| ACT IV: Scene 2 (cont'd) Amer Girl (to Amer guy): It's Eddie. He took the money and ran. That's what they're talking about over there.
Amer Guy: Really? Doesn't seem like something he would do...he handled the money at the desk. Musa seemed to trust him...
Amer Girl: Yeah, but I wouldn't put it past him.
Slovakian: So do you think I did something wrong?
Amer Guy: No, no way. How would you know the guy behind the desk isn't allowed to take things for safe-keeping? How is anyone supposed to know? There are signs behind the desk that say something like: 'No unauthorized persons behind desk'... I think there's another one too about nothing in safe has ever disappeared. They should put a sign that makes it clear who is responsible for the safe...
Amer Girl: Or whoever is behind the desk has to tell you they don't have permission to access it. We almost put our camera in the safe our first day, but Mauri told us only Musa, the manager, had the key.
Slovakian: No, he said nothing to me. Actually, I guess I'm supposed to feel lucky because I had my plane ticket and passport and he only took half the money in the envelop...
Amer Guy (to Musa): So Eddie's gone? The police are looking for him? They've got to find him, Israel is a small country and security is so tight.
Amer Girl: Not to mention he's wanted by the state because he's up for mililary service. He's not going anywhere if he couldn't even leave the airport. That was a really stupid move.
Musa: And his stupid girlfriend. You know Marcos know Eddie from Tel Aviv, he be in trouble because he beat his wife, his girl, you know, she was here. Those people don't want him staying there no more, so he come with Marcos and beg Musa, 'I have no money, no family. I can work'. Musa don't always know who tell truth, who lie, so feel pity for him. Now, catastrophe! Can't trust no one. Americans realize the girlfriend is the blond whom they haven't seen for days.
Musa: Very stupid, this Eddie. What can $1000 do him? He live like poor man for few weeks, like rich man few days. Musa say clean sheikel, sleep good. Guy like Eddie don't sleep good.
Amer Girl: Where's the girlfriend now?
Slovakian: Marcos got her on the phone at police station, but police refuse to talk to her unless she comes into the station. They tell me there is nothing I can do. We don't even know his last name. He didn't write it down in the book (gestures at reception desk) and he wrote only six digits for his passport number instead of nine..
Americans learn that this is the second time the Slovakians were robbed in Israel, practically in the same week. They had been working on a Moshav for one month in a resort camp outside Tiberius, in northern Israel. One month's pay they earned was stolen from their room. The manager and other staff felt so badly for them, they collected most of the money to make up for what he lost.
Slovakian: So in the end, I just paid a little for a very expensive lesson. And here, I come to put my money in a safe place and the same thing happens. Honestly, we're a little tired of this place.
A flow of German visitors enter from the outside. They checked in earlier in the day and are coming back from a pleasant, social evening.
Musa: Hello, hello! (smiles like a host to new guests)
They tell him they are interested in the tour for the next day.This makes Musa happy, and he forgets momentarily about the incident with Eddie and the safe. He tells Marcos to take down their names and report the number of people to Mohammed when he calls.
Musa climbs the few steps into the kitchen lounge and looks back at the Germans, now making their way across the common room.
Musa: You know about shicken sheese?
Germans: shicken sheese? (the Germans look puzzled)
Musa: Yeah, shicken, shicken sheese! In Israel we have this thing, shicken give milk to make sheese(squeezes fists, moving them up and down as though milking a cow) No place else in the world, only Israel! (big witty smile)
The Germans don't get Musa's joke, but laugh anyway as they file off into the dorm rooms. |
ISRAEL
