Vanished Without A Trace

by Nava Dijkstra

  Daniel tried to guess what the news could be, and what was so important he wanted to show him. He tried to ask, but Solomon said he would explain it in the car. He got dressed quickly.

  "We're going to see your new school,” Solomon broke the news, pulling Daniel from his reality and pushing him toward the opportunity that awaited him – to meet his old friends in the new boarding school. But Solomon was busy in his world and didn’t notice the disappointment on Daniel’s face. "You will continue to live at the boarding school for the next six years, but you will study at another school every day.”

  Daniel’s head seemed to switch from channel to channel. A moment ago, he was informed he would not be moving with most of his friends to another boarding school, and he was disappointed. And now he was told he would be attending an outside school. He tried to internalize the news with conviction. There was a big smile on his face. The traces of disappointment that had spread across his face a while ago suddenly vanished. Leaving the boarding school every day and spending half the day roaming around finally, he would have some freedom, and this was great news for sure!

  Solomon was nice all the way and explained to Daniel the reasons that led him to this decision, and how the plan would be implemented. A room would be allocated for him in the boarding school where he could do as he pleased, put in a television, host friends, sleep and do homework at his discretion. Only one rule was imposed on him; he could bring guests or be a guest in someone else’s house but it required Solomon’s permission. Daniel agreed to all conditions and sealed the agreement with a kiss on Solomon’s cheek, who, so to speak, tried to dissuade him - to keep a distance between a principal and a student.

  Days and months had passed and his relationship with Neta was slowly deteriorating. They tried to call each other several times, but the relationship was not the same as what they had shared when they were both living in the same boarding school. Distance was a great obstacle to their relationship. However, his relationship with his new colleagues grew stronger. On holidays, he was always invited by his classmates and had the opportunity to see lifestyles that were very different from what he was used to. At the boarding school, everybody was needy and had a problem going back home where life was so complicated and they just preferred to stay on campus. However, in his new school, his classmates had normal families and he found himself being a guest in their homes and tried to accept those times they asked him to host them in his room. He couldn’t believe they envied the freedom he had, as he would have traded with them willingly.

  Solomon was so happy to see Daniel was able to adapt himself to the new environment and become a leader there too, just as he was at the boarding school. He knew Daniel could deal with every situation he encountered, no matter what. He saw unique features and a high-quality drive from him that would always stand out among his friends.

  When Daniel finished high school, he had to say goodbye to his friends. He was sad he couldn’t join the army like them in order to find a place for him to live for three years. It was because he didn’t have citizenship. He walked three of his friends to the army bus. They looked at him, smiling through the window, "How fun for you to sleep in your bed tonight while we are going to work our ass off."

  In the evening, when he returned to his room near the old central bus station in Tel Aviv, he lay in bed watching TV, a fifteen-inch TV set on top of a loose chair. "What a stinky hole!" A spark of joy kindled in his heart as he recalled this catch phrase from Neta. He looked at last Saturday’s paper. For the first time, he realized his grandfather owned a yacht in the marina in Tel Aviv. It was a yacht with three decks, a length of twenty-four meters, with an estimated worth of ten million dollars. Next to the picture of the yacht, was a picture of his grandfather and his only son, Daniel’s father. His mother never talked about his father. She talked mostly about his grandfather. This was the first time he saw his father's image. He cut the picture from the newspaper and put it on the table. The closeness gave him a lovely feeling. Since then, Daniel adopted a new route. From his work, he passed by the Marina and from there, headed straight to his room in south Tel-Aviv. He felt he always seemed to be captivated by magic every time he passed by and looked at his grandfather’s boat. He thought a good life was within his reach, and maybe at some point after all, there was a glimmer of hope… some hope for change in his life. Daniel tried to picture meeting with his grandfather, and the things they would say to one another. He watched the seagulls sitting calmly above the water, after sailing from a stinky zone. This was his life - one dark side and the other glowing bright.

  It was one sunny winter day. Daniel stepped on the deck and took off his shirt, which was a discomfort in the winter sun. He lay on a bench bolted to the concrete, allowing himself, to feel the tender touch of the sun soothed and relaxed every cell of his body. He did not know how long he lay there, until a shivering winter cold woke him from his sleep. He was taken by surprise when he realized it was already dark. The darkness was illuminated by the occasional flashing of the beaming light coming from the lighthouse. The ship’s masts seemed to be embedded in the dark sky were moved by the cold breeze that produced a pleasant metallic sound coming from the mast touching the rope. Daniel put his shirt on and was about to go home. Suddenly, he noticed a light coming from his grandfather's yacht. It had been eight months since he had been started visiting the marina almost every day and this was the first time he saw the lights on. He went onto the dock where the yacht was anchored and saw an old man who looked like the man in the newspaper standing at the tailpiece with a cigar stuck in his mouth. The cold evening did not deter the man. Daniel felt a wild and reckless drive coming from within. He stepped onto the dock and boarded the yacht. "Hello, I'm Daniel." He reached out for his grandfather’s hand.

  The man looked at him, momentarily confused. A second later his face became pale. He recognized Daniel. "What are you doing here? Who gave you permission to come in?" His eyes were full of anger.

  "Don’t you recognize me?" Daniel asked with dismay.

  "Get off of the boat immediately, now!" Moshe Kowalski continued while he held Daniel's arm and dragged him off of the yacht.

  "I'm your grandson, Julia’s son..." Daniel tried. He believed a terrible mistake was happening and his grandfather would immediately realize his mistake.

  Moshe wanted to shout, and throw Daniel into the water, but he did not want the existence of his grandson to be known by anyone. "I don’t have a grandchild, do you hear that? I do not have a grandson, and I do not know any Julia. Get out of here right now!" he said in a firm voice, sending him a horrible look.

  Daniel stood on the dock where he was thrown, shocked. He had no doubt his grandfather was wrong, and knew exactly who he was.

  "Why are you standing there like a trunk? I told you to go away now!" Moshe Kowalski yelled, "Go back from where you came, or I will throw you out of here." He turned around and went back onto the yacht, closing the big glass door behind him.

  Daniel kept standing there as if his feet were nailed to the floor.

  ‘You have a grandson. He's here’, he murmured. The belief that accompanied him through these years, that gave him strength and hope, was like a bombshell that exploded in his face. He heard the scream in the sky, thunderclap after thunderclap, asking him to leave this place, or the rain would pour and strike his face like sharp stabs. It was so cold. His body was cold and filled with pain. There were tears in the corners of his eyes threatened to break out. The rain and the freezing cold that penetrated his bones was nothing compared to the coldness from the inside; the loss, and the idea he was all alone in this world. ‘Your grandfather is Moshe Kowalski, a very rich man’. For the first time he was angry at his mother. He was ready to forgive her for abandoning him but couldn’t forgive her for introducing him to his grandfather.

  The next day he woke up, still stressed from the incident the night before that left a cloud over his head. All that happened that day would be forgotten and he would
pretend nothing had happened and only the shadows would remain. It was the only way he could move on with his life. He could no longer rely on his hopes. They had vanished. Now everything depended on him. He hoped for some change in his life.

  Abner, his friend at work, observed him all day. "You are always quiet, but today is worse than ever." Daniel smiled. The word 'worse' explained Abner’s opinion about his general behavior. At first, Abner thought Daniel was a snob, but when Daniel became involved in helping him in difficult tasks, he learned to like him. He got angry with Daniel for not finding a more convenient and stable job than working in construction. "It's not your level. You're a smart guy. You can find a job that suits your mind." He talked to Daniel now and then. "I’m talking to you just like my son. Find another job for yourself!" The same day, Daniel felt the need to invite Abner for a beer. When they parted, he noticed a surge of immigration police at the bus station. His outer look was not like any other Israeli. He lost the special certificate issued to him by the Interior Ministry and thought he had to arrange a new one, so until then, he decided to take a longer path away from the exposed area. He was careful to stay at the edge of the street so he could find shelter in case he was spotted by the police. Finally, he arrived at his room and threw himself into bed. He felt how the mental distress expressed itself with physical exhaustion.

  5

  Moshe Kowalski sat in his office, restless. Daniel's surprise visit to the yacht forced him to do anything to get rid of him as soon as possible. He couldn’t understand how a child, who visited his office at five, remembered Julia told him he was his grandfather. He regretted the feeling of compassion towards the child’s life in his moment of weakness. Julia's disappearance was successful, and didn’t raise suspicion with anyone. Daniel, however, remained a bit of a problem. As long as he was in Israel, he was a threat. He had to find a way to get him out of the country.

  He had obtained Daniel’s address from the investigation office, all that was left was to call the Interior Minister, Abraham Gross, who owed him. Moshe Kowalski gave financial support to some Yeshivas who were connected to some religious political parties and now it was payback time.

  Abraham was surprised to receive a call from Moshe Kowalski. This was the most frightening moment for a public servant- payback time. Abraham knew if Kowalski called, it was a sign he would give him an unpleasant task. "What can I do for you, Mr. Kowalski?"

  "I want to talk about some issues that have been really bothering me lately. You know, I am a man who loves his country, and sometimes I see things from here you do not see from there." Moshe spoke in a slow and serious tone, as if he wanted to impress something to Abraham's mind. "You might want to come to my office and talk about the issue personally."

  Abraham preferred a telephone conversation. If he was going to do something illegal, or to close corners, it would be best if less people saw him rubbing shoulders with Kowalski. "It's okay. You can tell me what you need to on the phone. If I can help, I would love to do it."

  Moshe was pleased the Interior Minister was a religious man. He thought he would go along with him more easily than with a secular minister. "I just want to draw your attention to a particular issue. You know how many contributions I donate to the Yeshiva. This is not just my personal preference. Behind this, stands a strong ideology, but this is not the time to explain it. After all, there are many non-profit organizations or events that seem more important than contributions to the congregation." Moshe paused, trying to think how to move things without making Abraham feel he had a personal attachment to what he was going to discuss. "Until now I have not asked anything and I'm not going to ask. I have everything I need, but still something bothers me. I'm not happy with the foreign workers in Israel. It is not right we hire foreign workers to employ them just to pay less. The contractors are the only ones who will gain from this, believe me. People can’t find employment because the contractors or other kibbutzim want to pay less. Do not tell me foreign workers do the jobs Israelis can’t do. In addition to that, do you know how much foreign money they are pulling out of the country? And the worst of all is the story of mixed marriage. And this is actually the issue I wanted to talk to you about." Moshe paused a bit. "A good friend of mine, has been sick for several weeks already. His daughter is dating a foreign worker. He is a guy who is not serious, and a drinker who only wants her father's money. I will not give you the details, to protect the identity of my friend. But I am afraid if we do not put an end to this, he will have a heart attack. I hate to ask you, but I want you to get this foreigner out of the country. The girl will be devastated for a few days, but you will save her family."

  "So what do you want from me exactly?" Abraham asked.

  "All I ask is to delete his information from your system and I’ll worry about getting him out of the country. Don’t worry, this guy has a big and supportive family in Romania, he won’t suffer from this."

  Abraham was happy the conversation he was afraid of was all about deporting a foreign worker from the country. In fact, mixed marriages also worried him and he would be happy to do his best to prevent it, and if this would satisfy Moshe Kowalski, then he was blessed. "I am happy to know you have strong opinions on a subject so close to my heart, and I will be happy to get the details on this guy to help the family," Abraham said with a feeling of relief. He jotted down Daniel's name and address. "I thank you for bringing this to my attention and for opening my eyes. I'll talk to the Head of the police and will worry about cleaning up the streets, especially the potential groom. Trust me, in a week, the guy will be out of here." Abraham closed the conversation with Kowalski and hurried to do the job which was given to him.

  The next day, Moshe Kowalski donated several thousand dollars to the Yeshiva, headed by the brother of Abraham Gross. After two days, he saw the arrests on television. The extensive operation was just a smokescreen for the real objective, which was Daniel’s deportation.

  6

  Daniel also saw the reports on TV regarding the arrests and raids by the Immigration Police. In recent days, he had noticed there was a higher danger in south Tel Aviv, and realized the raids by the immigration officers were going to be intense for a long time.

  He decided to take a day off from work to go to the interior ministry office and get a new certificate to replace the old one he lost. But in the morning when he came down, he was immediately apprehended by a police van parked near his house. He cursed himself. If he had gone to work that day, he would have left earlier, and doubted he would have found a police car near his house. He was aware without any identification card, he was in danger at least until they could check and realize he was a legal resident.

  "Papers please," the policeman asked solemnly.

  "I lost my card and I’m just on my way to the Interior Ministry."

  The officer looked at him mockingly. He had already heard those stories many times. "Do you live here?"

  "Yes, on the third floor," Daniel said.

  "How old are you?" The officer continued to ask. "Twenty."

  "Wait here." The officer said.

  Daniel was hoping to convince the police he was legal because of the fact he had no foreign accent. He noticed the policeman was exchanging things with the other police officer, who responded with a clever smile. The other police man approached Daniel and asked him to get into the car. Suddenly he heard the voice of a woman asking them to join the ride. Eight years had passed, but he could never forget. Her voice remained almost the same.

  "Neta?" he asked with half hesitation.

  Neta turned around and screamed. “Daniel! What are you doing here?!"

  The two officers looked at each other, wondering. They were bothered by the exchange. "Do you know him?" one of them inquired.

  "Of course I know him. He was a friend of mine for few years. What are you doing here in the car?"

  "They arrested me for illegal residency."

  Neta laughed, "Let him go. Are you crazy?" She mocked. "C’mon, ge
t out of the car. Tell me," she turned to the policemen, "don’t you know your job? You arrest people in the middle of the street just like that?" She grabbed Daniel’s hands and pulled him out of the car and went to a small coffee shop across the street. "Crazy." she murmured.

  Daniel was happy for the lifesaver; what else could be better than seeing Neta. He loved her even after eight years had passed. He sat in front of her. He was looking at her prominent upper lip again. It was a slight impairment to perfect her lips, but for him, it added a lot of beauty to the words that were coming out of her mouth. He looked at her and was thrilled when she told him she had joined the police force a year ago. He was also elated when she told him her parents were not shouting anymore as they had before. In the midst of laughter, she revealed details about the chemical mixture… the sedatives she dripped into their cup of coffee every day. That’s how she was getting serenity in the house, except the first time, she put too much in by mistake and sedated them for two days. Her laugh conquered him. He did not want her to stop talking. But she stopped as she waited for him to tell her about his grandfather, and whether he had contacted him.

  Daniel looked into the cup of coffee in front of him, his eyelashes blocking his eyes. He played gently with the glass. "It’s interesting I met you one week after I visited him."

  "Well?" she urged him.

  "He threw me out. He said he is not my grandfather."

  Neta looked at him in astonishment. An awkward smile rested on his lips. "Drop it." he said.

  She took his hand, "Based on your reaction, I understand it's a long story. It’s not good to start it now. It hurts me to leave you in this situation, you'll probably want to talk about it, but I need to get back on duty. I’m running late. Maybe you want to drop by our house tomorrow? It would be nice if you can join us for a Friday meal so we can talk about the things we have been through for the past eight years."