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The baby

Benjamin was now about 4 months old. He was a cute little kid and going through the normal stages of growth. Jen and Jake couldn’t have been happier. They did all the usual things with him. They loved taking him to Bryant Park and letting his young ears listen to the Thursday’s Broadway in the Park. They also liked when he watches with interest kids throwing around the baseball.

Benjamin was a good eater and got the right amount of sleep. He didn’t cry much. Jen and Jake were very protective. He was never let out of sight for even a second. They were happy. But fearful of Anat. For the time being things were peaceful.

Marc and Alana were up to their usual mischief or good deeds. It’s hard to keep up with those two. And Anat, well she was thinking about cleaning herself up. But she wasn’t sure what that meant. She would study it.

Trizpora and Eran had a fall Jerusalem wedding planned. Invitations were sent.

Next Steps

Marc and Alana had dinner with Tzipora and Eran. The Tzipora and Eran just had a quiet wedding in the Holy Land. Only family was invited. After dinner, Marc and Alana were strolled the High Line. The newlyweds were headed home.

“Think we’ll ever get married?” Mark asked.

“To who?” responded Alana. “But just imagine the kid I’d give birth to.”

Mark knew then they just be friends forever and act like they are married. But not be together in wedded couple state. He was okay with that. Was he? Was she?

The two carried on about their evening.

Anat was roaming the streets of the Bronx. She needed to get out of the city for a while. Of course being the Boston fan that she is, she hates the holy structure in that boro.

She saw kids playing. She knew she’d never have any. It hurt her. But she is who she is. Aren’t we all?

Alana and Marc hang

Alana and Marc woke up. They hadn’t spent the night together in a while. The two of them smiled and ran to the shower. Marc ran down to get bagels, while Alana was affixing her black eyeliner.

As they dined on their breakfast, they heard noises. All of a sudden a cannonball sized raisin smashed through the kitchen window. They knew Anat would rise up again. They only wished Alana’s commanding defeat of her in the hospital would silence her.

The two looked at each other and raced to the door. They saw her stomping down the street. They went outside and started pelting her with all they had — Wine, figs, barley, apples and monster-sized pomegranates.

She hit back with humongous raisins. Her adrenaline was out of control. She knocked the two of them down. They stayed in each other’s arms on the concrete for what seemed like forever. Anat came right up to them and went for the kill.

She pelted and pelted them with dried fruit. Neither moved. She bent down and was ready to unload. The Marc and Alana rolled over. All of a sudden the air was full raining wine, pomegranates, figs,

and barley. It was coming down like the plagues. Anat didn’t expect this. She went down. The other two just laid on the ground and smiled.

The Circumcision

Marc and Alana decided to stay faithful and were feasting on steaks at Reserve Cut.

“Well, Marc, I guess we have Brit Milah to protect.”

“Yeah, Alana. Great job in the hospital. Jen’s baby is cute.”

“He is. Think we will ever have a baby?”

Marc smiled.

“You know us. But you never know,” he said.

They sipped their wine.

The next morning the two “lovebirds” rose early and went to shul for the event.

It was a huge crowd. Lots of bagels were downstairs in the banquet room. The traditional meal after the circumcision.

Mark and Alana went to their respective sections. Jake and Jen looked so happy. But fear was written across their faces. They were so happy after the mess at their wedding that their friends and family showed.

Alana knew she knocked out Anat in the hospital. But she was by no means down for the count.

They finished morning services and the mohel came up front. The baby was quiet. Jake’s grandpa Sam was the sandek. He held the baby. The wine was poured. The bay got his first sip. Blessings were said. The foreskin was cut by the mohel. Everything was peaceful. The baby was named, Benjamin.

All went downstairs and had an amazing breakfast. Marc and Alana bid everyone farewell at the end and went to Strawberry Fields.

Alana to the rescue

Jake was sifting through Jen’s phone. He couldn’t believe he had to call his wife’s ex to save her. However, the circumstances were unusual. He texted Marc. No answer. He was being pelted with prunes, raisins and apricots. Many landed on Jen’s tummy. Hospital security was knocked out by the dried fruit.

All of a sudden, Alana and Tzipora were walking by. Alana met Tzipora at the hospital to go over Tzipora’s wedding. Eran and she were going to wed. Every now and then Tzipora still convinced Alana to jump into bed.

They heard people screaming. Tzipora said the yells were probably an accident victim. Alana didn’t think so. She heard these screams before. They were different. She saw Anat attacking Jen. Jake was down for the count. Alana looked at Tzipora and smiled.

“Anat leave her alone. Let bygones be bygones. We were all messed up when we were young.”

Anat sneered. “I’d love to. But I can’t. She should know what it felt like.”

Alana had enough. She unleashed red wine. It splattered all over Anat. She hit her right in the eyes. Some went up her nose. Funny thing is it didn’t do anything to remove her dirt. It just caked on. But it did slow her down.

Jen was raced into the delivery room. Jake followed. His box of cigars was destroyed. But he could care less.

Anat got up and pelted Alana with cannonball sized raisins. Alana ducked. This time with Anat, she was clearly in control. She sprayed Anat again and again. White and red.

Anat jumped back. She started to walk away. But Alana unleashed her full arsenal. She hadn’t fought with apples and figs for a while. But knew you can’t count Anat out. Alana was going for the kill.

All of a sudden all stopped to the sound of a babies’ first cry.

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The ninth month

The ninth month

Jen was getting big. She was healthy. She went on maternity leave, as she was due any minute. But she still checked her work email. She is too good.

It had been a quiet 9 months. Anat left her alone. Her mom and sister planned a beautiful bridal shower. She received lots of gifts. Alana was invited for protective purposes. She even wore pink. But it was quiet. Real quiet.

All of a sudden she started feeling contractions. Jake was in their kitchen. He heard her yelling. He grabbed their bag and hopped into the car.

They raced toward Mt. Sinai. Traffic was light for midday Saturday. They pulled up to the hospital.

They rush in. Jen was anxious. But handling everything well. Jake was crazed. But he knew in a little while he’d be a dad.

She was checked in. Jake calmed down. As he sat down he smelled a foul odor. He was worried. He wasn’t sure if it was a patient or his worst fear, Anat.

Jen was being brought into the delivery room. The woman attending to her was a typical hospital garb with a pair of boots. Anat looked Jen right between the eyes and smiled. Jen shivered. She screamed for Jake.

Anat smiled. As Jake got up and ran toward his wife, Anat unloaded huge raisins. They pelted him in the head and was knocked down. Jen started screaming, Marc. He was nowhere to be found.

Jen threw her phone to Jake and said get Marc.

Jen’s pregnancy

Jen announced her pregnancy to the world via Facebook. She was worried not about how she’d handle this stage of her life. But would she be safe? She was doing fine with her married life, her job as a social worker was going well. But she was scared Anat would come after her baby.

She hadn’t heard from Marc for a while. She wasn’t sure if he’d be able to protect her for the whole 9 months. And during her child’s life. She was grateful he and Alana saved her engagement, wedding and honeymoon. But she knew there had to be a limit.

The two of them had their own lives. Eventually, she figured they’d forget about her.

Turns out Marc and Alana were having dinner at City Winery while waiting for Max Weinberg to take the stage. They saw Jen’s announcement. They just looked at each other and clinked their glasses, as Weinberg opened with Thunder Road.

Naturally, Anat saw the post. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want Jen to be happy. But she was wondering if it was time to let bygones be bygones. She was just so upset with her loneliness. She knows she’s a bit off. But there had to be something that could break for her.

Anat sat on a bench in Central Park with a box of Sun-Maid raisins. What could be better? She was fairly calm.

Alana and Marc were walking hand in hand down Spring Street. As usual, Weinberg finished with Glory Days. They knew they’d never wed. Or seriously date. But just be each other’s partners in everything.

Marc’s phone buzzed. He had no desire to look. He was doing well with breaking his addiction to it. But it was nonstop. So he figured he should take a peek.

It was a note from Jen. He gave it a quick read, congratulated her and told her he and Alana had her covered. She’d be fine. But told her to be watchful.

Marc goes back to P.S. 36

Things were not going well. The Yankees were slipping. Everything else was fine. Marc stayed up all night to see them lose in extra innings at Fenway. He finally got himself to sleep.

The next morning he woke up in a different place. He got out of bed and was in his Staten Island room. He was confused. But going down the steps in his mom’s house. It looked like he was in 1978. That was the year his family moved from Sheepshead Bay to Staten Island. He was not happy about the move. He left his Brooklyn friends behind. No more sneaking out of the P.S. 209 schoolyard at lunchtime to go to the Hustle Inn or Z Cozy Corner. Or buying 10-cent wooden planes from the ice cream truck just outside the yard. Maybe they went airborne for three seconds.

He got on the bus at Woodrow Road and wound up in P.S. 36.

He was wearing his Sergio Valente jeans and a Lacoste polo shirt. He had his green knapsack and Star Wars lunchbox. He walked into the annex for his third-grade class. What was going on? His head was spinning. He knew he was flashing back to his youth. He didn’t drink anything before he went to bed and he never did illicit drugs. Something was weird.

At lunchtime, he sat in the yard by himself. He saw a short, thin, cute girl with pigtails wearing all black by herself eating a sandwich. They were both third graders. Some older girls picked on her. They grabbed her pretzel stix and juice box. They didn’t eat the food. They just smacked it on the floor. She tried to fight back. But the girls knocked her down. She buried her head in hands, as tears dripped out of her eyes. The girls left her sitting there. Marc always being shy, walked over to her. He said, “Hi, I’m Marc. I saw what those nasty girls did. Are you okay.” She smiled and said, “I’ll be fine. I’m Alana. I just moved here from Sheepshead Bay. I wish I had some friends.”

Marc smiled. “Wow, I moved here from Sheepshead Bay about a month ago. I miss the friends that I played Star Wars and Incredible Hulk with. I can be your friend.”

The two kids smiled at each other. They decided they wouldn’t let anyone get picked on.

The two wound up playing Star Wars in the schoolyard. They were always Sith. They constantly argued over who was the master and the apprentice. Sometimes Marc burst out into a green guy. For years the two were inseparable.

Anat Returns

Anat’s brief employment as a hotel chef in Aruba concluded. She only worked for a few days. She didn’t accomplish her goal. So she came home to wreak havoc.

Marc was pluggin’ away and wishing for better pitching. Alana was fairly calm.

Anat strolled into her apartment and went right for her dried fruit. She ate tons of it. She was powering up. She did so some soul searching in Aruba. She wondered if she really had to take out Jen? Or if she caused enough damage? She was tired of being alone. She played she didn’t need friends or a boyfriend. But deep inside she would love to have both.

She couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. Let’s face it. She went to a great school, earned high grades and had money. She is a bit odd. But who isn’t?

She wondered about her parents. They haven’t spoken in years. They missed her college graduation. That was about 20 years ago.

She took a look in the mirror. She knew she wasn’t Drew Barrymore. But she certainly didn’t think she is ugly.

She tightened the laces on her boots and walked out of her building.

The Status Quo

Everyone was home from Aruba. Well, the newlyweds and their “security” team were. As for Anat, no one knows where she is. She apparently stormed off her Aruban “chef” job.

The gang was back at work. Jen and Jake were adjusting to married life well. Jen wanted a baby girl.

Marc and Alana were together a lot. But were not dating. Just being their usual selves. They kind of gave up on meeting people. One day they figured they’d wed as a joke. Even with their superpowers, no one could tolerate their craziness. They were made for each other. They just needed to grin and bear it and tie the knot. It was inevitable. But would likely take years.

They carried on their somewhat pathetic existence and attraction to each other. They kept the peace in the areas they visited. They didn’t let anyone get in their way. But did it in a dignified way. They just had no patience for immaturity and dishonesty. This occurred whether the people were much senior or junior to them. They forged ahead.

Alana hung with Tzipora who was talking about marriage to Eran. Alana was envious. The two of them had another tryst between the sheets. Alana wasn’t sure what she was doing with herself. Neither was Tzipora. But she needed the connection she had with Eran. She knew she Alana was just having fun. And ultimately, she’s Marc’s.

They all carried along. All was quiet.

Until…