Contract with God aka The Moses Expedition

57

Kneeling in front of the plastic toilet inside the tent, he fought back the urge to vomit while his assistant tried in vain to get him to drink some water. The old man finally managed to contain his nausea. He hated vomiting, that relaxing but exhausting sensation of expelling everything that was corroding him inside. It was a faithful reflection of his soul.

‘You don’t know how much this has cost me, Jacob. You have no idea, that rechielesnitseh [6]… talking to her, seeing myself so exposed. I couldn’t stand it any more. She wants another session.’

‘I’m afraid you are going to have to put up with her a little longer, sir.’

The old man looked at the bar at the other end of the room. His assistant, aware of the direction of his gaze, stared at him disapprovingly and the old man looked away and sighed.

‘Human beings are full of contradictions, Jacob. We end up enjoying what we hate the most. Telling a stranger about my life took a weight off my shoulders. For a moment I felt connected to the world. I had planned to deceive her, maybe mix in lies with some truths. Instead of that, I told her everything.’

‘You did it because you know it’s not a real interview. She won’t be able to publish it.’

‘Perhaps. Or maybe I just needed to talk. Do you think she suspects anything?’

‘I don’t think so, sir. In any case, we’ve almost reached the finish.’

‘She’s very bright, Jacob. Watch her closely. She could turn out to be more than a minor player in this whole thing.’