by Amalie Coles
“OK, let’s wrap up today’s lecture.” He went on and on talking about different samples of the Philistine material culture, passing more artefacts around the table.
***
“You should join us,” Janice urged me as I was unpacking my pyjamas. “You can’t stay in the room all the time.”
“I’m worried we’ll be late for the dig tomorrow.”
“We won’t be out for too long. We all need to be up early,” Madeline insisted. “Come on, you should come.”
“OK, I’ll go with you.” I gave in.
I was lucky not to have Rachel with us in the room. She would surely say something about my lateness to the pottery washing session or my decision to go to the pub. I later spotted her sitting in the lobby talking to George.
“Becky, you are going!” he exclaimed as soon as he eyed me.
“Yep! I decided to get a drink in the end.”
“OK, let’s go.” He rose up. “See you tomorrow, Rach.”
“Are you coming, too?” I asked her casually.
“Nah, you go.” She sounded defeated. According to my theory, she was trying to get George’s attention but was perpetually unsuccessful.
Among the goers were also Luke, Vince, and Karen. As we were walking down the street, enjoying the fresh air, we talked about everything and nothing. The topics included our favourite movies, late nights at university, and drunken sorority parties. Although I normally didn’t enjoy a small talk, I was having a good time. After passing by a few bars and coffee shops, we finally stopped at a small pub where Kiesza’s “Hideaway” was playing.
“Hey, folks, can I get you something to drink?” a bartender asked as soon as he saw us.
“Sure, I’ll take a glass of beer,” I replied in Hebrew.
The bartender looked puzzled. “At medaberet ivrit! Eize yofi!” he exclaimed.
Everyone else looked at me in awe. They couldn’t believe an average Canadian with zero ties to Israel could speak Hebrew so well. Part of me even wished Rachel was here to see me shine.
“I wish my Hebrew was that good,” George said, as we were waiting for our drinks. “It would help me to find a post doc opportunity here.”
“You are already thinking about post docs?”
“Well, I have to plan ahead. Have you considered going to a grad school yet?”
“Not really.” I sighed.
“You seem to know a lot about ancient Israel.”
“It’s probably nothing compared to how much you know. Plus, I know neither French nor German.”
“I thought French was mandatory in Canada.”
“Yes, but I forgot it after grade ten. In fact, French was the least of my favourite subjects at school.” I briefly recalled how much I dreaded those tests that involved memorizing all the er and ir verbs.
“Well, I doubt it will be a problem because you seem to have a knack for languages.”
“That’s what everyone says.” I smiled, recalling Jocelyn’s remark.
“By the way, I’ll be presenting a paper on Beit Shean next week. I thought you might be interested.”
“That must be exciting for you!”
“Well, I’ve presented at conferences before. You get used to it after a while.”
“May I ask which part of the site will you be focusing on?”
“The one dating to the Late Bronze Age.”
“The Egyptian one?”
“Yes.”
“Are you going to mention the Mekal Stele?”
“Only briefly. I’ll be mainly talking about the pottery. Hey, why don’t you wait and see?”
“OK, no more questions then. But you promised to enlighten me about the Cypriot and Mycenaean styles.”
“Oh, yes. I nearly forgot.”
We had a long conversation about Cypriot imports during the Late Bronze Age. George talked about different types of pottery and scholarly articles that had been published on that topic. I couldn’t help but admire this guy—at least his intellectual abilities. He was so refined and educated, and he looked downright gorgeous in his polo T-shirt and gridded shorts. I told myself there was no attraction involved. We were just random people talking about something that interested us.
Halfway through the conversation, I realized how much I’d been missing challenging talks. While Jason was smart, his intelligence was rooted in a totally different field. Most of the time, we didn’t talk about anything remotely intellectual, except for the latest news about economic crises and global warming. Our mundane conversations usually revolved around problems at work, plans for weekends, and food choices for dinners. It didn’t really dawn on me until that evening.
“Should we wrap up and get going?” Madeline asked, looking pensively at her watch. For the whole time, she and the rest of the group were discussing indie music.
“Oh yes, definitely.” I immediately jumped from my chair, spilling a few drops from my glass of beer.
“Let’s go,” Karen said.
Once we reached the rooms, I checked my cell phone. To my surprise, it had no messages. I wondered what Jason was doing. Was he happy at work? Was he at home or working overtime? Then George came into my mind. I recalled our conversation and the satisfaction I got from talking about something that truly fascinated me.
The rest of the week was just as exciting as the beginning. I relentlessly dug in the mornings, enjoyed the sea and the sun after lunches, and diligently washed pottery in the afternoons. Never again did I show up late. I have to admit that not all days were terribly successful in terms of findings. Sometimes, I would spend several hours filling up buckets with dirt and carrying them over to the sifter just to find a bunch of pebbles. Nevertheless, the work was incredibly enjoyable.
During meal times, I became friends with Jocelyn, Carol, and Gloria. Our discussions involved many topics, including mortgages, furniture, and family life. They told me about their children, what they were studying, and some of the typical struggles associated with parenthood. To my surprise, I often found myself siding with them despite the fact that I was around the same age as their kids.
We also discussed our past trips and favourite places in the world. As real travel veterans, they all had visited Europe at least once and had seen most of the key places in the States. Although I had never been to Europe, I had done my fair share of travel on the American continent. The most memorable spot for me was probably the Grand Canyon, which I had visited with my parents as a child and later with Jason.
Chapter 10
“Are we ready yet?” Madeline asked while double-checking the contents of her bag. It was a Saturday morning, and we were packing for the trip. Since I had prepared my backpack the night before, I didn’t have to worry too much about making it to the lobby on time.
“Most definitely,” Janice replied while applying her sunscreen. “Did you guys remember to bring your cameras? They promised the scenery will be awesome.”
“Oops, did I?” I immediately started double-checking everything in my backpack. The camera was missing. It was strange because I remembered putting it together with my water bottle and a sunscreen. For some reason, it was lying on my dresser.
“Thanks for reminding me!” I exclaimed with relief. “I can’t believe I almost forgot the most important item!”
“Don’t worry,” Madeline said. “We will share pictures regardless. Besides, the most important thing you’ll need is your water. It’s supposed to be freaking hot outside.”
“That’s true,” Rachel noted with a smirk on her face. For a second, I wondered if she had sneaked into my bag and taken out the camera.
“All right, let’s go!” Janice declared.
A minute later, we were standing at the hotel lobby, waiting for the fun to begin. It would be our first daytrip, and I was sure there were more to come. At last, I saw a large vehicle with two horn-like mirrors approach in our direction. There was no mistaking it was our bus. I immediately felt a surge of excitement. I was going to see the so
uth of Israel for the very first time!
As soon as we took off, I plugged in my earphones and closed my eyes. The music slowly faded in the background as I dozed off. I couldn’t tell how much time passed before I was woken up by the deadly sound of a siren.
Someone must have forgotten to turn off an iron, I thought while rubbing my eyes. I expected our bus to pull over to the right side and to wait for the emergency car to pass. However, there was no fire truck or an ambulance car in sight.
“Everyone, get out of the bus and lie face down,” Kobi, the tour guide, commanded. “Go, now!”
“Ma pitom!” I exclaimed.
Our group quickly got up and moved towards the closest exit. What I saw next was unbelievable. The rest of the cars stopped on the open highway, and all the people ran outside to lay face down. Suddenly, I realized that whatever was happening was far more serious than a fire alarm. As I was lying on the ground, hands covering my head, I heard a strong booming sound. A child from some other car started crying.
“You can go back to the bus,” Kobi announced three minutes later.
Our trip resumed as usual, and the cars around us began to move as well. From my window, I caught a glimpse of the child, who was crying inconsolably just a few minutes ago, playing with his toys. His mother continued driving as if nothing had happened. In the meantime, everyone on the bus, including myself, was confused.
“What happened?” Madeline asked halfway through the ride.
“We had a rocket threat from Gaza,” Luke said. His announcement was followed by the humming of different voices.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” someone asked loudly.
“Guys, please be quiet!” Kobi commanded.
“Can we go home?” one of the girls asked in a shrieking voice.
“Silence please.”
Everyone obliged.
“What happened is we had a missile threat,” he began. “Ninety-nine percent of the time they are nothing to worry about. But when you hear a siren, it means you have to either run to a bomb shelter or lie face down.”
Expressions of shock and disbelief appeared on people’s faces. I recalled all the news and rumours about the war. The threat was real. I wondered if this event would appear on the world news. If it would, I would have to come up with something to say to Jason and my parents next time we spoke on the phone.
Although the trip continued, the mood was spoiled. Students looked gloomy, and some girls even approached the tour guide asking to be sent back to the hotel. He did everything in his power to convince them they were safe, but they were relentless. As soon as we stopped for the first break at a small town, they demanded to be put on a taxi and taken back to Ashkelon. I couldn’t blame them. If I weren’t so adamant about seeing the Timna Park and Eilat, I would’ve returned to the hotel, too.
***
“Were you scared this morning?” George asked me as we were sitting in a cafeteria and eating our falafel wraps.
“Of course I was!”
“You shouldn’t worry. I’ve been here several times, and nothing serious ever happened.”
“How many times?”
“Hmm, four or five? I can’t remember.”
“Wow! This is only my second time.” This boy never ceased to amaze me.
“That’s all right. You can always come back.”
“So what were you doing here? Visiting or working?”
“A bit of both.”
“Tell me.”
“Well, that’s my second season in Ashkelon. Before joining this team, I had excavated in Tell es-Safi.”
“The Biblical Gath?”
Yes. We spent around four weeks working at the site, and one day, a siren went off. Everyone got scared shitless, and it was a false alarm.”
“What do you mean by a false alarm?”
“Do you remember the Arab Spring?”
“Oh, yes.”
“They were conducting a military drill across the country just to make sure people were prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
“I see.”
“The thing is, Rebecca, this conflict has been around for a while, and so most Israelis have become used to it. The media likes to blow everything out of proportion.”
“That’s what I tell everybody in Toronto, but people don’t believe me. They think Israel is some kind of a warzone. When we came here last time, the place seemed so peaceful. I couldn’t believe we were in one of the world’s most troubled countries.”
“You see? I wouldn’t be too concerned.”
I sincerely hoped this siren would be just a one-time event everyone would remember as an adventure.
In the meantime, I couldn’t keep my eyes off George. While we were riding on the bus, he was sitting next to Rachel across from me and Karen. Rachel was wearing a pair of ripped mini-shorts and a T-shirt with a plunging v-neck. It was obvious to everyone including me that she was trying too hard to get his attention. I wondered how much time would pass before she would finally give up.
As soon as the bus stopped at our next destination, George turned to me and said, “OK, Becky, let’s go.”
“Let’s go.” I smiled.
“Hey, are you enjoying some freedom from your husband?” Rachel asked poignantly as we were exiting.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh, don’t act so innocent! I saw you with George during the break.”
“Ah, we were just talking about what happened this morning.” I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation.
“Look how beautiful it is!” Karen exclaimed, as if trying to diffuse the rising tension. “I’m glad we didn’t go back today.”
“Me too,” I replied, feeling heat on my skin. The weather was undeniably hot, and I knew well that we wouldn’t be able to stay in one spot for too long.
What we saw was truly unforgettable. Before our eyes were brownish yellow plains and a chasm known as the Ramon Crater. According to the sources, it had been formed millions of years ago, when the desert was still covered by the ocean.
“Look! What is this?” I exclaimed, eyeing a small creature standing nearby.
“It’s an ibex, a special type of goat!” George explained.
“Let’s take a photo. Quick!” I couldn’t let the chance slip away.
My gaiety became contagious, and soon the entire group was excited about seeing the exotic animal. I managed to snap a few photos before the goat ran away.
“Boy, those horns look scary,” Janice commented.
“Well, after what happened this morning, nothing seems scary anymore,” Madeline said, rolling her eyes.
The Timna Valley Park was even more memorable than the Ramon Crater. I had never seen anything similar, except for maybe one time, when I went to the Valley of Fire State Park with Jason. It was also the time I nearly passed out after trying to hike in forty-five degrees Celsius. This time, I became so engaged in photographing pillars with the Egyptian hieroglyphs that I almost forgot how hot it was outside. Needless to say, my skin was glistening with perspiration, and my feet were burning inside my running shoes. I had to remind myself to take a few gulps of water to save myself from a heatstroke.
The sightseeing bliss came to a halt when my phone rang. For a split second, I considered ignoring it because the call could easily be a spam. Last time we were in Israel, I got a courtesy call from Rogers and was stupid enough to pick up the phone. As a result, our phone bill skyrocketed by the end of the trip. This happened way before I figured to buy a local card instead of the Fido plan. Although I was unlikely to get into the same issue this time around, I wasn’t in the mood to hear about some rip-off promotion. After a second ring, I gave in, realizing it could also be someone from my family.
“Hey, Rebecca! Is everything all right with you?” I heard Jason ask in an alarmed tone.
“Yes, baby, I’m fine. What happened?”
“The Hamas rocket fire is in the news!”
I was busted. Our morning inc
ident did indeed reach the media, which meant my parents would be worried, too.
“What rocket fire?” I asked, pretending to be oblivious to what he was saying.
“They fired missiles at Eilat today, and from what I remember, you were supposed to go there with your group. Am I correct?”
“Yes, you are. In fact, I’m having the best time of my life here. I’m going to send you the photos as soon I can.”
“You should text or call your parents,” he said, ignoring my happy babbling. “Your mom is really worried.”
“OK, sure. But tell her not to worry. We are taking all the precautions.”
“Please be careful, Becky. You don’t know how scared I am.”
“I promise to stay safe. Jason, I’m really sorry, but I have to keep up with my group. Talk to you later.”
After hanging up, I noticed more unread messages. They were from Erin, Mom and Dad, and even my in-laws. Everyone was asking me if I was safe, and my mother was even urging me to come back to Toronto. Feeling uneasy, I dialled my parents’ number but was directed to their voicemail. So I sent them a few text messages along with my photos from the Ramon Crater.
By the time we reached Eilat, the memory of the morning siren was long forgotten. Some students even took the initiative to start singing. In Eilat, we had a bit of downtime to cool off in the Red Sea. While attempting a few laps, I eyed George watching me from the beach. I looked back at him, and he winked at me. Then I turned away and continued swimming.
After the beach time, we were escorted to the underwater observatory, from which we could see a myriad of colorful fish swimming around coral reefs. I made a mental note to come back here someday with kids. Eilat would make a great destination for a Christmas or a March Break getaway. A big part of me hoped that Jason and I would be able afford it in years to come.
The day trip was concluded by a stopover at a local restaurant, where we got to enjoy the best selections of Israeli food. At some point, I excused myself to the washroom just to be interrupted by a ringing cell phone.
“Hello?” I tried to sound composed.
“Hey, Rebecca, you should come back as soon as possible!” My mother exclaimed. “Dad’s been looking for a return flight for you.”