Hi-Tech Hijack by Dov Nardimon Read Free Book Online

her. And she, the queen of the faculty, did her part by gracing each fan with a smile, a compliment, or a little hug while still remaining unattainable. Eddie never went along with that collective game. He was not cut out for that sort of thing and never imagined Orit could want him.
    Eddie never ruled out the possibility of spending an extensive period of time abroad as part of his career path, but this was too soon. He thought it would be better as a second or third position, if he ever came round to it, before realizing his own independent dream. He thought of his parents who would be left in Israel all alone with nothing more than his brother’s grave to keep them company after both his sisters had already left the country for an indefinite amount of time.
    Orit’s enthusiasm for life in Santa Monica rubbed him the wrong way. It sounded premature—a superficial infatuation with all that glitters in the ultimate land of opportunities, which went quite well with his perception of her. But what started to sound appealing was the way she felt about him, the way she so explicitly wanted him to come. He wondered how lonely she was. Was her attraction toward him real or did she simply needed someone and set her heart on him, a colleague, a classmate whom she had gotten along with? He had all these questions piling up and not one definitive answer. He went back to his room and started going through the stack of mail. He left Orit’s letter until last, allowing himself some time for everything to sink in.
    The evening rolled by slowly. He lay in his room, Orit’s letter in hand, staring at the ceiling. He read it several times and was convinced that asking him to join her there was not a spur-of-the-moment whim, but something that had been building up for a long time. Between the lines, he could make out that it was really Orit’s doing that he did not receive a formal letter from the company. She chose to seize the opportunity and open her heart to him.
    “Eddie, are you having dinner with us?” asked his mom, Rachel, as she opened the door and interrupted his thoughts.
    “I’m not hungry, but I’ll sit with you. I need to talk to you about something.”
    “Ok, well, I’ll set a plate for you just in case.” She smiled and went back downstairs.
    “So what was it you wanted to tell us, Eddie?” his mom asked as dinner was almost over. Eddie, who was not hungry, had already finished his second serving.
    “Biotec.com has moved to California and is no long operating out of Israel. Most of its employees have transferred there, and they’re asking me to do the same.”
    A silent surprise filled the kitchen until his mom spoke up. “And what do you think?”
    “My initial reaction was that I really don’t feel like it. But I’m not sure. I’m having a hard time thinking of working for a long time abroad, even though in today’s industry nothing lasts for more than a few years. And I hate the feeling of being a pawn in this big game. Just because some fund invested in the company my life shouldn’t be affected. I’m really disappointed with Dr. Hakmon calling on us to join him in this mission that would benefit the nation and then switching nations for his own personal good and expecting us to follow. I think this industry leader is starting to look more and more like the Pied Piper.”
    “But you were the one who explained to us this is the way things are in hi-tech, that nothing is permanent except for constant change,” insisted his dad, Arye.
    “I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to be ok with it. And also, what are you trying to tell me? That you’d be fine with me going away for several years?”
    “You know we’d rather have you here, Eddie. It isn’t easy for us. Your sisters followed their husbands to the United States for what was supposed to be three years and have been stuck there for almost a decade, and we only get to see the kids twice a year. But you have to do what’s best for you