Two Candles

About the Book

Rutie Benbly returns home to the kibbutz from her Tel Aviv office one morning to find that her husband, retired Colonel Daniel Benbly, has donned in a black peasant dress and plowed a field of weeds across the street from their apartment. Daniel explains that he did it to call the attention of the kibbutz authorities to the weedy field. Rutie, however, is not convinced and takes the dress with her when she returns to her office.

Throughout the nearly fifty years she has known him (including thirty plus years of marriage), Daniel has done some strange things. One time, he disappeared for over three days with no explanation of where he’d gone or why. And, he has little interest in sex. On occasion, though, he surprises her, appearing unannounced with flowers and tickets for a show or a concert. She decides he is a man of two moods, touch-me-not and loving-caring. He’s in the latter mood all too seldom for her tastes. One thing about his loving-caring mood seems strange to her. He can’t stand to have candles about. That means they have to avoid the more intimate restaurants which are illuminated solely by tapers on each table. It’s a small price pay, though, and she’s willing to pay it.

If Daniel could have a career away from the kibbutz, so could she. Rutie took special courses to qualify for college entrance and became the kibbutz’s first teacher with a college degree. She continued her education, receiving a master’s degree only days before their first child was born. She developed a new curriculum plan for her kibbutz and, when it was established, assisted other kibbutzim to adopt it. Her efforts were recognized by the Education Minister who offered her a position to upgrade kibbutz education throughout the nation. Rutie readily accepted.

Daniel Benbly, Rutie’s husband, has experienced blackouts ever since he can remember. His memory lapses are usually for only a few hours but they sometimes last several days. While he was in the army, his protector, Sergeant Joseph Wengrofski, covered for him.

Daniel doesn’t remember plowing the field but, taking the cue given by his neighbors, tells Rutie he did it to get the executive committee’s attention. A few weeks later, during another blackout, he wrecks his car and nearly kills himself. Though he has never been a drinker, he blew a 0.18% on the breath-alyzer. This time,  having no excuse, he confesses to Rutie that he has blackouts. At her insistence, he agrees to get psychiatric help.

Dr. Solomon Gresser gives Daniel a complete physical examination as well as several psychological tests. The physical shows nothing of any medical interest but the psychological tests reveal two distinct personalities. One is a controlled, disciplined individual of above average intelligence but with little knowledge of world affairs. The other is a confident, intelligent man with an avid interest in Palestinian history.

In the first few therapy sessions,  Dr. Gresser tries to help Daniel recover memory of his childhood. Daniel remembers little prior to September 5, 1941 when he arrived at the Apple Spring Kibbutz with only the clothes on his back and a small knapsack with a piece of leather in it.. The kibbutz adopted him, and, because he merely shook his head when they asked his name, the children gave him the name Benbly. Rutie suggested his first name because, like Daniel in the Bible, he must have been through a lot in getting to Israel.

When the doctor, primed by Rutie, asks about his friend Abe Stein with whom he’d served for nearly forty years, Daniel says he doesn’t remember hearing from or thinking about Abe since his retirement. Over the weekend, Daniel tries to get Rutie to tell him what happened to Abe. She, fearing she wouldn’t be able to deal with the reaction the truth may cause, tells him to call the psychiatrist.

Dr. Gresser puts Daniel in a lounge chair and gets him t

About the Author

After a forty-year career which included work as a magazine editor, computer programmer/analyst and Community College teacher, Bill Busby retired in 1991 and turned his attention to writing fiction. He has had a modicum of success with the publication of several short stories, an article or two and the issuance of a novel on the Internet. Two Candles, his first attempt at writing a novel, is in it’s third--or is it the fourth?--version. He holds college degrees in history and public administration.