To the End of the Land - By David Grossman Page 0,10

to go home, I’ve had it with this place!

But you can’t, you’re still sick.

I don’t care!

You know, Avram said sweetly, he was born in Tel Aviv.

Who?

Him, Ilan.

Good for him.

He just moved to Jerusalem a year ago.

Whoop-di-doo.

His dad was made some kind of commander on an army base here. Colonel, or something like that. And d’you want to hear something funny—

No.

Avram threw a cautious glance to the edge of the room, leaned forward, and whispered, He talks without knowing it.

What d’ya mean?

In his sleep, ’cause of his fever, he babbles on and on.

She leaned forward too and whispered, But, doesn’t that … that’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?

Wanna hear something else?

Go on.

Normally, we don’t speak.

Why not?

Not just me, the whole class, we don’t talk to him.

You blackballed him?

No, it’s the other way around. He’s the one blackballing us.

Wait a minute, one boy is blackballing the whole class?

It’s been like that for a year.

And?

I told you, with the fever, he doesn’t shut up … What?

I don’t know. Isn’t that a little …

I’m bored, so sometimes I … I pull him along, you know, and he answers.

In his sleep?

Well, he kind of half understands, not really.

But that’s—

What?

I don’t know, it’s like reading someone’s letters, isn’t it?

What can I do, put my hands over my ears? And the truth is, also—

What?

When he’s awake I really hate him, like at school, but when he’s asleep …

What then?

It’s like a different person. Let’s say he talks about his parents, right? About his dad and the army and all that?

Yeah.

So I tell him about my dad and my mom, and how he left us and what I remember about him, that kind of stuff.

Oh.

I tell him the straight truth, everything. So we’ll be even.

Ora adjusted her position and covered herself with a blanket. For the last few moments his voice had contained a shadowed hint, and a slight tension grabbed at her calves.

Like yesterday, Avram said, after I got back from you in the early morning, he was talking feverishly, and he told stories about a girl he saw on the street, he was too embarrassed to talk to her, afraid she wouldn’t be interested … Avram giggled. So I did, too.

Did what?

Don’t worry, he doesn’t take in anything anyway.

Wait a minute, what did you tell him?

What you and me, you know, and what you told me, about Ada—

What?

But he was asleep …

But those are things I told you! Those are private things, my secrets!

Yes, but he didn’t even—

Have you lost your mind? Can’t you keep anything to yourself? Not even for two seconds?

No.

No?!

She jumped out of bed, forgetting her weakness, and dashed around the room. She moved away from him in disgust, and from the other one, who was asleep with his head drooping on his chest, exhaling fervent breaths.

Ora, don’t … Wait, listen to me, when I got back from you I was so …

So what? she yelled, feeling her temples exploding.

I, I didn’t have any … space in my body, ’cause I was so—

But a secret! A secret! It’s the most basic thing, isn’t it?

Ora came close and lunged over him as she wagged her finger, and he shrank back a little. This is exactly what I thought of you the whole time, it’s all connected!

What, what’s connected?

The fact that you’re not in any youth movement and you don’t play any sport, and all that philosophizing, and that you don’t have a group of friends—you don’t, do you?

But what does that have to do with it?

I knew it! And the fact that you, you’re such a … such a Jerusalemite!

She leaped back on her bed and pulled the blankets up over her face, and kept on simmering there, in the depths. There’s no way she’s ever telling him another word about herself. She thought she could trust him, that’s what she thought. How did she even let herself be tempted by a pathetic loser like him? Come on, get out of here! Get out of here, d’you hear me? Split, I want to sleep.

Wait, that’s it?

And don’t come back! Ever!

Okay, he mumbled. Well … good night.

What do you mean good night?! Are you leaving him here for me?

What? Oh, sorry, I forgot.

He got up and felt his way over, slow and hunched.

Wait a minute!

What now?

First tell me what you told him. I want to know exactly what you told him!

You want me to tell you now?

D’you have a better time in mind? Should we wait for the Messiah?

But it doesn’t come out just like