Chapter 3: MEATBALLS
God's Little Drop of Water
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The next morning, Taliya awoke once more eager to embrace another day attending Taliya’s University. She donned her beloved American Jeans overalls, fixed her pigtails with the red hair ties, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and went to the kitchen.
Abba was there, cooking breakfast and preparing sandwiches for everyone. He already had a bowl of oatmeal upon the table, waiting for Taliya.
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Yair was still in bed, of course, asleep.
Ima moved quickly about the apartment, her blouse half buttoned, her skirt yet unzipped, one boot upon one foot, the second boot in her hand, while she assisted Yaroni in the task of selecting his clothes. Ima had chosen polka dots and squares for him. Yaroni declared that the two simply did not go together!
“How was school yesterday, Taliya?” Abba asked. He was carefully placing olives one at a time upon five slices of bread spread with hummus.
“Fine.”
“How was your new teacher?”
“I’m sure she’s fine. As long as I learn.”
Abba laughed and agreed.
♦♦♦
Taliya led her brothers up the hill to Yaroni’s preschool. Once Yaroni was inside, Taliya and Yair continued several blocks to their elementary school. Taliya lingered by the door, pretending to tie her shoe and watching until Yair was safely inside the building. She then turned and hurried from the grounds, making her way briskly home in time for Gabby & Debby and their magical adventures.
Once there, Taliya spread her books before her and opened her notebook. She went to the kitchen in search of Bamba. Bamba was a delicious peanut butter-flavored snack typically enjoyed by children. There were several small packages of Bamba in the kitchen, up high on the top shelf of a cupboard, out of reach.
But Taliya refused to be deterred. She placed two of the white kitchen stools side by side, and then stacked a third stool on top of them, and a fourth stool on the kitchen counter. She stepped up onto the first stool, then up onto the second stool, and finally up onto the kitchen counter. Once there, she opened the cupboard, carefully stepped up onto the final stool, and reached to the top shelf.
She was unable to reach the Bamba, however.
Refusing to be deterred, Taliya found a long wooden spoon. She used the spoon to reach the Bamba, knocking it from the shelf and onto the counter. She climbed down, returned the white stools to their normal places, and tore open the Bamba, savoring the way each peanut butter-flavored puff melted in her mouth.
When The Magic Stick program began, and Taliya had devoured the Bamba, she then devoured every word spoken by Gabby and Debby. Today they were visiting ancient China. It was all very interesting.
Around lunch time, Taliya took her sandwich, carefully locked the door to the apartment, and hurried back to school, enjoying her sandwich along the way. It was every bit as delicious as she had expected it to be while watching Abba prepare it that morning.
Taliya soon found Yair in the school yard and asked him if all was well and if he was having a good day.
Yair shrugged but agreed that the day was going as well as could be expected.
Confident that all was well with her brother, Taliya faded into the throng of children on the other side of the school yard. Once out of sight, she made her way home once more, where she dutifully resumed her studies, this time learning about the planets in the solar system.
A short while later and all too soon, it was time to conclude her studies for the day. Taliya packed up her books, turned off the television, and returned to school, where she found Yair as he was exiting the building.
The afternoon had grown very warm, and by the time Taliya and Yair arrived home, they were eager to sprawl their bodies across the cool floor of the apartment.
Ima arrived home with Yaroni and together Taliya and her brothers waited for Abba to arrive home. They watched Little House on the Prairie while they waited.
At last they heard the sound of someone approaching on the sidewalk below. They ran to the tiny balcony and saw that it was indeed Abba.
“Abba! Abba!” they cried, and he waved up at them.
Abba joined them in the apartment. There were no gifts of bubble gum this afternoon, however. But Taliya was pleased that he was home and that everyone was together.
♦♦♦
Dinner was soon served. And none too soon, either, as Taliya had worked up quite an appetite attending her university.
Until she gazed upon her plate: kaduray basar. Meatballs.
Taliya did not care for meatballs.
There was also bread and rice and more Brussels sprouts.
Taliya liked each of those. And she enjoyed them.
But the meatball sat on her plate like a great grey asteroid hurtling through space and headed directly toward her, similar to those she’d learned about on TV that afternoon.
“Taliya, eat,” said Ima. “I rolled each of those meatballs by hand.”
Trying not to look, Taliya cut the meatball into four pieces. She held her breath and put them in her mouth. She gave her mother an awkward smile. Ima smiled back.
A few moments later, once everyone’s attention had been placed elsewhere, Taliya slid casually from her little white stool and made her way to the sherutim, where she promptly spat the meatball into her hand and flushed it down the toilet. She washed her hands quickly, all too eager to be free of the slimy smell.
Later that evening, before bed, Taliya and her brothers asked their father to read them a bedtime story. He was clearly quite exhausted, but he readily agreed.
Taliya wanted Hansel & Gretel, for she very much wanted to live in a house made of all things edible, especially if those things were chocolate.
Peter Pan and Little Red Riding Hood were also requested, but in the end Hansel & Gretel won out.
Abba read the story. They all sat on Yair’s bed, huddled close together, Taliya and Yaroni on one side, Yair on the other. This made Taliya very happy.
With the story concluded, and the children rescued, Taliya, Yair, and Yaron pleaded with their father to read it again.
Abba complied, on the condition that afterward they would agree to go to sleep.
When the story had been read a second time, Taliya ran to her bed and Abba tucked her in safe and sound.
Once all the lights were off and everyone was in bed, Taliya called out, “Lyla tov, Ima! Lyla tov, Abba!”
“Lyla tov,” her mother and father called in turn.
“Lyla tov, Yairi! Lyla tov, Yaroni!” Taliya called.
“Lyla tov,” said Yair.
“Lyla tov,” said Yaron.
With everyone thus blessed, Taliya snuggled deeper into her bed, ready to go to sleep.
But was the front door locked?
Were the windows secure?
Taliya pondered the state of the door, wondering if Abba had locked it good and tight before he went to bed.
She was sure he had. He always did so.
But what if he hadn’t? Had he been too tired after reading Hansel & Gretel two times in succession?
Determined to make certain, Taliya slid from her bed and hurried to the front door. The floor was very cold. She twisted the lock, making certain it was secure, and did the same for the white metal handle of the door. She quickly confirmed the windows were secure as well.
Satisfied, Taliya returned to bed.
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