A Room of Their Own by Rakefet Yarden (best summer reads of all time .TXT) 📕

around it had a spectacular view of sharp-edged cliffs hidden within a thick forest. Like on many other trips, we took Toto along, a mixed German Shepherd who was probably six or seven years old at the time. We’d had him since he was a puppy.

As usual, Dad decided to take a shortcut, because why go through the entire walking route if one can discover new paths, which would surely be shorter and prettier. Mom got angry. She didn’t like the idea, claiming that it was dangerous. We took a shortcut anyway, just like Dad wanted, and reached a steep stone cliff down which we had to slide in order to continue to the narrow walking path beneath it. Mom got hysterical and started laying all her problems on Dad: her partners at the office, us at home, everything that was stuck, everything that wasn’t working the way she’d wanted. They argued loudly. I was around nine, and the only thing worrying me during those days was that they’d get divorced. I watched them fight while Iddo played with rocks and ignored it, and Tal tried to find practical solutions.

Eventually, Dad promised Mom that everything would be all right if she just trusted him, thereby ignoring her actual distress. He started taking us down the cliff, one at a time. Tal went down easily, followed by Iddo, sliding straight into Dad’s hands, and I got down pretty smoothly too, although I was really scared. Mom stayed up there, stuck in her anger and screaming at Dad that this time they’re really getting a divorce. Oh God, anything but that! This is it, I kept thinking to myself. They’re getting a divorce. This is the end of us. Why didn’t I defend Mom and make Dad give it up? Why didn’t I do anything?

Eventually Mom managed to get down, too, with Tal and Dad holding her on either side. Last but not least was Toto. He stood at the edge of the cliff, howling, trying to find his way to us. He kept trying, getting scared and stopping, and then trying again, shifting from side to side.

Mom and Dad, in their now silent anger, said that we’d continue and he’d catch up. I was the only one who stayed behind, refusing to leave Toto on his own.

“Dad, help him! Do something or he’ll fall,” I sobbed.

“No he won’t. He’s a dog. What’s wrong with you? He’ll find the way.”

“Dad, that’s not true! Look at him crying. Please! Help him!”

Dad was really angry at that point and just wanted to walk ahead. “Enough, Dani. He’ll be fine. Keep walking and you’ll see. He’ll calm down and find his way. Enough already!”

At that point my crying was out of control.

“Come on, Dani! Enough with the drama. You’re so impossible,” Tal said.

I walked after them submissively, but I didn’t give up. I kept shouting to Toto so he’d know that we didn’t leave him, so he’d know where to find us.

We crossed the stream to the other side of the canyon. I could still hear Toto howling and barking, and I continued to call him. Mom walked ahead in deafening silence. Dad, Tal, and Iddo chatted and played games as they walked.

Can’t they see that the world is crashing down on us? How can they just keep going like that? Mom’s angry and wants a divorce, Toto’s stuck at the other side of the canyon − and we’re going to lose him! I wanted to scream at them, I wanted to rage, but I just kept crying.

I cried so hard that I could hardly breathe, and I occasionally shouted to him, “Toto, we’re here. Don’t worry.”

By the time we reached the top of the canyon and started walking back to the car, I was exhausted from all the crying. Tal kept muttering under her breath about me being such a baby, making a huge deal out of every little thing.

Suddenly, Toto appeared through the trees and ran over to us, wagging his tail. He was utterly unaware of the magnitude of the event he’d just been part of. We drove back home, and we never again spoke about that day.

Dani. Dani. Are you with me? I heard Rotem from a distance, speaking to me.

“Yes. Remind me what this is supposed to do, all of these stories that you want me to write about other people’s troubles.”

“Space,” she said decisively, with that self-assured smile of hers.

Rotem

The pink and white almond blossoms were in full bloom on the way to Jerusalem and so very bright that they were blinding. The sky was blue with soft clouds cruising through it. We were on the train, as I had long promised Yotam.

Hanukkah ended up rainy, so Wednesday, my day off work that week, became the designated trip day. After the initial excitement, with Yotam constantly running up and down the car, he finally sat down in front of me although the seat next to me was also free.

“Where are we going, Mommy?”

“I don’t know, my boy. We’ll get off somewhere and walk around for a bit. The main thing is the train.”

“I’m not yours,” he said and looked out the window.

“Then whose are you, child?”

“Mine.”

Yotam was angry with me. In any case, he was right. He’s from me, but not mine. I just didn’t understand how he’d realized it so quickly.

“Why are you angry, Yotam?”

“Because you promised me that we’d do this on Hanukkah and you didn’t keep your promise and I waited and waited and now you won’t even tell me where we’re going.”

“Do you want to know what we’re going to do?”

“I don’t care anymore. I wanted to go with Gili and you said no. Her mommy already agreed but you didn’t. Why didn’t you, Mommy?”

He was right. I wanted him all to myself. Try and explain that to a child. Gili’s mother isn’t as cute as Gili, so what can I do? So if he likes Gili, does that mean that her mother has