“Hello, my name is Sherry. I have an appointment with Hidan.”
The secretary smiled at her. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I saw your paintings─very impressive. All of us here are busy preparing for your exhibit.” The secretary called the office of Hidan. He opened the door and his arms for her. He was a tall, thin man, with sunken and chiseled cheeks. However, his face was full of affection.
“This is Sherry,” Hidan introduced her to the secretary.
“Yes, we already knew each other,” the secretary replied.
Hidan put his hand on Sherry’s back and led her inside his office. “Come in.”
The office was abundant with design of good taste from the table to the window frame.
“Well, at last we’ve met. In a week, we will be holding your exhibit. We have already began with public relations. I, with my naiveness, thought that I was dealing with art only, but it turns out that there are those who are politically motivated who tried to sabotage my exhibit.” He showed her a few articles about the subject, and then continued the dialogue. “I have some regular customers and generally, the impression of my colleagues is that you paint very well. Your ability to interpret your ideas through paintings is phenomenal. “I believe that we will have an impressive exhibit, and we can sell your paintings with a minimum of five digits and maybe even scratch six.”
Sherry was happy when the secretary entered the office carrying drinks. It gave her a break to catch her breath.
The next day, when Sherry called Hannah, she was glad when Sherry informed her that she and Tamar wanted to visit her. As expected, Tamar’s presence in Los Angeles caused Hannah to pressure them to arrive that same day and they agreed.
She opened the door for them and kissed Sherry, then hugged Tamar and kissed her warmly.
They sat in the living room while she went to the kitchen and returned with a plate of dried fruits. “You do not have to serve us. We came just to hear a few things about our mother, and then, we will go,” Tamar said, but Hannah kept going back and forth to the kitchen. Only when the table was full of drinks, fruits and sweets, did she sit beside them.
Hannah started a conversation with Tamar about her life in Iran. After a polite conversation, Tamar turned to Hannah. “Sherry told me the story of the stolen diamonds. I was very small when all this happened and therefore, I do not know all the details, but one thing I do remember though, happened more than 25 years ago. One of those days, close to the day that we left the house, I saw you standing at the door of my parents, peeping inside the room.”
“Me?” Hannah laughed uneasily.
Tamar gave her a stern look.
“I surely can’t remember what happened 25 years ago or more, but I’m sure that I didn’t peep at your father and your mother.”
“No you didn’t peep at my parents. You peeped at Shmuel and my mother. That same day, I saw Shmuel hugging my mother. That was also what you saw, right? Was this the reason why you went to peep?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I can’t talk about things that happened very long time ago.”
“You don’t know what I’m talking about, or you can’t answer the things that happened 25 years ago? Decide, please.”
“Do you think that I stole the diamonds?”
“I never said that, but I definitely think that you know something.”
“I wish I knew,” Hannah said.
Sherry saw how Tamar was about to lose her patience. Her little sister was like a compressed spring. She decided to rule and cool off the atmosphere. “It’s important for us to find the person who stole the diamonds. Do you remember my first visit in Los Angeles? Everyone jumped on me and you were the only one who defended me. I was so touched. I’m sure you want to help us discover the truth.”
“Why do you have to touch the wounds of the past?”
“Because, we lost three of the most important people in our lives. It’s important for us to clear our father from the blame,” Sherry said.
Tamar added, “And, also our mother.”
Hannah broke. “Yes, I saw Shmuel enter into your mother’s room and I saw them hugging each other. The following day, the diamonds were stolen, and I suspected that your mother and Shmuel did it. I could not intervene because Shlomo and Shmuel are my brothers, and I could not get into the middle. When your grandfather drove you away from the house, I was sure that everything would be okay, because I knew that your mother and Shmuel stole the diamonds together.”
Her words shocked Tamar.
“Mazal and Shmuel were lovers for a long time, since they were kids. Everyone thought that they would get married in the end, but eventually, she married your father. Shmuel never fell out of love. He could not overcome his love for Mazal.”
“How is this related to the diamonds?” Tamar raised her voice.
“That day when I saw Shmuel enter the room, I was sure that he came to see Mazal, so I opened the door and peeped. I saw Shmuel talking to your mother. He offered to run away with her. I didn’t exactly hear the rest. Shmuel hugged your mother and suddenly, you, Tamar, passed by me and entered inside. Your mother quickly moved away from Shmuel. I heard a metallic sound, and I saw Shmuel picking up something from the floor. Only then did I realize it was the key of the safe. Your mother gave the key to Shmuel. They stole the diamonds and planned to escape together.”
“So, if my mother stole the diamonds, why did we stay in the warehouse like poor people? Or, why didn’t she run away with Shmuel?” Sherry asked.
“I do not know the considerations and plans of your mother. I’m telling you what I saw and what I thought, that’s it.”
Sherry gave Tamar a meaningful look.
“Why didn’t you tell our grandfather that you saw Shmuel take the key?” Tamar asked.
“Do you know what war would explode in the family if I told what I saw? When your grandfather drove you away, I was not worried, because I knew that the diamonds were with your mother. I just worried about my father. Oh, how he suffered so much. But, I preferred seeing him suffering than breaking the family.”
Sherry was suffocated. The pain of the truth slapped her face in full force for the second time.
In the taxi, Sherry was already sure that even Tamar was convinced that her mother was not innocent.
They drove in silence until they reached the house of Shmuel.
Tamar knocked at the door of Shmuel’s house. Shmuel opened the door, happy to see them, especially Tamar. “A nice house you have here,” Tamar said.
“What’s good about a nice house if there is no woman in it to love?” Shmuel answered. He stared at Tamar. “You resemble your mother so much.” The remark sounded less naive now. “I really want to hear about your life in Iran. Your sister told me a lot about you, but there’s nothing like hearing the story from the source.”
“There’s nothing much to tell. There are not a lot of people left in the family, so the story is less.”
“Fate dictated your life,” Shmuel said.
“Do not place all the blame on fate,” Tamar said.
“Don’t you believe in fate?” Shmuel asked.
“What’s there to believe? That fate specifically chose my family and decided to destroy it?”
Shmuel flinched. Tamar was different from Sherry, and he did not know how to deal with her. He was glad when the Mexican maid came in with a basket of fruits and chocolate curls. He lifted the basket of fruit from the table and handed it to Sherry. She refused.
“Yes, that’s how she maintained such a skinny body,” Tamar said and took a plum. “Tell me Uncle Shmuel, such a conversation is sweeping me a lot. What do you think will influence more, fate or mankind? Do you think that my father could have changed his fate?”
“I don’t think so. I think that if he could change it, he would have changed. He was a brave man.”
Sherry felt uneasy when Tamar gave Shmuel a direct and penetrating gaze. She did not want to be the one to explain to him th
e purpose of their visit, but she thought that it was better than letting Tamar lash out. “Uncle Shmuel, Tamar is here because she wants to verify something that has bothered her for a long time. Tamar said that she saw you hugging our mother in the room on the day of the stealing and that you lifted the key from the floor.” She preferred not to reveal that Hannah was the one who told them and didn’t want to intricate her, especially if it turned out that the story was not true. But, Tamar was quick to explain. “I did not say that he picked up the key. Hannah said that she saw you, but Hannah and I saw you hugging my mother. It’s time to reveal things as they are and not to try to hide them. We’ve concealed enough.”
Shlomo blanched.
“Your mother was a pure woman. She never cheated on your father.” Pain was evident in Shmuel’s voice. “There was nothing on what Hannah and you saw. Mazal loved me very much, but your father took her from me. Everybody knew how great our love was. We planned to get married after your father found a woman to marry. It was not customary that the younger brother wedded before the older brother. But, your father was picky. He didn’t like any woman that they matched for him.” Shmuel poured water and sipped it, calming down the pain that surfaced because of the memories. “Meanwhile, the uncle of Mazal and my father sat together and closed things out between them. Your mother objected and explained to her uncle that she loved me and would not marry your father in any way, but nothing helped. Your father paid a large amount to Mazal’s uncle, the amount that I didn’t have, and I lost her.
“I, of course, was not in your father’s wedding and also did not talk to him for many years. When your grandfather offered for me to work with your father in the shop, I refused. That’s how I found myself as a partner of my eldest brother, Itzkhak.”
Shmuel was silent for a moment, and Tamar found time to sharpen her tongue. “Then, you took revenge on him and stole the diamonds? Why did you wait for 16 years to get revenge?”
“It’s not 16 years. I always tried to take Mazal from him, but she always avoided me. She did not even speak to me all these years. She barely said hello to me. She was afraid that people would gossip about us.” Shmuel began to cry. “I loved her so much. She was the most beautiful woman, and I could not marry any woman after her. A month before the theft, your grandfather informed us that he was planning to escape from Iran to America. Everyone was saying that the situation after the rule of Khomeini would be difficult for everyone, especially for the Jews. The news of your grandfather came unexpectedly, and Itzkhak and I could not join until we closed our business in Iran. It was agreed that your grandfather and your father would arrive in America first to organize things. We were to come after them as quickly as possible. From that moment, I didn’t know what rest meant. I could not imagine Mazal being away from me.”
Shmuel paused for a minute and continued. “I did not know how to delay the decision; how to prevent them from leaving to America. I decided to go to Mazal and tell her before she left, that I still loved her. I knew that it didn’t sound logical to go to a woman after 16 years and remind her that I loved her, but there is no logic in love. I went to her room. She asked me to go away. I grabbed her shoulders and begged her not to run away with your father. I tried to explain to her that my life was nothing without her. At that moment, you, Tamar, came in and your mother approached you. Suddenly, I heard a sound of a metal dropped on the floor. I saw the key and took it with no intention of stealing something. I put it into my pocket without thinking. Your mother did not notice. She was upset from my surprise visit and from your sudden entrance.
“After rejecting me, I felt so bad. I sat all night thinking about how your father ruined my life. The aim of evil took over me, and jealousy was eating me. I decided to steal the safe and make my father think that your father betrayed his trust. That was the only way I could prevent your escape to America. That night, I went to the safe. In the darkness, I took out everything that was there. In the morning when your parents went to eat, I went to their room and put the stolen diamonds on top of the closet, close to the ceiling. I thought that the first thing your grandfather would do after the theft would be to search in the room of your parents. I thought that your mother would find out that your father is not a straight and a good man just as she thought, but rather a thief with no gratitude.
“But, things turned out differently. Your grandfather discovered that the safe was broken and held onto anger. My father didn’t just plan to escape. He had a huge amount of diamonds in the safe. He was devastated and became a beast. He held your father accountable, accused him of stealing, and begged him to return the money. It all happened so quickly, and suddenly, you were no longer in Grandpa’s house. He drove the whole family away.” Shmuel burst into tears. Sherry and Tamar cried, too.
“I did not think that your grandfather would throw you out. I did not know that there was such a large amount of money in the safe. After your grandfather threw you out,” Shmuel cried softly, “I was devastated for you, but I had no courage to tell the truth to your mother. One day, I took out the diamonds from where I hid them and went to your house. The door was open. I went inside and looked for a place to put the chains of diamonds. I opened the little pantry that you had over the front door and put the chains in one of the pots that were there. I wanted your mother to find the diamonds, and accuse your father of stealing. Then, I came over to your house, and I told her that I thought that if she looked good inside the house, she would find the diamonds, because I was sure that Shlomo stole them. But, blaming your father made her hate me more. She drove me away from the house. She drove me out like a dog and said that it was the first time that she was happy that fate didn’t bond us. I told her that one day she would find out what I already knew…that she married a poor thief. I knew that once she found the diamonds, she wouldn’t have a doubt that Shlomo stole them and she’d be mine.
“I was ready to wait for a few months, but these were the hardest months of my life. I could not endure to see that Mazal living in such conditions and decided to come to your house, confess to her about what I did, and take the risk that she would hate me all her life. But, then, Esther went missing and I realized that what I had caused much bigger damage. It was not about stealing anymore. She had lost her daughter, and for that, she’d never forgive me. Now, all I wanted was for your parents to find the diamonds and Mazal to live a good life.” Shmuel wiped his tears.
Tamar cried. “My mother found them, but she was too sick to escape, or even take care of herself. And my father...” Tamar continued crying. “I didn’t understand why she kept cursing him. Even before she died, she cursed him. Your plan worked well. She hated my father, but look how fate fooled you. My father died and you never won my mother.”
Sherry felt bad that until now, she casted aspersions on her mother. She stood up, but stopped at the door. “Shmuel,” she said quietly, “you found a great love, but you killed her in agony. Yes, my mother found the diamonds, but it was too late for her, for us, even for you. I’ll never forgive you.”
Shmuel wept quietly.
Sherry felt a great relief leaving the house. Suddenly, there were insights in her head. “Did you know why our mother did not find the diamonds?” Sherry asked a rhetorical question. “Shmuel put them in the pantry where the Pesach dishes were, and the first Pesach that we celebrated in the warehouse was without our father and Esther. Our mother was devastated. That was why she didn’t take out all the Pesach dishes, just some of them and made us the most modest meal. I wonder how she found the diamonds in the end.”
“The pantry hook,” Tamar replied in whisper, as the tears were still running down her face. “When I was about fifteen years old, I remember that the pantry fell down and our mother was glad that it did not fall on me or on her. From that same moment, our lives became better. We continued to live in the warehouse, but our mother gave me everything that I wanted and told me that she earned well from selling the paintings.”
“Shmuel’s deed destr
oyed the family, and also our grandfather,” Sherry said.
“And murdered Esther,” Tamar said.
Sherry looked surprisingly at Tamar. “Do you know about it?”
“Amir told me what really happened to Esther. Now, Nahid is also buried in an unmarked grave, and her family thinks that she ran away with her lover.”
Sherry took a moment to digest this. “Amir murdered Nahid?”
Tamar nodded. “After Amir told me the story, I have known no peace. I knew that I would not let Nahid get away from the punishment. A week before we left Iran, Amir sent people to kill Nahid and made an impression that she ran away. The issue did not bother us too much because we were supposed to leave Iran while the story of Nahid was behind us. But, then things went wrong. The children’s departure confirmation was sent for further inspection and Nahid’s father conducted an extensive search for his daughter, offering a prize to anyone who could give information.” Tamar closed her eyes. “You don’t know what I went through. I could not sleep at night because of fear.”
There was a long silence, and Sherry found herself considering whether the elimination of Nahid eased the pain.
“What are you thinking?” Tamar asked.
“When I left Iran, I couldn’t look at my painting of Esther in the lake, so I gave it as a gift to someone. It’s too bad that the painting is not in my possession, because I think after closing the account with Nahid, I could look into Esther’s face and see happiness instead of fear.”
“Did you sell the painting?” Tamar was surprised.
Sherry shook her head. “It is hung in the house of movie actor, Kumar Baht. Esther wanted to be in Hollywood.”
“How did you get to this actor?” Tamar was surprised. Sherry told her about the meeting with the Indian woman 20 years ago. “You have no idea what I would be willing to do to get the painting back to me,” she said wistfully.
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