Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 30 of a new online serial novel, If Anyone Is Listening, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

“No, don’t turn it off!” Ruchi shouts, her eyes red as she tries to block the power button with her finger. Isamar is sitting in the infant seat, moving his hands about.

“But it’s been on all morning long,” her father says firmly. “It’s enough!”

Ruchi is miserable. “I can’t stop listening to it…” she says. “I have to hear what his mother did after his accident and how she managed, and he’s talking about it in this speech!”

“Nu, so you heard this speech seven times in a row already,” her mother interjects. “You didn’t hear Yudi or Chana’le or me taking care of Isamar, and you didn’t hear me calling you to eat—all you’re doing is listening to this over and over! You probably know it all by heart by now.”

“No, I don’t, it’s not registering!” Ruchi sniffs. “I’m so stressed, I can’t concentrate.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 29 of a new online serial novel, If Anyone Is Listening, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

Shimmy’s eyes opened wide. “The surveillance on me has gone up a level?”

“Yes. We have two assessments. Either the bat’s system has gone totally haywire…” It was strange to hear these words coming from the bat, as if it was complaining about its own messed-up system, though Shimmy knew that whatever the bat said was not a product of itself; it was only an audio translation of Yang’s words, coming from wherever he was sitting.

“Or?”

“Or its conclusions are correct. Do you have any idea which of the two it would be?”

Shimmy stared at the Tanchum doll standing near the wall and and then at the bat. “Maybe it’s because I’m here, on the premises of your factory, and that makes it suspect that I’m a spy.”

“No.” Yang Yang was definitive. “We input the information that you came here for research purposes in partnership with us.”

“You can’t simply ask the bat what it thinks I am? Who it thinks I am?”

“We asked. It calls you by a code name, but for some reason, it won’t give details beyond that. I told you from the start, there’s a bug in the system here. And we expect that you, working together with us, will help us reach a solution.”

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 28 of a new online serial novel, If Anyone Is Listening, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

The problem was that Shimmy had forgotten how hard it was to get rid of the bat. All his verbal efforts at persuasion were ineffective, and his vigorous hand motions were useless. At one point, Christopher flew up so high it became a tiny dot in the sky, but when Shimmy squinted, he was still able to see it.

What was the point? It didn’t seem that anything was threatening his freedom. The situation was no different than it had been on his first visit, when the bat had accompanied him to the airport and then disappeared. The minute he would receive a message about an outgoing flight to Israel, he would go to the airport and make his way home, no matter how much that nudnik Christopher would film and photograph him.

Shimmy walked to the sidewalk, feeling foolish as he held the box with the oversized doll. What were people thinking of him? Or maybe they realized that when a man walks in a central industrial zone for toys in Beijing, holding a box with a huge doll, that doesn’t mean he plans to play house with it?

Israel Book Shop presents Chapter 27 of a new online serial novel, If Anyone Is Listening, by Esther Rapaport. Check back for a new chapter every week.  Click here for previous chapters.

Copyright © Israel Bookshop Publications. 

“How are you, Yaakov Shlomo?”

“Baruch Hashem, fine. Uh, is that you, Abe? This isn’t your regular number.” Yaakov Shlomo studied the note that was left on the pink runner on the hallway table:

Dear Abba,

There’s a container of vegetable soup in the fridge, and a plate with chicken and mashed potatoes. You can warm it up in the microwave. Love, Tzippy.

P.S. I wanted to be home this afternoon to warm up the food for you, but we have a school trip. Feel good!

“Yes, that’s why I called. Look, in the next two-three weeks, I won’t be available by phone, and I won’t be dealing with the hotline.” Rubinson sounded like he was in a hurry, or perhaps somewhat tense, to put it more precisely. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

“So I’m giving you the number of a friend of mine who has agreed to manage the hotline for now. If you need something, call him, but only if it’s really necessary, because he’s only going to be dealing with serious glitches or things like that.”

“I hear. Is everything okay, Abe? Do you feel alright?”

“So-so. But Hashem is great, and He will help.”

“For sure. Be strong. Is there anything I can do to help you out?”