“Oh yeah!” Marilyn said. “We love it! In fact, we spend every weekend at the mall when we’re at home.”
“Then today is going to be a lot of fun for you. You’ll love the shopping here in Tel Aviv. Then later this afternoon, when it cools off, we’ll go to the beach.”
Bari Lynn felt uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be seen in a bathing suit. She cringed as she thought about her body. It was so pasty white and unattractive. Although she was no longer overweight, Bari Lynn still felt like she was fat. Whenever she looked at herself in the mirror, she saw a fat girl with frizzy red hair and freckles.
Marilyn had straightened her hair and added more brown to the color. Even though she wore makeup to cover her freckles, lost weight and toned her body, Bari didn’t see herself that way. She still lacked confidence. A bathing suit! She hadn’t even brought one with her, but of course, she was sure Marilyn had several. Bari looked at the Israeli girls and felt inferior in comparison because they were very tan and fit.
“You’ll love the beach here.”
Bari Lynn smiled an uncomfortable smile.
Ido had a natural radar for detecting distressed minds. This radar had been the force that saved many troubled young people who were drafted into the IDF. It had also made him an expert in dealing with difficult cases and the person to consult when a recruit needed extra attention. When Ido felt the nervousness coming from Bari Lynn, he decided to try harder to help her to relax and feel at home. He could easily see that she was an introvert, clumsy and afraid of ridicule.
“I haven’t been to the beach in years,” Bari said.
“All the more reason to go,” Ido smiled. “We’ll have a volleyball game. It will be fun.”
Bari Lynn smiled. She loved his eyes. They were dark and so sincere, and they made her feel as if he would accept her no matter what she looked like without her clothes. She was so tired of being a baby. At eighteen, she was the only one of her friends who had never been to bed with a boy. But with her mother hovering over her, it was hard to grow up.
Bari longed to grow up, to be a part of things instead of always an outsider. It was irrational, but she only had fourteen days before she returned to Chicago and fell back under her mother’s control. There was no time to waste. If Ido was the one she wanted to lose her virginity to, she’d better hurry up and give him some signs. The problem was, she had no idea how to flirt. She’d always been too shy and self-conscious. Bari Lynn had to think of something.
“You’re going to love Israel. It’s a wonderful country,” Ido said.
“Yeah, Marilyn and I are really excited to be here.”
“Well, we are glad to have you. After all, you are our American cousins. Did you know that because you are Jewish, you are automatically Israeli citizens?”
“Yeah, I heard that, but I wasn’t sure if it was true,” Bari Lynn said.
“It is true,” he said, smiling. “This is as much your homeland as it is ours.”
Ido’s smile and the soft caress of his voice made Bari Lynn feel as if she’d been embraced. All of her life she’d wanted to be a part of the popular group, the cool kids who had boyfriends and were loved. Ido made her feel wanted.
“Everyone, may I have your attention?” Hila said, speaking through a microphone so that the crowd of excited teenagers could hear her over the chatter. “Quiet down for a minute.” She waited until the hum ceased. “Now listen. We are going shopping in Tel Aviv today. Again I want to remind you to please stay with the group. Always make sure that you can see one of us at all times. If you can’t, then you’ve gone too far. All right? Now let’s go and have some fun...”
The morning was spent shopping in Tel Aviv. Bari bought silver rings for her mother and father. In a small boutique shop she purchased a hand-painted seder plate for her grandmother. They went into a jewelry store famous for Israeli silver, where Marilyn found a Star of David necklace for her grandmother.
Outside the shops, they were always able to see at least one of the Israelis from their group. No matter which way they went within the designated area, either Ido, Ima, Hila, Adiana, or Jordon was leaning against a building having a cigarette, or talking to one of the Americans. After a full morning of walking, exploring and purchasing, the girls realized they were starving. Bari and Marilyn stopped at a crowded restaurant for lunch.
“Breakfast was really yucky,” Marilyn said. “I am so hungry. I hope lunch will be better.”
“Yeah, me too. I knew the food would be different than we were used to, so I was expecting it.”
“Yeah, but cold vegetables in the morning. And the coffee, it was like instant coffee, not real coffee. Yuck.”
“I know. But come on, Mar, we didn’t come here to eat. We came here to see Israel.”
“Yeah, and more importantly you came to get away from your mother.”
“That’s for sure. And…”
“And?”
“To meet the man who made my mom pregnant.”
“Oh yeah, that. You don’t call him your father.”
“That’s because he’s not. Lucas if my real father. He was just like...there, if you know what I mean.”
“Then why the hell do you want to find him?”
“I don’t know. I guess, to see what kind of man he is, and to ask him why he abandoned my mom.”
“You sound a little bitter about the whole thing.”
“Yeah, maybe I am. But in a way I’m glad. I couldn’t have had a better father than Lucas. He was not only a great dad, but he has always been a great friend. I guess I want to find this Elan Amsel guy more out of curiosity than anything else. It’s confusing. I guess once I meet him, I’ll be able to put it all to rest.”
The menu was in Hebrew, but the waiter spoke English. Marilyn told him she wanted something American.” He laughed and said he was sorry for laughing at her, but he had heard that before from American visitors. Then he made some suggestion of things he thought they might like. The two girls agreed with his ideas and ordered their food.
“I think Ido likes you,” Marilyn said.
“I hope so. But how can you tell?”
“I don’t know. He looks at you differently than he looks at the rest of us.”
“Really?” Bari Lynn blushed. “Are you sure? Oh my God, I like him so much!”
“Yeah… I think so. Kinda like he takes a special interest in you. You know guys can tell when you like them.”
“You think he can tell how I feel?” Bari Lynn was embarrassed but excited.
“I think so. You’ve been giving him come on looks since we got here. He can see that. He’s not blind, Bari.”
Bari Lynn giggled. She wanted to believe that Ido liked her, but she couldn’t be sure. “What should I do next?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to do?”
“Come on, Mar, I told you what I want to do.”
“Okay, okay. Listen, I have an idea. When we are playing volleyball today, why don’t you say you feel sick and ask him to escort you back to the hotel, so you don’t get lost, then you know…”
“What? Then what?”
Marilyn laughed “You know…”
“The problem is I don’t know, Mar.”
“Okay. Listen, silly. I’ll tell you what to do…”
CHAPTER 22
Bari Lynn slipped into her bathing suit and frowned at the reflection in the mirror. She was as white as the walls in the hotel room.
“I look awful,” Bari said to Marilyn.
“No, you don’t. You look fine.”
“I’m going to put on shorts. That way my white legs won’t stand out so much.”
Bari Lynn pulled on her denim shorts then wrapped her long auburn hair into a high ponytail. Marilyn touched up Bari’s makeup and then Bari looked in the mirror again.
“It’s the best I can do…” She flung her arms up.
“You look fine, Bari. Stop worrying. Okay?”
Bari Lynn nodded, but she couldn�
�t help but glance back at the mirror again. Gee, she really wished she were a prettier girl. If only she were beautiful, Ido would be falling at her feet, because men were visually-oriented.
All the teenagers had begun climbing the stairs to the bus that was to take them to the beach. They carried towels from the hotel and bottles of sunscreen. Ido jumped the stairs onto the bus in one motion. Then he waved to the rest of the group. He looked amazing in his bathing suit. His tan, muscular body glistened with sweat, and Bari felt herself swoon.
When they got to the beach, Ido and Jordan were setting up the volleyball net, while the rest of the soldiers were talking to the teenagers. Marilyn and Bari stood off to a side by themselves.
“The Israeli girls are totally beautiful,” Bari said, “especially Ima.”
“You mean the IDF soldiers?”
“Yes, of course, I mean the soldiers,” Bari said, annoyed.
“Ima doesn’t even look Israeli. She’s so blond and light-skinned. And those eyes... I wonder if they are really that blue, or if she is wearing contact lenses?”
“She’s gorgeous. She looks like a model,” Bari said. Then she turned away from the group and huddled against Marilyn. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“You mean, ask Ido back to the room?”
“Yeah. I feel so ugly.”
“You’re not ugly.”
“I don’t know. I think I am.”
“Bari, this is your chance. Before you know it the trip will be over, and we’ll be back in Chicago. Take advantage of our time here, your time of freedom from your mom.”
“You’re right. I have to. I have to stop being so scared and just do it.”
The volleyball game began. They were playing for almost a half hour before Ido took a break and one of the others went in to take his place. He was standing on the sidelines, watching. Bari had not yet been in the game, so she, too, was on the sidelines. Marilyn caught Bari’s gaze and fixed her stare on her. Without speaking, Marilyn mouthed the words, “Do it now. Go over and tell him you’re feeling sick.”
Bari took a deep breath and contorted her face. Marilyn smiled and mouthed the words, “Go on.”
Bari nodded. She was trembling as she walked over to Ido.
“Can I speak to you for a minute?” she asked.
“Sure.” He walked far enough away from the crowd for her to feel comfortable that their conversation would be private.
“I don’t feel well. Will you please take me back to the hotel?”
“Yes, of course,” Ido said. “Give me a minute to tell the others.”
Ido walked over to the rest of the IDF soldiers to explain the situation. As soon as Ido turned his back, Bari Lynn nodded at Marilyn, and Marilyn nodded back and smiled.
There was no method of transportation other than the huge bus, so Ido drove, and Bari sat in the first row across from him.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Not great,” she said. It was true, but she wasn’t sick, she was nervous.
When they got back to the hotel, Ido asked Bari if she wanted something to drink.
“Yes, that would be great.”
“Come, let’s go and sit in the coffee shop and we’ll get you something cold to drink.”
Bari nodded.
They sat down and ordered. Bari had never been on a date, and this felt the closest she’d ever come. Of course, she knew it wasn’t a real date, but it felt good to pretend.
Bari sat in the booth across from Ido, quietly sipping on her cola. She was at a loss for words.
“Is this the first time you’ve been away from home?” Ido asked.
“Yeah, how did you know? Does it show that badly?”
“Let’s just say I have a knack for knowing these things.” He smiled. “I’ve worked with new recruits in the IDF long enough that I can tell.”
If someone else had asked her that, Bari would have been offended. She would have felt that she was being judged. But, Ido made her feel special. With him, she felt accepted, and strangely warm all over.
“Well, you hit the point with me. It’s my first time away without my parents.”
“I’ll bet it was hard for you to leave home. You seem to me to be a daddy’s girl.”
She laughed. “I am. Wow, you’re like, psychic. I love my stepdad. He’s always been my best friend. My mom? Now that’s another story.”
“She’s tough on you?”
“That’s an understatement. In fact, can you keep a secret?” She suddenly felt the need to confide in him.
“Sure. Secrets are my specialty,” he smiled.
“I didn’t even know my real dad was alive until a few months before I left for this trip. You see, my mom lied to me. Can you imagine? She lied to me for my whole life. She told me my birth father was killed in the Vietnam War.
But a few months ago, I found out that my father is an Israeli. My mother was married and divorced in Israel when she was young. It was a real shock to learn that my father might be alive. I looked up his name in the phone book, but I couldn’t find him. I’m going to try in every city that we visit. It would really like to talk to him. I have a lot of questions I’d like to ask him.”
“What’s his name? Maybe I can make some inquiries for you.”
“You won’t tell anyone why you are looking for him, will you?’
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
“I don’t, at least not until I talk to him, first.”
“I understand.”
“His name is Elan Amsel. If you can help me find him, that would be really helpful...”
“I’ll do what I can.”
Marilyn told Bari that no man would ever turn down sex. In fact, Marilyn had given her specific instructions as to what to do when she was alone with Ido. Marilyn said, if Bari did as she said it would be easy to seduce Ido. It was not easy for Bari to act the part of a femme fatal. In fact, as she tried to talk to Ido, the words stuck in her throat. There was so much about him that she liked and trusted. But how could she possibly offer herself to him without dying of embarrassment. Just do it, Bari. Just say the words Marilyn told you to say.
Bari toyed with the straw in her cola glass.
“Are you feeling any better?” Ido asked.
“Yes, much better. Thank you.”
“I’m glad. The heat must have been too much for you.”
“Ido…”
He cocked his head to listen.
“When do you think everyone will be back from the beach?”
“Let’s see, it’s two o’clock. I think maybe five o’clock or so. You can go upstairs and take a nap. I’ll stay in the hotel until a quarter to five or so, and then I’ll take the bus back to the beach and pick up the rest of the group.”
Okay, this was the chance she’d been waiting for. Just say it, Bari. She squeezed her eyes shut. Looking down at the table she said, “Why don’t you come up to my hotel room? I really like you and well… I haven’t done this before, so I am not sure what else to say.”
“Oh…” Ido said. Then he bopped himself in the forehead with the heel of his hand as if he had just realized he’d done something stupid. “Bari, I am so sorry. This is all my fault. I think I might have given you the wrong impression.” What was he thinking?
He was just trying to help her to come out of her shell, but of course, he gave her the wrong impression. Ido knew how important his choice of words was right now. Her ego was fragile. He could see by looking at her that she lacked confidence. “I think you are a beautiful girl. I’m very flattered, but I am a happily married man. Ima, the other soldier, who is with us, the one with the blonde hair, she is my wife.”
Bari felt humiliated. All she could do was shrug her shoulders and shake her head—she couldn’t speak.
“Bari, it’s okay. Don’t feel bad. If I was a single guy, I would jump at the chance to be with a girl as pretty as you…” Ido said.
Her fingers were trembling as she touched the straw in h
er glass. Bari wanted to get out of there, to be away from Ido, before she started crying, and the last thing she wanted was to cry in front of him. It was too hard to speak. She was afraid he would hear the pain in her voice. So Bari Lynn got up from the table and ran through the lobby to the elevator, which had just stopped.
When the elevator doors opened, an old woman with gray hair that had been rinsed with a purple stain got out. Bari jumped in and pressed the button to her floor just as she saw Ido coming towards her. The elevator door closed, and Bari started to cry.
Ido was angry with himself. How could he have been so stupid? He should have mentioned that he was married right away, so that Bari wouldn’t have put her ego on the line like that. Now he had a heartbroken American teenager on his hands, one who would be uncomfortable in his presence.
As soon as he was able to speak to the other soldiers, he would see to it that one of the others kept an eye on Bari and her girlfriend. It was probably better if he stayed away from her. Ido felt terrible. His main goal in making the connection with Bari was to help her to feel accepted and it had backfired on him. And now, with the way she was behaving, he dared not leave her alone in the hotel. It was the job of the IDF soldiers to guarantee that these kids got home safely.
If it were up to him, Ido would have sat in the lobby the entire afternoon. But he had to return the bus to the beach so that the rest of the group would have transportation back. He doubted Bari would leave her room, but he couldn’t be sure. Bari’s ego was bruised, and Ido knew that she would not want to see Ido right now. She probably would need the support of her best friend before she was able to face him.
Ido’s innate sense of human nature assured him that Bari would stay as far away from him for the rest of the trip as possible. Still, just to be safe, he would ask the desk clerk to keep an eye out for Bari. If she was foolish enough to try to leave the hotel on her own, the clerk was to call the local police immediately. Ido planned to return to the bus and have one of the other soldiers drive him back to the lobby. It would not take more than a half hour before he returned. But just in case there was a problem, Ido wrote down the location of the beach where the police could find the group if necessary, and gave it to the man at the front desk.
Forever, My Homeland: The Final Book in the All My Love, Detrick Series Page 10