by Odeda Yaari
“When I went to university in Israel,” began Edo, “we did all sorts of experiments, genetically modifying plants. There were three classmates of mine who, I believe, held their own experiments on narcotic plants. Two of them launched a startup company right after they got out of university, so it makes sense they already had something ready that they had worked on during their studies. That may be the answer you’re looking for.“But to be sure,” he added, “I would have to go to Israel and try to join their company.”
“How much time and money are we talking about here?” asked Santo.
“I think two weeks will suffice. I’ll need to be absorbed in their company in order to dig deep. Of course, apart from my flight expenses, I’ll need you to make a special deposit in an account under my name, regardless of the outcome. You need to understand,” said Edo apologetically, “that I’m doing something I’m uncomfortable with here. I’m betraying my friends.”
Santo was unmoved. “Okay. Santo will pay five hundred thousand dollars in your name, kid.”
He would have been willing to give even more than that to anyone who would solve the crisis and make their future income that much greater.
“We’re all set, kid. Tomorrow my guy will come to the lab with a plane ticket for you and half the money. The rest you’ll get when I see you back here in two weeks. Santo is asking you nicely to call him with any updates.” He paused for a brief moment, smiled, and stared Edo straight in the eye without so much as a blink. “Don’t forget to send your parents and sisters my regards. They’re always welcome here.”
Edo forced a smile as he shook Santo’s hand. He was about to come into more money than he ever imagined possible, but was it worth the price? He was trapped. Santo’s long hands would reach him and his family anywhere, anytime, starting now. He left with the foreman and got into the car that awaited them.
19
Things were moving too fast. Edo was just now beginning to realize how quickly everything had unfolded, from the minute he’d spoken to the foreman to sitting in first class on a flight home.
As the plane landed in Ben Gurion Airport, Edo came to the decision that he was going to keep his visit a secret. Now, with his bank account well padded, he could afford a hotel room in the city. Santo had managed to fill him with real fear, and he did not want to jeopardize his family more than he had to. What’s more, he had no idea how to explain the visit to them. He was his family’s pride and joy, now caught up in sinister deals with drug lords.
Edo picked up his backpack at the baggage claim and got into a taxi. He directed the driver to a humble hotel in the city. He did not want to go anywhere too flashy so as not to draw any unnecessary attention to himself or raise any unwanted questions, and he preferred not to run into anyone he knew, though that wasn’t very likely.
***
The next afternoon, he went for a little stroll through the city.
I’m home! he thought. What is there to be afraid of? He heard Hebrew being spoken all around him, saw the street signs and ads written in Hebrew, smelled the familiar scents from the street food stalls, and even found comfort for his troubled spirit in the face of a random police officer. He felt safe. No one was after him. And still, he found himself turning his head instinctively to make sure no one was following him. By evening, he felt more relaxed. He breathed in the early summer air, feasted his eyes on beautiful girls in tank tops, and had a good, simple Israeli meal. Only now did he realize how much he had missed Israel, how much he was missing his parents.
***
After a good night’s sleep, he started on his mission. He remembered the payment that had been made and Santo’s insinuated threats, and tried not to think too much about what he was about to do. He dialed Ron’s number.“Hello, Ron?” he said. “How are you? This is Edo, from university.”
It took a few minutes for Ron to realize with whom he was speaking.
“Hi Edo. I’m fine, thanks. How are you?” he said politely, wondering what it was that prompted this call.
He remembered Edo as a brilliant student, but in all their time together in university, they had never exchanged more than a few sentences. Edo hadn’t been part of the tight-knit group of sociable students either, but unlike David, Ron, and Yossi, Edo did not come from a well-to-do family, and spent his all time in university in a constant survival race, juggling school with several jobs to keep himself going.“I just got back from a trip abroad,” said Edo, “and I heard you and David launched a startup company. Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” said Ron, waiting for the next question.
“You think I could come by your office and talk with you guys?”
“Of course, you’re more than welcome. Do you have a pen? Write down our secretary’s number, and she’ll set up a meeting. Excuse the formality, it’s just that I just got back from Europe and I don’t have my appointment calendar on me.”“Thanks Ron. I’ll give her a call, and I’d love to meet you guys.”
“It’s no problem. We’d like to meet up, too. It’s been a long while.”
“It has. Well, goodbye for now,” said Edo.
So far this was easier than he’d thought it would be.
***
On Monday morning, Eddie had a meeting with his bank manager. He explained to the manager he had to make a large withdrawal from the company account and was going to pay it back over the next couple of weeks.
“You’ve known me and my family for many years,” he said, “and I hope you can trust me to pay the money back on time.” Ron took a deep breath. “I would really appreciate it if you could keep this private from the rest of our directors.”
The bank manager, with many years of experience on the job, watched Ron shift uncomfortably in his chair. He understood Ron was into something dodgy, but was also worried for his own position, should he be asked to explain why he had authorized the transfer of such a large sum without the approval of at least two authorized signers. He had no choice, being partly at fault here, so he gave Ron his word that he would wait two weeks before the money had to be put back into the account.
***
Ron went back to work a different man than the one who had left on vacation four days before. He and David had created a pleasant, intimate work environment, in which Ron’s bizarre behavior stood out even more. He raised his voice and was impatient with team members. They were used to seeing him at his desk for hours on end, poring over every minute detail with never-ending patience. Now they noticed he was getting up a lot, wandering around purposelessly, or checking their work again and again as if he didn’t trust them to do a good job. Even David couldn’t figure out what had prompted Ron to go on that mysterious little vacation, or what had caused the sudden change in his personality.
Ron got his two-week extension. Every day that went by without a solution to his problem drove him mad. He did not dare share the problem with his parents. Dana, too, disappeared into thin air. He had last seen her when they’d said goodbye at the airport, but since then she had made no contact and had not responded to his messages.
He shut the door to his office, as he did so often these days, and called Dana. The phone rang and rang until finally the call went to voicemail. He left her a message, attempting to come off serene and carefree. “Hey Dana, this is Ron. I miss you. Call me back.”
***
Edo’s meeting with Ron and David was set for Tuesday afternoon. He spent the morning wandering the streets. He bought some expensive new clothes, ones he could never have previously afforded. Just before five p.m., he took a taxi and went to the meeting.
As he stood at the front door of the sleek, modern building that housed David and Ron’s labs and offices, Edo felt a pinch of jealousy. These guys had gone to school with him. He was just as talented as they were and yet they had made it in such a short time, while he lagged way behind. This must be what the power of money can do, he thought. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind of any thought that might steer him
away from what he was there to do.
The friendly receptionist greeted him and asked him to wait while she checked if Ron and David were free. When she returned, she asked him to follow her and had him take a seat in a bright and airy conference room that had a hip, trendy décor and light atmosphere.A few minutes later, Ron and David came into the room. They shook hands with Edo and offered him a hot drink. As they sipped on their excellent coffees, they made some casual conversation.“So, tell us where you’ve been traveling and what you’ve been doing with yourself since university,” said Ron, following up on their phone conversation.“Edo told me he just got back from a trip overseas,” he said to David.
“Well then, you know that before university, when everyone was traveling all over the world, I didn’t exactly have the time or the option to travel. I had to work to save up for my studies,” said Edo. “When I got out of university, I saved up some money and got some as a gift from my parents. For them, my going to South America was a dream come true. I’m sure you could always tell by my accent I’m originally from South America, and to them it was as if they were themselves going to visit the home they had left behind twenty-five years ago.”“Where did you go?” asked Ron.
“Oh, you know—Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru… It was incredible!” Edo paused for a minute, trying to figure out which parts to talk about and which to skip over. “Just before I ran out of money, I came back home. I decided it was time to get back on track and settle down. We couldn’t afford to just wander around the world without working for too long, or at least I couldn’t,” he said, with a little jab. Edo looked at them, swallowed and went on. “Before I left, I heard of your plans to launch a startup company, and I wanted to ask if you might have a job for me.” He finished his monologue and breathed in deeply.
“I’m happy for you that you got to go on your big trip,” said David. “Your stories make me think of the trip I took before starting school. It really is a must before you settle down into a routine. You have fun, do some stupid things, and see the world. It’s different afterward. Work is too demanding, and there’s hardly any time for vacations, except maybe for short ones like Ron went on this past weekend.” He glanced at Ron, who shrank in his chair.
Silence filled the room. Edo sipped his coffee, waiting for them to respond to his question.
“Look, Edo,” said Ron. “We know what you’re capable of and we know you’re familiar with the area we’re dealing with. We could certainly use an extra set of hands and someone with a good head on their shoulders to help the work progress. David and I agree that we’re at the point in the research where we need someone fresh, an outsider who won’t be fixated on the path we’ve been taking these past two years. But…”
Edo bit his lip in disappointment. He had thought they would at least give him a try. David, who was the company’s business director, continued.“You need to remember that we are a small company. We’re still starting out, but I promise you we have a bright future ahead of us,” he said confidently. “But you need to understand that right now we can’t afford to pay big salaries, and I’m sure you can earn much more at one of the bigger, more established companies.”
Ron picked up on what David was saying, in the hopes of bringing Edo on board. He knew that with some new, creative thinking, they could all find the inspiration they required, and he needed an immediate solution. “But if it’s still something you’re interested in, we may very well want you with us, and I promise if you choose to join us, you won’t regret it. Either way, give us a few days to think about it and make the necessary arrangements.”
Edo made an effort to keep calm and not come off as overly eager. “The truth is, I could join one of the big companies, but so could you, and you decided to go for a project of your own, one that allows you to grow along with it. I admit, money is something I’m very interested in right now,” Edo said jokingly. “But I get the sense that what you have here is more than just a job. It’s a vision, and a family. If what you’re developing is as sure a thing as you make it sound, I want in. I’m used to living on a tight budget, and I don’t have a family to support. And I’m sure the big money will come later on.”
Ron and David smiled at him.“In the meantime, I’m staying in a small hotel,” he quickly added, knowing that if he had to leave a phone number it, would be the hotel’s. “Once I start working, I’ll rent a room.”
The three of them spoke some more for a little while, reminiscing about their time at university, about professors and staying up late studying until the small hours of the night. Edo noticed that David and Ron gave out very little information about their company or about the development they were working on, and decided to play their game. Finally, Ron and David got up, signaling that the meeting was over. David asked Edo to leave his phone number with the receptionist, and promised to call him back with an answer soon.
***
The next day, Edo waited in his room the whole day. He wanted to be there when David called, except he never did. Finally, late in the evening, he allowed himself to leave the room, wander the city streets for a bit, and have dinner at a nice restaurant. He felt lonely. For a minute, he was almost tempted to call his family and talk to them, pretending he was still in Colombia, but he was too scared about the possibility that something might go wrong and they would somehow get involved, so he put the phone back down.
***
Sophie did her best to spend the days that followed her return from Barcelona pleasantly, and take things a bit more slowly. She tried to make peace with Garry. Plus, she thought, it couldn’t hurt to let Ron stew for a little while after how intense it got between us. Let him chase me.
Garry knew Sophie had been with Ron in Spain, but couldn’t bring himself to say anything openly. He was growing sick of her work and wanted him all to herself.“I’m losing you to your job, Sophie. There’s never any time anymore for us to be together.” This was the most he dared to say.
“That’s not true,” she replied. “I make sure to spend time with you almost every night.” She threw her words at him, knowing in her heart he was right. Maybe she needed a break from him. Lately, anything he did made her angry. Even the clothes he wore looked ugly to her, and everything he said sounded stupid or mean.
“Yes, you’re here, but your heart isn’t. You come in late, I’m tired, and then you have to spend time with Matan. Where am I in all of this?”
“When I do come in, you never wait up for me like you used to. You’re always asleep. It used to be that no matter when I got home, you’d welcome me. You couldn’t keep your hands off me. Garry, I miss that.”
Sophie tried to avoid having these arguments. She was tired of feeling split like that, and she really didn’t want to make things between them any worse than they already were, so without giving it any thought, she said, “Garry, get out of here. Let me cool off by myself.”
Garry said nothing. He picked up his wallet and left. Sophie breathed heavily. She actually wanted him to stay, to put his arms around her, to refuse to leave. But he did leave. She went over to the phone and dialed Ron’s number. It’s about time I respond after all the messages he’s left me, she thought.
Surprisingly, Ron didn’t pick up. Sophie was sorry about that. She wanted to go out and get some air, and the distraction of work suited her. She left him a throaty message, apologizing for not returning his calls, and asking to see him as soon as possible. She ended the message by saying, “I miss you, and I want you.”
***
Edo finally got the call he was so eagerly awaiting the next day around noon.David apologized for taking the time to get back to him and said, “We would love it if you joined our team, but right now we can’t afford to pay you more than eight thousand shekels per month. If that suits you, you’re welcome to start next week.”
Edo’s heart skipped a beat. He was happy they took his bait, but he hated wasting precious days. He wanted to get this whole thing over with as quickly as possible. “Tha
nk you, David. I would love to be a part of your team,” he said. “But would it be all right if I started work tomorrow? The truth is, I have nothing better to do at the moment. I spent enough time during my trip lazing around that my head feels rusty.”“Rusty is no good.” David laughed. He could see no reason not to let Edo start the next day and said yes. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow then? Please meet me at the office at nine. There are some things we need to talk you through and some papers for you to sign. And get ready for some hard work.”
Edo didn’t know what to do with the few hours he had left to spend before starting work. The minute he had gotten a positive answer from David, his mission had become real. He was going to be a spy. It was as simple as that. There was no other way he could think of to describe what he was going to do starting tomorrow. He kept seeing Santo’s harsh eyes, the armed guards outside his house, the security cameras that monitored his every movement—and his family’s. Ron and David believed in him and were willing to help him, despite the fact that they had been so distant in the past, but he was about to break their trust and betray them, and he was scared to death. If only there were someone he could talk to, he thought, someone who could offer some objective advice. He put on his jeans, threw on an old t-shirt, and picked up his wallet.
I have to get some air, before I lose my mind. As he picked up his wallet, a note fell out, with a phone number scribbled on it. Oh my God, I’m such an idiot! I was supposed to call Santo! He’s probably looking for me already.
He ran out to find a pay phone. He didn’t want to leave too much of an obvious trail and make life any easier for Santo.
20
“What?!” Santo answered his phone after the very first ring. He had been waiting for this call.
“Santo, it’s Edo.”
“You’re late. Make it short. And don’t let this happen again.”
Edo decided to skip the apology and get right to it. “I spoke with my friends. They wouldn’t give out any information about their research, but I start work tomorrow, and then I’ll have more information,” he said, in a single breath.