Volume I - Episode 56 Where: Jerusalem, Israel When: 2 years and 21 days before E-Day, 6:24 pm There are defining moments in every person's life. Events and experiences that nudge us towards new destinations, and change our lives forever. For Roni Ben-nun, the first change of course took place a few weeks after her eleventh birthday, when she watched a poorly-written documentary about Gorod Drevnih. Her newfound obsession with the mysterious and secret city drew her for the first time into the world of academic pursuits, changing her from a shy but reasonably social child into a reclusive bookworm. The year 2000 brought both her 16th birthday and her second defining moment. She found love. Gilad was Roni's dream, her knight in shining armour. He awakened feelings within her that she never realised were possible. He showed her love, and happiness, and drew her out of the world of books and history and ancient, deadly walls, and back into the world of the present. He brought her back to life. Gilad was also responsible for Roni's third defining moment when, at the end of 2003, he took her hand in his and lowered himself down on one knee. She could still remember his beautiful, gleaming smile as he asked that one question every little girl dreams of hearing. And she could still remember how powerfully her heart thumped in her chest as she said "Yes". She had never, ever felt so happy. Then 2004 had happened. The year had begun quietly enough, with Roni enrolling in an accounting degree at Hebrew University while Gilad finished his final year of military service. Accounting had never thrilled her, but at least it would lead to a steady job. Gilad, who had always had a passion for sports, planned to study physiotherapy. But that passion was brought to an abrupt end on March 13 when he and two other soldiers had boarded a passenger bus in northern Jerusalem. Two minutes later, the young Palestinian woman sitting quietly at the back of the bus pressed the tiny button that lay hidden beneath her clothes. The bomb tore the 12-tonne bus to pieces. Twelve passengers lay dead. Gilad was among them. Later that evening, as Roni's parents sped along Route 1 from Hod HaSharon to Jerusalem to comfort their devastated daughter, a motorcycle lost control in front of them. The bike fishtailed left, then right, then disappeared in a ball of dust and smoke as it dumped its unfortunate rider onto the asphalt. Roni's father swore loudly and swerved, barely missing the severely injured rider's head, but completely unable to miss the large concrete pylon standing at the edge of the road. The bottom fell out of Roni's world. Her fiance and both of her parents...all dead on the very same day. For the next few months, she was inconsolable. She went through the motions of mourning - tearing her clothes at the burial services, and following all of the rituals of shiva, the week-long period of grief and bereavement. But she felt empty inside. Changed. The weeks turned into months. Still she felt no better. Time knew it had work to do, but it sat back, delighting in her suffering, callously refusing to step in and heal her wounds. As time wore on, she gradually found herself falling back into old habits. Her social circles collapsed then disappeared. She abandoned her friends. And as the archaeology and history books found their way back into her life, she lost herself in study. Finally, she knew what she needed to do. She knew how to progress her life with any sort of feeling or happiness. At the very moment that she quit her accounting course and changed to a degree in archaeology, a sense of relief washed over her. Her childhood passion had been reignited. The elusive, walled city of Gorod Drevnih called to her once more. First published: Saturday, 23 July 2011 Credits: Roni played by Veronica Inbar Roni photographed by me Composited in Photoshop CS5 Extended Additional filters using Filter Forge Pro 2