Chapter 6: NIMROD, AND THE PIANO TEACHER & HER THREE DOGS
God's Little Drop of Water
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The next morning, Taliya sat on her stool on the short side of the L. Ima and Yaroni were having a rousing debate over fashion while Yair slept. Abba was preparing sandwiches, cheese and olives by the looks of them. Taliya wanted to eat her sandwich for breakfast, as it appeared more appetizing than her requisite bowl of oatmeal.
Taliya had already devoured the chocolate treasure at the bottom of the bowl. There was chocolate surrounding her mouth.
But Taliya scarcely noticed. She was hard at work, writing carefully upon a sheet of paper.
“What are you writing?” Abba asked.
“I’m practicing your signature,” said Taliya.
Abba chuckled but did not inquire further.
Taliya was concerned that with yesterday’s discovery by Yair that she had not been attending class, there could soon come a day when she may need to provide written evidence to Gal that Ima and Abba were well aware that their daughter had made other academic arrangements. This evidence would require an authentic-looking signature. To that end, Taliya continued practicing.
Ima hopped through the room, pulling on first one shoe and then the other. “Remember your piano lesson today!”
♦♦♦
On their way to school, once Yaron was safely inside his preschool, Yair asked Taliya if they really had to go to the piano lesson.
Taliya assured her brother that it would be alright, that it would be fun, and that he had a natural gift for playing music.
Yair was clearly unconvinced, but agreed to go.
When they reached the schoolyard, Yair asked Taliya if she was going to return home to watch television.
Taliya insisted that she was going to study, but that yes she was returning home.
Yair asked if he could accompany her.
Taliya very much wanted her brother to come with her, but his sudden absence from class would arouse suspicion. He must go to class. But she assured him that they would see one another very soon, and that the day would pass quickly.
Yair joined the other students on their way into the building and Taliya made her way home, sad about Yair but eager to resume her studies.
♦♦♦
That afternoon, while Taliya and Yair were walking home from school, Yair said his class was very boring and certainly not as good as Taliya’s University.
Taliya agreed that it would be great fun for him to join her, and that he could teach Science and Math, both of which came quite naturally to him.
But, eventually, they agreed that to do so would arouse suspicion.
Taliya and Yair soon found themselves face to face with Nimrod, the large bully boy.
Nimrod stuck out his foot and tripped Yair, causing him to fall.
Taliya helped Yair to his feet. She hoped Yair would confront Nimrod.
But Nimrod was laughing. His fat stomach bounced.
Taliya became incensed.
She spotted a broom leaning against a nearby wall, perhaps used recently by its owner for sweeping the adjacent steps.
Taliya grabbed the broom and bashed Nimrod over the head with the bristles.
Nimrod screamed in a high voice, turned, and ran.
Taliya chased after him. She struck Nimrod with the bristles repeatedly.
“You leave my brother alone!”
Nimrod ran to the corner of the building and continued around it.
Taliya followed. Nimrod was rather plump and Taliya was able to keep up with him.
Nimrod shrieked each time the bristles struck him about the head and shoulders. He tried in vain to duck out of the way and to protect himself with his arms.
Taliya chased Nimrod around the building no less than three times before she ceased her pursuit. She had made her point.
♦♦♦
A short while later, Taliya led Yair into the building where the piano teacher lived. They climbed the stairs and knocked on the door of the apartment. The door opened and they were hit in the face by a blast of warm air heavy with the fog of meat.
The Russian piano teacher smiled and welcomed them inside. Taliya and Yair were immediately surrounded by three small dogs. The dogs barked and yipped, sniffing at the children’s legs.
Yair took a seat on the hard wooden piano bench, mostly because the claw-like hands of the large, heavily-lipsticked Russian woman pushed him there.
Taliya sat on the sofa and awaited her turn at the piano.
The teacher spent a few minutes explaining to Yair how to read the sheet music. Her large, clawed hands moved across the keys, demonstrating how to play the notes.
She asked Yair if he understood how to read the music.
Yair said that he did.
The teacher asked him to play.
Yair played the notes, slowly at first. But the second time, he played flawlessly.
The teacher was impressed. She turned to Taliya. “Your brother has an ear for music. Let’s see if it runs in the family.”
Taliya took her place upon the wooden bench. She had always adored music and wanted very much to learn to play the piano. She tried to ignore the heady smell of meat filling the apartment.
While Taliya played, Yair sat upright on the edge of the sofa, waiting until it was time to return home.
The three dogs sat at his feet, staring up at him, as though guarding something.
♦♦♦
On the way home, Yair said he did not enjoy being there, in that strange woman’s smelly apartment, surrounded by a pack of tiny dogs. He said he did not want to learn piano.
Taliya did her best to help Yair see how talented he was, how he truly possessed a gift for music, just as the Russian woman had said. Taliya told Yair to imagine how impressed Ima and Abba would be when they heard him play. She said he simply must continue.
Yair agreed to stick with it. For now.
He did wonder what could be the origin of the weird smell.
Taliya agreed it was disgusting. Perhaps it was the woman’s perfume or her shampoo. Perhaps she smoked weird Russian cigarettes.
Yair insisted the odor resembled meat. He suggested that perhaps the woman was a witch who cooked children like in Hansel & Gretel. She lured them to her apartment by offering piano lessons, and then the children went missing and no one ever saw them again because they ended up in her pots and were eaten by those three little dogs.
Taliya was forced to admit that her brother’s argument was quite compelling.
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