow the wrong Ary and stared choking td coughing The two of tern rushed bet fel stared poundg her on the back ikea child. ‘eae me le” she ud wesklyand pase them away “Let me ook. you she sid afer a moment, Ocean she scolded Rivka" What {sth those pans? Thote are your Sabbath shoe?” Rivka laughed “Working inthe chicken coop is week. They Brought n new hers. i= ily ook inde vegetable garden js this week in the chicken coop! ‘Weary from the journey, coated by what she was seeing, shaken ly the vicisiudes othe dy and straining co repress her rage whieh petting ay fom ber in spite of ereand aways emembering et sion —Vitora at dowa with her daughter Rivka an tale her as she had ever talked with her children before in hes id remember wh she id and she di’ remember wh Avo ealled her mother lt bus her ees su and knew: he a Pe fice looked good. Noe since Rivka was litle gh ‘ cys spate like this. Even er shor hi, Victoria adaherself made her look pretty. Not like when she wore 2 skirt and stocking, with her broad shoulder, at ifshe were man dresed up in women clothe. “You don't mis the neighborhood?” "Sometimes On holds mis the Sabbath able and the songs and Avo Sarat lagh. Bue Fike it here Tlove working outside wih ‘he animal ..You, 00,1 miss you alot” “And Papa?"Victoria asked in a whisper nto the evening ligh fle tering in “Papa doen ca about anyboy: pecially not mel day fog in the store and wit hs books and prayer Like Tm no his dacs” “God forbid! Don't say such ashing? Victoria was seated of the rath ‘He wanted to mary me oft Yekutiel son, Like | was a widow ora ciple” "Realy" "Dont play games with me. As ifyou did't know: “They talked You hear. We dow make forced matches. And any vay Yekutiel’ sn isa geis” "A pale sick genie he iti. 1 dou love him” "What do you think? You think love i everything? “What do you kxow about love?" “What does that mean?"Vietora wa offended ands up azaigh “This is how you til to your mother around here™ “You di’ love Papa and he didn't love you," Rivka ignored her nd went on in he sence dt descended“ home Tweet worth much." “And here?" Victoria aed in a whisper. "More" 4 pit all day long. And anyway, A question began to take shape in Vitoria mind about Dubie Sit-haired gant. but the door opened, ight suddenly case ons and the himseif'ssid “Great that you' saving eecrcty {Brought seo ‘hing Co ex Yogurt and vegetables on new plastic plate. Thats ‘olay, init Then, Rivka, you should take Mother to Oenatsrooen Tes empty: She mi be ted” la the room that ed out to the darkening fel Viccoria tried to norues FROM THE OFSERT. gs ees A won ar ee Serre arr it i an ake ber tots dning hale poured lr wenn ibe sds thi whch on sve ewe a bet Dub? Wha in of ame” Anger pall on oxet i moxe ant Abt Gah Grman ie int aaa ee sa Dov Sr ren pi “i stopped and said with doo mind” Hes nd he ood 2 a i ies b= chng emer oe ed eng theo ofthat athe ble with Eee 08 unre ote tb ave be al he ot scape asking pope what ny wt Asem snag ee dn Moreh heh mk oo guew eal me Moe What id of ote Tear S “maingeye deny mabe? Sa whos sopping you? she asked. and 1 ser Sarah mschievousness eept sto ber voice "Yu daughter” / “low i she stopping you? vis she dosnt wat t Be my — why daughter des want get mare Thats wha you tling FRR ging wih what head ashe red Sop An Ameo cei ope nde wis OR = see hc Neva dvs sent hi seta ed Foe rt fa eer eer nd hey gow eat arab wh ie tot 0 sometimes they po: mtn aia te ee oer pan eee eee oar You're Rivka’s mother? Congratulations on such 3 daughter.” aa suddenly her heart swelled within her. bier eer eee pee ces eran eee oe Steerer ‘she didn’t date hurt her father, who wanted «scholar for 3 son-in-law. eae oe tre ae to jerusalem, didn't you" —] ‘nothing, “Don't do anything dumb.” —o eo “Don't worry about ms" ‘i "Yes oF no?” af "Where dd you lea that” “From you." "How?" Victoria was ase “I don't want to ive like you and Papa” “dea x . “without love” “Aga love” She beat er thighs with her palms uni hey temn- bled gesture of tage without the rage: They reached the doot Victoria thought 1 moment about te bed with putshwork qi and heard herself aking, “And the special bedkime prayer, d0 you sy ha” ae "You dont sy the page ‘Only somes, eal So eve I oat ea itm aid Rivka She maghed and Ks her mother onthe chek. Then se id" Don recur f you hea acta, Goodnight” Like a mother soothing bet hl Facing the bare snd dunes stretching soft ines within the window frame, an tothe fame ofa pctore Vitoria sa a fervent prayer for Toth of dem, her and Tivka, Her heate was both heavy and ight cee et aot my thoughts trouble me, nr evil dreams. nor ei an~ ces, but let my seat be perfect before Thee ‘Aad t night she dreamed. The dees man approaches a white curtain and she es him fom behind The man move the core aide and the tes ofthe Gare Arden arin ont of hin the Tee of Life and the Tre of Knowledge hd Deno resin cons of organic ferizer The man goes tothe ple eos aden with ri, and the fruit drops ofan lls nt bi args and sent the Etisal andres int tones, And Victoria ree handful of precious somes and gold and livers hin white fie fir Suddenly the man rs around, and i+ Moshe kaya the gle Stith’ son, ad hi hair isin ames val he ay back co Shari Hse set her eyes sl cluthing ais tage bt her hea aed econ her bake at er fest and harap ark of ape hard ones hat Dui gave her: She ees fered hy daughter asking, "You see cat everything’ fine Fight fer agers. on ber mothers cheek; and Dubis voice sying fe, Mother: ‘lah wa she pondered what she would ther husbands sheer Maybe she would si dhem down an el hem ext one te he-When the bs passed the uocion, she cones Poul she deseribe to er sister, who had never known 3her husband, who had never toached her with love how could Acsribe the boy's eyes on her daughters face? When che mounting ‘of Jerusalem appeared inthe dance, she knew what she would dor From her set, who cou ed her mind she wouldnt exp a secret She'd pll her kerchief aside, pot her mouth upto her eu ike when they were childcen,and whispet, Ssrke, we've spent ou ives lone, you without a husband and me with one, My ite daughter aught ‘me something: And us remember how re thought he wa bi back ‘ward, God forbid? Flow I used t cry over her? No besuty no grace, no intelligence or talent, and as tll st Og, King of Bashon, He ‘wanted to matty het off to Yekutel and they were doing vss Eves, like Abrivanelsdanghter wasnt good enough fr them Jus look a her move" Here she would tur her fice ta the sie and pi apirtedly agian the evil ye."Milk and honey. Smart, oo. And gh le tame. Maybe, with God's help, we'l joy fom hee” ‘Anu! to hee hubund who never read her hearse woul give apples §n honey pat both hands on her hie and sy "We don't hae to weeny about Rivka She} happy thee thank God Wel at good dng oe her soon. Now taste that an tll me: apples that bloom in smmer| and are putin npn frlizer an their rots say sual you ever ‘hear of ch a thing a your Me?” Ce es coroner pn ae Se ee ne Seer pe ee ‘Thm fom he Hele by Babs Hare