Stories from my Apartment Building, part II

Last Friday, my husband had a serious stomach virus. And as much as I tried to take care of him, I was pretty useless (I am 9 months pregnant and had recuperated from the same virus with the help of an IV, the day before). After trying different teas, rest, water, homemade Gatorade, and various remedies, I decided that I needed to get him medication. I managed to get dressed, find cash, and drag myself out of the house, not looking forward to the odyssey of finding an open pharmacy so close to Shabbos (everything closes early on Fridays) or the possibility that the pharmacy would demand a prescription for the equivalent of Pepto-Bismol, which I did not have. This happens in Israel- for some reason, you need a prescription for many things that are over-the-counter in the US.

As I crossed my apartment threshold, I tripped over my neighbor, Mrs. S, who lives on the sixth floor- she was busy chatting with the mentally challenged teenage girls who live and study together through the organization Alei Siach, which occupies the apartment next door to ours. I greeted her and asked her if, by the way, she knew of any pharmacy that would still be open. She ignored my question and said 'What do you need?'. I started to repeat myself and she interrupted me and said, 'why should you go out now? What can I give you?'.

I sheepishly followed her up to her apartment (she took the elevator for my sake), and she gave me her entire bottle of Israeli Pepto Bismol, a separate set of instructions in English, and a packet of rice cakes, which she recommended along with the medication, to settle his stomach. As a mother of quite a few children, she knew exactly what needed to be done.

My husband recovered fully from the virus within 24 hours from the onset of his symptoms. When I returned the bottle to Mrs. S., it was almost empty (the doses are large and frequent). And even though she clearly uses it on a regular basis for her own family, she wouldn't hear of my replacing it.

In my building, this is typical. I hope that one day, the entire world will act like my neighbors.