After they refused a prisoner exchange deal, and we said we’ll continue the war until the end, they sent us a present of 15-20 rockets.  The shards fell all over the area – schools, parks, homes, streets, yards, and shops.  Most people were still bustling about and we had just come home from the supermarket, so we raced as usual down to the shelter.  I just managed to open the door of the building for a few passersby when the booms began.  We hadn’t even had time to get down the stairs before the building shook. 

My neighbor, unfortunately has no sense of humor, especially since we were among those who refused to rebuild the house in a housing renewal project and she wanted to add a balcony.  So when I told her “now we can have a brand new house” she didn’t even look my way, much less smile.

Why shouldn’t she smile?  We’ve been doing this for months, and we should be getting used to seeing each other in the shelter, to saving our lives.  But perhaps because I was born with the death of the doodle-bugs (V1 rockets over London) I have a bit more optimistic nature than she has.