Dafna listened intently at the name of the Israeli doctor, wondering if he were the same one for whom Adam was waiting. It was almost a certainty. How many eye specialists from Israel would be on a lecture tour to Australia at this time! She considered trying to contact him, to tell him about Adam, to ask if there was any way that he could, or would, help restore Adam's sight. Perhaps she would have to go to the lectures to meet him. There didn't seem to be any other way, as she had no idea at which hotel he would be staying.
Time was getting on and Dafna needed to shower and change her clothes again, to be on her way to the hospital to visit her mother. Surely, the testing would all be over now and her mother settled back in the ward.
The drive to the hospital didn't take more than ten minutes, despite the fact that from the house there was no direct route to the hospital. There were many acres between the two locations, which were the site of the historic Old Government House, situated in Parramatta Park, also renowned for its historical value. Dafna had to drive around the park, skirting the fringes of the reserve. Finding a parking space in the hospital grounds took almost the same amount of time. Dafna walked to the hospital entrance and caught a lift up to the fourth floor. At least it was cool inside the hospital. By the time she reached her mother's ward, she was feeling comfortable again.
Her mother was pleased to see her, holding up a hand for Dafna to hold in her own. The report from the tests was encouraging. Time would tell. Meantime, her mother would remain in the hospital for another week at least. If her condition continued to improve, she may be allowed home, with daily nursing help. Dafna would also be able to assist with bathing, meals and gentle exercises for as long as possible before returning to the book shop in Israel.
Dafna wasn't able to stay with her mother for too long, seeing that she tired easily. On her way out of the hospital, she stopped at the information desk to enquire about Dr Roni Feldman. Would he be coming to this hospital during his tour? The staff was not able to supply the information she wanted, but gave her a number to call later that day, which could be helpful. She thanked them and walked out into the heat, to the car.
The interior of the car was too hot to sit in, so she started the engine, switched the air conditioning to full power and walked up and down beside the car while the cooling process took place. Finally, it was comfortable enough to at least get in the car. The steering wheel felt like it was burning her hands, but would soon be OK to hold properly. She drove home deep in thought. If she could reach Doctor Feldman, maybe she could arrange for him to see Adam when he returned to his practice in Israel.
Before calling the number she had been given, Dafna decided it would be courteous, at least, to ask Adam if he wanted her help. She still hadn't spoken with him.
CHAPTER 6
Ever since he had been 'stood up' by Dafna, Adam's mother was concerned about him. He was depressed and grumpy with everyone. Nothing would please him.
It seemed that the only way to bring him out of the doldrums would be to take him home, where he would have the company of his parents and sister, Susan. Adam wasn't keen to move away from his familiar surroundings, but was at last persuaded to try it for a while.
So it was done in a matter of days. His apartment was let to one of his cousins and his new wife, on a short-term basis… probably three months, which suited everyone concerned. The situation could be reviewed at the end of that time.
At least now Adam had someone to take him out of the house, for walks, shopping trips, even fishing if he chose to go. Deep inside, he still yearned for Dafna. She had hurt him by not coming on the day of the picnic. To add to that, he was frustrated by the delay of the operation which would restore his sight. Everything had gone wrong in his life. And all because he had chosen to fill in at work for a friend who was ill. He had taken the extra day of duty, on what should have been his day off. Instead he'd been blown up by a bomb! He'd met someone through that injury with whom he felt comfortable, but who apparently didn't think much of him. She'd chosen not to continue their friendship.
Dafna had Adam's phone number in front of her and sat down to call him. She had to apologise for not taking him on the picnic and for leaving without any word. Then, she would ask if he would allow her to approach the doctor here, on his behalf.
She dialled the number, which was answered after a time by a young woman.
"Ken?"
Dafna spoke rapidly in Hebrew in reply to the woman's 'yes?' "Is it possible to speak with Adam, please?" she asked.
The young woman, whose name was Nurit, explained that Adam didn't live there currently, that he had moved to his parents' home for a time. She explained to Dafna what the new arrangement was and gave her the number of Adam's parents' home.
Dafna dialled the new number and waited, but there was only a message on an answering machine.
She left a brief message for Adam, saying she would call back later as she was in Australia due to a medical emergency, and hung up. She'd hoped to speak with him personally right away. But this was all she could do.
The heat of the day was easing down to about thirty-five degrees. Dafna walked out into the garden. The bench under the pergola was in full sunshine, too hot to sit there. She strolled about, looking at the drooping plants. The garden would have to be watered well this evening, after the sun had dropped below the line of houses. Her mother wouldn't thank her for letting the flowers suffer during her illness!
She sat on the grass under a tree, deciding what time to call Adam again. Even the birds had given up in the heat, and flown away to find a cooler place to rest until evening. It was quiet in this secluded part of the yard.
By the time twilight had arrived, Dafna was ready to tend to the gardens. She spent the next hour thoroughly watering the plants and then the lawns. The flowers would all be standing up, bright and perky, in the morning. The lawns felt lush and soft underfoot and, as yet, hadn't been burnt brown by the summer sun.
Dafna went inside the house. It was time to try calling Adam again.
She dialled the number of his parents' home. It was answered almost at once by Adam, who must have been sitting close by it… waiting?
"Adam? This is Dafna. How are you?"
"Fine. I'm glad you called. I didn't know where you were," Adam said. "Are you OK? What is the medical emergency? I worried about you."
Dafna explained the events of the past few days, about her mother's sudden illness, her abrupt departure from Israel as a result. She apologised to Adam for not speaking to him before she left. He said he understood. She said she was sorry she missed the picnic. He said he was sorry too. They talked of day-to-day happenings, bringing each other up to date with their lives.
Then, Dafna asked, "Would you let me track down a Dr Roni Feldman on your behalf, who is an eye specialist, currently here in Sydney? I want to find out if he can help you."
"As a matter of fact, that is the name of the doctor I have been waiting for," said Adam. He sounded excited and Dafna was pleased that she had finally been able to speak with him.
They spoke for another ten minutes or so before Dafna said, "I'll do what I can about the doctor, Adam. Would I be able to call you back in a few days? About the same time?"
"Yes, I'll be here, waiting. Thank you, Dafna. And thank you for calling me today. Bye."
"Bye, Adam."
Dafna hung up and sat back, smiling. In the morning she would make certain she contacted Dr Feldman.
CHAPTER 7
Dr Feldman was a hard man to catch. Numerous phone calls later, Dafna was finally able to trace him and explain why she wanted to reach him.
At his hotel it was no easier to speak to him. The hotel management must have had orders to protect him from random callers. However, Dafna wasn't easily put off, explaining briefly to the receptionist what her business was with the doctor. She was able to leave a message for him. In it, she pleaded with him to return her call.
It was almost 8 p.m. the following night when th
e phone in Dafna's room rang. Dr Feldman was on the other end. They exchanged greetings in English. He was expecting an Australian to be on the phone.
She quickly gave him the details of Adam's injuries. The doctor was aware of the blast that had caused the problem. All of Israel had known within the hour of the attack at the airport. Dafna also told him that Adam had saved her life and damaged his own that day. They discussed the details before he asked her how her own injuries had healed.
After briefly touching on the terrorist and his motives, they speculated on whether another would turn up to avenge the one who had died in the blast and who had been identified within 24 hours.
Dr Feldman told Dafna that he would call her back the next day, as he was hoping to demonstrate some of his speciality - trauma surgery - during the following week. It could be possible to include Adam on the operating list, providing the hospital agreed to having Adam as a patient, and providing there was a bed vacant for his recovery. He felt it would be a way of helping a hero from his country, by the best possible means available to him. The arrangements could take some days, but he promised to do his best. He would need to examine Adam.
He hung up and Dafna sighed with relief that the first part of the problem was being addressed. She wouldn't call Adam until there was something further to relate. Maybe tomorrow.
The rest of her week would be taken up with visiting her mother and tending the garden. It was nearly a full-time job to keep it respectable. Where did her mother find time to do it? She made sure her clothes were washed and ironed and hanging ready in the wardrobe. She wanted to be prepared in case she needed to visit Dr Feldman.
That night, Dafna lay awake for hours, wondering what the outcome would be for 'her' patients, her mother and Adam. Naturally, she had told her mother about Adam. Her mother had learnt of Dafna's experience at the airport, shortly after it happened, when the hospital in Israel had advised her. But she wasn't aware of Dafna's connection to Adam at the time. Now it was becoming a more personal connection. Dafna was hoping that her mother wouldn't mind if Adam stayed at the house in Parramatta, before and after his operation, assuming it would go ahead. It would mean Dafna would have two recuperating patients to look after. It would be a very busy time for her, but she wasn't fazed by it. She would need to email Israel tomorrow and check on the book shop. Her neighbour in Israel would need to know of her extended stay in Sydney. She had to find out if any of her mail needed attention.
The temperature hadn't dropped beneath thirty degrees and the humidity was still up around ninety percent. Sleep was a long time coming.
The new day brought more heat and humidity. A storm was brewing and it wouldn't be long before it hit the city, as already the loud rumble of thunder could be heard. Dafna knew from experience that an electrical storm meant no talking on the telephone. Even as a child, her mother always warned her about using the phone when there was lightning about. Telecom printed warnings in their phone books to the effect that lightning strikes could damage the hearing. So she prepared instead to use her mother's email facility.
She made coffee and carried it into the little room her mother called 'the study', where the computer sat on the desk. There was time to send some messages to the shop, to friends both in Australia and in Israel. Dafna sipped the hot liquid while the computer warmed up. Hopefully, Dr Feldman would get back to her today with some good news.
She composed the messages in her mind, so that it was a matter of only a few minutes later that all the messages were typed and sent on their way. To Yael, she asked that any questions needing her attention be sent to the email address shown.
No sooner had she finished the last message when a flash of lightning lit up the room. Quickly, Dafna closed down the computer and turned it off. She moved swiftly though the house pulling electrical cords out of their sockets - equipment that didn't need to be connected, such as the toaster, the microwave, the TV and video. Years ago, this hadn't been done during a storm and her mother had discovered several electric appliances were 'zapped' and useless. They had to be replaced with money from the insurance company. Ever since then, it seemed so much easier simply to unplug them.
The storm was over in half an hour, leaving water gurgling down the gutter pipes from the roof and in the streets. The trees dripped water onto the grass; the flowers were weighed down with the amount of water on them. Everything looked so clean and shiny. The road had steam rising from it, where the cooling rain had landed on tar still hot from the previous day. At least she could now use the phone.
Nobody rang.
Dafna took the opportunity to walk out into the garden. She could imagine Adam sitting out under the pergola, enjoying the perfume from the flowers.
It was another two days before Dr Feldman called Dafna. The news was good. He could use an operation on Adam's injuries as a lesson for the doctors attending his lectures. A practical lesson would be perfect. He asked if Dafna could arrange for Adam to come to Australia within a week. She told him that she would call Adam that same day to advise him of the decision, and to start the arrangements.
Later that day, Dafna confirmed with her mother that it would be OK for Adam to come to the house, if he chose to accept the doctor's offer. Mrs Zoreff could see that Dafna was trying to hide her excitement at the prospect of seeing Adam again.
After her return from the hospital, Dafna called Adam. It was late afternoon in Sydney, but early morning in Tel Aviv. She didn't stop to calculate the actual time. As it happened, Adam had been up and about for an hour or so.
"Adam. It's Dafna. How are you?"
"Hi. I'm fine. What news have you got for me? Good or bad?"
"Great! Dr Feldman says your condition is perfect for his lectures and he's going to give a practical lesson at the teaching hospital here, providing you can be here within a week. Is it possible? Will you come, Adam?"
"Yes, of course. I'll have my mother make the arrangements and call you back. Where do I stay during the recuperation period, Dafna? I don't know anyone or anywhere over there."
"It's all arranged. My mother said it would be OK for you to stay here at the house. We are close to the hospital. Besides, you're wrong. You do know someone… me!"
"I can't wait for it all to be over. I only hope that he can give me back some sight. I am looking forward to really seeing you."
"I look forward to that, too, Adam," Dafna said slowly. "Call me as soon as you know the flight details, please."
Adam laughed. The sound came from deep within his chest. "You'll hear about it almost as soon as I know myself," he said.
They talked small talk for a few minutes, flirting a little, enjoying the sound of each other's voice. Finally, Dafna said to him, "Go, for goodness sake. Start with the arrangements, or we'll still be here next week talking about them."
They said their 'goodbyes' and hung up. Dafna's hand on the phone was moist. She kidded herself it was from the heat, but knew deep down it was the excitement of talking to Adam again.
To keep herself occupied Dafna began cleaning the spare room, ready for Adam to stay there. She polished and dusted with a vengeance. The bed was made up with fresh, lemon-scented linen. It was with some surprise that she noted that the time was almost 9 p.m. She still hadn't eaten and decided on a snack, rather than a full dinner at that hour. Then it was time for a shower and hop into bed.
Dafna drifted into sleep, dreaming of Adam walking with her on a beach, holding hands.
CHAPTER 8
The following week was a busy one for Dafna. Her mother was being discharged on the Monday. Many things had to be organised to make her recovery a pleasant one. The home nursing staff was contacted. They explained to Dafna the type of care and help her mother would need for a while.
Adam's flight was due at Mascot airport early on Tuesday. Dafna rose early that morning to help her mother freshen up before her old friend, Mrs Bergman, came to stay with her while Dafna went to the airport.
Showered and dressed in ca
sual slacks and a blouse, Dafna drove to Mascot through the peak hour traffic. She kept looking at the clock on the dashboard, worrying that the delays would mean Adam would be standing about waiting, not knowing what was wrong. There was no need to be concerned, as the night before she had called the airline and ascertained that someone would help Adam off the plane, and wait with him until she claimed him. Nevertheless, she couldn't avoid the sinking feeling every time she was held up at the traffic lights. She didn't want him to have to wait. She wanted to be there when he came through the gate from the customs area.
Interrupted Romance Page 4