When the baby was stillborn at the end of the previous summer, Yonatan drove straight to the hospital from the citrus groves in his work clothes and sat on a hard bench outside the maternity ward all afternoon and evening. When night came, someone said to him, “Why don’t you go to sleep now, fellow, and come back in the morning.” But he refused to leave and continued sitting there with a crossword puzzle on his knees that couldn’t be solved because it had been misprinted, all its Downs and Acrosses confused. Close to midnight an ugly old nurse with a flattened nose and a hairy black mole like a blind, third eye stepped out of the ward. “Excuse me, nurse,” he said, “maybe you could tell me what’s going on in there.” And she answered him in a voice rubbed raw by cigarettes and worries, “Look, you’re the husband, you know your wife’s not a simple case. We’re doing our best but she’s not a simple case. As long as you’re here, you might as well make yourself some coffee in the staff kitchen. Just don’t leave a mess.” At three in the morning the same god-awful-looking woman appeared again and said, “Lifshitz, try to be strong. Women can have normal births even after more than one such mishap. Two hours ago we decided to get Professor Schillinger himself out of bed for you. He drove all the way from the outskirts of Mount Carmel just in time to save, I literally mean save, your wife’s life. He’s still working on her now. Perhaps he’ll have a few minutes to talk to you when he’s done, but please don’t keep him too long. Tomorrow, I mean today, he has several operations to perform and he isn’t a young man any longer. Meanwhile, make yourself another cup of coffee in the kitchen but please leave it clean.”

Yonatan shouted, “What did you do to her?” The nurse replied, “Young man, I’ll ask you not to shout here. Really, what’s the matter with you? Stop behaving like a caveman. Try to think logically. You’ll see that all that matters is that your wife is alive. Professor Schillinger literally revived her. Instead of being thankful for the blessing you’ve received, you stand here shouting. She’ll be all right and the two of you are young.”