Uri Full of Light

by Holly Sortland

  "Is she okay?" Uri asked.

  "Why don't you call her and find out for yourself?" she suggested teasingly.

  "I don't have her number."

  "Sure, you do, I wrote it in the chemistry lab folder that I gave you on Friday night."

  She grinned at him as she grabbed her soccer gear, leaving with a rowdy group of friends.

  Uri returned home after school and quickly went to his bedroom to find the fake chem lab folder. Sure enough, as Faith promised, inside on the upper right-hand corner of the folder was a hand-written note that read "HH”, followed by a telephone number.

  "Uri!" His mother called him. "I am going to get some meat. Do you want anything?"

  "No thank you, Imma!”

  In their non-metropolitan city, there was only one butcher in town trusted by the Jewish families that kept kosher.

  He heard the front door close, the garage door open, and the car drive away. He walked downstairs to the telephone in the kitchen, timidly staring at the phone number written on the folder.

  Shaking, he picked up the phone and dialed the number.

  393-282. . .

  He quickly hung up and pondered the possibility that Hannah's family had caller ID. It was 1996. Uri believed that every household besides his owned a caller ID. He encouraged his parents to purchase one on several occasions.

  “Why would we need such a thing?” his mother questioned his logic. “Part of the fun of receiving a call is not knowing who is on the line!”

  Back in the kitchen, Uri cautiously dialed the entire number.

  393-2829.

  He anxiously tapped the phone cord as he heard the ringtone on the other end. It rang three times before a man answered. He sounded winded, but friendly.

  "Hagen's," the man said.

  Uri froze for a moment, tempted to hang up, but then worried again about the possibility of caller ID. He would look like a fool if he hung up.

  "Hello?" said the man on the other end of the line, whom Uri presumed to be Hannah's father.

  "Yes, hello." said Uri, “I am hoping to talk to Hannah. Is she available?"

  "Can I tell her who's calling?" the man asked.

  "Yes, it's Uri Geller."

  "Murray?" the man replied.

  "No sir, Uri. Uri Geller."

  "Okay, hold on one second."

  Uri heard sounds of shuffling before hearing the man call out, "Hannah! You've got a phone call!"

  He heard more muffled noises, followed by Hannah's muted voice in the background.

  "Who is it?" she asked. "If it's Will, I'm not talking to him."

  "No, it's some other boy. Murray or something like that," the man responded.

  "Okay, Dad, I'll take it in my room."

  Moments later, Uri heard Hannah’s voice again. "Ok, I got it Dad. You can hang up now," she said. Hannah waited for her father to hang up before talking.

  "Hello?" she answered. Uri didn't know it, but Hannah prayed she would hear his voice on the line.

  Uri felt dizzy; this was the first time he had ever spoken to a girl on the phone, other than his mother, his Bubbe, or his cousins.

  "Hi Hannah, it's Uri. . . Not Murray."

  Trying to hide her delight, Hannah kept calm.

  "Sorry about that. Sometimes my dad has a hard time hearing over his oxygen machine."

  "It's ok. I've been called much worse," he replied. Hannah sensed he was smiling on the other end of the line.

  "Well, that's the truth," said Hannah. "I really am sorry about how badly you've been treated at school. I promise you that we're not all bigots.”

  “I know.” Uri said, “You’re a good person, Hannah.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” she said teasingly. “Hey, how did you get my number?”

  "Faith wrote it down for me, in the fake chem lab folder."

  "Of course, why am I not surprised?" Hannah smiled to herself.

  "Anyway," said Uri. "You weren't in school today, and I didn't get a chance to thank you."

  "Thank me? For what?"

  "I think you know," said Uri. "Whatever you did to get me off the hook with Greg Moorehouse, I really appreciate it."

  "Well," said Hannah teasingly. "I do have my ways."

  "Whatever you did, I appreciate it. A lot. I mean that."

  "Why, you're very welcome Uri Geller!"

  This time Uri sensed Hannah smiling on the other end of the line.

  "What exactly did you do?" he asked.

  "I am not at liberty to tell you that," she said. "Let's just say that I know some people in high places."

  "Ok," said Uri. "I guess I can leave it at that. But you should know that you did a mitzvah.”

  “A what?”

  “A mitzvah,” Uri repeated. “In Judaism, it’s a good deed or an act of kindness. It’s required in our religious laws.”

  “A mitzvah. . . I kind of like the sound of that. Are you saying I’m becoming Jewish?” Hannah asked.

  Uri smiled. “I wouldn’t go that far, but you did a good thing. You have my gratitude.”

  “I’m honored,” said Hannah. “I think you’re the first boy who’s ever been grateful for me, except my father.”

  Feeling his cheeks flush, Uri changed the subject. “Are you sick? I didn’t see you at school today."

  "Oh, well I had kind of a crazy weekend and I didn't get much sleep," Hannah explained. "And my dad isn't feeling too great, so I figured I would keep an eye on him."

  There was a slight pause on the line.

  "Hannah, did Will visit you this weekend?" Uri asked hesitantly, fearing that he may have crossed a line.

  Hannah was quiet for a moment before answering. "How do you know about Will? Let me guess, Faith told you." She sounded more annoyed than angry.

  "Yeah, she did. I just wanted to make sure you're ok."

  "Oh my gosh, I am totally fine!" Hannah spoke extremely fast. "I broke up with Will a couple of months ago. He was just passing through town and wanted to say hello, that's all.

  “He's going through a bit of a hard time accepting that it's over between us. But we talked it out. It's all fine,” she said.

  Questions swirled in Uri’s mind about Will, but he didn’t want to sound as if he was interrogating her. He thought carefully about what to say next.

  "I'm sorry for what I did," he finally said.

  "You mean for hitting Greg? He had it coming to him. He’s hurt a lot of people."

  "Still, what I did was wrong. I don't know why I did it. I'm not a violent person."

  "Everyone has their limits," Hannah replied.

  Uri went quiet again, grateful for Hannah's understanding.

  "Okay then," he finally said. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I hope your dad feels better."

  "Thanks. And yes, you'll definitely see me tomorrow."

  "Ok, have a good night," Uri said.

  "Wait, Uri?"

  "Yes Hannah?"

  "Thank you so much for calling me. It means a lot. I hope you call me again." She sounded weak and shaky.

  "I promise I will.” Uri’s words left his mouth before he could think.

  "Ok, thank you.” Hannah paused before asking, "Can I call you?"

  Uri's heart dropped.

  "That probably wouldn't be a good idea. I mean, you met my father."

  "Right. I was just wondering."

  "But I wish you could," Uri said, surprising himself with his candidness. It felt strange making himself vulnerable to a girl he barely knew.

  "You do?" Hannah asked, a hint of innocent surprise in her voice.

  "Yeah, I really do." He suddenly wished he was in the same room with her.

  Knowing that his father would be home soon, he needed to wrap up the call. "Good night, Hannah," he said.

  "Boker Tov," said Hannah.

  Uri hung up the phone and smiled. Hannah was obviously working hard to learn about Uri's culture, but she was blissfully unaware that she had just wished him "Good morning" in H
ebrew.

  He let thoughts of beautiful Hannah enter his mind without guilt. Curious to learn more about her past, he decided to take a walk to see Daniel.

  6

  Hannah Hagen broke Uri's heart on a Monday afternoon, the same day that they shared their first telephone conversation.

  He left a note for his parents, and walked four blocks to Daniel's house, passing the synagogue along the way. The reason the Geller's chose to rent the house they lived in was because of its proximity to the synagogue for Shabbat. Driving was prohibited for the Gellers during the Sabbath, but Daniel's family, who practiced a much more liberal and looser interpretation of the Torah, drove, and even shopped on Shabbat.

  Avi Geller often complained to his family about how the Reform Jews made a mockery of the Sabbath, but he spoke carefully at the synagogue, knowing that any denomination of Jewish people was few and far between in the Dakotas.

  Uri arrived at Daniel's house as Daniel pulled into his driveway. Unlike Uri, Daniel had a driver's license and vehicle of his own; an old Datsun 510 that his father bought for him. He had a part-time job at a local Wendy's to pay for his insurance and gas.

  "There's my man!” Daniel greeted him proudly. “You know the whole school is talking about how you took down Greg." He looked at Uri's bruised hand and shook his head. "But someone's gotta show you how to throw a better punch, bro."

  "Yeah, well," said Uri. "I don't plan on punching anyone again soon."

  "You took down Greg Moorehouse!" Daniel reminded him. "That kid's been a bully since kindergarten. Nobody's gonna mess with you now."

  "Yeah. . ." Uri changed the subject. "You grew up here, right?"

  "Yup, pretty much," said Daniel as he and Uri entered his house. Uri stopped to touch the mezuzah placed outside of the home's entrance, something that he noticed Daniel neglected to do.

  "I have to work in an hour," Daniel sighed, slumping himself in a leather chair in the front living room. "Do you want a soda or something? We have Dr. Pepper; it's certified kosher!" he said, poking fun at their Jewishness.

  Uri sat on the couch as Daniel picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

  "Hey Dan, how well do you know Hannah Hagen?"

  Daniel stopped flipping through the channels to look at Uri.

  "Do you have a thing for Hannah? Your dad would disown you if you brought home a shiksa," he said, leaning back in his chair.

  "No,” Uri replied. “I just find her interesting, that's all. And nice. And she's my chem lab partner so—"

  "That's right," Daniel interrupted. “She called me last week saying she had your folder. I wondered if she was just trying to get your address. Hannah's a little crazy."

  "What do you mean?" Uri asked.

  "I don't know. . .she's just a little unpredictable."

  Daniel continued to flip through TV channels.

  "What do you know about Will, the guy she was dating?" Uri pressed him.

  "Was dating? I thought they were still together."

  "No, she told me they broke up."

  "How much time have you been spending with this girl?" Daniel asked curiously.

  "Not much. I just want to know more about Will."

  "I really don't know that much,” Daniel shrugged. "Will was your typical jock, played defensive tackle for the varsity team, went to parties, drank a lot, you know the type."

  He paused and looked at Uri wearing his kippah, a reminder of his sheltered life.

  "Sorry," he said. "Maybe you don't. Anyway, I don't think he treated Hannah very well. They were always breaking up and getting back together. Hannah would cry in the hallways. I heard things got better after he graduated and moved away. But from what you just told me, I guess not."

  "So, this Will guy. . . was one of the popular kids?" asked Uri.

  "Yeah, he thought he was a hot shot, but he was like three years ahead of me in class, so it's not like I hung out with him or anything."

  Uri tapped his foot, unsure of how to ask the next question. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

  "Do you think that Hannah and Will. . .um. . .you know?"

  Daniel raised an eyebrow at Uri. "If you're asking me if Hannah is a virgin, she's definitely not," he stated bluntly.

  They sat in uncomfortable silence. The ugliness of Daniel’s statement dampened the room. He regretted being so forthright with his friend. The disappointment on Uri's face sparked a sense of guilt in him. He glanced at Uri’s kippah again and thought of his innocence.

  "How do you know?" Uri finally asked, feeling letdown.

  Daniel looked at him straight in the eyes. "How many varsity defensive tackles do you know date virgins?"

  But then Daniel remembered that Uri grew up in an entirely different world. A world where a man and woman were not even allowed to kiss until they married. A world far removed from a place where 16-year-olds lost their virginity in the backseats of cars.

  "Look Uri, '' said Daniel. "I totally get it about Hannah. She's pretty; she's different from most of the other girls. But unless she's ready to convert and move to Israel, your family would never accept her. And, I could be wrong, but I don't think Hannah is the type of girl who wants to trade her tight jeans for a long skirt and a wig."

  Uri nodded, trying to play it cool.

  "Yeah, I get it," he said as he rose from the couch. “It's just that having her as my lab partner, I'll be spending lots of time with her, so I just wanted to know a little bit more about her, that’s all.” He rambled, trying to hide his disappointment.

  Uri patted Daniel's shoulder as he headed for the door.

  "Thanks, Dan," he said. "I'll see you around."

  "Yup, see you tomorrow, Uri."

  Uri left the house, stopping to touch the mezuzah and his lips again. He stared at it for a moment and wondered if Hannah knew the meaning of the mezuzah. If she didn't, he was sure that she would want to learn.

  He walked home slowly; the sky already dark from the end of Daylight Savings Time. He thought about how his future was planned out for him: finish his studies at his Hebrew school in Bala Cynwyd, move to Israel to serve in the military, enroll in medical school like his father and brother, get engaged to a nice Jewish girl, and start a nice Jewish family.

  And then he thought about Hannah's future. She didn't know if her father would live or die in the next month, let alone the next year. She was smart, so he assumed she would go to college. She seemed adventurous, so he assumed she would travel. He remembered what Mrs. Gorman, the school Dean, said about Hannah: “that girl is going places.”

  But then he pictured her in the hallway crying over a jock who treated her poorly. He couldn't imagine her giving her body to someone like that. The thought of it made his stomach turn.

  When he reached the steps of his house, he touched the mezuzah and remembered what his father said about keeping his head in the Torah. Exhausted from his thoughts about Hannah, he walked up to his room and began his evening prayers.

  7

  Uri Geller and Hannah Hagen shared their first lunch together on a Tuesday, the day after Uri’s conversation with Daniel.

  After his morning prayers, Uri made up his mind to distance himself from Hannah, heeding the advice of his father. Knowing about Hannah’s past with Will had already caused him pain. Why should he set himself up to endure more? He recited Tehillim and prayed to HaShem for the strength to let go of his feelings for Hannah.

  But Uri underestimated the charisma and persistence of Hannah Hagen. When he arrived at school, she was one of the first students he saw in the hallway. She appeared overdressed, wearing a sky-blue blazer that fit her nicely along with a pair of bootcut jeans.

  Instead of walking towards her, he took the stairs and decided to go up and around the long route to his locker on the first floor. But as he began to descend the second flight of stairs, he ran straight into her.

  “Hi Uri!” Hannah beamed, genuinely happy to see him.

  She looked much prettier up close than
his earlier view from afar. She wore long, turquoise earrings that complimented her blazer. Silver barrettes pulled back the sides of her hair, better exposing her stunning blue eyes.

  “Hey, Hannah,” said Uri continuing to rush down the stairs.

  “Uri, wait!” she hollered behind him.

  He should have kept going. He should not have looked back. He thought of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and imagined himself turning into a pillar of salt like Lot’s wife. Uri kept going until he heard her voice again, this time sounding a bit lost and confused.

  “Uri?” she quickly caught up with him at the bottom of the stairs.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, sounding concerned. He looked at her blue blazer and imagined Will, or some other boy, unbuttoning it. He felt his face turn red.

  “Hey, what is going on with you?” she asked as they walked toward his locker. Their shoulders touched and the feeling of warmth flowed through his body again. He shamefully wanted them to touch again. Hormones surged through his body; his earlier prayer to HaShem long forgotten, his mind a whirlwind of confusion.

  Finally, he answered her. “Sorry, nothing is wrong. I just have a test in first hour that I’m worried about.”

  “Mrs. Fisher’s class?” Hannah responded. “I had her last year, you’ll do fine. She grades on a curve.”

  Confused, Uri asked, “Mrs. Fisher taught 11th grade English last year?”

  “Yeah,” said Hannah.

  “So why did you take it?”

  “Because I was in 11th grade last year,” Hannah said, almost condescendingly.

  “Wait, you’re a senior?”

  “You didn’t know that?” Hannah replied.

  “Well no, I thought you were a junior.”

  “Apparently I have a thing for younger men,” she said, feeling immediate regret as soon as the words left her mouth.

  Uri’s face turned bright red.

  “I’m totally kidding, Uri,” she said, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I say stupid things when I’m nervous.”

  “You’re nervous?” he asked her, breaking into a smile. He felt less anxious as he stood beside her.

  “How come you’re so dressed up today?”

  “Oh,” she said. "We have a debate tournament after school. I have a matching skirt I’ll put on later.”