The friends that wouldn't leave me alone

I couldn't wait to get out of the office today. Not that work was bad but the banking system here is not set up to help their clients. Never. I'll say more about this episode in a week or two when it's all over. But not now. It's too painful. So of course I get all the friends calling me today who don't want to get off the phone.

There's Tamer, the Palestinian friend from the West Bank.

"Can you help me find a girlfriend. I don't care what religion she is."

"Lookie here. I'm not setting you up with any Jewish girls, but I'll keep my eyes open for a nice Moslem woman for you."

"Can I bring some guests over to your house on Saturday"

I'm thinking of going to a relaxing New Age healing weekend by the Dead Sea. I hope he doesn't think I'm brushing him off.

"I won't be here this weekend."

"Can I come over to your work one time for lunch?"

Geez. This guy will really not believe this. But my Victorian-era-type place of work won't tolerate personal visits during working hours. Lunch breaks???
Still a sensitive issue and we hardly take them. He continued to persist.

"What about my work permit? Were you able to find out about my work permit?"

"No, I'm sorry Tamer, I just had absolutely no time at all to call up anyone about anything."

I'm a loser friend these days. I'm too busy with my own shit, that I don't have time to deal with anyone else's. I feel sorry for him. It's hard for him to find work in Israel without a work permit and it's tough for him to get one. He's 30 years old and needs a wife. It's tough for him to get one of those too. Perhaps because he lives in the West Bank and no Arab woman with an Israeli ID will want to marry him because they will end up forfeiting their ID for a Palestinian one.

Then my other friend calls me up. She lives in a small settlement in Samaria. Her 18 year old daughter went off to the US and told her she isn't coming back home. Ever. She's going to college in New York and tough luck, mother. I tried to be sympathetic but I'd been on the phone with lawyers all day to deal with my own catastrophes.

"I'm sorry, but we can't meet today, because I'm not coming into Jerusalem." she told me.

"Oh." I tried to sound disappointed, but I was actually quite pleased about not having to deal with other people and their loads at the moment.

I don't know if it's the national karma but it seems life here is tough for everyone at the moment. We're all going through shit but I do see some light, even if it's not so easy to get to.

"Can you make some dinner for me" asked my 19 year old kid.

"Not really. Can you look in the fridge and freezer and see what's there"

Today will be my very own rare selfish time.