Illustration
צילום: ויז'ואל/פוטוס
Independent and always alone
Aristocratic and elegant Simona never married and lived alone in a sumptuous Tel Aviv apartment, leading an admirable single life. But when she died it took two weeks before someone noticed
She was born and raised in Tel Aviv. As a well-educated professional, she considered herself to be a woman of the world. When I first met her, she was no longer young, but she was still at the height of her abilities, gracious, smiling, and friendly.
Aristocratic and elegant, she was a real lady. She lived alone in a sumptuous central Tel Aviv apartment; she had never married and had no children. I was never completely sure about her sexual orientation, but I always viewed her as a role model. She was independent, opinionated, successful, well-dressed, polite, amusing, and sociable. In short, she was a lovely woman.
Simona (the name is made up but her story is real) and I would meet at the gym. She had already retired and was no longer very young, but she was still very much in shape. When I would get worked up over some guy, she would laugh. She truly and honestly believed that there are more important things in life and that a woman like me had nothing to worry about.
“Be as wonderful as you are, and the world will be at your feet, my dear,” she would tell me. “Men come and go. You deserve someone who can appreciate you and what you have to offer – just as you are. Give him time until he comes,” she would add, unworried.
Her wisdom gave me strength
In fact, I never knew what lay behind Simona’s encouraging words. I have no idea if she was a shrewd, straight woman who refused to compromise or if she liked women but was no less intelligent. Not that it mattered; either way, it came to the same thing in the end. Her wisdom gave me strength, confidence and hope.
After I stopped going to that gym, I would still occasionally bump into Simona around the neighborhood. Always courteous and caring, she would inevitably invite me over for a cup of coffee. She would offer her assistance and was always glad to see me. I felt like she treated me with honor and respect.
I honored and respected her back. In fact, I was very fond of her, but, except for those few chance encounters on the street, I never took her up on her invitations. I’m not even sure why. Maybe it was the age difference; maybe I was just very busy; or maybe I was uncomfortable with her ambiguous sexuality. I really couldn’t say which.
But it bothered me; I had to get to the bottom of it. It’s true that she wasn’t young, but she certainly wasn’t old either. She was middle-aged and, as far as I knew, healthy. I had seen how she took care of herself.
Neighbors complained about an unpleasant smell
So I made a few phone calls and learned the horrible truth.
Simona had slipped in her bathtub and had passed away. Two weeks later, her neighbors complained about an unpleasant smell coming out of her apartment, and her body was finally discovered. This happened right here, in my Tel Aviv neighborhood, in this day and age.
When I heard what had happened, my stomach flipped over, and I burst out crying. Was Simona ever lonely? I don’t know, but she was alone. The thought of such a depressing end upsets me. No one should have to die like that.
Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to start husband-hunting in earnest, in order to allay my fears. I don’t think I have to start comprising, but I do understand that, sometimes, our choices come at a price.
And I definitely don’t wish an end like that on anyone, God forbid. I hope we all find great love and many friends. Simona’s story should not teach us to compromise. Nevertheless, it turns out that there’s a dark side and that sometimes, our fears can come true.
Simona, may your memory be blessed. You left your imprint on this city, and you will be remembered. I hope you know that you are no longer alone.
