Recap: Aliza and Dalya are annoyed by having security guards follow them. They find a way to get away from them and go off on a trail in the park. After a while, Aliza realizes they are lost.
We heard a hoot.
“It’s an owl,” Dalya said. “Look.”
Every sound was scary in this dark woods. Please someone come and save us.
Dalya was crying. “We won’t ever see our parents again.”
“Stop that. Of course we will. Someone will come.”
I don’t know how long we were sitting there when we heard a voice.
“Did you hear that?”
“We’re here,” Dalya screamed. “It has to be my father.”
The voice grew louder until we heard clearly, “Dalya, Aliza!”
“We’re here,” we both screamed.
And then there was the tramping of boots and Yeshaya appeared.
Dalya ran into her father’s arms.
“Aliza, I’m so glad I found you two. We were so worried.”
Yeshaya’s kind words melted some of my unfair feelings against him.
He was a kind person and he did genuinely care about me.
We headed back with him. He had a flashlight and there were two policemen who emerged from behind and escorted us out of the woods.
…
When we got back to our cabin, Mommy rushed over and held me tight. “I was so worried, Aliza. Are you okay?”
“I think I am. It was scary, but Dalya was really brave,” I said.
Mommy hugged Dalya. “We were so worried. Baruch Hashem, you are both safe. I can’t understand how the guards could have––”
I realized I had to say something. I glanced towards Dalya. “Uh, it wasn’t really their fault. I kind of tricked them to leave.”
Mommy and Yeshaya exchanged looks. “What do you mean?” Mommy asked. Before I could answer, Dalya said, “It was so awful having those guards following us everywhere. We just needed a break.”
“I think I understand,” Mommy said.
“Even so, you see now you can’t just run off like that,” Yeshaya said.
“I’m sorry,” Dalya and I said it at the same time.
“I’m sorry you have to have guards,” Mommy said.
“We have something to tell you girls, and it means no guards for a while,” Yeshaya said.
“We’re going to Israel as a family, and we’re going to meet the girl in that journal I gave you.”
“Wow, Israel!” I always wanted to go there and to meet Aida. “How can we meet her? How did you work it out?”
“It’s a long story. Come have some supper, and we’ll explain everything,” Mommy said. “You two must be starved.”
…
We were on our way to Eretz Yisrael. Dovid and Aharon sat next to each other on the plane, learning. Zevi and Reuven were playing a game together, and I sat with Dalya. Mommy and Yeshaya were seated near us. I realized that we felt like a family and I was okay with that. Dalya and I were friends now.
“I’m so glad no guards on the plane,” Dalya said.
“Yay!”
…
At the airport, an official came with a van and drove us to Yerushalayim. “There is someone waiting anxiously for your arrival,” the driver said to Mommy.
I whispered to Dalya. “I can’t believe we’re going to meet the girl from the journal.”
We pulled up to a building made of Jerusalem stone.
Aida’s aunt’s apartment was on the first floor. The aunt answered the door and ushered us in with a big smile.
A tall slim girl with dark hair and large brown eyes stepped forward.
“Are you Miss Beth?” she asked my mother.
Mommy nodded and stepped towards the girl.
The girl – I was sure she must be Aida – wrapped her arms around my mother. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Thank you. Thank you. How can I thank you?”
“Baruch Hashem,” Mommy said.
“I received a telegram. My father was freed!” her voice was choked. “He’s on his way to Canada to be with my mother. G-d willing, when the doctor okays my mother’s release, they will be flying to Israel.”
Aida wiped the tears from her cheek. ”I am so, so grateful. You are an angel from Hashem.”
“Aida, these are my daughters.” Mommy introduced me and Dalya.
“We read your journal,” I said shyly. “You are so brave.”
“No, your mother is brave,” she said.
“Where is Vana?” I asked.
“Vana has a cousin who lives in the Old City. She’s living with her and she’s very happy there. We speak once in a while.”
Aida invited Dalya and me into her small bedroom. “Come. I have some fun board games we can play,” she said.
I followed Aida and I thought to myself that I am so lucky to have such a special mother who cares so much for klal Yisrael. Thank you, Hashem, for the wonderful family you gave me. Thank you!
The End
Historical note:
Judy Feld Carr, a Canadian woman, helped rescue over 3,000 Syrian Jews from Syria, from 1973 until the last family arrived in New York in September 2001.
Stay tuned for the next historical fiction serial, im yirtzeh Hashem.
Susie Garber is the author of an historical fiction novel, Flight of the Doves (Menucha Publishing, 2023), Please Be Polite (Menucha Publishers, 2022), A Bridge in Time (Menucha Publishing, 2021), Secrets in Disguise (Menucha Publishers, 2020), Denver Dreams (a novel, Jerusalem Publications, 2009), Memorable Characters…Magnificent Stories (Scholastic, 2002), Befriend (Menucha Publishers, 2013), The Road Less Traveled (Feldheim, 2015), fiction serials and features in Binah Magazine and Binyan Magazine, “Moon Song” in Binyan (2021-2022), and Alaskan Gold ( 2023-2024).
