Best friends since they were children, Mikhail and Solomon later took their friendship to the next level. But they have a falling out after a horrible mistake.<br><br>Seven years later, the men are reunited on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean where they both work as waiters. The animosity between them runs deep, but the close quarters at sea bring them back together, with a little help from a fellow shipmate.<br><br>Can Solomon and Mikhail move beyond the mistakes they made in the past and rekindle what they had? Or are they fated to only being friends?

Safe Harbor

“Rabbi, what I don’t understand is how the second fire extinguisher kept working. The first one gave out after a short time, as expected. But the second one, the one Mikhail gave me—” He paused to consider what was not possible. “The second one kept going and going. Was it a miracle?”


“My son, during an emergency, the senses are distorted. Seconds seem like minutes, minutes pass like seconds. Our hearing and sight are affected, too. Things might be muffled. We get tunnel vision.”


“Yes, all I saw was the fire. The alarm seemed distant, yet it pierced into my body.”


He held Solomon’s hand. “On the other hand, remember why we celebrate Hanukkah. There was only enough oil for one day, but by God’s miracle, the oil lasted eight days. I believe you and Mikhail were not alone in that room fighting that fire.”


Solomon’s jaw trembled. Soon, tears followed. The rabbi held Solomon.


Chapter 9