Forever, My Homeland: The Final Book in the All My Love, Detrick Series

by Roberta Kagan

  “I love you, John. I don’t care what people say or what they think. I love you. I’m willing to stand up to the world and announce that you are the man I’ve chosen to marry. I don’t care what color your skin is. To me, you are perfect and beautiful just the way you are. You could be green for all I care. I love you. I love your heart, I love your mind, and I love the way you make me see the good in myself.”

  “Am I dreaming? Oh, Kat. You are so right. I see so much good in you, and I do love you. I can’t say it enough. It won’t be easy for us, but I’m willing to face whatever hurtful prejudice crap the world throws at us, just to be with you. Marry me? God, Kat, I’ve loved you for years.”

  “Yes...Yes…Yes.” She was crying and laughing at the same time, but most of all she was sure. She was sure that she had made the right decision.

  CHAPTER 20

  1986; Chicago’s O’Hare Airport

  February weather in Chicago is brutal. The morning that Bari Lynn Allen and her best friend Marilyn arrived at the O’Hare Airport was no exception. Although there had not been a snowfall for several days, the frigid temperatures had dropped to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit.

  The entire collection of congregants from Temple Beth Israel met at gate D12. They were buzzing with excitement. Today was the day they’d all been waiting for—today they would board a direct flight from Chicago to Israel.

  Once they landed at their destination, the plan was that they would separate into two groups. The adults from Beth Israel would tour together, and the young adults would tour the country separately from their parents. The teenagers would hike through the mountains and climb Masada, activities that might be too strenuous for most of the older members.

  Eight months earlier, a travel agency who had worked with the synagogue in the past was called to send an agent to the temple, to meet with the rabbi, to plan the tour for the congregants.

  The person who arrived was a short elf of a girl with a smile bigger than her face, and protruding ears that popped out of the sides of her short, pixie haircut. Her petite frame was neatly attired in a navy blue skirt and white blouse. She exuded confidence and appeared to be very organized. In her left hand, she carried a folder that contained a pile of neatly arranged papers.

  “Hi, you must be Rabbi Goodman?”

  “Yes, and you’re Shirley Douglas from the travel agency?”

  “I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  The Rabbi had many questions, which Shirley promptly answered. But most importantly, he was concerned with the safety of the members of his shul. Shirley Douglas assured the rabbi that the group would be as safe as possible.

  “Of course,” Shirley said. “Israel is a dangerous place. But you must already know that. There are sometimes bombings in the restaurants, hotels or buses. No one has control over such things. But I guarantee you that I will do my best. I can arrange with the Israeli Ministry of Tourism to have several members of the IDF tour with the teenagers and keep an eye on them. Sometimes kids stray from the group, and in Israel that can be unsafe. The adults will be fine with a tour guide.”

  “Yes, that is a very good idea. Contact the Ministry and ask for a group of IDF soldiers to watch over the teenagers. Miss Douglas, please do everything possible to ensure that our members come home safely.”

  “I promise, Rabbi Goodman. I will.”

  ***

  The mood of the passengers on the plane was charged with excitement. They were talking and laughing. Some of the older people had brought food, although there was plenty offered by the airlines. Temple Beth Israel was a Reform synagogue, so most of the members did not keep kosher. Everyone onboard was high on the idea that they were on their way to Israel, to the Jewish homeland…to the Promised Land.

  But for Bari Lynn, this trip had many objectives. It was a vacation away from her overbearing mother. It was fun and exciting to spend time with her best friend on a trip to a foreign land.

  But for Bari, this was also a mission to find her father, the father who she had spent her entire life believing was an American, who died in the Vietnam War. Who was this man who had spawned her? Why had he abandoned her and her mother? It was hard for her to believe that her father was an Israeli.

  The news had come as quite a shock. Now that she knew her father was alive, she had to know more about him. She had to know everything. As the airliner swept away from America, its sleek body stealing through the white clouds, Bari Lynn whispered the name of her father to herself under her breath so that no one else could hear…Elan Amsel. Who are you, Elan Amsel? Elan Amsel…

  February 1986

  The runway at Ben Gurion Airport; Tel Aviv, Israel

  Marilyn, who was sitting beside Bari Lynn, squeezed Bari Lynn’s hand as the plane gently came to a stop... “As a spokesperson for the State of Israel, I would like to welcome all of you to our homeland,” the pilot said over the loud speaker.

  “The temperature outside today is a comfortable sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Please enjoy your stay with us.”

  “Can you believe we’re here? We’re in Israel,” Marilyn said, craning her neck to look out the window. “I’m so excited.”

  “Me too…” Bari Lynn giggled. For the first time in her life, Bari Lynn felt independent, courageous, and even pretty.

  As soon as the plane had left Chicago, and she was away from her mother’s scrutinizing gaze, Bari went into the bathroom on the plane and changed her clothes. She’d put on some things she’d borrowed from Marilyn. They were stylish, and for once she felt as if someone might even find her sexy. Bari wore a black tee shirt with the collar cut out of it so that it hung off one of her pale shoulders and tight jeans.

  The night before they left, Marilyn had used an actual clothing iron on Bari’s hair and had managed to get it perfectly straight. During the thirteen-hour flight, Marilyn had carefully glamorized Bari’s appearance with the magic tools in her cosmetic bag. With just a little eyeliner, a little mascara, and a wine-colored lipstick, suddenly Bari was transformed. Marilyn cocked her head and smiled. “You look amazing!”

  “Give me the mirror. I want to see,” Bari said.

  “Nope, not until we’re in Israel. I don’t want you to have a chance to get cold feet and wash all the makeup off.”

  Then, as soon as the pilot announced that they were landing, Marilyn handed Bari her compact with the mirror inside. Bari stared at the alluring image, and she hardly knew herself. The shy, awkward, girl that she’d always been had disappeared, leaving a very attractive, confident woman in her place.

  As they followed the line of passengers out of the aircraft and into Ben Gurion National Airport, Bari Lynn’s heart was beating fast. She and Marilyn were best friends. Bari felt that she could share anything with her. So Marilyn was the only person she’d ever told the truth about her father. The night before they left Chicago, the two girls had gone out for french fries and cokes. They sat in a booth in a small diner not far from their homes. Bari took a few sips of her coke.

  “Mar, I have something to tell you,” Bari said. “My father is alive…”

  “What? I thought he died in Vietnam.”

  “So did I, but he didn’t. I found out the truth last night. My dad, I mean, Lucas, my stepdad, told me everything. My birth father’s name is Elan Amsel. Believe it or not, he lives somewhere in Israel. I don’t know if he knows about me or not… I don’t know anything about him except that I want to see him. I want to talk to him and ask him some questions.”

  Together Bari and Marilyn had devised a plan to find Bari’s father. They decided that first, they would look up his name in the phone book, and once they found his number they would sneak down to the lobby in one of the hotels and call him when everyone was asleep. Marilyn agreed that it was Bari’s right to know her birth father, even though she was afraid that facing Elan Amsel might end up hurting Bari more than helping her. But Bari begged Marilyn to do this with her, and Marilyn agreed. After all, they were best friends, and they wou
ld find him together…

  As Bari and Marilyn pulled their luggage off the revolving conveyor belt , they saw several of the older people who had come with the synagogue, kneeling and kissing the ground.

  “That’s weird…” Bari said.

  “Yep, I’m really glad my father couldn’t get away from work or my parents might be here doing the same thing. I’m so glad they’re at home. I’m free!” Marilyn shouted.

  “We’re both free!” Bari exclaimed.

  Both girls laughed and then they began to follow the rest of the group.

  They walked a few feet until they saw a group of five people, two women, and three men, all wearing IDF uniforms. The two women were holding up a sign that said, “Welcome to Israel, Congregation Beth Israel young adults.” One of the men from the IDF was playing a guitar, and all of the Israeli soldiers were singing a welcome song in Hebrew.

  Bari Lynn nudged Marilyn. “Look at the one playing the guitar. He is so sexy. I put dibs on him…”

  “You’re right, he is really good looking, and his voice just melts me. Can you see his name tag?”

  “Yeah. It looks like it says, Ido.”

  “Ido?” Marilyn asked.

  “It’s an Israeli name, I guess,” Bari Lynn said. “Well, he is just too much with those dark eyes and that deep voice. Hell, I’m finally away from my mother, and I can do whatever I want. So I don’t care what his name is. I’ve decided right here and now, whatever it takes; he’s gonna be mine, my first guy…”

  “You mean the first guy you do it with? Really, Bari? You’re gonna sleep with him?”

  “Yep…” Bari Lynn said. “I am.”

  “Oh, Bari, are you sure?”

  “Yep, what better time and place to lose it? I mean, I’m far away from my mom. I feel bold, I feel confident. Plus, we’re in a different country, and nobody knows me here. I can be whoever I want to be.” She giggled “I feel like I am ready to spread my wings and fly.” Marilyn laughed, too. Then Bari said, “It just feels so good to have finally escaped from my mom’s clutches…finally.”

  Both girls looked at each other and smiled.

  A male voice came over the loudspeaker. He was saying something in Hebrew. Everyone at the Ben Gurion Airport seemed to come to a complete halt. If an outsider had been watching, they would have thought every person in the entire building was playing the childhood game of freeze frame. But of course, this was no game.

  Bari looked at Marilyn and grabbed her hand. The old childhood fears that had been instilled in Bari came rising from her gut like the lava of a volcano. The words of warning she’d grown up hearing from her mother blasted in her mind. She was once again reminded of the dangers that she’d been taught lurked around every corner. “What did he say?” Bari asked Marilyn. Bari’s body was trembling.

  “I have no idea. I don’t speak Hebrew well enough to understand.” Marilyn squeezed Bari’s hand.

  Then, the man on the loudspeaker repeated his words, this time in English:

  “Attention, your attention, please. We would like to inform you that the notorious Nazi, John Demjanjuk, who was also known as “Ivan the Terrible” at the Treblinka Concentration Camp where he committed crimes against humanity, has just arrived in Israel. At this moment, he is being escorted to prison. He will stand trial here in our Jewish homeland for the atrocities he committed against the Jews and many other innocent people. It has been a long time that he has been able to live as a free man, but justice will finally be done… Shalom.”

  Across the aisle, two casually dressed non-distinct males stood huddled together against the wall of the building. They were diagonal to the walkway where the group of American young adults who had just arrived from Chicago was now surrounding the members of the IDF. These two men had made sure that they were hidden by the crowds of people from the view of the Israeli soldiers.

  “That’s them. They’re here,” one of the men said to the other.

  “Yes, I know. I read the sign. It said, ‘Welcome Congregation Beth Israel.’ It was written in English, of course.”

  “Of course, and your English is impeccable, due to that Harvard education you got in the United States.” The first man whispered to the other so that he could not be heard by any passersby.

  “Yes, and while I studied in America I had the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the people. It amazed me to find out just how naïve and trusting the American’s are, especially the young ones.”

  Both men barked a laugh in unison.

  “What an opportunity has fallen right into our laps. Just look over there: an entire group of Jewish–American teenagers and young adults right here in Israel. We should take two girls. Israel may not negotiate with us, but they will have to bend to American pressure. This is perfect!

  Because they are young, Jewish–Americans, whatever happens to them will attract media attention in every country. Americans have weak stomachs when it comes to their women. We need that kind of strong attention to make our point. Remember how the U.S. condemned the Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear reactor and how they have not been pleased with them during the Lebanese War? More than once Israel has been rebuked for using weapons the Americans gave them for defensive purposes only, to aggressively attack Arabs.

  Even if we fail and have to kill the girls, it will still help our cause. It will drive a wedge between Israel and America. These stupid children will help us to make the entire world shake with fear…”

  CHAPTER 21

  That night the group of American teenagers met with their IDF tour guides in the lobby of the hotel where they were staying. The guides introduced themselves.

  “Thank God they’re wearing name tags,” Marilyn whispered to Bari, “or I’d never remember their names.”

  “Yeah, the Israeli names are different. But I wouldn’t forget Ido, that’s for sure.”

  “Okay, so let’s go over this. There is Ido, the one you think is so sexy.”

  Bari Lynn giggled. “Then there is Jordan. That’s the other guy with the group.”

  “Yeah, his name is easy, but the girls…Ima, Adina and Hila, those are kind of strange and hard to remember.”

  “Not really so bad,” Bari Lynn said, “but I am glad they’re wearing name tags.”

  “Yeah…” Marilyn laughed.

  After the meeting, everyone was served small pastries and instant coffee. Bari Lynn tried to look fetching to get Ido’s attention, but he seemed too busy with the group to notice her. Everyone from the temple was excited as Jordan went over the itinerary that was planned for them.

  “Everyone. Your attention…please, come on now…all of you be quiet I have some things to tell you… In case you’ve forgotten, my name is Jordan. My friends and I will be your guides for the next ten days.

  We would like to welcome all of you to Israel. This is our home, and since you are Jews, it is your homeland, too. I speak for all of the soldiers who are here today, Ima, Ido, Adina, Hila and myself, when I say that our greatest wish for you is that by the time you return home, you have come to love Israel as much as we do,” Jordan said.

  The four other soldiers clapped their hands.

  After the clapping had stopped, Jordon began again. “Now this is very important, so please listen closely. You must never stray from the group. Do you understand? If you can’t see one of the IDF members, then you have gone out of the range of our protection. We will tell you where it is safe for you to go.

  Don’t worry; there will be plenty of shops and things for you to see on the Israeli side of Israel. You’ll have plenty to do. There is nothing to fear as long as you follow our directions. You are perfectly safe, but be sure that you do not stray.”

  “I think Ido smiled at me,” Bari Lynn whispered in Marilyn’s ear.

  “I know. I thought I saw that, too.”

  “I’m going to try to talk to him,” Bari Lynn said.

  She tried, but it was impossible to get Ido alone. He was surrounded by American teen
agers with questions as were the other Israelis. Finally, it was getting late, and they were planning to get an early start in the morning, so everyone went to their rooms.

  There were two other girls sharing the hotel room with Bari and Marilyn, so Bari found it difficult to talk to Marilyn privately. She was frustrated. She wanted advice on how to get Ido’s attention, but she told herself that they had only just arrived that afternoon. She would have plenty of time to get closer to Ido.

  The following morning, the group was expected to meet in a designated meeting room downstairs in the hotel lobby where they would be served breakfast. Marilyn helped Bari to apply her makeup and then the two went downstairs. The Israeli’s were waiting, but so were several of the other Americans.

  A buffet table with hummus, fresh green pepper, persimmons, boiled eggs, fresh olives, and pita was set up.

  “This is kind of strange for breakfast,” Marilyn said. “It’s a little nauseating, first thing in the morning.”

  “Yeah, but I expected the customs to be different. Didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I did, but now I wish I had my cereal and milk.” Marilyn made a face.

  Bari Lynn laughed. She took a hardboiled egg and two triangles of pita bread. Marilyn followed her lead and then they both sat down at one of the long tables.

  The Americans were shuffling in slowly. Then to Bari’s shock and delight, Ido sat down beside her. It should not have come as a surprise. All of the Israelis were trying to make personal contact with their American guests. They wanted to be sure the guests were comfortable and had everything they needed.

  “Hi, I’m Ido.”

  Bari Lynn looked at Marilyn and her eyes got wide. Marilyn knew her friend was feeling at a loss for words, so she took over.

  “I’m Marilyn, and this is Bari Lynn.”

  “Hi,” Bari Lynn said.

  “You girls like to shop? I’m sure you do. I’ve heard most American women love shopping,” Ido smiled.