The Back Kitchen
Published in Issue #36 Translated from Hebrew by Jessica Setbon(Excerpt from a Novel)
He never forgot the first time they met.
The municipal building stood in the heart of the old part of the city, not far from the sea. It was a three-story residential building that had been converted into offices, and for many years it had housed some of the municipal departments. Or as the young security guard at the entrance clarified with a weighty air, “The management is here, but the other departments are scattered around the city.” He went in and saw a sign showing that the legal department was on the second floor, next to the office of the mayor and the city manager, and that the first floor was reserved for the accounting department.
“And what’s on the third floor?” he asked the guard, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of the door, enjoying a cigarette.
“A conference room,” he replied, his expression open and friendly. “For meetings, get-togethers, all kinds of events. Where did you say you needed to go?”
“The legal department,” he said. “I’ve got a meeting there.”
By then, the security guard had finished his cigarette, and apparently he’d decided they were friends. “Hey,” he said, “I’ll let them know you’re coming so they’ll let you in. Otherwise, they’ll check you like you were trying to steal a nuclear device.”
“Why do they check so thoroughly?” he asked, pausing for a moment near the elevator.
“Haven’t you heard?” the security guard replied cheerfully. “They say there are lots of threats against the mayor. Everyone’s stressed out. All day long we’ve got security forces moving around here....
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