Living Without Dreams

Chapter 23 - Life vs. History

Susan and Greg pulled up in front of Julie's house an hour before they were due at the synagogue on Sunday morning. Greg parked the car and everyone took a full minute to look at the house before going in. For Susan and the children it was their first visit to Julie's family's home, and they were merely curious about the place; but for Greg, who had been there many times before in the past, it was an extraordinary experience to be there once again, more than four years following his supposed death. The house he remembered from his past visits before their journey was much the same; but on the other hand there was ample evidence just from the outside that things had been upgraded. For instance, it was newly painted, the windows had all been replaced since his last visit and the landscaping looked largely new. Greg had always wondered what his children would do with the fortune he'd left them after he was gone, and he strongly suspected the improvements he was seeing on the outside of Julie's home were part of that.

The Abernathys all got out of the car, and Greg and Susan indulged in a quick visit while they dropped off the children, promising to be back around one for a proper visit after their appointment. It was so fast, Susan realized afterwards she didn't properly absorb where it was Julie lived, so nervous was she about the reason for their meeting with Rabbi Sloane.

Greg and Susan arrived at the synagogue just before eleven on Sunday morning as planned. David Sloane was there to meet them when they arrived ushering them into his office without delay, and Susan found she didn't have time to be nervous for very long.

"Welcome. I was wondering if I might be seeing the two of you here, now that you're home," he told them as they all sat down.

"Why is that, Rabbi?" Susan asked.

"Please, call me 'David'. Greg has asked me to keep our visit as religiously neutral as possible," he advised.

"Oh okay," Susan agreed tentatively. "David then. Why did you expect to see us?"

"Because yours is such a unique situation; this is the fourth lifetime, in which you have been legally married, is it not?" he verified. "The fifth in which you have been lovers?"

"It is," Greg agreed.

"Such relationships are difficult enough to keep whole and healthy over the period of one lifetime, much less four! It is truly a miracle that you still want to be married to each other after all these years ...," he said in an admiring tone.

"Wanting to be married to one another has never been an issue," Greg told his friend seriously. "Our affinity towards one another has only grown stronger over the years."

"And you agree?" Rabbi Sloane asked Susan.

"Yes. Definitely," Susan agreed.

"Then whatever the reason you asked to see me, it is not so serious as I feared," he said honestly.

"Did I say something to cause you to believe we came seeking a divorce or no longer wished to be married?" Greg asked looking disconcerted.

"Given the difficulty of the situation you have committed yourselves to live with, I wouldn't have been surprised," he explained simply. "You both have strong but opposing religious views."

"I would have said 'differing' rather than 'opposing', but what you are saying is absolutely true. We do not agree in our religious views. However, we are to a surprising degree, united in our faith," Greg told him firmly. "This has never been a thing I have questioned ... not since the beginning."

"You are an unusual man, Gregory," Rabbi Sloane replied.

"Yes, he is. I doubt there has ever been another man created who was quite like him," Susan agreed. "I feel truly blessed to have him as part of my life."