A Guy, a Restaurant, and a Phone Call
Jan. 24th, 2006 10:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gnomiSo there was this guy. I met him when I was in 10th grade and he was in 9th. We went to school together. Not only that, we soon found out that we commuted along the same route at approximately the same time. And soon it became a Thing. Not a romantic Thing, but a friendship Thing. He and I had a friendly competition to see which one of us would get to school first. Many days, we found ourselves on the same train. Since I got on a few stops before him, he figured out where I'd be sitting on the train, and he'd aim to be on the same car.
We were close through high school. And then I went off to Israel, and he and I lost touch. I heard what he was up to on and off, through the Parental Network. He went to YU, got his smicha, and got a job as a rabbi in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I heard about his marriage, his children.
All of a sudden, the news I started hearing was bad. My friend was sick. He had a brain tumor. It was inoperable. He came back to Boston for treatment, but to no avail. This fine young rabbi died in late 2002.
And then there's this restaurant. It's a kosher deli in Brookline, and sometimes I think it has a magic to it. Almost every time I go in there, I run into someone. Whether or not I'm withmabfan, whether I'm there for a sit-down meal or just for takeout, I run into someone that I am supposed to see -- either I haven't been in touch with them in far too long, or my mother has to call them, or something.
Tonight,mabfan, farwing, and I went there for dinner. And at some point while we were eating, a foursome was seated next to us. One couple are old friends of my parents who are in from Israel (and are, in fact, leaving tomorrow). We talked about how bashert it was, that we'd run into them before they went back to Israel. They introduced us to their dinner companions, and we introduced them to ours.
And then there was the phone call. This evening, I got a phone call from my friend's mother. She was the woman of the couple who was eating dinner with my parents' friends. She wanted to reestablish contact. She left a message saying she was going to bed early so I shouldn't call back (since she's driving my parents' friends to the airport early tomorrow morning). So I figured I'd call her tomorrow.
But then she called back, whilemabfan was walking farwing to the bus. It was only happenstance that I didn't go with them to the bus. And she and I spoke for almost 1/2 an hour.
Things happen for a reason. And my friend is closer in my thoughts tonight.
We were close through high school. And then I went off to Israel, and he and I lost touch. I heard what he was up to on and off, through the Parental Network. He went to YU, got his smicha, and got a job as a rabbi in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I heard about his marriage, his children.
All of a sudden, the news I started hearing was bad. My friend was sick. He had a brain tumor. It was inoperable. He came back to Boston for treatment, but to no avail. This fine young rabbi died in late 2002.
And then there's this restaurant. It's a kosher deli in Brookline, and sometimes I think it has a magic to it. Almost every time I go in there, I run into someone. Whether or not I'm with
mabfan, whether I'm there for a sit-down meal or just for takeout, I run into someone that I am supposed to see -- either I haven't been in touch with them in far too long, or my mother has to call them, or something.Tonight,
mabfan, farwing, and I went there for dinner. And at some point while we were eating, a foursome was seated next to us. One couple are old friends of my parents who are in from Israel (and are, in fact, leaving tomorrow). We talked about how bashert it was, that we'd run into them before they went back to Israel. They introduced us to their dinner companions, and we introduced them to ours.And then there was the phone call. This evening, I got a phone call from my friend's mother. She was the woman of the couple who was eating dinner with my parents' friends. She wanted to reestablish contact. She left a message saying she was going to bed early so I shouldn't call back (since she's driving my parents' friends to the airport early tomorrow morning). So I figured I'd call her tomorrow.
But then she called back, while
mabfan was walking farwing to the bus. It was only happenstance that I didn't go with them to the bus. And she and I spoke for almost 1/2 an hour.Things happen for a reason. And my friend is closer in my thoughts tonight.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 02:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 05:23 am (UTC)and regarding your friend, "eonia i mnimi." :)
no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 02:34 pm (UTC)And thank you for your wishes (I had to look up what the Greek meant).
no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 03:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-26 01:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-27 10:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 02:40 pm (UTC)Also, I introduced myself under my married name, and she only knew my maiden name.
She told me on the phone that she thought I looked familiar, but she knows she thinks a lot of people look familiar, so she was hesitant to say anything.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-26 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-25 02:42 pm (UTC)I love moments like that.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-26 01:07 am (UTC)I love them, too. They're so random and so special.