by Adam Smith
My father, my brother, even my boyfriend." Here, I took an effort not to spit the beer out and keep on smiling. "Yeah, she continued he got to be here in about half an hour. But you seem like a nice guy, would you like to see our storage?" It was the second time, I've almost lost it. But you see a lot in the army so I just swallowed the beer with the excitement and said "With pleasure". Possibly, it was the best visit to a bar in Tel Aviv, yet. Her breasts bounced in such an exciting manner and her body got sweaty but it wasn't all covered with sweat, just slightly wet. Pulling off her panties was the most exciting part as she was also shaved and had a very soft skin. Entering that chick was something of a similarity to find a holy grail in the backyard of your house. The slightly ecstatic moans, that were quite, in fear that someone might listen. The mattress that was there, I suppose for the entertainment of her and her boyfriend didn't matter to me much. It was the sheer joy of the act. And yes, it was an act.
When we were done. She wiped her pelvis and trunk of my semen. Smiled and said "You are good" "Thanks" I dressed up, looked at the watch and according to her, the boyfriend had to come any moment from now. I made my way out of the storage and then out of the bar. Taking the opposite direction from the one I came from, made it easy to deduce that the next man who walked into the bar was her boyfriend. But, it doesn't really matter. It was the best sex in months.
I've continued my way to the Dizengoff center. I ought to say that the place was full of life, as usual. The finest thing about this place is that it has variety and a conditioner. Obviously, it means that you can walk around in that maze of shops and stores and enjoy a good weather any time of the year. Also recently, they've made a technological upgrade. They started to grow plants on top of their roof. And it, the roof I mean, served well this purpose.
The place was first opened in 1983 and named after the first mayor of Tel Aviv. Once, I made it to a tour around the mall, and the guide told us that there are 250,000 people going to the mall in a day. Which is quite a lot if you consider the population of the country.
The journey through the mall revealed that some clothing shops were closed and new ones were opened in their place. Also, some tiny smartphone shops were opening. As the industry is relatively new, people could see a huge opportunity in investing in this kind of venue.
The toilet on the third floor was free and did a good job. Surprisingly by far more superior to that one at the Duty-Free.
My favorite spot was and probably always will be the bookstore. Where I would find myself browsing through the English books, however at times, when I wanted to practice my Spanish, I would find myself disappointing and would leave for the Alenby street. Over there, some private bookstore owners sold only Spanish books, I bet he has ancestors among the Spanish Jews. It is of little importance to me personally. I just liked the dude's hospitality and variety of books.
I grabbed a book on Cyber and started to read it. Going through the first chapter was adventurous and informative at the same level. However, I couldn't remain in a public place for too long, so I simply place the book back on the shelf without damaging it and without leaving a trace of my former presence, left the store and went to a nearby park.
I like parks, they make you feel part of nature. Not too many people fancy parks in Israel, but I do. I usually sit there under some trees and gaze at the birds, the sky, the rustling of the leaves. It makes me feel alive. Sometimes, I find myself in a conversation with strangers that usually lead to nothing but warm memories. And yet, those memories... they are part of life. I guess someday, I might write a memoir about the most interesting encounters at parks. However, if such a thing would take place, it would be in at least 5 more decades. As I see life now, it's so rapid and ever changing that people might not find too much interest in memories and pondering of some 22 years old.
I looked at the watch and remained silent for a moment. It was 4 PM already. I had to go home and get a proper sleep. The work at Thursday had to begin at 10 and I had to be prepared for it otherwise, there is no success to the plan.
Loneliness is a holy thing. One has to learn to find a refuge in loneliness. However, a conversation is a fine example of sharing your wisdom and showing your interest in minds of others.
Social animal. Is what a human being called. However, those who learn to appreciate solitude, earn more friends and higher respect than those who hunt for cheap thrills all their whole life.
Ride back home on my favorite line, 189, made it easier to have a short nap already on the bus.
Confident people don't mind to have naps in public places. However, you have to consider it twice if you're a young woman in a provocative dress or a soldier on military service. You know safety never hurts, it's usually the other way around.
Gods know how, but I found myself waking up exactly at the point where I had to get off.
When I entered my room it was 6 PM. The air in the room was too hot to breathe. I had to open the window. Then, I took a shower and put a bit of sausage with rice into the microwave.
The food was good. I took two more sips of red label and made my way to the bed.
Even though the feeling of tiredness was scarce, I fell asleep almost instantly.
Thursday. 8 AM. The morning was quite chilly and I found myself making coffee and listening to James Blunt, once again. Lana was performing exceptionally well. The Dell was doing fair. Whenever I've had to turn it on, it has done the job. All of the population of the Earth was moving somewhere, while the planets just danced around each other. I felt compelled by the cup of coffee and started to get ready for another workday.
Ability to do laundry only at Fridays and Saturdays made it clear that I have to manage my wardrobe intelligently, otherwise, I wouldn't have the uniform to appear at the Duty-Free, which is not acceptable. Luckily that day, I had one clean shirt left and I put it on with my regular black pants and the jacket. Yes, it is 30 Celsius outside, but yet I put on a jacket. Why? First, there is an air conditioner inside the bus and the store. Second, I look far away more classy in it than in a vest.
I packed an apple and a sandwich this time. The choice at the fridge was far from being rich. Nonetheless, I did not feel bothered. Probably, it's not the healthiest way to lose weight, and yet I managed to drop 5 Kilos during the past month. I wasn't feeling too lively, nonetheless, I felt lighter and happier than months before.
The stroll to the pickup point was pleasant, as I felt the wind blowing in my face and playing with my hair. Which deliberately reminded me of a need to go to the barber. The wait at the pickup point was surprisingly long. Which kind of made me wonder what had happened and also made me text madly to the Whatsapp group of our ride. Turned out the driver has been waiting for someone, and it took them a way longer to complete the line.
When they finally made their way to pick me, I had sweat covering my torso in a very unpleasant way. All I can say was that a feeling of the air conditioner made it easier to sustain existence. The guys who were on the bus today were mostly busy with their phones, messaging with all the worried ones about the reason of why it takes so long for the minibus to arrive.
Well, at least, I personally did not have to worry about such concerns. This is a fine time to live alone when you think about it. There are plenty of things you can get yourself busy with. There are computers to provide you with hobbies, love and even knowledge. Nobody will call you a fool for not accomplishing one of their desires. Zero stress.
The only challenge is to teach yourself how to cope with loneliness. Damn it, even when you are in a crowd, you are still alone. So, what's the point, anyway? Love? I doubt it even exists.
Once at the airport, I made my way to the checkup point and it was all fine line from there.
The coworkers aligned one after another and waited patiently as their friends passed through the metal detector and the guard scanned the bags for suspicious objects on the x-ray machine.
It's done on a daily basis, with
the employees and the travelers. So, there is absolutely nothing special there. Once I was through with the check up, I proceeded through the corridor and looked on the right. There were plenty of people getting a check up on their baggage. Not a fun thing to go through. I wonder how everybody is so calm all the time. Years of practice, I guess. You know who are the luckiest people on Earth? Those with private jets! They don't need to stand in any lines or go through any checkups. They can even be late and still get on time to the place they are going to. Yes, one day, I am going to buy myself a private jet.
Then there was another corridor which was a bit lengthier. There I found myself walking at a rapid pace, just to try and compete with the conveyor. To be honest, I'd lose to it every time, it was a fun way to make my way.
The dining room was crowded as usual. I had to push my way through to get to the bag hives just to place my bag over there. Wasn't easy but I made it, anyway. Then the finger scan and two minutes of doing nothing. Rapid stroll to the deputy managers room to pick up the cash and the let the labor begin.
"Hey!" I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and saw Ximena standing there with blank eyes staring at me. "Hey, hey! How are you?" "Tired. Too much work. Too little sleep." "Sucks to be you." "Yeah" she gave a forced smile. "You know you could move into my place, if you like..." I said it in a way that nobody would hear. "Nah, soon mum will return from abroad, so I got to keep that rent going. But thanks for the invitation." "Anytime" She left because her shift was over and I had only just begun.
Once you get in the cash box and start serving people, you develop some kind of routine that just follows itself. There is no rocket science to it, just the flow of actions. People at the management might think of ways to increase productivity and turn micro into macro, but honestly, why fixing something that works?
People come and people go, before you know it you have seen passports from all over the world.
You've accepted all currencies Duty-Free allows you to accept. Swiped all the credit card types there are in the nature. And yet, there is something to it that keeps you from getting bored. Maybe, it's the micro-interaction you have with the customer or a short chat with a neighboring cashier.
That day, I noticed a funny thing about the printer of number six. Somebody scribbled on the top of it "Tom Riddle", Harry Potter reference. Quite peculiar, I thought to myself. Amusing to a very simple point.
There were no funny or attractive customers that day, and I did not feel like talking to the old people much. When the Israelis attend a flight, majority of them are in a rush, so all I do is stay cool and serve fast. That's it.
No small talk, unless they wish for it.
The break came in, exactly on time. The time one would wish for it the most. The work is always though when you don't have a mood for it. It's even tougher when you are hungry. I've set the computer so that it would be updated with the number of the fellow that was up to swap me for a break.
The fun part about taking a break is that you can do whatever you want to with the limited time you have. The key phrase is whatever you want to. It took me about ten minutes to finish my lunch. Rest of the time, I'd spend at the Steimatzky going through books I can't buy. There was a shelf with magazines, one of them was a server management magazine and containing some other cool PC tricks, about which I'd geek out.
I'm sure that you could find all that info on the net for free, but what is good about magazines anyway? It's the schematics and ease of physical access. Not everything has to be digitized. There is still plenty of magic in printed issues.
When time was due I made my way back to the employee’s territory. Fast paced stroll through the corridors and I'm back at number six. Not too many hours are left and yet the feeling of exhaustion certainly was present. "Suck it up Adi!" I thought to myself. Then an hour passed and another and another. Finally when I got my freedom back, I thanked the Gods for that day and went back home with a sense of glory and purifying victory. The day was over and I was alive.
When I got home, first thing was a shower. To wash my body and my mind. Any way you put it, it certainly gets better results than a shower of sweat. Do you know what QWERTY is?
If you read this in English and ever had used an English keyboard, you should. QWERTY is commonly used, set up of English letter on every keyboard. It has found its use with the first computers, and you might not think about such things that you find as simple as a light switch, however, even that design required some pondering and tinkering.
I warmed up an evening meal of carrots, beans and peas. It has all been so delicious, I wish I could send you a sample through this very word. After finishing my meal, I've lit up Lana from her sleep and by the use of the QWERTY keyboard, I turned on some good old Eric Clapton. A couple of days ago, one of my clients was delighted to go to his concert in London.
And an Israeli woman in her sixties probably retired, and I could bet a bill on that she and her husband are true fans of Clapton. I didn't know much of his work at the time. Just the Cocaine and See You In Heaven. Luckily, there were plenty of Albums on YouTube. Yes, this night dozed off to the musings of Eric Clapton, it turned out to be such a delight. Pleasing sounds of classical guitar and you can try and kill me, but I won't be able to recall any of his lyrics. Nonetheless, the man certainly has my outmost kind of respect.
The night was kind enough to go on silently, without any unnecessary noises or surprises of sorts. I woke up at 2 AM not due alarm clock or any kind of interruption of my consciousness, but because my biological clock started to play tricks on me. I woke up in a middle of a night and forced myself to fall back asleep. Lana still was producing gentle musings of Sir Clapton.
Many men, appear to be fooled. But it's only smart to position yourself that way. Everybody thinks you are a fool and think that you are a predictable fellow. However, if you know you are not a fool, you have an advantage over them. It's like KGB once pointed out, American plans for cold war are non-predictable, the roles of the soldiers are non-predictable and that's what makes them invincible. Nobody knows what to expect.
I woke up the second time around 8 AM, Friday. Slowly but steadily the week was coming to its end.
Something made me recall that old movie where a personified death, plays chess with a man for its life. Honestly, I can say that at times every human being feels like that. If you don't, you probably never actually lived. The movie was Norwegian, if I'm not mistaken. I can say for sure that the scene was a hit at its time.
To look the death into the eye and make the next move, to know that you play with the master of time and know that's only a matter of a wrong move and you are out.
I washed my face and looked into the mirror, realizing that I have to trim my mustache a bit. After facial hair too, grooming is required. The breakfast was dull for the lack of appetite. Nonetheless, I had two more hours to fizzle around and find the right thing to do in time, I'm working up my salary and honing my plan. There are ideas everywhere, you just have to open your eyes. I browsed through the Google news to check out the local happenings. There was cyber week about to happen in Tel Aviv. I've made a mental note that I should go. Some say there is a higher calling in everything we choose to do. The truth is it's only how you make yourself feel about it.
Lana and I are probably as close as a computer and a man can be. Though, she never responds my emails. If you know what I mean.
Anyhow, when I got around, I found out that it's already 8:32 AM and I better be getting ready for the major lift. Nah, kidding, just to go the airport, to work my ass off as usual.
Gary V and Steve Jobs used to say live every day of your life as it is your last. It doesn't mean you have to go out and burn buildings and eat strawberry ice cream while you do that. It means you should be nicer to people you meet on your way, take care of what you have and be grateful for that, also yes, strive for more but it's not the goal. When you are going to end on the other side, you want to have your phone, book or
a wallet with you. It's the people, not those that you will take with you. How it hurt to say, but I doubt it, I will have my Lana in heaven.
Chapter 6
At 9:00 AM, I'm waiting for the lift and nervously looking at the clock. It appears to me that men and women crawl across the street any time of the day. You don't have to be a mathematical genius to figure out that... that there are more people than hours or minutes in a day. Probably, each minute of a day has its own kind of person, but I doubt anyone ever thought of that. Maybe, I'm a pioneer, heh?
At 9:05 AM, the white minibus with Bon tours logo arrives and I get onto it. It's certainly is a decent morning ride to my second home. I bet many of the employees feel that way, especially those who are working there for over 6 months. Whatever they may tell you, but I doubt it that there is one guy or a girl under 35 who want to spend the rest of their lives working at that place.
At 9:50 AM, we are at the gates of the airport. I walk in without any visible interest to confront the guard or anybody else. Just a guy making his way through to the heart of the airport, with a plan in his mind. Nobody can read faces, especially when you can simulate reactions. Especially when you can reason very situation the way you see it, and you want them to see it. Moreover, you don't get to that kind of situations. You are simply a pawn who is going to turn into a queen.
