by Odeda Yaari
On Sunday around five o’clock, he suddenly remembered he had promised Sophie he would talk to her and meet her. The thought of going back to his dingy hotel room and spending long hours by himself seemed utterly unappealing, and made him that much more eager to talk to Sophie.
After a quick chat, she gave him her address and asked him to her house for a family dinner. The more Edo felt welcome and wanted, the easier it would be to monitor what he was planning to do. The next staff meeting was set for the following morning, and she knew it was important that she stayed up to speed. What’s more, she admitted to herself, she needed the presence of a disinterested person at the dinner table. She was growing tired of the same old arguments with Garry. Perhaps, she hoped, this would give Garry a chance to get to know a different side of me, from a different source. Many characters took part in the whirlpool that filled her—the sophisticated Sophie of the present, the Sophie of other men in her life, Garry’s Sophie, Dana, and all the other characters she played on her missions. Just Sophie alone, without any embellishments, was missing, which was why she couldn’t find what she really wanted.She phoned Yoni and asked him to send over a miniature recording device for her to plant in Edo’s wallet while he was at her house.“I met Ron today.”
“I hope you had fun. Any news?”
“He’s getting more anxious about the money with every passing day. He told me about the bank manager.”
“What else?”
“He sees hope in Edo. That is, until Edo comes to him with the Colombians’ proposal, he still believes there’s a chance to finish the research, which renders the Americans a bit less relevant. But they’re still in the picture.”
“I hope you haven’t revealed them yet.”
“No. I’m waiting for a gun to be held to his head with a finger on the trigger.”
“That’s my girl. We just need to keep our eyes on Edo and what he’s offering. Once he pulls out his ace, and preferably one second before that, we’ll put the American offer on the table. For Ron, Colombia is not an option. Is that clear?”
“It is. Yoni?”
“What?”
“I want to get Ron the best deal he can get. He’s a gifted guy, and you have to admit, his invention is important. He’s just had some bad luck.”
“I see you’re quite fond of this guy.”
“I am. There aren’t many people like that. Of course, our client’s interest comes first, but do me a favor…he really is a good guy. And get me the American proposal, already.”
“I have it, but it doesn’t matter. What you need to know is that he’ll get the money he needs. They’re also going to offer to buy his company, which is a separate matter for discussion. Okay, I have to go. Itamar will be at your place in half an hour with the bug, so please make the conversation interesting.”
Sophie looked at her watch. It was almost six. She told Garry they were having a guest for dinner and charged at the kitchen. Edo was in for a treat. Sophie was an excellent cook, and preparing a dinner party was no big deal for her. She made a lovely meal, set the table, and opened a bottle of exquisite red wine.
By the time Edo got there, everything was ready, and Sophie was waiting for him scrubbed and clean. He felt a twinge of envy at the sight of the beautiful little house, the family atmosphere, and the peace and quiet that filled the place. After years of slumming in student dorms and crappy rentals, Edo now longed for a home of his own. Maybe, he thought, I’m on my way there. It may not be the most honest route, but it’ll get me there.
Just like when they’d first met at the restaurant, it was Edo who spoke throughout the entire meal. Long hours of solitude with no one around for him to talk to had rendered him quite loquacious. Sophie did not need to spur him on. He spoke of his new work, of the people there, and of his friends. Sophie learned that, just as he’d thought, Ron and David had detected the gene that would enable the increase of plant drug output.
“Obviously, that’s not where their research is going,” he quickly explained, placing his friends on the side of the ‘good guys.’ “They want to disable that gene and stop the distribution of drugs. They’re actually very close, but I can’t talk about that too much. I’ve already said more than I should.”He also mentioned that the Ron he remembered from school as a quiet and calm individual was now nervous and irritable, even angry to the point of raising his voice. “If that’s what happens to people when such a heavy load of responsibility is resting on their shoulders, then I’m not sure that’s the kind of life I want for myself. I think I’d like to stay on solid ground and stick to research.“And anyway, I don’t understand,” he said. “These people are sitting on a gold mine, but instead of selling their invention to the right people, they’re only after scientific recognition. They may be famous and respected, but like all big inventors, they’ll be poor. The more I look at things, the more I think I might be doing them a favor by getting them in touch with the Colombians.” He avoided specifying the nature of his contacts in front of Garry. “Maybe when they see those piles of cash in front of them, their attitude will change. I’m going to talk to my guy in Colombia, the one I told you about, on Thursday. We’ll see what he has to offer.”
Edo stayed over until late. The conversation moved from work to matters of the heart, relationships and loneliness, their joint past, and the future ahead.
The whirlpool that filled Sophie was that much more real after meeting Edo. She was taken back to parts of her past she usually preferred not to think about. It’s not that she had it bad at home, it’s just that the memories took her to places where she felt uncomfortable, so far away from the lifestyle she had now. She remembered Edo’s family apartment, two floors up from hers. Both families had been immigrants. Edo’s parents had come from Colombia and Sophie’s parents were from Tunisia. Her mother, a strong openhearted woman, had become friends with Edo’s mother and would bring up some of her cooking every now and then. Sophie remembered how impressed her mother had always been with Edo having such success in school.
“Sophie, your cooking is delicious! This is the best meal I’ve had in a long while.”
“It’s in the blood,” said Garry. “Her whole family is good in the kitchen. Her grandparents used to run a small but successful restaurant in Tunisia.”“That’s right,” said Sophie, with a smile. “And when we got to Israel, my mom never gave up on the dream, and opened up her own diner.”
“I remember,” said Edo. “Your parents worked hard. So did mine. It was such a long time ago. Things were so different then.”
“But your parents and mine gave their kids everything they could. We never went without food, clothes, or education.”
“Or love,” said Edo.
“You must really miss them.”
“You have no idea.”
Sophie squeezed Edo’s hand. How things come full circle, she thought. I guess it doesn’t matter how much love or effort parents put in. A child can always get involved in drugs. It happened with us, it’s happening with Edo, and it even happened in Ron’s family.
22
The personal phone at Santo’s office rang late on Monday night. Something’s wrong, he thought, as he walked to his chambers. Otherwise no one would dare call at this time of night.
“Hello, Santo, this is Abraham, the Israeli minister of agriculture,” said a nervous voice on the other end of the line.
Santo had been closely monitoring the progress of this young Israeli man, who had come to Colombia ten years ago. The connection, especially in the last two years since Abraham had been appointed minister in the Israeli government, was very loose, but Santo always held on to his end of the strings. He never knew when or where he would need someone. People’s secrets, he knew, always served as blackmailing devices for their opponents. While Israel was a small country, the status of a minister meant a great deal to him. His business senses alerted him to the fact that Israel was simply another way of getting to key position holders all over the world, and specifical
ly in the United States.“How are you, my friend? I hear you’re doing extremely well. I always knew some good would come of you. Let no one say I can’t recognize a good investment when I see one. I could tell right from the beginning you were a diamond in the rough. I’m proud of you,” he said, insinuating, not very subtly, that he, to a large extent, held Abraham in the palm of his hand. “What makes you call this time of night? Is there some international disaster that no one but Santo can help you with?”
Abraham swallowed hard. Calling Santo had been his last resort. He wanted to put his past behind him, but stayed haunted by it.
“Do you remember you said years ago that we had a common interest? Well it’s time to see just how common that interest really is. A few days ago, I received a phone call from one of the top journalists in Israel, asking for my response to a certain story that had been brought to his attention.”
“Let me guess,” said Santo sarcastically. “Is my name part of that little story? I always knew it would be me and you forever, Abraham.”
“I have absolutely no idea how he came to know of the little deal we made ten years ago,” said Abraham bitterly.“I can assure you it did not come from me.”
“I would assume not. In any case, that reporter is quite a snoop, and right now he’s waiting for a response. If I don’t come up with an acceptable explanation, this whole thing will be out and could cause us all serious damage.”
Santo smirked. What could possibly happen to him if the story got out? Everyone already knew perfectly well who he was, and there was no expectation for him to act in legitimate, upfront methods, but he chose to give Abraham an empathetic response.
“I’m very sorry to hear about this, my dear old friend. You know, what pains you, pains me. Santo needs to think about this. I can’t give you an immediate answer. There are some people to talk to here, but I promise I will get back to you.”Santo’s mind was already at work. How could he have forgotten about Abraham? Should Edo find himself in any kind of trouble, he could always use Abraham, especially now with him being so nervous and scared. Perhaps Santo wouldn’t be able to help Abraham, he thought smugly, but Abraham would certainly be able to help Santo. A common interest indeed.
***
The following morning, Santo rang the chambers of the Colombian president and requested an urgent meeting. Any request from Santo, or from any of the other big-time drug lords, was as good as an order at the president’s chambers. It was not to be declined.
The president greeted Santo with a warm embrace and a kind of “brothers-in-arms” kiss. Without the drug lords, the president knew well that not only would his own funds be meager, but there would also be a huge deficit in government funds. Santo got straight down to business. Both sides knew the rules of the game and no pretense was required.
“Mr. President, I need to know what deals Colombia is involved in with Israel these days. I need some leverage in order to complete a little deal of my own, which will of course benefit us all.”
After a few moments of thought, the president said, “We have recently made an order to purchase Kfir combat aircraft, manufactured by the Israeli Aerospace Industries. We need these aircraft, Santo. We cannot have this deal fall through.”
“But…?” Santo continued his sentence for him.
“But the deal is equally as important to Israel, and they’ll do anything not to lose us as clients.”
“Anything else I can use?”
“Yes. The entire deal is confidential, and making it in public could cause the Israelis serious damage with their American friends. Let me know if you need us to apply some pressure. I’d be happy to help, as always,” said the president, without the slightest hint of embarrassment or apology. “By the way, since you’re already here…”“How much do you need?” asked Santo.
“Between two to three million. The hospital is in bad shape, and it could use a donation.”
“Considered it settled.” Santo shook the president’s hand and turned to leave.
***
When he arrived at his home, Santo decided not to phone Abraham right away. It wouldn’t hurt to let him stew for a bit, he thought. I’ll call him tomorrow and calm him down. By then I will also get a call from Edo and will have a fuller picture of the situation.Feeling content, he sat down to write a fat check and instructed one of his employees to personally deliver the envelope to the president.
***
By Tuesday, Edo was feeling more relaxed and at ease with himself. Reconnecting with Sophie had relieved some of his loneliness. He felt he could turn to her whenever he needed someone to talk to. Work at the labs was also going well. He met young workers who were open and willing to embrace him as a team member from day one. Since his first meeting with David and Ron, he hadn’t had the chance to meet with them again, but was nonetheless able to collect plenty of information. At lunch with the other staff members on his first day, the others mentioned Ron’s strange little getaway, and spoke of the bad temper he’d been in. Edo asked questions and the others, who knew that he was friends with “the bosses,” trusted him and shared whatever information he asked for. He learned that the money to start the company had come from a group of investors headed by Judge Bar, Ron’s father, and that there was consistent funding coming from a generous research fund by the Ministry of Agriculture. Edo made a mental note of all these bits of information, so that he could pass it on to Santo on their next call. Under different circumstances, and without relinquishing my millions, he thought, I’d love to be part of a company like this, and even become partner.
At the appointed hour, Edo made the call to Santo. Edo thought he sounded calmer, less intimidating. He reported all the news he had collected and, to his surprise, Santo seemed pleased, as if the company and its coveted research were already in his pocket.
“Keep it up, boy. I’m sure there will be some interesting developments over the next few days, which I promise we will use to our advantage. In the meantime, you have Santo’s permission to do nothing. Take care, and call me again on Saturday, same time.”
***
The private phone rang in Abraham’s office, and he rushed to pick up. Very few people had this unlisted number, and any one of them would be someone important whose call he wouldn’t want to miss. He heard Santo’s voice saying, “Hello, Abraham, my friend. This is Santo. I did some checking for you, and I think I can help you.”
Abraham felt the tension that had been building up inside him for a week dissolve at once.
“However,” continued Santo, “I will also be needing a little help from you. You know how Santo likes to put it—a ‘common interest.’ ”
Abraham tensed up again. Once again, just like ten years before, Santo’s long claws were sunk deep into him. Even now, being in such a powerful position as the Ministry of Agriculture, Abraham felt there was nothing he could do without being personally hurt. For a split second, he saw flashing before his eyes his family, his prosperous businesses, and his status. He knew if he wanted to hold on to all of that, he had no choice.
“Of course,” he said bitterly. “What can I do for an old friend?”
“Santo will get that reporter off your back and make the whole story go away, just for you.” He opened on a positive note. “But I must tell you, Abraham, that I am very disappointed in you. You have a cheeky little company there working on producing an anti-drug. It hurts, Abraham, that you haven’t told Santo about this, which has been going on for two years now. And what’s even worse is that, according to my data—which is always correct—you were the one who authorized their funding.”
Abraham sighed. He wondered what price he would have to pay for this.
“But Abraham, Santo is a good friend. I forgive you for this.” He laughed. “I know something else, too. It just so happens that this company, looking to be the ‘Mother Teresa’ of the world, has developed a gene that can actually increase the production of drugs made from plants! And that is something Santo loves very much!�
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He spoke in a loud, smug tone. “So, let me ask you a little something, in exchange for the little gift I’ve given you.”
Abraham listened to the terms set for him by Santo, who finished by saying, “And that way, everyone will be pleased, won’t they?”
“Of course!” replied Abraham, in the same juvenile tone, mimicking him angrily.
“I’m glad you’re as happy about this is I am,” said Santo. “Oh, and there’s one more little thing. For me to be able to stop the story from coming out before Friday, I expect you to fulfill your end of the deal by then, too, naturally. Good luck. Have a wonderful evening, my friend.” Santo hung up.
If at the beginning of the conversation, Abraham had felt that a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he now realized that he’d simply replaced one heavy load with another. The only way to get out clean was to resign from his position immediately, which he did not want to do. If he wanted to hold on to his chair, he knew he had to cooperate all the way.
His next phone call was to the Ministry of Agriculture’s chief scientist. Abraham asked him to draw up a report on the company that worked on developing the anti-drug, which would include the stage of the research they were in, their financial status, and their expected progression.“The report,” he said firmly, “needs to be on my desk by the end of the day.”