All her senses were awake in her as never before, and a few new unknown senses were awake in support of the familiar ones. She saw, heard, felt, a thousandfold.

And nothing happened. Only a summer morning dawned, only larks trilled in the distance, only sun rays forced themselves warmly through the cracks in the shutters, and the broad shadows on the edges of the furniture grew smaller and smaller, and the clock ticked and struck six, and the man breathed. The children lay in the corner, close to the hearth, without a sound, visible to Deborah but far away, as though in another room. Nothing happened. And yet it seemed as though everything must happen.

The clock struck like a release. Mendel Singer awoke, sat straight up in bed and stared in astonishment at his wife. ‘Why aren’t you in bed?’ he asked, and rubbed his eyes. He coughed and spat. Nothing in his words and nothing in his mien betrayed that his left eye had been open and had gazed independently. Perhaps he had forgotten; perhaps Deborah had been mistaken.

From this day on all desire between Mendel Singer and his wife ceased. Like two people of the same sex they went to sleep, slept through the night, awoke in the morning. They became shy with each other and were silent, as in the first days of their marriage. At the beginning of their desire there had been shame, and at the end of their desire there was shame.

Then it also was overcome. They spoke to each other again. Their eyes no longer avoided each other, and their faces and bodies aged in the same rhythm, like the faces and bodies of twins.

The summer was sultry and poor in rain. Doors and windows stood open. The children were seldom at home. Outside they grew quickly, vitalized by the sun.

Even Menuchim grew. His legs, to be sure, remained crooked, but unquestionably they became longer. So did the rest of his body. Suddenly, one morning, he let out a strange, shrill cry. Then he was silent. A little while later he said quite clearly and understandably: ‘Mama.’

Deborah threw herself upon him, and from her eyes, which had long remained dry, tears flowed, hot, strong, big, salty, painful, and sweet.