Hilla

An aim, a purpose, yeah, that's what I need, that's my problem! Concluded Shatz gloomily. I'll have to get in touch with the rest or the embassy's crew; with the Pelegs, the Avisars and the Ambassador and his young wife. I might lend the old man a hand, in making his wife happier. He burst out laughing aloud, turning from gloom into incomprehensible merriment, from one extreme end to the opposite one - realizing it with a sudden perception.

Yes, I must get closer to them, whether Everon likes it or not. They aren't monsters or cannibals! Everon it seems wants to seclude me. What could his reasons be I haven't the slightest idea yet - but I might be wrong? How come the Priels' did not get along with the others? He wondered, but that was none of his business of course. Hardly a few more seconds passed, and he was watching Dialo down in the valley, from the hill's top heights. In about two more minutes he crossed that God forsaken town and was getting closer to the farm.

No "welcome party" and on this very day, although I'm arriving with my brand new car? Wondered Shatz amused. Reaching the small empty yard in front of the Priels' house, rather cautiously, he blew the horn twice, stopped still and switched the engine off. Where are they? Aren't they home? Did they leave for Dialo, or Mouaka, and I haven't got the key to the front door yet - my front door as of next week on!

Moshe appeared all of a sudden, coming out of the entrance in a rush, upset, raising his arms in alarm. 'Don't blow the horn! The kids have fallen asleep just a minute ago!' 'Good God, I'm terribly sorry! I hope it didn't wake them up!' Exclaimed Shatz embarrassed - getting off his car and shutting its door noiselessly, with much care.

'Well, well,' smiled to him Priel. 'Let's have a look at it.' He added excited pushing his head through the open window. 'Where's Hilla, doesn't she feel well?' Asked him Shatz.

'No, she's all right, she simply didn't want to come out in this terrible heat that's all.' Answered Priel turning back to him, and circling Shat's new car, surveying it with much interest.

'Quite impressive, interesting though there're hardly any differences between this model and last year's one.' Remarked Priel. 'Do you mind if I'll drive it a bit? I'll ride it to the shaded area next to our car, and park it over there.'

'Okay, go ahead.' Shatz answered with feigned indifference and opening the car's door, he got inside and sat in the front seat next to the driver.

Priel took his time and settled himself behind the steering wheel with much care, or rather awe -switching on its engine he put in gear, and crossed the few yards up to the shaded area, and parked the car next to his own old one.

'Let's get in before Hilla will get angry again, she doesn't like to wait - you must have noticed it already I guess.'

Shatz did not answer but cleared his throat slightly, he could not wait either - crossing the threshold following Priel he missed a heartbeat.

'Just take a look at yourselves in the mirror, how excited you're!' Remarked Hilla ironically, raising her eyes from the Magazine she was reading.

'What do you know? I even took it for a short ride.' Answered her Priel. 'But why didn't you order a "familiale" model a station-wagon, like the one we have bought?' He turned suddenly back to Shatz, as if it did occur to him just at that very moment?'

'Won't you cut it off!?! Enough!' Scolded him Hilla raising her voice. 'Let him sit down and have some rest will you! She added after the few seconds pause that ensued. Have you had something to eat at all, did you have lunch already?' She asked Shatz as he sat facing her.

'Oh yes thank you.' Shatz hastened to answer a bit shocked by the open joy, with which she welcomed him.

'Moshe,' she turned to her husband who was still standing in front of her. 'Get us something to drink, but go first to the kitchen and tell Pascal to prepare some meat sandwiches.' Putting the magazine aside she turned to Shatz's craving looks as soon as her husband made his way to the kitchen. 'You had a good time down there I bet, hadn't you?' She asked smiling again.

For just a friction of a second Shatz saw Janine's lovely features, in his mind's eye. She was not less pretty than Hilla, though young an inexperienced girl - a rose bud that has not bloomed yet, compared with Hilla's ripe beauty. 'I've done my best in vain, it was such an ordeal being away from you.'

'Flatterer!' She whispered back to him, without trying to hide her joy. 'I bet you didn't stop at the post office.' She added speaking loud enough for her husband to hear - as she saw him coming back towards them.

'Ouch, I forgot it completely, I'm so sorry.' He apologized.

'Never mind, I didn't expect any letters that soon.'
'But you did subscribe on a morning paper, back home before leaving.' Remarked Priel, sitting next to his wife. 'Some copies might have been sent to you already.'

'Okay, on my way back at about five I'll stop there and check it, but I haven't got your box office key.'
Priel pulled out a bundle of keys from his pants pocket, and detaching two keys handed them to Shatz. 'That's our box's key, and this one is the key to our front door.'

'I've sent Pacal to get that extra key from Da-Silva.' Hilla asked her husband, without any signs of traumatic fears - which the name of the farm's manager usually brought up.

'In that case he could have, I mean whenever you'd to go out.' Suggested Shatz coughing slightly and clearing his throat, not certain whether he should have brought that matter up.

'Absolutely not!' Interrupted him Priel. 'We never had any problems of that kind, they're alright from that point of view - nothing ever vanished from our household, all along the time that we are here.'

'How does Pascal get in? He starts his day of work rather early I understand.' Wondered Shatz aloud.

'That's Moshe's little problem from now on.' Remarked Hilla with a chuckle. 'He's supposed to start his day of work at seven o'clock, which means you'll have to get up quite early, in the near future.'

Right at that moment Pascal emerged carrying a large platter in his hands, loaded with sandwiches, cans, glasses and a bottle of mineral water - he laid it on the table and after a short pause as if he expecting some more orders, he returned to the kitchen.

'That's reminds me of something.' Remarked Shatz, breaking the short silence that ensued at the boy's arrival. 'I've planed a shopping spree at the Astro this morning.'

'How about a cold beer, Reuven?' Interrupted him Moshe while pouring a glass of mineral water to his wife.
'I'll have a scotch Perrier, if you don't mind.'

'Well well, nothing less eh? That's what you were used to drink back home I understand, isn't it?' Asked him Priel with a sarcastic smile, on his way to the bar.

'Four glasses after sunset that's what I'm used to.' Answered him Shatz. 'Once a year of course, at Passover's Seder.'

'What a joke! What an exquisite sense of humor!' Hilla muttered with an impatient sneer, raising her eyes to the ceiling. Priel burst out in a cheerful laugh; he did not feel that elated for quite a while. Shatz have brought with him the old spirit of comradeship, which they were all used to, back home. Everon on the other hand, whenever he came for a short visit, was usually tolerable for a short while. Whenever he stayed on for several hours, he used to spill their blood, by reminding them of Da-Silva's existence, scolding them over trivial issues; preaching to them time and again and then right after it making amends, clearing the atmosphere as if nothing has happened. As if his behavior did not insult Priel and Hilla was not humiliated. 'What are you going to buy at the Astro?' Hilla turned to Shatz right after her husband calmed down a bit.

'Some kitchen utensils and bedding, I haven't brought along anything with me.'

'You haven't brought along a thing with you? That's the best joke you've ever told us!' Concluded Hilla and this time the three of them were laughing.

'But anyway, it's good you haven't bought anything yet, see these utensils right in front of you? How do you like them? We're using these utensils up to the last moment. It isn't Chinese porcelain, I agree.'

'Are you serious?' Exclaimed her husband, but bracing himself right away, he added: 'we'll have to calculate the correct sum of its worth. ' 'You don't know yet what Reuven thinks on the whole matter.'

'Well yes, It's a good idea, it solves my problem and saves me a good deal of time and headaches.' Barged in Shatz, before Priel had his say. 'Are you sure you won't need it?'

'We've no need for it!' Hilla answered decisively. 'We've sent home a brand new set, including two complete sets of galvanized pots - I don't intend to mess up with aluminum pots, I won't have a boy back home to scrub the pots for me!'

'Okay, okay, but we purchased it for quite a sum, and we'd better think of a price...' reminded her Priel. Although she glared at him with obvious annoyance, but in that certain matter of money differences she generally accepted his views it seemed.

'Well, five thousand will do I suppose.' She ventured, as if she was haggling with her husband.

'What, ten thousand at least!' Priel raised his voice excitedly. 'For the cheapest coffee set, one pays five thousand at the Astro - and take into account all the provisions and drinks we'll leave behind.'

'We too were left with provisions which we weren't asked to pay for.' she admonished him heatedly. 'And that set of utensils which we own for eight years already, since our marriage - we've no use for it, we would have left it to Pascal. I don't think we should bother to pack it, unless your high hopes would have come true!' She added angrily.

'Do you know...' She turned suddenly to Shatz. 'That we were to have a contract extension for two more years, in some other place; here or in South America, it wasn't decided yet - but for our dear friend, the head of our delegation, who cabled home his objections. If he wouldn't have meddled in our affairs, we would have send our things to that country, and fly home for a short interim vacation. Eight thousand francs.' She added as if she suddenly recalled the relevant issue they were discussing. 'No, seven thousand would suffice.' Priel did not say a word, just listened on gloomily.

All in all it's about twenty-six dollars. Shatz told himself amazed as he pulled his wallet out. A sum not worth mentioning he concluded relieved, and Hilla it seemed did it to appease her husband that was all there was to it. Counting seven one thousand francs notes, under the Priel's watchful gaze he laid the seven notes in the center of the table - in front of Priel who did not waste time and collected the precious notes right away.

'Would you do us a little favor?' Asked him Hilla.
Shatz did not object of course, although he had no idea what she intended to ask him to do.

'This last box of ours, on which you too worked a bit, would be sent home a few days after our departure. Well in that case, could you.'

'Yes of course!' Shatz hastened to reassure her. 'I'll see to it, I'll be on the spot when they'll come to fetch it.'

'It might turn into a nasty business though.' Remarked Priel. 'You know, you give your word to do something which seems nothing at all to you, and you end up in a mess, with no one to turn to...'

'Cut it off, don't frighten him!' Retorted Hilla. 'It's no trouble at all, except the few hours you'll have to wait for them. But you'll have to tip them in advance, say a hundred francs each. Moshe give him back one note, will you?' She ordered her husband, and resumed her briefing. 'Thus they'll handle it with care, and won't cause any damages, which might cost you very dearly - they might expect some more after having removed it, you know them, anyway, a thousand francs would suffice; as they won't be more than four men in such a crew. That's a rather useful and cheap solution, otherwise one might be sued and charged with compensations of God only knows how much. '
'It did happen in the past!' Priel intervened raising his voice. 'And the Embassy refused to cover the expenses.'

Why did they wait to the last moment almost, then?' Wondered Shatz. Don't they trust me yet? Or did they think I might refuse? 'So, the matter was summed up already, at the shipping company's office, I understand.' Shatz remarked reminding Priel to get back to the point.

'That's right, what's left to do, is to give them a call before boarding the plane - as simple as all that. Though we could have passed the last few days at the hotel, saving you and to ourselves, the trouble - but Everon insisted on a mutual coordinated replacement. Now then, before I'll forget...' Added Priel. 'You'll need bedding, we won't leave you any, five sets at least, see?'

'Sure thing, I'll stop at the Astro this afternoon, on my way.'

'I'm going upstairs to see what the kids are doing.' Muttered Hilla she was the first to hear their voices. 'I must cut them off gradually from Pascal's influence,' She added and rose to her feet. Leaving Shatz and her husband behind, she moved towards the staircase, stretching her lithe body.

Averting his eyes with difficulty from Hilla's lovely moving figure, Shatz looked into her husband's face.

'It's getting late! I'd better go right now.'

'Wait just a few more moments, we'll accompany you out with the kids.'
'Okay, I'll wait.' Assured him Shatz. 'How is the work managed here, say at the end of the season for instance? That issue of counseling is rather limited, isn't it?'

'Sure is, and it's quite frustrating mind you. Well yes, that problem did bother me at my first year here. That's because you can hardly define it as work at all. During the weekdays, I meet with Da-Silva every morning; we tour the farm together, for an hour or so. I tip him indirectly, by throwing a few words here and there whenever it's seems possible to me, very cautiously mind you - taking pains not to overdo it, I mean not to aggrieve him inadvertently, and that's it! You'd better leave him the initiative, for whenever he has problems - he'll find his own way to reach you don't you worry, and thus things will get more simple to deal with. On my second year here, we played tennis in the afternoons, at Dialo - and read a lot of books, except the days when Everon came along for his short visits. On our first couple of years here, before the delegation was reduced to what we're today - Everon showed up twice a week. Then there were mutual professional excursions with the locals, full of hope and optimism... While the little that was done, and that's quite an achievement mind you - was actually done without our help.' He went on talking as if he were taking an excruciating load off his shoulders.
'He didn't bother to visit the others, they were too far off as far as he was concerned. So it was Da-Silva who used to update him, not in my presence of course. From now on Everon won't bother you much with "professional" visits, you'll see him though frequently in Mouaka I suppose, just as you are going to see him tonight. You won't see much of Da-Silva either, so I think you'd better tour the farm from time to time on your own, if necessary and thus whenever you'll be asked to report to the Ambassador or anyone else, what's happening - you'll have the right answer, got it?' He paused for a short spell of time, pondering whether he should go on in unloading his heart, and whether Shatz was eager to hear more.

'The one and only time you should be watchful is before the rainy season, make sure they'll finish up sowing the fields before the rains. There is a short rainy season over here and if they miss sowing before it begins, the whole year is lost - and whom do you think they'll blame? During my first year, I'd a very unpleasant confrontation with Da-Silva, his aids under his instructions sold the seeds in the market - I took the trouble to buy new seeds with my own money, there was no other choice. He pocketed the money and his two aids were sacked and replaced. That's life, one never stops learning.' He summed up his sermon thoughtfully.
Lets hope you won't ever learn the worst chapter of them all. Thought Shatz, he was taking a deep breath of air into his lungs and exhaling it slowly

Priel was about to add a few more hair raising stories, Hilla came down holding Leeat their daughter in her arms, and Danny was galloping to his father's arms - while Shatz got up ready to leave and move on. 'Reuven has to go.' Priel told his wife

'Alright, let's get out, I haven't seen your new car yet.' She smiled at Shatz.

'Well, let's go and see uncle Reuven's new car.' Priel said to his son and took him by the hand led the way out. 'Drive carefully, promise me you'll do!' Whispered to him Hilla with an anxious look on her lovely face