4. Psychiatrist’s conclusion
DIAGNOSIS: Severe prolonged reactive depression, protest behavior within the context of a youthful affective crisis. Suicide attempt.
ADDITIONALLY: In connection with the extremely negative attitude to treatment prescribed after the suicide attempt, the patient gives serious cause for concern in respect of the possibility of running away and new attempts at suicide. Requires constant observation. Inform staff.
5. Psychiatrist’s conclusion
Anxious attitude. Contact extremely difficult. Taciturn. Negative outlook. Prefers not to respond to questions, only sometimes replying in monosyllables and without looking at the person he is talking to. Refuses to participate in psychological tests. Clearly in need of corrective psychological treatment. In the initial phase methods of non-verbal psychotherapy appropriate.
6. 1994, Kfar Shaul
F
ROM AN INTERNAL MEMORANDUM OF THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL
In connection with the escape on 12 April this year of Binyomin Shimes, a patient in Section 2, Doctor Michael Epshtein and orderlies Taisir Badran and Braha Yosef are reprimanded.
Head of Security Uzi Rafaeli has been dismissed by order of the Director of the clinic.
Eliezer Hanor
Principal Consultant
7. 1994, Kfar Shaul
N
OTE FROM THE
K
FAR
S
HAUL
P
SYCHIATRIC
H
OSPITAL TO THE
I
NVESTIGATIONS
D
EPARTMENT
, M
INISTRY OF
P
OLICE
On 12 April this year a disturbed adolescent, Binyomin Shimes, age 16 years, escaped from Section 2. General characteristics: height 179 cm, red hair, blue eyes, elongated face, irregular teeth, brace on upper jaw, small scar on left upper arm. This adolescent is not dangerous to other people but may harm himself. Please issue a search warrant. Photograph attached.
Eliezer Hanor
Principal Consultant, Kfar Shaul Hospital
8. 1995
F
ROM
H
ILDA’S DIARY
An odd young man came up the mountain to us some time ago. Very thin, looked a complete ragamuffin, but very handsome. Asked in English whether he could stay with us for a few days. Daniel was away at the time conducting tour groups, and in any case I don’t usually ask his permission if somebody needs accommodation. I allowed the boy to stay in the community house. He was very disappointed because he wanted to stay here on the mountain but nevertheless went down with me. I asked his name. He said he had stolen nothing but did not want to give his name. I have had a lot of experience working with children and decided he was a teenage runaway who had fallen out with his parents because they would not pay for ice cream or a Walkman. “No problem, I shall call you Mr. Hyde.”
He laughed and said he’d prefer to be Doctor Jekyll, and after that we were friends.
I took him to Daniel’s little room in the community house and said he could stay there till the incumbent came back. As luck would have it, the pump had broken down and we were having to carry endless quantities of water to wash our old ladies. Mr. Hyde carried water from morning till night without a murmur. He read at nights or did not put the light out in his room. When Daniel arrived three days later, he very politely thanked me, drank a cup of tea with us, and left. Daniel frowned and said I should not have let him go. It was obvious he was in a bad way. Something had happened to the boy.
I was already cursing myself. Although he was well built and very strong, there was something defenseless and distracted about him. I had him on my mind for several days and then forgot about him.
He came back two weeks later, in tattered trainers, completely in rags and very dirty. In the morning I came to the community house and he was sitting in our little garden, either asleep with his eyes open or meditating. I called to him, “Mr. Hyde!”
“Can I stay here?” he asked again.
At that I wondered whether he was a drug addict. I have marvelous people in the city who work with young addicts. I have been in touch with them on more than one occasion when we have had trouble with children in the parish. I asked and he said, “No, of course not. I have no problems with drugs. I have a great aversion to life, without needing any drugs.”
I made coffee, we sat there, talking quietly. I didn’t ask him anything else. He was a likeable boy. I decided he was an American because he spoke American English very fluently.
Then Daniel arrived and Mr. Hyde immediately clammed up. He is slightly crazy of course. I said something he took the wrong way, and he suddenly stopped talking to me and fell silent. But he dug up the whole garden for us, evidently knowing how to work with trees. He’s a very workmanlike lad.
A few more days passed and Daniel sat him in the car and took him off somewhere. I was terribly curious of course, but did not ask, thinking that Daniel would tell me himself. But for the time being he said nothing.
9. 1994
L
ETTER FROM
B
INYOMIN
S
HIMES TO HIS MOTHER
, D
EBORAH
Dear Mama,
Forgive me for running away. I had no choice. Please do not look for me. I am fine. I’m not sure I will come back home. Father told me he left home when he was 16 because he decided to build a life on his own model. I am 16, too, but so far do not know what model I want to build my life on. Certainly not yours. It seems to me that you put too much pressure on me. Please do not worry, I will let you know where I am when I have sorted myself out.
I was not going to write to you but somebody advised me to be kind so that is what I have done.
Binyomin
10. 1994, Haifa
T
ALK BETWEEN
D
ANIEL AND
H
ILDA
DANIEL. I took him to Rafail. It is quiet there. You can think and recuperate. I feel sorry for the boy. On the other hand, his parents … He said he wrote them a letter telling them not to worry. I’m quite sure they’re beside themselves with worry.
He said he had run away from a psychiatric clinic. He is going through a crisis. What do you think?
HILDA. As you’ve taken him to Rafail, he is your responsibility.
DANIEL. So what do you think, should I send him away from us? Is that what you think?
HILDA. I don’t know. If he’s found there, it will cause a lot of fuss.
DANIEL. I suppose it will.
HILDA. But we couldn’t put him out on the street.
DANIEL. I don’t know. Hilda, did you never run away from home when you were a child?
HILDA. I did one time. They found me toward evening and my stepfather gave me a right telling off. How about you?
DANIEL. When I was about the age he is, I ran away from home with my whole family. The Germans were advancing.
HILDA. Let’s take him away from Rafail and move him to some good family. Either to Adam or Josef.
DANIEL. We need to talk to them.
11. 1994
F
ROM A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE POLICE AND
D
EBORAH
S
HIMES
Is that the Shimes’ apartment? Police station here. We have detained your boy. He won’t make a statement. In fact we can’t get a word out of him. We have no grounds for holding him apart from your statement. It’s not for us to decide whether he should be put in a psychiatric hospital. We have called a psychiatrist and an official from the Ministry of Education, and please come yourselves as soon as possible.