Uri Full of Light

by Holly Sortland

  The doctor raised his eyebrows and was quiet for a moment, careful in collecting his thoughts.

  "Lieutenant Geller, I think what you are experiencing is completely normal. You have experienced major changes in a short amount of time. Marriage, a baby on the way, and of course your promotion into an elite military operation.

  “Any one of these things alone would be a cause for stress, and you are experiencing them all at once. And snipers especially deal with a great amount of pressure in a short amount of time. I think that pressure and worry is seeping into other parts of your life, and that is why you are experiencing so much anxiety about the safety of your wife."

  "What do I about it?" Uri asked.

  "I think with all the changes in your life right now, it might be wise for your unit to take you off sniper duty for the time being. If you agree I will make that recommendation to your commander, noting that you are still perfectly fit for sniper duty if necessary. In the meantime, it would be beneficial for you to not have the added pressure while your wife is expecting and while your baby is young."

  "You don't think that this will hurt my chances of promotion in the future?" Uri asked.

  "Absolutely not," Dr. Cahn assured him. "The worst thing we can do for our soldiers is keep them in a stressful position that is sure to make them break down later. Your commander will understand that."

  Uri nodded in relief.

  "Thank you, Dr. Chan. I assume our time is up for today?" Uri asked, anxious to get out of the small, dim office.

  "Yes, I will see you in a couple of months. Make an appointment with my secretary up front. By then, you will be a father," Dr. Cahn smiled.

  The two men shook hands and Uri made his way towards the door.

  "One more thing, Lieutenant," Dr. Cahn said as he put Uri's file in a stack on his desk. "You and your wife may want to think about getting out as a couple more. Socializing, I mean. It sounds like you are attached in a healthy way, but sometimes enjoying ourselves with other couples can decrease our anxiety. And do it while you still have time before the baby comes."

  The doctor's words rang through Uri's head as he entered the office lobby. It was the first week in May. The baby was due in less than six weeks. He remembered how much Chana loved Tel Aviv and realized that it had been a while since they saw Lavie and Penina. He also felt more secure in Tel Aviv, as Jerusalem had experienced five additional suicide bombings since the beginning of the year. Tel Aviv was also a target and lives were lost, but for the past few months Tel Aviv had been much quieter than Jerusalem.

  Intelligence reports indicated that Jerusalem remained the main target of attacks, as the goal of the terrorist cells was to disrupt everyday life in the holy city.

  In the past months, Uri's team disrupted several potential terrorist cells on the West Bank. Interrogation of suspects led the intelligence units to believe that Jerusalem would remain the main target for most cells.

  As the attacks increased, so did Uri's anxiety. He gave Chana strict instructions where to park her vehicle, as there were certain areas in the city where cars were known to be booby-trapped. Chana was to avoid all popular and crowded restaurants and shopping malls, and if she were to even walk near a bus stop that appeared crowded, she was to turn around and walk back in the other direction.

  Ordinarily, Chana would be a bit rebellious and not heed all of Uri's warnings, but she had their daughter to think about now. She would do nothing to risk the life of their baby.

  As he left Dr. Cahn’s office, Uri took out his phone and called Chana.

  "Hello, my love," he said when she answered. "How do you feel about making a trip to the beach?"

  IT TURNED OUT THAT Uri's plan to visit Tel Aviv could not have been more perfect. His parents were scheduled to arrive in Jerusalem the following week to visit friends and relatives and prepare for their first grandchild.

  Chana hoped that her own mother could attend the birth, but Kathleen Hagen was desperately terrified of flying and nervous because of the violence in the Middle East. She also felt uncomfortable leaving her husband while he was still in a fragile position recovering from his lung and heart transplant.

  Receiving an enthusiastic yes from Chana after proposing the idea of a visit to Tel Aviv, Uri returned home that evening to find Chana on a stool finishing an animal stencil in the baby's room.

  She forwent the traditional pink and opted for an array of bright colors for their baby girl. As Chana requested, Uri hung a small shelf in the room where Chana placed all of Amira's trinkets. It pleased her greatly to see them shimmering in the evening light.

  Chana's belly was huge—so large that to her annoyance, people often asked her if she was expecting twins. And just as she had seen the very pregnant women in her doctor's office months ago, Chana suffered the same fate of swollen ankles and aching feet.

  Uri stood in the doorway of the nursery to stare at his large and beautiful wife. To him, she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. She glowed as the life inside her continued to grow.

  Deep in her stenciling, Chana finally noticed Uri in the doorway. "Oh good, you're here! Help me down, will you? I have to pee like a racehorse!"

  Uri smiled as he lifted her from the stool.

  "How are you able to do that?" she asked him after kissing him hello. "It must be like lifting an elephant," she said as she sprinted to the bathroom.

  When she returned, she found Uri finishing the stenciling job she started. "Uri go relax! You've had a long day. I can finish this later."

  "Only if you relax with me," he responded.

  "Only if you rub my giant feet," Chana responded back.

  "Deal!" Uri scooped Chana up as if she were a small ragdoll and gently placed her on the couch.

  "They must make you push boulders all day for you to be able to do that, Uri Geller." Chana was out of breath from laughing.

  "Something like that," Uri said as he took off his boots. "Now give me those feet."

  Chana placed her swollen feet on Uri's lap and sighed as he began to rub then.

  Suddenly she felt the baby turn in her stomach. She lifted her shirt and poked at her belly. "Look at this!" she exclaimed. "You can see her footprint!"

  Uri leaned in and saw a slight outline of a heel. "Unbelievable, you must feel like you have an alien inside of you."

  "Well, she is your child," Chana replied as she continued to rub her belly. "If I didn't get so fat and have to pee all the time, I think I could be pregnant forever." She pulled down her shirt and reclined back on the couch to enjoy the rest of her foot rub.

  "Oh! I can't believe it I haven't told you yet," she blurted out, excitedly. "I decided on a name! Well, with your agreement of course."

  "Okay. . .let's hear it.”

  "Michaela. It's the feminine version of Michael, after my dad. It means "one who is like God."

  "Michaela," Uri repeated it. It's beautiful. I think it's perfect."

  "Really?" Her eyes lit up with excitement. Uri loved this about his wife. She had zeal for things that others took for granted.

  "And I thought for a middle name, we could use Ruth. For the book of Ruth, because it has so much meaning to me, and because of Mrs. Blum back at Bala Cynwyd. She was so kind to me during my conversion and I know that she was a big part of your life growing up, too."

  "Yeah she was," Uri said, confirming Chana's sentiment. "She was sort of like a third Bubbe to me."

  Uri laid his head on Chana's large belly. "Michaela Ruth Geller," he said. "Your Imma and I can't wait to meet you."

  As he finished his words, the baby girl gave a giant kick. So hard, in fact, that Uri could feel it on his nose.

  "See, I told you! She is her Abba's girl." Chana grinned as she ran her fingers through her husband's hair.

  "Abba," Uri repeated. "I like the sound of that. Don't you, Imma?"

  "I do, my Uri full of light. I really do."

  40

  One week later, on a Thursday, as Uri and Chana prepared
for their trip North to Tel Aviv, Uri's parents arrived with enough luggage to last them three months. Avi and Devorah were thrilled to be back in Israel and Devorah was ecstatic to see Chana so pregnant.

  "Have you been doing lots of mitzvot?" Devorah asked Chana.

  "As many I can in my condition," Chana assured her. “And lots of davening."

  Uri gave his parents the same lecture he gave Chana about safety in the city: no parking in certain areas, no crowded restaurants, or stores, and staying clear of bus stops.

  Once Chana and Uri packed themselves into their car, they sighed with relief.

  "They will be staying with friends after we get back, right?" Chana asked Uri for the third time since his parents arrived.

  "Yes. If not, I have the perfect hotel we can put them in."

  Chana laughed. Finally feeling settled, she relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.

  WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN Tel Aviv, Uri and Chana checked into the same hotel they stayed in after Chana arrived in Israel. Uri even requested the same room. Fortunately, it was available, and the two lovers quickly remembered the passion they felt in the first days after Chana arrived.

  They spent their first Shabbat alone at the hotel, slept, and made love on the weekend. They shopped at local markets and made their meals. Chana relished her time on the beach; walking in the tide felt therapeutic to her tired feet and swollen ankles.

  One evening as she walked in the tide, she spotted a jellyfish. She reacted as if she discovered a new species. She screeched in excitement and insisted that Uri come over and inspect it. “They are so beautiful!” she exclaimed.

  Uri looked at his wife with adoration. She was so passionate about life. He constantly asked himself if he was living in a dream. How could he be this happy? How was it possible for them to love each other so much and have it not gone awry? Inklings of anxiety seeped into his brain and remembered the advice of Dr. Cahn. He couldn’t worry about losing her. Instead he drew her attention away from the jellyfish and kissed her softly as the tides grew bigger. After being almost swept off their feet into the water, he carried Chana to a beach chair and dried her legs with a towel. They returned to their room and made love before dinner.

  Later that night, they walked to the beach. The night was clear, the moon was full, and the stars shined brightly in the cloudless sky. The two lovers laid in the sand; the baby girl inside of Chana stirred beneath the feathered moonlight.

  “She’s enjoying this,” Chana said, placing Uri’s hand on her belly so he could feel their daughter’s movements.

  “Look at your stars, Chana,” Uri said, reminding her of the conversation they shared years ago in the school library.

  “The dead, beautiful stars,” Chana replied. “Even in death, their light still shines. One of HaShem’s greatest miracles.”

  Alone with Uri on the beach, Chana lifted her shirt so that her large belly could absorb the light from the night sky. The baby squirmed and turned within her. She and Uri faced each other in the sand, Chana’s belly tucked into Uri’s as they enjoyed every one of their baby’s motions.

  “Uri?”

  “Yes, Chana?”

  “Do me a favor and memorize this moment.”

  “Memorize it?”

  “Yes, memorize it. It’s a beautiful moment. Promise me you won’t forget it.”

  “I promise I won’t forget it, Chana,” he said.

  He let go of her and turned around in the sand. With his fingers, he etched the same words he painted in art alley years ago, and on the foggy window of Chana’s old car.

  He embraced his wife again and helped her off the sandy beach. Together, they walked back to their suite; his confession of love remained etched in the sand behind them, vulnerable to the elements of the sea and air.

  URI AND CHANA MADE plans to spend the Sabbath with Penina and Lavie. They decided to spend the entire day together as a group in Joppa, Chana’s favorite part of the coast.

  On a beautiful late Friday morning, Joppa was filled with people last minute shopping to prepare for Shabbat. Restaurants started waiting lists, tourist busses lined the streets, and vendors with colorful scarves and exotic jewelry filled the sidewalks and` alleyways. They spent the morning walking the beach and shared breakfast at a charming bistro within the old stone walls of Joppa. Chana and Penina marveled at the art. Chana treated herself to a new, turquoise tichel.

  They talked and made jokes, and people watched. They laid in the grass and looked at the clouds like a group of kids. Worries were far from their minds; it was a morning of bliss.

  As lunch time arrived, they entered the crowded area on Yefet Street. Chana and Penina wanted to browse the vendors, while Uri and Lavie hoped to get some good street food.

  They decided as a group to separate for a while. Worried about being apart from Chana, Uri double checked that she had her cell phone. She assured him that they would be careful, and they agreed to meet at the Clock Tower in 30 minutes.

  "Relax," Penina told him. "Enjoy this beautiful day. Soon you will be pushing a crying baby, so go and enjoy some man time while you still can."

  "Man time!" Lavie said as he slapped Uri on the back. "Better than watching our wives shop for purses, right?"

  Uri sighed. "Shut up already and let's go get some food." He kissed Chana on the cheek and watched her slowly walk away with Penina.

  IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG for Uri and Lavie to find the vendor known for selling the best Bourikas in Joppa. They found a small empty table that lined the sidewalks, said a blessing, and dug into their food.

  Their relationship as army comrades took away the pressure of making small talk. Instead they enjoyed their food and watched an array of people walk along Yefet Street. People from all walks of life walked the streets of Joppa, taking in the sunshine. Old lovers held hands, caregivers pushed loved ones in wheelchairs, dogs of every breed enjoyed walks with their owners. Young girls giggled in groups as they passed by young men, and new lovers walked arm in arm. Not that he minded the company of Lavie, but Uri began to feel sentimental. He looked forward to seeing Chana soon.

  Suddenly, Uri and Lavie heard their phones buzzing, indicating a text message. As they opened their phones to read the messages, they both dropped their food.

  The message read: Code Dagger, imminent, Jerusalem. All units respond.

  "Code Dagger" meant that intelligence and surveillance identified an incoming suicide bomber into the city. Uri knew what was likely happening in Jerusalem. All traffic would be stopped on the main highways entering Jerusalem as well as any traffic from the West Bank. The Border Police would be dispatched to search vehicles, and the police would be working to clear out crowds. Bus and transit operators would receive messages to stop all operations.

  Uri and Lavie needed to report to their units but had to locate Chana and Penina first. Lavie was able to reach Penina immediately on her phone and asked her to come to the Clock Tower at once. Relieved that Lavie contacted their wives, Uri immediately called his father. He confirmed that both Avi and Devorah were at the apartment. Uri told them to stay in place and under no circumstances leave the building. He also asked Avi to contact Gavriel and Noa to ensure that they stayed in place.

  As they waited for Chana and Penina to arrive, they called their perspective units. Because they were in Tel Aviv, they were both instructed to report to Border Police stations and assist with traffic stops and possible search and seizures.

  Finally, Chana and Penina appeared in their view. Uri ran to meet them as fast as he could to explain the situation.

  "What should we do?" asked Chana.

  "Get to Penina's car as fast as you can and stay in the apartment."

  Chana suddenly remembered Avigail. "I have to warn her about what's happening." She pulled out her phone and began to dial Avigail’s number.

  "Chana, you need to leave now. Call her when you get to the car," Uri urgently pressed her, but it was too late, Chana was already on the phone with Avigail.

 
; As Chana talked to Avigail, Uri felt something peculiar. An instinctual voice inside him told him to look to his left. As he did, he noticed a young man—a boy, really—walking away from an alley restaurant. He wore a dark heavy coat—too heavy for a warm spring day in May on the Mediterranean coast.

  Uri watched as the boy took a right turn out of the alleyway. Trusting his instinct, Uri crossed the street to follow him, trying to keep a safe, unsuspicious distance. He heard Lavie holler behind him. "Uri, where are you going?"

  Uri ignored him and continued to tail the boy. As he made his way closer, Uri noticed something oddly familiar about the boy.

  The boy stopped at the streetlight, appearing tense. He turned his head in Uri's direction. Uri's blood froze. He knew this face. It was the face that he zoomed in on his rifle scope several months earlier. The face of the clean-cut boy in the Nike shirt who was waiting on the street to greet his father.

  It was Hassam Basara. Uri was almost certain.

  41

  As the boy turned his head in Uri's direction again, that's when Uri saw it. The scar below the boy's lower lip. The same scar that he noticed through his scope on the day he killed Hassam’s father.

  Uri's body flooded with adrenaline. The IDF intelligence had been fooled. There was likely no Code Dagger in Jerusalem, likely no suicide bomber on his way to holy city. The bomber was in Tel Aviv just a few feet away from Uri. By leaking false intelligence Hamas created a nightmare scenario for the IDF. With most of the resources deployed across Jerusalem, it would deprive first responders and other units of precious time to respond to the impending carnage in Tel Aviv.

  Uri texted his commander:

  Bad intelligence. No Code Dagger in Jerusalem. Bomber in Jaffa. Positive ID as Hassam Basara. Target identified and on the move walking west towards the Clock Tower.

  Both on active duty, Uri and Lavie carried their weapons on them. The gun they carried, a standard issued Galil, was not meant for hitting precise targets.