9 After the ceremony, we squeezed onto the crowded bus back home. Dozens of kids packed in, jostling against each other whenever the bus stopped at a red light. All I wanted was to get home. The day after Memorial Day was Independence Day, which meant my mom had bought two cakes. Home was a cozy haven. My mom would serve slices of apple pie and poppy seed cake, and I would tell her lies to make her happy. And in the midst of that chaos on the bus, there was also Omer from the parallel class. I knew everything about him, having secretly stared at him for more than six months during recess. Swift glances quickly averted. I’d learned that Omer was the Israeli youth swimming champion, his parents were divorced, and he got straight As only (just like me), even in gym class (unlike me). He got an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 9th-grade graduation ceremony and went on stage just two minutes before they called my name. Omer wore yellow fabric trainers and lived on Givat Daon's street. He had honey-colored skin, slanted eyes, and red hair that always obscured his eyes. And though, during that period of my life, I couldn't conceive that the Israeli swimming champion (or anyone else for that matter) would take an interest in me, I couldn't help but notice that Omer's stunning eyes also looked away when they met mine. JsʼnǪ«±ʼn±sʼn'ʼn±^soʼn±ʼn6sªʼnªs^«ʼns±lsoʼn vividly in my memory, as if time froze or as if it all happened just yesterday. Inside the noisy bus, surrounded by spiteful gazes, in white shirts adorned with "Yizkor" stickers, Omer suddenly appeared by my side. Soon, I discovered that while the herd danced to “Footloose,” Omer and I preferred “Windmills of Your Mind.” I discovered that not only was I aware of Omer's existence, but he knew of mine as well! It felt like a dream as Omer gently took hold of my hands with his larger ones, his golden hands enveloping my pale ones. He looked at me and said, "Hi Guy, I'm Omer." As if I didn't already know he was Omer… he's Omer, and this isn't a dream! I could feel his hands, and in that moment, it felt like time stood still. It was a moment I never thought I could even dare to dream of, a breathless moment that seemed to last a mere second and an entire lifetime all at once - hands within hands, radiating so much tenderness and strength.
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