Istanbul Was Constantinople

Bosphorus, 1997

We are in Waybridge to watch Eitan battle Fleet in the Surrey Cup quarter finals - the farthest the lads have gone in this tournament. After an exciting win, 2-1, Sonnet takes Eitan to the first weekend of the Surreys swimming championships where the boy has qualified for nine events. Today he competes the 400 individual medley, only Sonnet gets the start time wrong and Eitan yelled at by Coach for failing to register on time. The boy allowed to swim in the first heat and gets DQ'd on the butterfly as his legs separate into a crawl-like kick. Sonnet says: "A bad day at the office."

Despite it all, Eitan comes home in a good mood, finishes off some homework, reads the Sunday sports and now both kids watch Harry Potter, which is like some soothing drug.

Me: "Have you ever had a detention?"
Madeleine: "If you're going to get a detention it better be for something worthwhile. Like carving your name into the wall."
Me: "That would probably get you  more than a detention."
Madeleine: "Yeah, but it would still be worthwhile, better than getting three spelling words wrong."
Me:
Madeleine: "Everyone would know that Madeleine Orenstein went to Emanuel School."