For three days the pages just would not turn.

She took down books from every corner of the house and even a few magazines, and the pages just would not turn.

The covers would open, but nothing else.

She called her psychiatrist, but he would only speak to her in German, while she barely understood bad French.

Her neighbors looked upon her with pity and polished their riding mowers, muttering derisively in Yiddish, their tans radiant and almost infectious.

Al Jolson's greatest hits played on every radio she touched.

All her CDS became Edith Piaf.

Then came the day when the doorbell rang.

Everything hit the fan.

________906____________



The limousine was a make she'd not remembered. A tall man in a red leather suit got out, put on a chauffeur's cap and stood back as the chauffeur got out and took his hat back.

She spilled her tea on her jumper. She liked the feeling. She spilled some more.

A short man with borrowed hair opened the rear door of the limousine and castigated the two men with great vim and vigor.

She hadn't seen any vigor in awhile, but she could do with out the vim, as she was on a Israeli diet.

Her doorbell rang.

She went to the door and looked out. Nothing.

She could see the three men and the car down on the drive. She couldn't see anyone by the door.

The bell rang again.

She jumped and dropped her tea cup.

Her phone rang. She picked it up.

Her phone rang again. She lifted the hand thingie from the phone and put it to her ear.

"Pick up the tea cup," said a small brown voice.

She picked up the tea cup.

"Now, open the door."

She put the tea cup down and opened the door.

There stood the short man with the borrowed hair.

"Who is that on the phone," he asked.

She said,"The man who told me to open the door."

"Don't talk to him any more."

She said into the phone," I can't talk to you anymore."
"Fine. Be that way. See if I care," said the small brown voice.

CLICK

"Hang up the phone," said the small man with the borrowed hair.

She did.

"Now, take those clothes off, you've got tea on them."

She began to take her clothes off.

"No, no, go do it in private. I have no interest in seeing you naked while you are sober."

She began to move into another room.

"Wait a minute," he said. "You are sober, aren't you?"

She checked her watch. "Until four, I am. After that, it is anyone's guess."