Dad's Training Blog, Part 4

Day 10:

We're getting ready to head back to the US, or at least I am, but mom and dad are still a bit coy about what is going on fully. I understand the gist of what is going on, though I'm not sure how to respond. Now it all makes sense, though with the pictures and the cooking lessons and the shopping drills.

They want me to train on how to be a wife.

Grandma spilled the beans over dinner. She said that the family was sure that I would never make a move for a guy, any guy, and that I would be doomed to living a life alone in the hills somewhere. I told them that I was 19, they can't expect me to plan my life around some guy. There were things I could do, things to see, places to go, food to eat...it was the 21st Century, women have rights!

Mom just patted me on the hand like I was a petulant child. "Yes, dear, but you know it as well as we do. You need someone to take care of you, don't you?"

Eugenia smiled. "Besides, cousin, isn't this perfect? You've been crazy over this Tim Connors guy since you met him in 7th grade. That's 6 years of you being together in every single class, every single year. There's coincidence and then there's fate. What do you think this is?"

Tim Connors...I didn't know what to say...

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To be fair, you didn't know what to say either, at this point. You learned that Deborah, the former Deborah anyway, had a thing for you all these years...and yet you never pieced it together? You were a guy so of course you were dense to things like this...but how many years went by without you even noticing? WAS there something to notice?

More importantly, though, you wondered how on earth was Dad taking this? Did Dad know what was going on in Deborah's memories? Did Dad know what Deborah felt like?

Why on Earth were you getting hard over your dad?

Read, boy, read...

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Mom made me take another picture, one where it seemed like it was now a profile shot for me. I thought it was plain and simple, though mom seemed to be a bit disappointed at my "lack of effort."

Day 11:

Dad was no help either. Apparently, according to the rabbi he spoke with, there was no greater gift that a person could give than to sacrifice his life for another person. Since Tim sacrificed his body, sustaining great injury, to protecting me, it was a sign of duty that I should repay him with my body. Since his father died in the crash, it was only proper that I be with his son to help guide and care for him.

Did anyone stop to ask me about how I felt about this? Thing is...well...I don't really know.

Yes, I said it. I don't know if this is such a bad idea anymore.

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What?

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Day 12:

Mom took me in to the doctor here in town for a full check up, making sure that there was nothing wrong with me after the accident. I tried to assure her that I was fine but she didn't really listen. The doctor was thorough but afterwards, mentioned that I was perfectly healthy and fit. Mom seemed extra happy with that. Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day shopping (or rather, I was spending the morning trying on and fitting clothes, clothes that a proper Jewish wife should have) She allowed me to dress like a teenager and a young adult, knowing that I still had a year's worth of school to go through, but she told me, under no circumstances, was I to deny him if he wanted to start a family.

I'm 19 and I want to do things...all those come-backs on my tongue failed to come forth.

'This is all very strange' I thought but I ended up with more stuff than when I came to Israel. We were already packing when mom got off the phone with the nurse. She told dad, grandma, and I over dinner that Tim was being released in a few days but he would be homebound for a few more weeks to recover. His leg was still broken in 2 places and his ribs were going to take some time to heal. She was sent a picture and all I could do was look at him, the person I was to be married to, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought.

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....WTF....

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Day 13:

This is my last full day here, and ironically, my last morning waking up as a Zawatsky. Although it would take Tim to be here and present himself, or for us to be wed in the US, my family already considered me to be Mrs. Timothy Connors. I didn't quite know how I should react to that.

Day 14:

We're leaving, finally, back to the US. Grandma gave me a kiss on the cheek and smiled, rubbing my hair a bit and smiled. "The next time I will see you, child, will be as a married woman." She gave me another kiss on the cheek and I thanked her, in Hebrew, for all that she did. It brought a smile to her face as she wished me luck again.

Dad and mom were going to be staying here in Israel for a few months, to help take care of family affairs, and they just handed me my ticket. They also handed me the keys to the house, to Tim's house. They said little but Dad just gave me a warm hug and mom, after brushing the tears from her cheeks, took one last picture.

I'm heading back to the US, to school, and to Tim...