Day of Atonement Read Online Free PDF

she lived except that it was somewhere within the five boroughs because I tracked her using city records.
    “Once I found out she was married with five kids, I stopped pursuing her. Instead, I put my name on this list of adoptees willing to meet their biological parents. I figured if she wanted to contact me, I’d be willing. I wasn’t about to intrude on her life. Well, she never called me—and that was her decision, so fine. Fine. Just fine. I’ll abide by that. It’s obvious the woman wasn’t interested and it’s friggin fine with me to keep it that way.”
    Such hurt in his voice. Rina said, “I’m sorry, Peter.”
    “I’m not,” Decker said. “I’m not the least…bit…sorry. I’ve done a damn fine job of living without her and she’s done a damn fine job of living without me.”
    Rina didn’t answer. Decker stopped pacing.
    “I know I’m not making any sense.”
    “You’re very agitated—”
    “How would you feel?”
    “Agitated…and hurt.”
    “I’m not hurt, okay!” Decker yelled. “Hurt is when you find out your wife is stepping out on you. No, that’s not hurt. That’s fury ! But later after the fury wears off, it turns to hurt. That is hurt ! Real hurt ! Got it? ”
    Rina didn’t answer.
    “Okay, so I’m ranting—”
    “You’re understandably upset.”
    “I’m not upset…well, I am upset—”
    “Peter, didn’t you recognize her name when I first told it to you?”
    “Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew her married name was Levine or Levy or something like that. But I always thought of her as Frieda Boretsky—”
    “That’s her maiden name all right.”
    “You know her maiden name?”
    “Remember I told you her elderly parents always have holiday dinner with my in-laws? Their names are Rabbi and Rebbitzen Boretsky—”
    “Ain’t that a hoot,” Decker broke in. “I get to meet my grandparents.”
    “Peter, this must be awful for you—”
    “Not as awful as it’s going to be for Gramps and Grandma Boretsky. Much as they’ve tried, I’m sure they haven’t forgotten old Benny Aranoff either.”
    “Benny Aranoff was your biological father?”
    “Yep.”
    The room fell quiet. Exhausted, Decker plopped onto the sofa. “Rina, I can’t face them. Any of them. Just say I’m sick—which is the truth—and can’t come down for dinner. Then, after the holidays are over, I want to go home.”
    Rina closed her eyes and nodded.
    “I’m sorry,” Decker said.
    “Don’t apologize,” Rina said. “I understand completely.”
    “I’ll tell them I was called back to the station house on an emergency case.”
    “You don’t have to say anything, Peter. I’ll handle it for you. Least I can do, for dragging you into this mess.”
    Honey, the mess was created a long time ago, Decker thought. When a fifteen-year-old girl didn’t say no to her boyfriend—with either the sex or the marriage. Decker was never too sure which came first. Only that they must have had some love for each other because they ran off and eloped. Then, the good Rabbi and Rebbitzen Boretsky found their daughter and annulled the marriage. To rid themselves of any remaining evidence of the attachment, they sent Frieda off to Florida to have a baby….
    Decker said, “It won’t be so bad. I’ll go back to work and take time off at a later date. Maybe we’ll go to Hawaii—I know, we’ll even take the boys. Hire a sitter. Make them happy. Hotels have sitters—”
    “Peter, you’re rambling again.” Rina stood. “The family should be coming home any moment. Go upstairs, put on your pajamas, crawl into bed, and look sick.” She regarded his face. “You don’t even have to pretend, Peter. Go read and try to relax. I’ll bring you up dinner. Can you eat?”
    “Not at the moment,” Decker said. “But by all rights, I should be starved.”
    Rina walked over to the living-room window and pulled the drapes back. Families were filling the streets—men and women dressed in their