Interrupted Romance (6 page)

Dafna went inside the house.
 
It was time to try calling Adam again.

She dialled the number of his parents' home.
 
It was answered almost at once by Adam, who must have been sitting close by it… waiting?

"Adam?
 
This is Dafna.
 
How are you?"

"Fine.
 
I'm glad you called.
 
I didn't know where you were," Adam said.
 
"Are you OK?
 
What is the medical emergency?
 
I worried about you."

Dafna explained the events of the past few days, about her mother's sudden illness, her abrupt departure from Israel as a result.
 
She apologised to Adam for not speaking to him before she left.
 
He said he understood.
 
She said she was sorry she missed the picnic.
 
He said he was sorry too.
 
They talked of day-to-day happenings, bringing each other up to date with their lives.

Then, Dafna asked, "Would you let me track down a Dr Roni Feldman on your behalf, who is an eye specialist, currently here in Sydney?
 
I want to find out if he can help you."

"As a matter of fact, that is the name of the doctor I have been waiting for," said Adam.
 
He sounded excited and Dafna was pleased that she had finally been able to speak with him.

They spoke for another ten minutes or so before Dafna said, "I'll do what I can about the doctor, Adam.
 
Would I be able to call you back in a few days?
 
About the same time?"

"Yes, I'll be here, waiting.
 
Thank you, Dafna.
 
And thank you for calling me today.
 
Bye."

"Bye, Adam."

Dafna hung up and sat back, smiling.
 
In the morning she would make certain she contacted Dr Feldman.

CHAPTER 7

Dr Feldman was a hard man to catch.
 
Numerous phone calls later, Dafna was finally able to trace him and explain why she wanted to reach him.

At his hotel it was no easier to speak to him.
 
The hotel management must have had orders to protect him from random callers.
 
However, Dafna wasn't easily put off, explaining briefly to the receptionist what her business was with the doctor.
 
She was able to leave a message for him.
 
In it, she pleaded with him to return her call.

It was almost 8 p.m. the following night when the phone in Dafna's room rang.
 
Dr Feldman was on the other end.
 
They exchanged greetings in English.
 
He was expecting an Australian to be on the phone.

She quickly gave him the details of Adam's injuries.
 
The doctor was aware of the blast that had caused the problem.
 
All of Israel had known within the hour of the attack at the airport.
 
Dafna also told him that Adam had saved her life and damaged his own that day. They discussed the details before he asked her how her own injuries had healed.

After briefly touching on the terrorist and his motives, they speculated on whether another would turn up to avenge the one who had died in the blast and who had been identified within 24 hours.

Dr Feldman told Dafna that he would call her back the next day, as he was hoping to demonstrate some of his speciality - trauma surgery - during the following week.
 
It could be possible to include Adam on the operating list, providing the hospital agreed to having Adam as a patient, and providing there was a bed vacant for his recovery.
 
He felt it would be a way of helping a hero from his country, by the best possible means available to him.
 
The arrangements could take some days, but he promised to do his best.
 
He would need to examine Adam.

He hung up and Dafna sighed with relief that the first part of the problem was being addressed.
 
She wouldn't call Adam until there was something further to relate.
 
Maybe tomorrow.

The rest of her week would be taken up with visiting her mother and tending the garden.
 
It was nearly a full-time job to keep it respectable.
 
Where did her mother find time to do it?
 
She made sure her clothes were washed and ironed and hanging ready in the wardrobe.
 
She wanted to be prepared in case she needed to visit Dr Feldman.

That night, Dafna lay awake for hours, wondering what the outcome would be for 'her' patients, her mother and Adam.
 
Naturally, she had told her mother about Adam.
 
Her mother had learnt of Dafna's experience at the airport, shortly after it happened, when the hospital in Israel had advised her.
 
But she wasn't aware of Dafna's connection to Adam at the time.
 
Now it was becoming a more personal connection.
     
Dafna was hoping that her mother wouldn't mind if Adam stayed at the house in Parramatta, before and after his operation, assuming it would go ahead.
 
It would mean Dafna would have two recuperating patients to look after.
 
It would be a very busy time for her, but she wasn't fazed by it.
 
She would need to email Israel tomorrow and check on the book shop.
 
Her neighbour in Israel would need to know of her extended stay in Sydney.
 
She had to find out if any of her mail needed attention.

The temperature hadn't dropped beneath thirty degrees and the humidity was still up around ninety percent.
 
Sleep was a long time coming.

The new day brought more heat and humidity.
 
A storm was brewing and it wouldn't be long before it hit the city, as already the loud rumble of thunder could be heard.
 
Dafna knew from experience that an electrical storm meant no talking on the telephone.
 
Even as a child, her mother always warned her about using the phone when there was lightning about.
 
Telecom printed warnings in their phone books to the effect that lightning strikes could damage the hearing.
 
So she prepared instead to use her mother's email facility.

She made coffee and carried it into the little room her mother called 'the study', where the computer sat on the desk.
 
There was time to send some messages to the shop, to friends both in Australia and in Israel.
 
Dafna sipped the hot liquid while the computer warmed up.
 
Hopefully, Dr Feldman would get back to her today with some good news.

She composed the messages in her mind, so that it was a matter of only a few minutes later that all the messages were typed and sent on their way.
 
To Yael, she asked that any questions needing her attention be sent to the email address shown.

No sooner had she finished the last message when a flash of lightning lit up the room.
 
Quickly, Dafna closed down the computer and turned it off.
 
She moved swiftly though the house pulling electrical cords out of their sockets - equipment that didn't need to be connected, such as the toaster, the microwave, the TV and video.
 
Years ago, this hadn't been done during a storm and her mother had discovered several electric appliances were 'zapped' and useless.
 
They had to be replaced with money from the insurance company.
 
Ever since then, it seemed so much easier simply to unplug them.

The storm was over in half an hour, leaving water gurgling down the gutter pipes from the roof and in the streets.
 
The trees dripped water onto the grass; the flowers were weighed down with the amount of water on them.
 
Everything looked so clean and shiny.
 
The road had steam rising from it, where the cooling rain had landed on tar still hot from the previous day.
 
At least she could now use the phone.

Nobody rang.

Dafna took the opportunity to walk out into the garden.
 
She could imagine Adam sitting out under the pergola, enjoying the perfume from the flowers.

It was another two days before Dr Feldman called Dafna.
 
The news was good.
 
He could use an operation on Adam's injuries as a lesson for the doctors attending his lectures.
 
A practical lesson would be perfect.
 
He asked if Dafna could arrange for Adam to come to Australia within a week.
 
She told him that she would call Adam that same day to advise him of the decision, and to start the arrangements.

Later that day, Dafna confirmed with her mother that it would be OK for Adam to come to the house, if he chose to accept the doctor's offer.
 
Mrs Zoreff could see that Dafna was trying to hide her excitement at the prospect of seeing Adam again.

After her return from the hospital, Dafna called Adam.
 
It was late afternoon in Sydney, but early morning in Tel Aviv.
 
She didn't stop to calculate the actual time.
 
As it happened, Adam had been up and about for an hour or so.

"Adam.
 
It's Dafna.
 
How are you?"

"Hi.
 
I'm fine.
 
What news have you got for me?
 
Good or bad?"

"Great!
 
Dr Feldman says your condition is perfect for his lectures and he's going to give a practical lesson at the teaching hospital here, providing you can be here within a week.
 
Is it possible?
 
Will you come, Adam?"

"Yes, of course.
 
I'll have my mother make the arrangements and call you back.
 
Where do I stay during the recuperation period, Dafna?
 
I don't know anyone or anywhere over there."

"It's all arranged.
 
My mother said it would be OK for you to stay here at the house.
 
We are close to the hospital.
 
Besides, you're wrong.
 
You do know someone… me!"

"I can't wait for it all to be over.
 
I only hope that he can give me back some sight.
 
I am looking forward to really seeing you."

"I look forward to that, too, Adam," Dafna said slowly.
 
"Call me as soon as you know the flight details, please."

Adam laughed.
 
The sound came from deep within his chest.
 
"You'll hear about it almost as soon as I know myself," he said.

They talked small talk for a few minutes, flirting a little, enjoying the sound of each other's voice.
 
Finally, Dafna said to him, "Go, for goodness sake.
 
Start with the arrangements, or we'll still be here next week talking about them."

They said their 'goodbyes' and hung up.
 
Dafna's hand on the phone was moist.
 
She kidded herself it was from the heat, but knew deep down it was the excitement of talking to Adam again.

To keep herself occupied Dafna began cleaning the spare room, ready for Adam to stay there.
 
She polished and dusted with a vengeance.
 
The bed was made up with fresh, lemon-scented linen.
 
It was with some surprise that she noted that the time was almost 9 p.m.
 
She still hadn't eaten and decided on a snack, rather than a full dinner at that hour.
 
Then it was time for a shower and hop into bed.

Dafna drifted into sleep, dreaming of Adam walking with her on a beach, holding hands.

CHAPTER 8

The following week was a busy one for Dafna.
 
Her mother was being discharged on the Monday.
 
Many things had to be organised to make her recovery a pleasant one.
 
The home nursing staff was contacted.
 
They explained to Dafna the type of care and help her mother would need for a while.

Adam's flight was due at Mascot airport early on Tuesday.
 
Dafna rose early that morning to help her mother freshen up before her old friend, Mrs Bergman, came to stay with her while Dafna went to the airport.

Showered and dressed in casual slacks and a blouse, Dafna drove to Mascot through the peak hour traffic.
 
She kept looking at the clock on the dashboard, worrying that the delays would mean Adam would be standing about waiting, not knowing what was wrong.
 
There was no need to be concerned, as the night before she had called the airline and ascertained that someone would help Adam off the plane, and wait with him until she claimed him.
 
Nevertheless, she couldn't avoid the sinking feeling every time she was held up at the traffic lights.
 
She didn't want him to have to wait.
 
She wanted to be there when he came through the gate from the customs area.

Finally, the traffic heading for the airport moved steadily ahead and Dafna became calmer.
 
She was able to park the car in a position close to the terminal and merely had to walk across the road.
 
There were ten minutes to spare before the flight was due to land.
 
She thought about sitting in the café area and having a cup of coffee, as she'd not stopped long enough that morning to have any breakfast, but discarded that idea in favour of moving to the seating outside the customs hall.
 
Dafna knew from her own experiences as an international traveller to Australia what each arriving passenger had to do before being passed through the exit.
 
Each person had to identify his or her luggage and line it up as directed by the customs officers.
 
A specially trained 'sniffer' dog would run along the line of bags, a few dozen at a time, sniffing at each one, sometimes returning to a particular item before continuing along the line.
 
The dog was used to find prohibited substances or drugs that could be hidden or carried in the luggage.
 
When the dog finished its duty, the luggage could be picked up and another line of luggage put in its place to be checked.
 
It gave Dafna time to calm her nerves as she waited for Adam to appear.