when death hovers above

8/14/2019 When death hovers above

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When death hovers above

There was a lot of noise that Sunday morning in the production engineeringdepartment hall. It was quite early yet, about a quarter of an hour past eight am.But there are always those few, who would not get down to work before informing indetail their weekend’s adventures, to anyone around whether he wishes to hear itor not. It was hard to concentrate and Amir Goshen was sitting frustrated next tohis desk, watching his computer screen with open eyes – hardly perceiving the

lines and figures on it. There was a lot of work he had to catch up with, and hekept hoping that one of the crew heads, would put an end to those bragging noisyvoices.The hall’s door opened up behind his back, and silence fell right away.Thank God, he thought it must be the department’s head appearance that made themshut their traps, the braggarts – and he started to work right away.A hand touched his shoulder, he turned round to see Nathan Baker the electricitycrew head, standing next to his chair, bending over him.‘I need your help, come…’‘What, I can’t I’ve a lot of work, and there’s a dead line to meet…’Leaning down over Amir’s face with one hand on the desk, and tapping slightly withhis left hand on Amir’s shoulder Nathan smiled and said: ‘all is fixed andsettled, Rubi knows I’ve told him. It’s an emergency job, come, we’ll do it in my

office.’The mention of an emergency job alone would have made several curious close-bytechnicians to stop their work and watch them, but what really attracted theirattention was the friendship between these two, an ordinary technician and one ofthe department’s powerful bosses. Amir himself was surprised not less than hiscomrades, and those who raised a brow watching that early morning episode; as hewas walking beside Nathan’s tall figure along the aisle, leading to the latteroffice.Right after having crossed the small office threshold, Nathan closed its door andasked Amir to sit down next to his broad desk, while he brought two envelops outthe his desk drawer; emptied their contents on top of the desk before Amir amazedeyes. Nathan seemed unpeturbed and asked him to check the lot of it and choose thebest three photographs in his opinion, out of some eigteen hundred different

shots.‘Take your time,’ Nathan told him. ‘I’ve got a meeting to attend, I’ll fetch you atakeaway at lunch time, just tell me what you wish to have.’‘Is it that important, I mean my opinion and what is it for, if I may ask?’‘Well, it’s for an important international photography competetition…’ Nathanreplied with a slight cough. He scrutinized Amir’s face trying to devine what hisfriend’s reactions could be, and went on after a few seconds of silence.‘I’ve won last year the second prize, a year earlier I’d a fourth place – I wantto win the first one.’ He said quite resolutely.‘What if…’ Amir hardly managed to utter these two words.‘Noone would dare to bother you, don’t worry about that, it’s okay.’‘A sandwich of some sort and a soft drink.’ Amir told him after a shortembarrassed pause.

‘Okay, but don’t rush I intend to rely on your choice.’ Nathan remarked withempahsize before leaving.So he must have been impressed while visiting my exhibition last week… He thoughtas he was passing over Nathan’s numerous photos. An amateur they say, he’s verygood, but when am I going to finish it up and make my choice? He doesn’t even knowwhat a Herculean task he left me with to tacle. He kept thinking quite worried. Heknew that nobody would disturb him, but to leave his urgent work for this peculiarjob, left him with a bad feeling. Last Wendesday Nathan visited his thirdexhibition, he must have heard positive comments of Amir two previous ones. Thereon that evening after work, they met and had a lively convesation on art ingeneral. That is how their friendship started, but that was the lot of it; some



two hours at the most of strolling before Amir’s paintings while exchanging views,and getting to know each other better. Thus when Nathan asked Amir to follow himto his office, he was sure that some problem was waiting for him to be solved – itwas not the first time that he was asked to save the department of unpleasantarrears of even worse complexities – and here he was reviewing his friend’sphotographs, instead of working as he should.When Nathan came back at about one thirty Amir had the three chosen shots, whichhe believed were his friends best ones ready before him.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve checked all of it…’ Nathan remarked surprised.‘I did it twice and these are the three that I like, it wasn’t easy.’‘Are they that bad… Nathan smiled to him satisfied. ‘That’s exactly what I thoughtexcept this one, do you really think it’s good enough?’‘Yeah, I think it’s the best one.’‘I wasn’t sure, but okay...’ Nathan mumbled still undecided. ‘I’ve brought us somefood, you must be famished.’It was a pleasant surprise and it did flatter Amir. So he treats me as his equal,and he is diliked by most of us, taking him for the haughty type of a boss. Heskipped the restaurant and his elated colleagues’ company, to have a snack with meand talk shop.Whether Amir’s conscious troubled him or not, it was a rather pleasant passtime.The fact Nathan decided to rely on his choice, was another reason to boost his

good feelings.

Their friendship was developping quite fast, and became one of the department’shottest issue. Each time Nathan passed next to his desk, he used to stop andexchange a few friendly words with him. There were of course those who prickedtheir ears, or turned envious glances in their direction – with pale faces. It didnot trouble Amir at all, he did not have real friends there – they had enoughreasons to envy him. Thus his relations with most of his work comrades were of the‘hi and bye’ type.

The first week of their budding friendship passed rather fast, on Sunday Amir tooka day off; it was the last day of his exhibition, and he had to pack up and leavethe humble public hall that hosted his paintings. He did not hear anything from

Nathan and did not expect to, their friendship was restricted to their workingplace. Nathan was some ten years older, a married man and except art they hadnothing in common. Registration dead line to Nathan’s competition was not closedyet, and results were supposed to reach not before three months time. Thus onMonday when he did not see his friend up to lunch time, and not even in theplant’s restaurant Amir was not too bothered. He noticed some unsual unrest in thedepartment’s hall, but he knew that sooner or later he’ll know what is all about,if it was some important issue – and not some foolish feud or another trivialmatter of such sort.About half an hour before his day of work was over, he thought he had better walkover to his friend office and see how he is.It was closed and as he turned back someone called after him: ‘You won’t find himtomorrow or next week…’

‘What happened?’‘Your friend had a heart attack, had a raw with his divorcee. He’s in Ichilov,hospitalized.’The malicious relish with which these words were said, shocked him for a frictionof a second. He watched for a few more seconds the smiling face of thattechnician, whom he hardly knew and left.He rode straight to Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv, which was not far from his ownhome.So he’s divorced, I know so little about him, but being my friend paying him avisit is my duty. He thought while making his way in the huge hospital’scorridors. There were some more reasons, their common interest in art; and his



friend’s elated status as one the department’s leading bosses, which was the mainand very natural cause. He of course did not admit it consciously, but there hewas on his way to pay him a visit.It did not take him too long to reach Nathan’s room. He found his friend sittingin his bed, propped on two big cushions and pale as the walls of his room and thewhite hospital’s garb and gown, which covered his emaciated body. Two women werethere near Nathan’s bed, his daughter and his friend.So that’s the cause, to his divorce and its outcome… Amir thought right after

greeting his friend and asking him politely how he is doing.Whether Nathan was glad to see him, he could not know; for Nathan’s expression didnot change, he was scared to death. It was so obvious one did not have to be adoctor, or to have a rich experience to realize it. He did not stay next to hisfriend’s bed too long, the two women treated Amir with their looks as if he was anintruder, but above all he could hardly exchange a single sentence with his friend– as the latter kept grasping the oxygen mask from a near by stand, and breathdeeply and desperately, as if these seconds were his last upon earth.Was it cowardice in its ugliest form, he thought on his way back to the hospital’sparking lot.If I were in his shoes how would I have reacted? Well, I can’t know and I can’tblame him.

Hardly a week passed and Nathan was back. He summoned him again to his office, tocheck another batch of photograrphs.‘Was it the first prize then?’‘Oh no,’ Nathan replied laughing. ‘Don’t remind me I might get another attack,there are still a few months left thank god.’ He added somewhat relieved. ‘I musthave left a very bad impression on you, haven’t I?’‘No, not at all, I was very worried that’s all.’‘I saw your face,’ Nathan insisted. ‘It was a nightmare, I’d terrible aches I wassure I was done for. Was it your first time to see someone about to die? Forthat’s what I thought and was quite certain.’‘I’ve lost my best friend a few years ago, it was in this same hospital…’ Amiranswered after a short pause. ‘He’d cancer, the night I’ve visited him he left hisbed as if nothing was wrong with him; roamed about spitting death in the face… The

next morning I’d a phone call, he died that very night.

when death hovers above

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