Chapter 8: SABBA AND SAVTA’S
God's Little Drop of Water
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The next morning, Taliya awakened with great excitement. She could scarcely contain herself at the notion of seeing her aunts and uncles, all of her cousins, and especially of seeing Sabba and Savta.
When it was at last time to go, Taliya and her brothers squeezed into the back seat of the car while Ima sat in the front seat and Abba drove all of them to Rishon, where Sabba and Savta lived. It was a warm day so they drove with the windows down. Taliya enjoyed the magnificent view of the Mediterranean Sea as they drove. The sunlight sparkled on the warm, turquoise water. Perhaps Ima and Abba would take them to the beach one day soon.
Sabba and Savta’s apartment was very crowded. It was hot, loud, and full of people eating and drinking and enjoying raucous discussions about everything from politics to the weather. Taliya had realized early on that people in Israel had no qualms about discussing anything and everything. People spoke their mind freely.
Taliya and her brothers ate a lot of food. Many different types of salad, olives, hummus, pita bread… Chicken, fish, beef—Taliya carefully avoided these—and Savta had even prepared fresh home-made falafel, which was always best enjoyed warm.
Everyone enjoyed the feast. Taliya adored these gatherings. She loved having everyone together in one place. And she loved Sabba and Savta. Sabba could not speak, and the other children were afraid of him. But not Taliya. She climbed up onto the sofa and sat beside Sabba. He sat quietly and listened very closely as Taliya shared with him everything she knew about the Great American West, everything from cowboys and cattle rustlers to steam locomotives and frontier towns, all of which she had learned from watching Gabby and Debby. Sabba listened, with the hint of a smile on his face. Ima always said her father could have travelled to Hollywood and been in the movies alongside Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart and the leading ladies and men of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Ima even told a story about a time when she was a little girl and she was discovered by a successful talent agent from Los Angeles. The agent said that Mazal was such an adorable little girl that she could be a great success in showbusiness.
But Sabba and Savta had refused. And the man had returned to California while Ima had remained at home in Israel. Many years later, Ima seemed to remain upset by this.
After dinner, Savta served fresh oranges and pistachios and Turkish coffee. She went to her secret cupboard (which was of course no secret at all). Inside was a veritable cache of chocolate. Ima had also told stories about the days when she was a little girl and there were sometimes periods of food rationing in Israel, and Savta was known to trade her flour for coffee and chocolate. Taliya positively adored chocolate and she knew with utmost certainty that this was a trait she had inherited from her beloved Savta.
While everyone enjoyed the fruit and nuts and chocolate, Savta drank red wine, and soon the Holy Spirit came upon her. She began to walk around the apartment with her glass of wine in one hand and her beloved Holy Bible in the other. She created songs and sang loudly and proudly about the Scriptures, citing verse in her singing.
Taliya loved all of it.
♦♦♦
During the ride home in the car, Taliya asked if they could go to the beach and walk on the sand. It was a beautiful evening and it wasn’t cold out. And it was still early.
Abba looked at Ima, considering it.
Ima said no no no, they had to prepare for school in the morning.
Yair said he had a bit of homework to do. Taliya had been doing virtually all of Yair’s homework for him per the agreement. But she was in no mood for homework this evening.
Yair began to insist quietly that she do his homework.
Taliya in turn insisted that she did not wish to do homework.
Yair was clearly displeased.
From the front seat, Ima asked Taliya how her studies were progressing and if she were enjoying her schooling.
“Yes, very much!” said Taliya.
“Yofee!” said Ima. “I’ll bet you’re the smartest student in your class.”
“I’ll bet I am, too!” said Taliya.
“She’s not even going to school!” declared Yair.
Taliya was horrified. “Yes, I am so!”
“You are not!” Yair insisted. “Every day, we walk Yaroni to his preschool and then we go to our school and then you go home and watch television and you leave me there all by myself!”
“No, I don’t!” said Taliya.
“Yes, you do!” said Yair.
“Ma zay?!” demanded Ima.
“Taliya,” said Abba, looking at her in the rear-view mirror while he drove, “is this true?”
“Maybe,” said Taliya.
“Yes, it is!” said Yair.
“Yair, quiet,” said Abba. “Taliya?”
Taliya knew she had no choice. She had to confess. And worst of all, she would have to begin actually going to school. “Yes, it’s true. But in my defense, I’ve already read all of my textbooks. I already know everything. And no one in my class has read anything. They’re all stupid. Especially my teacher.”
“Taliya, you must go to school,” said Abba.
“Of course she has to go to school!” said Ima. “What will all the other teachers say? What will all the other parents say, when they learn that the daughter of a teacher hasn’t been going to school?” Ima was quite upset.
Taliya didn’t care about any of that. It didn’t matter what other people would say. People always said things. It was best not to concern oneself with the thoughts or actions of others.
“Tali?” said Abba.
He was still looking at her in the mirror.
“Ken, Abba.”
That was it: Taliya knew she would be going to school from now on. When Abba was her age, he had to wake up every day at 4:30 in the morning so he could help his father sell goods at his father’s booth in the public market in Netanya. Abba then had to ride his bicycle several kilometers to school, and he had to ride his bicycle home after school. Abba had to work very hard as a boy, and going to school was a privilege.
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