Conversation

It’s 10:30 PM and I’m in bed, mesmerized by a show about alligators on Animal Planet. It’s been an exhausting day, including an appointment with Adam’s cardiologist (a 4-hour ordeal, start to finish) and Yoni finally coming face-to-face with—and forgiving—the guy who beat him up all those years ago. I’m ready to turn in, so I call Yoni in the office, where he’s putting in a couple of late-night hours.

“Hey, just wanted to say goodnight. You going to work late?”
“No, actually I’m just going to invoice 88point5 and then come in. I’m beat.”
“K. Yon?”
“Yeah?”
“Have we ever discussed how alligators are, like, basically dinosaurs that are still in our midst? I mean, I know lots of animals are descendants of dinosaurs and what-not but seriously, alligators and crocodiles are like, complete remnants of that time! I’m watching this show on Animal Planet and these young guys are wrestling with a ‘nuisance ‘gator’ in the Everglades and the thing is like eleven feet long and it’s a total monster, and they just use duct tape to shut it’s mouth while they try to shove it into a van—duct tape—and move it to a new home far away from humans. And I’m looking at this thing and I’m thinking, nobody would act like this was so normal if they were taping a T-Rex’s mouth shut, and yet the thing looks practically the same only flatter, and…”

He cuts me off. “Okay, CLEARLY this is really on your mind and can’t wait. You need someone to talk to about alligators and dinosaurs with. I’m coming in now.”

Seconds later he appears, and I rewind the show for him. He humors me for a few minuts and then asks if I mind if he watches the end of Cinderella Man and even though he’s seen it six times and I can’t relate, he hasn’t watched TV in ages so I acquiesce. I’ve watched a lot of TV lately.

Just as I’m dozing off, Ariel, who has been asleep for hours, appears in my room. He’s squinting in the glare of the television, his face and hair puffy with sleep, and clutching his stomach. “My tushy really hurts!” He wails. “I need to poop and I can’t get it out and it really hurts and I tried walking around a lot but it didn’t work! What should I dooooooo?”

I suggest going back to sleep and trying again the morning, but he claims to have been waiting for two days. I suggest sitting on the pot and just spending some time there but he’s too tired. He’s already had a lot of water to drink—no dice. “Raisin Bran!” I finally declare. Hey, it works for me. He’s game, so we head to the kitchen, hand-in-hand.

Moments later we’re perched at the table and I’m pouring him a bowl. He chews in silence, eyes closed, half-asleep, while I watch him. I’m checking the clock, still hoping to be asleep myself before midnight, or at least before Adam’s next feeding. Suddenly Ariel puts down his spoon and turns to me, eyes struggling to widen. I figure he’s going to tell me all systems are a go.

“Was Gan Eden destroyed after Adam and Chava sinned and were kicked out?”

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