kibbutz?"
Good point, he thought. If they were able to penetrate border fences augmented with land mines and patrols, surely this fence was no obstacle.
"This fence is just another hurdle in their way," he explained. "It cannot prevent them from entering, but routine patrols can spot a break-in and alert the community faster than if there was no fence at all."
The explanation seemed to satisfy her. She turned around and looked at the quiet valley below. Mikki felt a strong urge to sneak close behind her, put his arms around her, and kiss the back of her neck; but he didn't dare. He had to keep his promise. Instead, he stood beside her and surveyed the valley.
"Will you stay here forever, Mikki?"
"That depends…"
"On what?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.
"On where you're gonna be…" he replied looking straight ahead, trying to keep a straight face.
"You don't know me," she said, suddenly serious.
Mikki turned and looked at her, surprised by the seriousness in her voice. His stomach tightened. He wanted romance. He wanted fun.
"You're right Karen, I don't know anything about you other than what you've told me tonight and that you smell great, but to me, this is reason enough to want to be with you for the rest of my life; shall we go see the rabbi?"
Karen smiled and faced the valley again. "How old are you, Mikki?"
"I was eighteen in February. How about you?"
"I'll be eighteen next month."
"How come you finish school so early in the year?"
"No particular reason. It's the way the system works there. When will you finish School?"
"End of May."
"Then what?"
"Three years defending the Holy Land," he declared contemptuously.
She was quiet again. Mikki watched her from the corner of his eye. There was a sadness about her that made her seem mature for her age.
"Isn't it strange," she said speaking softly, looking up at the stars, "here we are in the prime of our lives, ready to conquer the world, yet without a clue as to where we are going or what will become of us."
"I thought you had it all planned out," he remarked.
"It looks that way, doesn't it, Mikki?"
He waited for her to continue.
"Truth is, it only looks that way," she said, quickly turning to face him, her voice wavering. "Nothing is ever what it seems, Mikki. Nothing is ever what it looks like on the surface."
She closed her eyes again. A tear slid down her face as she turned away from him. Mikki felt disappointment strike the pit of his stomach. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to deal on such level; not four months away from losing his freedom.
Karen almost read his mind.
"Sorry," she said with her back to him, "I didn't mean to ruin the night. Maybe someday I'll figure it out."
She turned, neglecting to elaborate on what it was she needed to figure out. She was smiling again. "Let's go back to my room. I'll make you a hot cup of coffee and send you off to sleep. We both need to get up real early tomorrow."
Swift mood changes threw him off. Confused, he walked quietly by her side through the kibbutz's unlit pathways back to the Volunteer House. The night didn't turn out the way he had planned.
Nothing ever did.
CHAPTER 2
The alarm went off.
Mikki heard it but did not move. It seemed to be coming from a distant planet. He tried to avoid it but it wouldn't stop. He finally reached up, blindly searching for the shelf over his bed in an effort to put an end to the miserable noise. Then he found the old alarm clock and slammed the button down, killing the racket.
It was quiet again. He opened his eyes and sat up looking out the window. It was pitch dark. He found the switch, turned on the small lamp next to his bed and looked at the clock. It was 4:00 AM. Then it hit him: Chicken loading time! The most despised jobs of all.
Every male, age seventeen and older, was expected to perform it at least once a month during chicken loading
Good point, he thought. If they were able to penetrate border fences augmented with land mines and patrols, surely this fence was no obstacle.
"This fence is just another hurdle in their way," he explained. "It cannot prevent them from entering, but routine patrols can spot a break-in and alert the community faster than if there was no fence at all."
The explanation seemed to satisfy her. She turned around and looked at the quiet valley below. Mikki felt a strong urge to sneak close behind her, put his arms around her, and kiss the back of her neck; but he didn't dare. He had to keep his promise. Instead, he stood beside her and surveyed the valley.
"Will you stay here forever, Mikki?"
"That depends…"
"On what?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.
"On where you're gonna be…" he replied looking straight ahead, trying to keep a straight face.
"You don't know me," she said, suddenly serious.
Mikki turned and looked at her, surprised by the seriousness in her voice. His stomach tightened. He wanted romance. He wanted fun.
"You're right Karen, I don't know anything about you other than what you've told me tonight and that you smell great, but to me, this is reason enough to want to be with you for the rest of my life; shall we go see the rabbi?"
Karen smiled and faced the valley again. "How old are you, Mikki?"
"I was eighteen in February. How about you?"
"I'll be eighteen next month."
"How come you finish school so early in the year?"
"No particular reason. It's the way the system works there. When will you finish School?"
"End of May."
"Then what?"
"Three years defending the Holy Land," he declared contemptuously.
She was quiet again. Mikki watched her from the corner of his eye. There was a sadness about her that made her seem mature for her age.
"Isn't it strange," she said speaking softly, looking up at the stars, "here we are in the prime of our lives, ready to conquer the world, yet without a clue as to where we are going or what will become of us."
"I thought you had it all planned out," he remarked.
"It looks that way, doesn't it, Mikki?"
He waited for her to continue.
"Truth is, it only looks that way," she said, quickly turning to face him, her voice wavering. "Nothing is ever what it seems, Mikki. Nothing is ever what it looks like on the surface."
She closed her eyes again. A tear slid down her face as she turned away from him. Mikki felt disappointment strike the pit of his stomach. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to deal on such level; not four months away from losing his freedom.
Karen almost read his mind.
"Sorry," she said with her back to him, "I didn't mean to ruin the night. Maybe someday I'll figure it out."
She turned, neglecting to elaborate on what it was she needed to figure out. She was smiling again. "Let's go back to my room. I'll make you a hot cup of coffee and send you off to sleep. We both need to get up real early tomorrow."
Swift mood changes threw him off. Confused, he walked quietly by her side through the kibbutz's unlit pathways back to the Volunteer House. The night didn't turn out the way he had planned.
Nothing ever did.
CHAPTER 2
The alarm went off.
Mikki heard it but did not move. It seemed to be coming from a distant planet. He tried to avoid it but it wouldn't stop. He finally reached up, blindly searching for the shelf over his bed in an effort to put an end to the miserable noise. Then he found the old alarm clock and slammed the button down, killing the racket.
It was quiet again. He opened his eyes and sat up looking out the window. It was pitch dark. He found the switch, turned on the small lamp next to his bed and looked at the clock. It was 4:00 AM. Then it hit him: Chicken loading time! The most despised jobs of all.
Every male, age seventeen and older, was expected to perform it at least once a month during chicken loading
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