Esther's face lit up, if only slightly. She smiled at her wife, and in a cheerful tone, said, "A bath would be wonderful, don't you think?"
Hannah nodded. The three began to head in the direction of the road. Hannah was first at the stairs, weakly moving one foot before the other, placing it shakily on the concrete step. Takashi instinctively gently grabbed her arm, helping her out. Hannah looked up, and gave a nod to Takashi, mumbling a brief, "Adank."1
The three made their way to the street-level. Takashi stood a bit to the side, and used her retinachip to ring for a car. Meanwhile, Hannah and Esther sat on a wooden bench, placed against the wall of the station's foundation.
The two spoke in Yiddish to each other, although quietly, so as not to seem intentionally exclusive. The sounds of the crowd surrounding them, combined with the general noise of the city, tuned them out.
"Tsi ir darfn tsu nemen a brekhn? Ikh kenen prubirn tsu bakumen emetser tsu kukn far Kotera,"2 said Esther.
Hannah shook her head, raising her hand cautiously. "Es iz oukey, honik. Zal s nor bakumen tsu dem hotel."3 She stretched slightly, and leaned into the bench. "Ikh ken nisht vartn tsu bakumen aoys fun di shikhlekh."4
Esther laughed slightly, and looked lovingly at Hannah. It was times like these when they were rudely reminded of their ages - gone were the days of protest marching, having rocks thrown at them by British settlers of Palestine.
Takashi walked back towards them. "The automobile will be here shortly," she assured them.