Nuremberg Tour 13

Once again I'm at JCC. Naomi sits, flashes an absolutely wicked smile, "sooo, I always underestimate you."
"In what fashion?"
"In what fashion?" she mimics my Guyanese accent, "don't gimme that. You put the run on the Princess of Sex. Now, since you aren't big enough to beat her up, means you had some neat trick."
"Naomi, look at me. Do you really think someone like me can compete with her?"
"You mean ah?"
"I quote 'he's a tedious windbag, in and out of bed, I'm giving him back to you."
"Well, we know she's right."
"Want my guess Naomi? He's too ashamed to ever call me for coffee again. And I'm too old-fashioned for that."
"I could ah"
"No, not right, he picks up the phone on his own or not at all. He'd only resent you."
"Yeah, guess you're right."
Eager to change the subject, "you seem to be doing remarkably well in class."
Proud smile, "not just class, bought a cassette set, practise at home."
"I see, so you are a little serious?"
She leans forward, lowers her voice, "I have had it, right out to the living end, with the smug, smart ass, partonizing attitude of Canadian Jews towards us the Israelis. Besides my degree would cut a lot more ice there than here."
"Aren't you afraid of violence?"
"No, I've just been doing some calculations. Now take traffic ..."
I groan inwardly, three guesses where she got those math odds. She was never mathematical before.
The news is shocking, Jewish publishers rarely go so far, prefer peaceful solutions. That same manuscript that was overdue when I first ran into Ariel at JCC is now 1 1/2 years overdue.
The publisher demands finish of manuscript in three months or return of advance, is suing in civil court.
Curiously, neither Globe and Mail nor National Post deem it newsworthy. The flagship of Canadian Jewish media, the Canadian Jewish News, also forgoes.
All the local Jewish rags play it up. Not meaning to sound uncharitable, but most are struggling for economic survival and there really is not enough hard Jewish news to fill up the pages.
The next bombshell is even more bizarre. Tasma's brother and Ariel are charged with disturbing the peace.
Seems brother had decided Ariel was guilty of toying with her affections and breaking her heart. So, he went to the university, picked a fight with Ariel in a public lounge area.
As it turns out, police refuse to lay assault charges. It was clearly a fight by consent and neither was injured seriously.
The local Muslim paper makes it a headline story, complete with a huge photo of the smiling, and slightly bruised face, of brother.
Once again, Globe and Mail, National Post and Canadian Jewish News decline to print.
Once again, the local Jewish rags have a field day. In our city, journalism is inaccurate. See the Muslim paper did not mention my name nor involvement. The Jewish paper incorrectly states me to be the fiancee. Though they never phoned me for a quote, they claim to have "inside sources" who state I was heart broken over discovering he cheated on me.
I realize I could sue, but why bother? Mr S, their managing director, has a reputation as a sharp lawyer, when he isn't newspapering. If it came to court, he'd dream up some justification. My mother would have "guessed" I was heart broken or a classmate at JCC would have said I was looking "down."
At this point the history department decides Ariel needs a rest, hire a sessional to finish the semester. He can go into seclusion and finish his novel.