Chapter 18 – Home
The streets in the area around the harbor were lined by run-down brickstone tenement blocks, whose aspect Henry reminded of old shacks rather than houses. Numerous clothes lines had been stretched from one building to the other, laden with bedsheets and underpants to dry.
It was obvious that the people who lived here were poor. They wore frayed and mended clothes, and their faces were marked by the hardship that their new lives forced upon them day by day. Some of them looked rough and scary as they were loitering in dark backyards and side alleys which had strange names like ʻBlind Manʼs Streetʼ or ʻRagman Alley.ʼ Dirty little children were staring curiously at the coach as it was driving by. Later Paul would tell Henry that many of these children were orphans who did child labor during the day and slept rough at night, trying to survive all on their own.
“Thatʼs where we lived originally, Yasmina and I,” Paul remarked. “Thanks God, these days are over…”
Remembering Paulʼs early letters, Henry believed to recall that his brother had painted a rather rosy picture in his efforts to describe his new life. Paul had not concealed the fact that he lived in a simple place, lacking any imaginable comfort, but he had not told Henry that he lived in one of the poorest and neglected districts of the city where Henry would not have dared to venture outside at night. But then again Paul had never really demanded high standards and was able to be happy with the basics.
After having passed an industrial site where the air was filled with puffs of black smoke from the many furnaces, they entered a more noble part of the city as they were continuing their way along the rivershore. This area offered magnificent views onto the East River where numerous steam-driven ferries, vessels and barges were busy transporting passengers or goods to the ports of far off lands, or simply to another part of town.
The streets were overcrowded with horse-drawn carriages, and the facades of the houses were plastered with commercial signs and equipped with colorful awnings, underneath which the vendors displayed their groceries. Henry noticed that the buildings were much taller than back in England, most of them counting about four stories or more. Still, they were not as tall as the bridge which suddenly came in sight and which Henry remembered having seen when the Princess of the Seas had sailed into the harbor. Only when they were standing right in front of it, he realized how massive and intimidating the construction really was.
“I hope you are not afraid of heights,” Paul remarked. “But I am afraid, in order to get to the place where I live, we must cross the river.”
Paul fumbled in his trouser pockets in search of some money. A man appeared next to the coach and accepted the penny for the toll that Paul handed him. Then the man gave the coach driver a sign to go on.
“And it is really safe?” Henry asked uncertainly.
“I suppose so, yes,” Paul answered. “In the beginning people were quite scared. But at some stage, a circus let a herd of twenty-one elephants walk over it in order to demonstrate how safe it was. I think this ultimately eradicated everybodyʼs doubts although there were some occasional incidents of mass hysteria in the past.”
When they entered the bridge, the sun finally rose into the sky like a halo, bathing everything and everyone with its golden light; the houses, the ships on the river, and the bridgeʼs arched portals.
Next to the coach on one of the other lanes, Henry could see people on horseback and farmers who were transporting cages with live chicken and geese in it. But there was also an elevated promenade where elegant ladies were taking a morning stroll, watching the beautiful sunrise. Underneath them the ferries and vessels were crossing the river, and the sunlight sparkled like little diamonds on the waterʼs surface.
“So tell me, Dr. Scott, what made you come to America then?” Paul asked Oscar.
Henry only half listened to Oscarʼs tales about his adventurous spirit having been kindled and his desire for a change of scenery. Just like Sarah next to him, he excitedly peered out of the window and found himself being overwhelmed by all the new impressions. Sarah turned her head to look at him, and Henry was relieved to see that the expression of bitterness on her face, which he had noticed a while ago, had entirely disappeared and had given way to a blissful smile.
When they had reached the end of the bridge, they began to travel north until they arrived in a borough called Williamsburgh. Some fifteen minutes later, the coach stopped in front of a neat three storey brownstone house in a street called Summer Hill Avenue, which was lined by a row of tall poplars. The trees were bare of leaves now, but Henry guessed that this place had to look rather beautiful in spring time when everything was in full blossom.
Paul helped the coach driver take the luggage down from the coach roof. Then he led Henry, Sarah and Oscar to the house and opened the door. Inside, they climbed up the stairwell to the top floor, and—having arrived there—they were received by a very pretty, dark-haired young woman with a gorgeous, winning smile and curiously sparkling eyes. Judging by the size of her belly Henry gathered that she was pregnant, just like Sarah.
“This is my wife Yasmina,” Paul explained. “And these are our two children, Ephraim and Renana.”
A boy and a girl appeared at either side of Yasmina and shyly hid behind their mother. From Paulʼs letters Henry knew that Renana had just turned six and that Ephraim was still a toddler of about eighteen months who could barely walk. The boy stuck his thumb in his mouth and began to suck at it, a slightly indifferent expression on his face, whereas the girl could barely conceal her excitement, just like her mother.
Yasmina lifted Ephraim up with her arms and turned to Henry, Sarah, and Oscar again.
“Borek-Habo and Sholem-Aleykhem,” she twittered merrily.
Henry felt Sarah tug at the sleeve of his jacket.
“I do not understand a word...” she whispered helplessly. “You never told me that they speak a different language in America.”
“They donʼt speak a different language in America,” Yasmina, who had heard her, explained in perfect English. “But my family speaks a different language. Borek-Habo and Sholem-Aleykhem is Yiddish and means something like ʻWelcome, nice to meet you.ʼ We are Jewish. I hope this isnʼt... well, a problem for you...?”
Yasmina uncertainly looked at Henry, Sarah and Oscar.
“Why should it?” Sarah asked puzzled.
“We are more than pleased to meet you, Mrs. Abbott,” Henry said, while Oscar took Yasminaʼs hand and kissed it, which made her blush.
“Henry brought his friend, Dr. Scott, and Sarah, his girl,” Paul said to his wife. “Do you think you could prepare two extra portions for lunch?”
Oscar immediately interfered before Yasmina could open her mouth and respond.
“Please, donʼt. I only happened to come along with Henry. I will be on my way shortly and most definitely do not want to cause you any additional trouble...”
Yasmina took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“It is no trouble at all, Doctor,” she said softly. “Please do come in and get to know my family. It would be an honor for us to have you as a guest.”
Oscar bashfully lowered his gaze.
“Well, if you so kindly ask me in, I will, of course, not reject your generous invitation,” he said. Now it was his turn to blush.
“Lovely!” Yasmina chirped. Henry found her lively and cheerful nature rather contagious.
Yasmina led Henry, Oscar and Sarah inside, and the next moment they found themselves in a small living room. The wonderful smell of freshly made coffee filled the air and made Henryʼs mouth water.
The room was only scarcely furbished. There were a couple of chairs, a sofa and a dining table, the latter decorated with a vase of flowers. Sitting on the sofa was an elderly woman in her late seventies, who curiously peered through a pair of glasses at the numerous people who had suddenly turned up at her doorstep. In a corner, Henry spotted a little desk with a sewing machine on it, and next to it lay an enormous pile of clothes. There were no pictures on the walls whose faded wallpaper threatened to come off in some spots, peeling like the skin of someone who had lain in the sun for a little bit too long. No item in the room, neither the candlesticks nor the curtains, neither the sofa nor the carpet, matched with the other items in colour or style. Henry guessed that it was all just an assortment of things Paul and Yasmina had found in second hand stores or on jumble sales over the years. Especially the sofa appeared as if it was dating back to the times of Queen Anne, with several springs sticking out of the upholstery.
But despite its slightly run-down aspect and unconventional patchwork style, the place was neat and very tidy, comfortable and inviting, and radiated the warmth and love of its inhabitants.
As there wasnʼt a proper kitchen, food had to be prepared on a cast-iron range cooker in a small niche in the living room. There, standing next to a cupboard which held the cups and plates, Henry spotted a woman in her forties, who bore a striking resemblance to Yasmina and who was just in the process of making some coffee.
“This is my mother Esther,” Yasmina explained. Esther wiped her hands at a towel and walked over to Henry, Oscar and Sarah in order to greet them.
“Sholem-Aleykhem,” she said and added with a strong accent, “it is very nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Henry answered. “Thanks for having us, Mrs... sorry, I donʼt even know your name.”
“Levy,” Yasminaʼs mother answered politely, “but please call me Esther.”
“And this is Bubbe,” Paul pointed at the old woman on the sofa. “Her name is actually Muriel, but we all call her Bubbe, which means grandmother.”
Henry, Oscar and Sarah said hello to Bubbe, who asked Paul something in Yiddish.
“They are friends of my brother Henry!” Paul shouted into her ear. “Henry is the one with the sling!”
Henry guessed that Bubbe couldnʼt hear very well.
Yasmina rolled her eyes at Paul.
“I keep telling you that she doesnʼt understand you if you talk to her so fast. And donʼt shriek into her ears like that. She is not deaf yet. Let me do it. ”
Yasmina sat down next to Bubbe and began to softly speak to her in Yiddish while pointing her finger over to Henry, Oscar and Sarah alternately. Quietly listening to what Yasmina had to say, Bubbe nodded and then, in a welcoming gesture, waved over to the three strangers in her living room.
“You must excuse her,” Yasmina explained when she had got up from the sofa again. “She is too old to learn another language. There are days when she doesnʼt even remember her name. But believe it or not, she is an expert on card games. She always wins.”
Esther had just finished setting the table with cups, cutlery, and a huge plate of fresh bagels.
“Please, have a seat,” she said. And although she smiled and appeared overly friendly, Henry didnʼt fail to notice a certain melancholy and sadness in her eyes, as if she was in fact hiding a lot of grief deep inside of her.
They all sat down at the table, whereas Bubbe remained seated on the sofa with Renana crouching next to her. The girl was busy combing the hair of her doll, but every so often she risked a secretive and curious glance over to Sarah.
“It is very nice here,” Henry remarked as he was watching Yasmina pour delicious steaming coffee into his cup.
“Well, it is most definitely an improvement to where we lived before,” Paul said and took a bagel from the plate. “In the beginning we all lived in these tenements on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where nearly all the newly-arrived immigrants stay. You saw the blocks when we drove out of the harbor. It was cheap—only one Dollar a week—but it was also terribly run-down and filthy. And you had to share with an awful lot of people. As for myself, I shared one room with a family of five, but Yasmina, Esther and Bubbe were stuck in a place with nine people in a tenement at the other end of the quarter very close to the canal; so they were twelve altogether. Not counting in the rats.”
Paul gave a little laugh, whereas Yasmina pulled a tortured face.
“Oh yes, the rats... that was a nightmare...” she mumbled.
“Not as bad as the lice plaque, though,” Esther threw in.
“Yes, that was extremely bad!” Paul exclaimed. “I mean, rats can at least be kept at bay in one way or the other, but the lice were simply all over the place! If one had them, everyone had them. Disgusting!”
“There wasnʼt any running water either,” Yasmina added. “And on top of that we were always worried that someone might carry a disease that could break out; typhoid and the likes. I was so scared back then, especially during the time that I was pregnant with Renana...”
Upon hearing her name, Renana climbed off the sofa, strolled over to Sarah and examined her from head to toe.
“You hair is like the hair of my doll. Can I show you my doll?” the girl asked sheepishly.
“Renana, my darling,” Yasmina said to her, “let Sarah eat her bagel first. She must be very hungry and tired. You can show her your doll later.”
Renana pouted a little but ultimately succumbed to her motherʼs wish and crept back on the sofa, where she was lingering and secretly watching the small congregation at the table from afar, waiting for the right moment when she could start another attempt to get Sarahʼs attention which she so obviously wanted.
“Anyway,” Paul said with a sigh, “it was a rough time. And we were really lucky when we got this place here.”
“How did you manage to find it?” Henry asked.
“Paul had been working down at the docks,” Yasmina continued. “And Bubbe, mother and I had begun to do cheap sewing work for the neighbors. After having spent years of making sacrifices, we had managed to put a little money aside. And eventually Paul and I decided to follow the example of the Spielbergs, some Jewish friends of us who had previously moved to Williamsburgh and who told us that the borough had a huge Jewish community with many synagogues and Jewish schools for children.”
“We couldnʼt afford a big flat like the one the Spielbergs had rented,” Paul added. “But considering the place we had stayed before, we found that this flat here was as good as anything. It might be a wretched shack, but it provides enough space for all of us, and most importantly we have it to ourselves. That helps you ignore the fact that the odd thing here and there is in need of being repaired or redecorated.”
“May I ask, how you met each other?” Oscar asked while gratefully accepting another bagel which Esther handed him.
“That is quite a short story actually,” Paul answered. “Yasminaʼs family and I had lived a fair bit apart from each other, one or two blocks or so. One day in the late evening hours after work, I was on my way back home when I suddenly saw Yasmina walking down the street, pulling a very heavy handcart behind her, laden with firewood for the stove. It was snowing terribly back then and it was cold and windy, and so she had wrapped a woollen scarf around her face. I hardly saw anything of her except for her sparkling eyes.”
“I remember that moment very well when Paul suddenly appeared next to me, seemingly out of nowhere,” Yasmina added. “At first I feared he was a vagabond, trying to rob my firewood. But then he only asked me if he should help me carry the cart. And how could I have said no to him with the crooked smile he flashed at me? I completely fell for him... Anyway, Paul pulled my cart all the way back home and even carried the firewood up the stairs to the third floor where we lived.”
“And when I arrived at their place, I came just in time for dinner,” Paul continued with a grin. “Because I had helped Yasmina, Esther was so kind to invite me in return. And when she served me that delicious Falafel which she had cooked, I was captivated. From that day on, Yasmina and I were together and I moved in with her, the family, and the rats. It was as simple as that.”
“Well, I hope my motherʼs Falafel wasnʼt the only reason that you married me,” Yasmina said in a tone of playful reproach.
“Of course not.” Paul winked at Yasmina mischievously and added, “But I must admit that it played a major part in my decision-making process.”
Laughter filled the air. Yasmina pulled a face but soon cheered up when Paul leaned over and planted a tender kiss on her cheek.
“Paul, do you think you could possibly ask your boss down at the docks if he could give me some work, too?” Henry asked.
“Sure,” Paul answered and took a bite of his bagel, “they always need people down there.”
“Henry,” Oscar remarked, “I think you should not do anything in a rush and still try and apply for this position that Deirdre and Shannon mentioned.”
Yasmina and Paul cast Henry a curious look.
“It is a teaching position offered by a certain Mr. Sandler,” Henry explained casually. “Allegedly he is the co-owner of some company selling Irish souvenirs. But I seriously donʼt think that I will stand a chance.”
“Did you say Sandler?” Yasmina blurted out. “You are not talking about M.O.I., are you?!”
“M.O.I.?” Henry asked puzzled.
“Memories of Ireland,” Paul explained. “Thatʼs a very big company which imports products from Ireland for rich Irish people who live here in America and want to feel a little bit like home. The founder is someone called Neill Kavanagh. Sandler is his business partner.”
“Kavanagh!” Oscar exclaimed. “Thatʼs the father of the two women we met on board! When they heard that Henry is a teacher, they suggested he should try and get in touch with Mr. Sandler who is apparently looking for a private tutor for his two boys.”
“Oh my goodness! Can you imagine, Paul, he is going to work for Mr. Sandler!” Yasmina blurted out excitedly.
Henry laughed and raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “Such an announcement is probably a little bit premature. I havenʼt even applied for the position yet.”
“But you really should,” Paul said. “Sandler is one of the richest entrepreneurs in the city. If you really get to work for him, I am sure you will be paid very well. This is a really great opportunity for you.”
“And what about me? What will I do?” Sarah, who had been rather quiet and shy ever since Paul had collected them at the pier, suddenly asked. Yasmina turned to her and smiled.
“Sarah, can you sew?” she asked softly.
“Yes, I can,” Sarah answered.
“It is just that I was wondering if you would be interested in helping my mother and me with our sewing work,” Yasmina went on. “You know, when we moved out here, we continued offering our services to the people. And we have managed to build a considerable client base in this area. Now Esther and I can hardly keep up with the workload. We were already considering to employ someone. If you like, you can help us. That will give you some extra money and something to do when Henry is at work.”
Sarahʼs whole face came alive. She beamed when she answered, “I would love to.”
“Oh, thatʼs perfect then!” Yasmina exclaimed, happily clapping her hands.
“Tell us your story now,” Esther suddenly asked Henry and Sarah. “How did you two meet?”
Henry hesitated, uncertain if he should tell the Levys what had really happened back in England. But before he could open his mouth and say something, Paul began to speak.
“He actually fought a duel with another man.” Henry noticed that Paulʼs voice was tinged with admiration and respect.
“Oh did you?!” Yasmina exclaimed.
“Well, I didnʼt kill anyone,” Henry explained yet again. “We only had a little fight. That was when this here happened...”
Henry pointed at his bandaged arm.
“Oh, isnʼt this so romantic...” Yasmina sighed in a sudden bout of sentimentality.
“Well, in all seriousness,” Henry added, placing his hand on Oscarʼs shoulder, “we wouldnʼt have managed to get away unscathed if it had not been for this man here. If he had not come to my aid in the nick of time, I donʼt know where we would be...”
Oscar bashfully lowered his gaze.
“I would rather say that we were a good team,” he said. “Both of us equally contributed to the success of this... undertaking, so to speak.”
“Well, we must definitely find you a place to stay, Dr. Scott,” Yasmina said. “We will not have you wander around on your own on your very first day in New York.”
“Thatʼs right,” Paul added quickly.
“Why donʼt you ask the Rosenzweigs?” Esther threw in. “Their son Hamish has moved out of their flat a couple of weeks ago to live with his wife Miriam. They might have a spare room now.”
“Thatʼs actually a brilliant idea!” Paul replied enthusiastically. “You know, I might as well go over to them right now and ask them.”
“Oh yes, do that!” Yasmina agreed.
Paul got up from his chair.
“I will be back in a short while,” he said, then he dashed out of the room.
Esther poured Henry, Oscar and Sarah some more coffee into their cups.
“So what made you come over to America then?” Sarah asked Yasmina and Esther.
Yasmina, who had just been so overly merry because of her motherʼs brilliant idea and the fact that Oscar was taken care of, suddenly turned rather serious and quiet. Esther didnʼt say anything either and merely stared at the table, a pensive and sad expression on her face.
“Have I said something wrong...?” Sarah asked uncertainly upon noticing the unexpected change in Yasminaʼs and Estherʼs demeanor.
“No, Sarah, it is alright,” Yasmina said softly and forced a smile. She hesitated for a moment before she went on. “We came to America, because it just nicer here. The people are friendly and the city offers a lot of opportunities. Thatʼs all.”
The sudden casual tone to Yasminaʼs voice stroke Henry as odd. He couldnʼt get rid of the impression that Yasmina wanted to conceal something from him, Oscar and Sarah.
“Why donʼt you tell them the truth, Yasmina?” Esther said to her, sounding calm and serious.
Yasmina swallowed some tears. She lowered her head and began to nervously play with the napkin on the table. As she didnʼt show any inclination to elaborate on the issue any further, though, Esther began to speak.
“You must know, we lived in Germany originally, but eventually we found that it would be better for all of us if we left. And there is a simple explanation for it: In certain places certain people are welcome, and certain people are not. As for us, we were not.”
“But… but why…?” Sarahʼs confused gaze darted back and forth between Yasmina and Esther.
“My dear parents moved from Russia to the south of Germany about fifty years ago,” Esther continued. “My father was a tailor and set up a little tailorʼs shop in Munich. He did quite well and managed to nourish me and our dear daughter Yasmina. We had many friends and led a wonderful life. When my father died because of a weak heart, my husband, who had until then worked in a factory, took over the shop. If you ask me for my opinion why the mood towards us so suddenly changed... well, I am afraid I am unable to tell you. I suppose that it was because quite a lot of Jews had come to live in Germany. And for some reason, the people there donʼt seem to be able to deal with the great number of them. Some people envy other peopleʼs success. They definitely envied our success although we were not really rich at all. But we were not poor either. We were just average people, trying to get by. And we happened to be successful. Is that a crime? But at the end of the day I suppose it doesnʼt really matter. People have always been afraid of things they donʼt understand, of cultures that are different, of traditions that appear unfamiliar. Our culture and traditions are different. And it seems that people need to fight what they are afraid of, or else it is regarded as a threat. It has always been like that, and will probably always be.”
Esther smiled weakly, slowly raised her cup and took a sip of her coffee. Then she continued with her story.
“People began to grow hostile against us. Well, not only against us. There were some other Jews living in our area, who experienced the same. One day somebody threw a stone through our bedroom window. There was a note attached to it, saying ʻGet out, Jews.ʼ It wasnʼt anything unusual for us to receive notes like this. Once we even had these lines scrawled all over the front of the house. It wasnʼt such a big problem. You get used to it. You can paint a wall. You can replace a window pane. But then, two days after the incident with the stone, one of our Jewish friends came running to us, informing us that our tailorʼs shop had gone up in flames. Somebody had set it on fire. My husband Ishmail ran over to it as fast a he could, trying to extinguish the fire. Except for our Jewish friends, nobody helped. When Ishmail realized that he would not be able to save the shop from burning to the ground, he decided to at least save some of his expensive sewing machines and the clothes he had already made for our valued customers. And so he ran inside the burning building. He managed to escape the fire, but ultimately he died because of smoke poisoning.”
Esther stared vacantly at Henry. There were no tears in her eyes, and her face did not show any emotion. Henry guessed that she had somehow learnt to deal with her endless grief, and that there simply were no tears left to cry.
“Excuse me please,” Yasmina suddenly croaked. Then, breaking out in sobs, she jumped up from her chair and hastened over to a door leading into one of the adjacent rooms.
“I am so terribly sorry... I should not have asked...” Sarah whimpered, embarrassedly lowering her head.
“Donʼt be sorry,” Esther said. “It is my fault. Please forgive me; it was not my intention to ruin our merry gathering with our family history.”
“You didnʼt ruin anything,” Oscar said softly. “We are deeply affected by what has happened to you. I am in fact at a loss of words...”
With a quick movement, he placed his hand on Esther Levyʼs hand and patted it gently, which made her smile a little.
Henry was grateful that Oscar had managed to comfort Esther, as he himself simply didnʼt know what to say. He could now understand why, upon their arrival, Yasmina had asked them if they had a problem with her being Jewish. She had been afraid that she would be rejected. What Henry couldnʼt understand was how these loving people, who had welcomed him, Oscar, and Sarah in such a friendly way, could be despised by anyone at all.
“Well, I think I will go and look after my daughter. Please, excuse me,” Esther said and was already getting up when Sarah suddenly asked, “May I go?”
Esther gave her a warm smile.
“Of course you can.”
* * *
Sarah found Yasmina sitting on her bed. The girl was holding a crumpled handkerchief in her hands and was staring out of the window, a strangely blank and dreamy expression on her face.
Sarah stood at the door, not knowing what to do or what to say.
“It wasnʼt all bad in Germany, you know,” Yasmina began without averting her gaze from the window, as if she was seeing something out there, a picture of past and happy days. “Despite my fatherʼs terrible fate, I miss home so much... Do you know what it is like to walk along the shores of Lake Königsee on a sunny springtime afternoon? And to feed the swans at the turquoise lake under a clear blue sky? Many believe that it always rains in Germany, but this is not true at all... And all around the lake there is the vast dense woodland, fir trees and spruces, and in the distance on the slope of the hill there rises King Ludwigʼs castle, just like in a fairytale... On clear days like these you can even see the mountains in the distance with their icy tops. Can you imagine that?”
Yasminaʼs voice had become a hardly audible whisper.
“I am afraid, I can not imagine it,” Sarah said softly. “I have never been to the mountains, and I have never heard of a King Ludwig either. But I know what it is like to leave oneʼs home behind; even though not all memories might be good ones...”
Yasmina finally tore her gaze away from the window and looked at Sarah, who took this as an invitation to walk over to the bed and sit down next to Yasmina.
“I had a best friend in Germany,” Yasmina continued. “She was called Annegret and she was German, but she never cared about what the others said about me and my family although this made her the target of animosities, too. We spent every single moment together. I miss her so much...”
Sarah shyly played with a strand of her hair.
“You donʼt know me at all, but maybe... maybe I can be your friend...?”
Suddenly, a warm smile blossomed on Yasminaʼs lips, and all her sadness seemed to disappear.
“Of course you can be my friend,” she said and took Sarahʼs hands in hers.
“However, I have to add that... that I have never really had any friends,” Sarah stammered. “I am afraid, I do not even know how to be a friend to someone. I have always lived a rather isolated life...”
“Oh, donʼt you worry about it.” Yasminaʼs eyes began to sparkle. “First we have to go window shopping!”
“I do not have any money...”
“You will not need any money for this,” Yasmina explained, becoming rather excited. “Window shopping means that we stroll through the arcades and admire all the nice unaffordable things they have on display in the luxurious shops. Then we go inside, pretend that we are really well-off, look at everything, try it on, and then leave, pretending it all wasnʼt good enough for us. And in the evening when we come back home, we sit over a nice cup of coffee and rant over all the things we would have loved to buy and which we will buy once we are rich. It is such an enjoyable past time activity, youʼll see!”
The two girls laughed.
“You are pregnant, too, arenʼt you?” Sarah then asked.
Yasmina smiled proudly and stroked her belly.
“Yes, I am indeed... It will be due next year in April.”
“So will mine,” Sarah said.
“Oh, wouldnʼt it be nice if we could go through this pregnancy together? We could go for walks with the pram! In the park!”
“Yes, that would be very nice!”
Suddenly, someone knocked and opened the door. It was Paul, pulling a rather worried face.
“Is everything alright?” he asked carefully. “Esther told me that you had all become a little bit upset after I left.”
“Everythingʼs fine, fine, fine! Now get out, we are having an important ladiesʼ talk here,” Yasmina quickly replied and made a dismissive gesture with her hand, indicating her husband to leave.
Paul grinned and shook his head.
“By the way, the Rosenzweigs will come over later tonight,” he said. “It looks like we have found a place for Oscar to stay.”
“That is wonderful!" Yasmina exclaimed..
Then Paul softly closed the door and left.
“They seem to be alright. Ladiesʼ talk...” he said when he came back into the living room.
“Donʼt you think we should prepare Henry and Sarahʼs room now?” Esther remarked. “They surely want to have a little rest after the long journey.”
“That is a good idea actually.” Paul immediately disappeared in a room which lay right next to the bedroom from where Yasminaʼs and Sarahʼs merry and girlish laughter could be heard.
Henry was glad to see that Sarah was so happy in Yasminaʼs presence. During the past days he had already felt that Sarah needed some kind of close female friend with whom she could talk about things which she could not really talk about with a man. He hoped that Yasmina would be that kind of friend for her in the future.
Henry finished his coffee, got up from the chair and followed his brother.
“Paul, tell me, is that the guestroom?” he asked as he was looking around. He was a little bit worried because it was obvious that it wasnʼt the guestroom. There was a doll sitting on the nightstand, and some childrenʼs books were scattered all over the floor.
“No, Henry, thatʼs where Renana and Ephraim normally sleep. But they can move into the living room for a while,” Paul answered casually. He was already in the process of pulling the sheets off the bed which was merely an oversized mattress on the floor. “I just need to check with Yasmina where she has hidden fresh bedsheets. I donʼt know where she puts all these things.”
Henry quickly tried to stop his brother.
“Paul, please listen to me,” he said. “I really donʼt want you to go through all that trouble for us.”
Paul shrugged.
“Why not? You are family.”
“Paul, we donʼt want to drive these children out of their room. And you are already five people living in this place. I am feeling rather awful...”
Paul let the used bedsheet carelessly fall onto the floor. Then he turned around and put his hands on Henryʼs shoulders.
“Henry,” he said gravely, “these children slept with three people and a dog on a torn, flea-ridden blanket on the floor. Believe me, you have no idea what it was really like back then in the tenements. I can assure you that Renana and Ephraim can put up with quite a lot of things, as long as it doesnʼt rain through the roof, and as long as nobody insults them or causes any pain to them. That, Henry, would be a major problem and much worse than having to sleep out there on the very comfortable sofa. Do you understand what I mean?”
Looking into his brotherʼs eyes, Henry could clearly see Paulʼs enormous fear that his children, who meant the world to him, could ever experience something similar as Yasmina and her family had back then in Germany; the fear that Renana and Ephraim could ever be rejected, could ever go through the same hell.
“Yes, I think I do understand...” Henry mumbled somewhat embarrassed.
“Alright then, Bonebreaker,” Paul said and let go of Henry again. “And now help me with that bed here. I am afraid, I am all thumbs...”
Suddenly Yasmina and Sarah appeared in the room. They carried fresh bedsheets and were all smiles. While the two girls began to make the bed, Renana sheepishly lingered in the frame of the door until she eventually walked over to her mother and shyly tugged at her skirt.
“Mama, can I show Sarah my drawings?”
“Well, you must ask her,” Yasmina answered. “She might be tired and might want to get some sleep now.”
Renana pulled a disappointed face and was already about to leave when Sarah suddenly took her little hand and softly said, “I would actually love to see your drawings.”
Renanaʼs whole face came alive. She immediately rushed over to a little wooden chest which stood in a corner of the room and tore off the lid. Inside the chest lay a pile of papers which she grabbed. Then she happily marched out of the bedroom and into the living room where she spread all the papers on the dinner table.
An amused smile on his lips, Henry followed Renana and Sarah back into the living room where he found Oscar sitting next to Bubbe on the sofa, checking her heart with a stethoscope which he had taken out of his doctorʼs suitcase.
“Is everything alright?” Henry asked with a frown.
“She is fine,” Esther said. “Dr. Scott was so kind to have a look at her because she hasnʼt felt very well recently.”
“Her blood pressure is a little bit high indeed, and she seems to suffer from heart rhythm,” Oscar remarked, putting the stethoscope back into his doctorʼs suitcase. “But I can give her some medication. That should help her.”
Esther translated to Bubbe what Oscar had said. A flirtatious twinkle in her eyes, Bubbe suddenly reached out and pinched Oscarʼs cheek. Then she burst out in merry laughter while Oscar smiled sheepishly and blushed. Henry had to grin at the fact that Oscarʼs charms obviously even seemed to work on ladies who were way past their mating age.
Henry was just about to sit down next to his friend on the sofa when Paul called over to him.
“B.B., would you like to join me for a smoke?”
“Oh, very much so, yes,” Henry quickly replied, got up and followed his brother downstairs and outside. Having arrived there Paul handed Henry a cigarette, then he lit another one for himself and pulled at it.
Henry shook his head in disbelief and chuckled.
“Do you remember when you and I would go for a smoke in the yard behind our house?” he said. “God, it seems like yesterday... You know, I really canʼt believe that I am here, so many miles from home. I mean, for the past months it all seemed so... so hopeless. And now my whole life seems to have taken a completely different turn. It is all so new and alien…”
“You will get used to it,” Paul said, blowing the smoke out through his nostrils. “I know that feeling very well, the excitement, the nervousness, the exhilaration. I also know the disappointment, the disillusionment, the inevitable pitfalls. But donʼt you worry too much about it, Henry. Be confident that things will work out fine. Just look at me: One day I am a lone tramp on the street, and the next day I run into these people up there without whom I couldnʼt possibly live anymore.”
“You have a wonderful family, Paul.”
“Thanks, Henry. I know that life has been pretty generous to me, and I really hope that there are no major setbacks awaiting me. But I suppose things will be alright—with a little mazel...”
“Mazel?” Henry asked.
“Luck,” Paul answered and laughed. “I seem to get more and more into the habit of speaking Yiddish.”
“Tell me, wasnʼt there a problem when you married Yasmina?” Henry asked. “I mean, you are not Jewish after all. And as far as I know, Jews prefer that their sons and daughters marry Jews.”
“Yasmina and her family are secular Jews. They are not orthodox in the same way as other Jews are. That allows them to make some exceptions in certain fields of their lives. Well, that at least applies to Yasmina and Esther. As for Bubbe, she is rather traditional. If it had been up to her, I wouldnʼt have been allowed to marry into her family. She grew very suspicious when Yasmina told her that she was in love with me. She called me an old kaker.”
“A what?!”
“Well, it means something like old fart.”
Henry almost burst with laughter.
“She didnʼt trust my abilities to raise and support a family,” Paul added. “But then she saw that I worked day and night and that I brought home some money. Ultimately, that made her change her mind. She still calls me a fart sometimes, but then she grins at me and I know she doesnʼt really mean it. It is a little teasing game which neither of us takes really seriously. As for Esther, she is really nice. In fact, she is like a mother to me...”
Paul absent-mindedly stared at the cigarette in his hand.
“You know, I am really glad that you were there for our dying mother when I couldnʼt,” he mumbled.
“Donʼt you have any regrets, Paul,” Henry said softly, becoming aware of his brotherʼs qualms of conscience. “You wouldnʼt have managed to come over and arrive in London in time. Her death came quickly and unexpectedly. She didnʼt suffer all too much and simply fell asleep in my arms.”
Paul nodded. Then silence filled the air.
“Paul?” Henry asked after a little while, letting his gaze wander up and down the street. “How much does it cost to live in this area?”
“Not as much as in other parts of the city,” Paul answered.
“How much?” Henry asked yet again, seriously flirting with the idea of renting a place nearby for himself and Sarah. By no means did he want to move into one of those dreadful tenements which he had seen in the area around the harbour. He found that they might as well could go and sleep under a bridge.
“Ten Dollars,” Paul answered.
“A month? Thatʼs surprisingly cheap actually.”
“That would indeed be surprisingly cheap, Henry,” Paul replied with a bitter laugh.
Henry frowned.
“Donʼt tell me that itʼs ten Dollars a day.”
“No, that again would be far too expensive. I wouldnʼt be able to afford that. No, itʼs ten Dollars per week.”
Henry tried not to let his disappointment show too much. Ten Dollars a week was cheaper than ten for a day, but still way more than he was able to spend right now.
“Youʼll be fine, Henry,” Paul said encouragingly. “Go and apply for this position at Sandlerʼs place. I am sure he will employ you.”
“How come that everyone seems to be so sure about this when I am not?”
“Because you have always doubted yourself, Bonebreaker. Why donʼt you take Sarah as a living example for what you are capable of? And let Sarah help Yasmina with the sewing. That tailorʼs business of the Levys is going quite well. It will give Sarah something worthwhile to do. Apart from that, Sarahʼs company will surely be good for Yasmina as well, as she tends to brood quite a lot. She might appear rather merry at heart, but deep inside, she often suffers from strong emotions. On the one hand she feels homesick and misses Germany and the people she grew up with, but on the other hand she is struggling with the memories of what happened to her father... Sarah will distract her. And Yasmina in turn will distract Sarah who will surely also find herself struggling a little with the sudden changes in her life. I donʼt actually think that it would be wise to move into a flat with her in a rush now just because you are too bashful to accept our hospitality. Sarah would be all alone then once you start working. Thatʼs not good. She needs family around. Let her spend some time the Ladies Club up there. These girls are great company, believe me.”
“I donʼt doubt this in the least,” Henry answered. “Alright then, we will stay for a little while. But I will pay you for it, I promise.”
“Donʼt worry, Henry,” Paul said merrily and added, “You know what suddenly comes to my mind?”
“What?”
“Do you remember what our mother would say to us when we were children? She said, ʻIf you ever feel worry about what the future might bring or if you donʼt know which road to take, just look up to the firmament. Then you will see that God created as many opportunities as there are stars in the sky...ʼ”
Henry had to smile at that memory.
“Yes,” he whispered, “I actually do remember it very well, that comparison with the stars.”
“Well, donʼt forget it then.”
Paul winked at Henry, then he flipped the remnants of his cigarette on the ground, and the two men went back inside.
* * *
Back in the living room, Sarah was still sitting at the dinner table with Renana on her lap. The girl was fully immersed in drawing a picture of a horse.
“That is a lovely picture,” Sarah remarked.
“Do you like horses?” Renana asked.
“Yes, I like them very much.”
“A friend of my father has many horses,” Renana explained. “We go and visit them quite often, and then my father and his friend go for rides. You must ask my father if you can come with us. Maybe he lets you ride, too. And then you can also see the new baby horse.”
“I would really love to…”
Seeing Sarah at the table playing with the child, Henry felt his heart jump with joy in his chest. In this moment he just knew that Sarah would be a wonderful mother.
How much I love you...
As if Sarah had read his thoughts she suddenly raised her head, looked at him and cast him a happy smile, which he returned.
In the meantime, Yasmina and Esther were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. The whole room was filled with the smell of freshly cut vegetables, fish and broth, which reminded Henry that he was actually quite hungry. To his inner amusement, Yasmina had made Oscar put on an apron and had assigned him with the task of peeling potatoes; something which he seemed to rather enjoy as it gave him a chance to flirt a little with the two women.
Henry sat down next to Bubbe, and after a few minutes of watching Yasmina, Esther and Oscar cook, he fell into a pleasant slumber which he only woke from an hour later when it was time for lunch.
When they had all assembled round the table, Yasmina sung a short Yiddish prayer. Then she and Esther served chicken soup, followed by something called Gefilte Fish—meatballs made of sliced pieces of whitefish mixed with eggs, salt, pepper, onions, and flour. For dessert, they had baked cakes dipped in molasses, which Yasmina called Pirushkes. Sarah ate eight of them.
After lunch everyone helped clear the table. With the weather being rather mild and sunny, Esther suggested that they should all go for a walk while she would take care of the washing up. And so, Yasmina and Sarah helped the children put their coats on, then Yasmina linked arms with Sarah while Sarah in turn took Renana by the hand, and together they followed Henry, Oscar, and Paul outside.
It wasnʼt too cold and the sun shone down on them as they were taking a walk through the borough until they reached a very noble area with innumerable wonderful villas and beautiful little parks.
“This is Brooklyn Heights,” Yasmina whispered reverentially. “Thatʼs where all the rich people live. Mr. Sandler has a house here as well, hasnʼt he, Paul?”
“He does indeed,” Paul answered. “Just that I wouldnʼt really call it a plain house. Considering its dimensions it rather reminds me of a fortress…”
Henry could immediately understand why everyone seemed to be attracted to this area and why it was obviously a place which only very wealthy people such as diplomats, politicians, and rich entrepreneurs could afford: It was because of the spectacular view over the bay that it was offering.
“From here you can see the East River, Brooklyn Bridge, and the skyline of Lower Manhattan,” Paul explained as they were walking along the promenade which lined the shore.
“And there is Governorʼs Island and the Statue of Liberty,” Yasmina added.
Paulʼs and Yasminaʼs fingers excitedly pointed into all directions at the same time, and Henry didnʼt know at all where to look first.
Suddenly he began to feel as if he had already lived here for all of his life. Nothing seemed unfamiliar to him. He was unable to tell, though, if it was only due to the fact that he was with Paul, Oscar and Sarah, who werenʼt strangers to him after all, or due to the fact that Yasmina, Esther and Bubbe were giving him the feeling that he was already part of the family. All he knew was that he felt at home and happy as he was being surrounded by all the people he loved.
“Oh no, there we go again...” Yasmina suddenly moaned and pulled a face. Henry turned his head into the direction she was looking and tried to understand what she meant, but all he could see were two young women who were lingering a little bit further down the road, one of them holding a parasol in her hands, the other one sporting a big hat. They were chuckling nervously and pointing at Paul, who cleared his throat and let his hand nervously run through his hair a couple of times as if he was already expecting that the women would shortly come over to him—which, to Henryʼs surprise, they did.
When the two ladies arrived, they quickly mumbled a greeting into the direction of Yasmina, Sarah, Oscar and Henry, but other than that they only had eyes for Paul.
“We are terribly sorry to disturb you, Mr. Abbott,” the woman with the parasol said and blushed a little. “It is you, isnʼt it?”
“It is indeed,” Paul answered politely and obviously flattered.
“You see, Charlotte, I told you it was him,” the woman hissed to her friend and then turned to Paul again, chuckling nervously. “She just wouldnʼt believe me.”
“Margaret and I just wanted to express our admiration and inform you how impressed we were with your latest performance,” the woman with the big hat remarked.
“Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoyed it,” Paul replied and blushed.
“Oh, we did not only enjoy it. We were spellbound!” Charlotte exclaimed. “We so much loved the part when you said, ʻSo shoot me then and know that thy deed shalt not remain unatoned, for my people will know that I died for them!ʼ”
Paul took a slight bow and blushed yet again.
“Oh, please, do tell us, Mr. Abbott, when can we except another stage performance of yours?” Margaret asked excitedly.
“Well, I am currently preparing for a play that is called Sodom and Gomorrah,” Paul explained.
“Is it a romantic story again?” Charlotte enquired, a curious flicker in her eyes.
“Well, not really. It actually is about the life of a destitute writer, who is an alcoholic and ends up going insane, having visions of black cockroaches until he ultimately believes he is one himself.”
For a moment Margaret and Charlotte stared at Paul with a blank expression on their faces.
“Oh, well, that sounds very interesting,” Charlotte finally said, “and very challenging, I suppose.”
“It is challenging indeed,” Paul said, “especially that part with the cockroach...”
“Well, we should go now,” Charlotte said to Margaret. “We do not want to disturb Mr. Abbott any longer, as he is apparently having a family day.”
“He is indeed,” Yasmina snapped, obviously jealous, her eyes sending out little flying daggers over to the two women.
“Well then, the best of luck to you—and your family, of course,” Margaret said, then she and Charlotte hesitantly turned around and walked way, huge smiles on their faces.
“Paul, what the hell was all that about?” Henry asked, rather surprised and amused by the incident.
“He is a rising star on the local theater stages!” Yasmina explained proudly.
Henry looked at his brother in wonder.
“Why have you never told me?”
“Well,” Paul began, “I think that in one of my letters to you I mentioned that I had got somewhat interested in acting a while ago. It was really only meant as a kind of distraction, a vent so to speak after long days of doing dull and hard work at the docks. I needed to do something to keep me mentally sane. Anyway, I began to attend an actorsʼ workshop, run by some really talented people who happened to have some connections to well-known stage producers. With the help of the people from the workshop I managed to get some minor parts as a supernumerary every now and then; you know, these extras who play people in crowds or corpses—in short, characters whom the audience hardly notices and doesnʼt really remember once the performance is over. I was happy with that; it got me a little additional money. Well, at some stage I was offered a part as a messenger in a historical play. That part was originally meant for someone else, but that someone had tripped over one of the cords of the stage curtain shortly before the performance started. He had broken his leg and was from then on unable to play. He only had two or three lines to say, and the stage producer, who was rather under pressure, demanded that someone from the extras should fill in. And as I happened to stand right next to him, he grabbed me by the collar, dragged me out of the crowd of extras, and barked at me, ʻYou! You get out there and do it. Quick!ʼ And so I went out on stage and said my few lines.”
“And then?” Henry asked curiously.
“Can you believe that the next day the headlines of all the papers wrote ʻA new star is born!ʼ” Yasmina threw in. “Everybody was impressed by Paulʼs little performance. The critics said that he practically overshadowed all the other actors. Eventually, he got really big important parts; for example, in ʻDawn over the Creek,ʼ a rather emotional and dramatic tale about love and hate and the likes, which made all women swoon and got us enough money to afford that sewing machine we so desperately needed. Mother and I were in no way able to deal with all the orders from our customers manually. We had a huge backlog of work. In this regard ʻDawn over the Creekʼ really came just in time.”
“I have been leading sort of a double life ever since,” Paul added. “During the day I am the worker at the docks, and on the weekends I am the celebrated actor whom people occasionally recognize on the streets.”
“And are you really going to play a cockroach?” Henry asked slightly amused.
“Well, I am still at a stage where I canʼt really afford to be all too choosy... But it is good money.”
Suddenly, Renana appeared next to Paul, tugging at the sleeve of his coat.
“Papa, when you are rich, can I have a puppy dog?”
Paul knelt down in front of his daughter wrapped his arms around her tiny waist.
“Of course you can, my little princess...” he said softly and kissed her forehead.
“And can I then have that lovely green dress from that store in 5th Avenue?” Yasmina grinned coquettishly. “And Bubbe needs new glasses! And Esther new shoes!”
“Yes, I will try and fulfill all your desires.” Paul sighed and then turned to Henry again. “You see, the peace of mind of a whole family depends on my interpretation of a silly cockroach...”
The men laughed and merrily continued their walk until the late afternoon.
* * *
In the evening, Paul and Henry were sitting at the table over a glass of wine, talking about how London had changed during the years of Paulʼs absence. In the meantime, Oscar was attentively listening to Esther as she explained to him the principles, traditions and beliefs of the Jewish culture, and Yasmina was showing Sarah how the sewing machine worked and how to do cross-stitches with it.
Henry was glad to see that Sarah looked happy and proud, especially when Yasmina let her make a seam on a vestment ordered by regular customer Rabbi Schlomo Grünspan, who was the head of a nearby synagogue.
“You are doing very well,” Yasmina remarked and handed Sarah another unfinished piece of garment. “That one here is not so important. You can mess with it. It is just a pair of Paulʼs knickers which needs to be mended...”
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
“That will surely be the Rosenzweigs,” Esther said. Then she got up from her chair and rushed over to the door.
“The Rosenzweigs are lovely people,” Paul told Henry. “They live just across the road. We got to know them shortly after we had moved here.”
The next moment, the Rosenzweigs entered the room.
“Henry, Oscar, Sarah, this is Samuel Rosenzweig, his wife Leah, and their daughter Tamar,” Esther introduced the family.
“Sholem-Aleykhem, es frayt mikh dikh tsu kenen.” Samuel Rosenzweig bowed slightly.
“I am terrbly sorry, but Iʼm afraid, I donʼt understand...” Henry replied with a helpless smile.
“Oh, please forgive me,” Samuel Rosenzweig apologized. “My family and I can speak English, of course. I said that I am very pleased to meet you.”
“I am very pleased to meet you, too,” Henry answered politely. He immediately took a liking to Mr. Rosenzweig, that tall, grey-haired man who, despite his imposing and slightly aloof appearance, came across as very friendly and warm-hearted. Apart from that, Henry noticed a certain mischievous gleam in his eyes which indicated a good sense of humor.
Leah, his wife, was equally obliging; however, she appeared more quiet and pensive than her husband, and Henry wondered if she was like that by nature or if she too carried some dark memories in her heart, just like Esther.
And then there was Tamar, the Rosenzweigsʼ daughter. Henry guessed that she was in her early twenties. He didnʼt fail to notice her beauty; her long pitch-dark curls; her skin, as white and soft as milk; her eyes, clear and blue like aquamarine gems.
“Are you the doctor who needs a place to stay?” she asked with a velvety voice.
“Er... no, I am Henry Abbott, Paulʼs brother,” Henry explained, slightly confused by Tamarʼs mystifying air. “The doctor is over there…”
Henry pointed over to Oscar, who had risen from his seat on the sofa but had not moved an inch ever since he had set eyes on Tamar. In fact, he appeared frozen and pale as if he had been struck by lightning.
Henry knew very well what it was like, that feeling of deeply falling in love. After all, he himself had experienced it with Sarah. He knew how it felt when the room began to spin and all outer impressions seemed to fade into the background, knew what it was like when time stood still and all that had mattered a moment ago was forgotten and insignificant.
Never, though, had he been present when it had happened to someone else. Never had he been silent witness to Cupid going after his work, just like in this very moment when that little angel of love sent his arrow right through the heart of unsuspecting Oscar and put him entirely out of action.
Henry realized that his help was required and that he needed to act quickly. He rushed over to Oscar, who hardly noticed him, then he grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the Rosenzweigs.
“That is Dr. Oscar Scott,” Henry said, giving Oscar a little nudge to finally make him open his mouth and say something instead of just standing there, dumbstruck.
“Sh... shlo... shlom...” Oscar stammered.
“Sholem-aleykhem, Dr. Scott. Nice to meet you.” Tamar said, hypnotizing Oscar with her crystal blue eyes.
“Very pleased to meet you... indeed...” Oscar mumbled, his mouth beginning to twitch nervously.
Henry noticed that Oscarʼs voice entirely lacked that bewitching tone which Henry knew so well. Neither did Oscar make an effort to kiss Tamarʼs hand nor did he send her charming smiles. All he did was stare at her. Henry guessed that the situation was rather serious and that Oscar was obviously unable to handle it.
Tamar appeared rather disappointed by Oscarʼs reaction and looked a little bit sad, especially when Oscar suddenly turned away from her and to her parents instead, engaging into an eager conversation with them about the possible place to stay they had to offer to him.
Tamar cast Henry an uncertain look and whispered, “He doesnʼt seem to like me…”
Henry found that it was high time to finally return Oscar, who had helped him so much in the past, a favor. He gently pulled Tamar aside until they were out of Oscarʼs earshot.
“That couldnʼt be further from the truth, Miss Rosenzweig” he said to Tamar, a rather conspiratorial tone to his voice. “I am quite sure that he likes you very much. I would even go as far as saying that he has just fallen in love with you. Trust me, I know this man quite well.”
Tamarʼs eyes grew huge with surprise.
“I doubt that he will make the first step, though,” Henry added with a frown. “He is very shy at heart...”
“Thank you, Mr. Abbott,” Tamar answered, and with a flirtatious twinkle in her eyes she turned around and walked straight over to Oscar, who got all fidgety when she suddenly appeared next to him and boldly stared at him.
Later, when Esther and Yasmina had all gathered around the table, which Yasmina had decorated with glasses of wine and leftover Pirushkes, Henry noticed to his relief that Tamar had been quick and clever enough to secure herself a seat directly next to Oscar. The latter blushed yet again when she smiled at him, but at least he finally made an effort to talk to her. And although he appeared rather clumsy and helpless, the two of them managed to create a tender bond. After a short while, everybody could sense that Tamar and Oscar were highly attracted to each other; and Henry was pretty sure that if he had not interfered, his friend would have ruined everything.
As for accommodations, Esther had been right: The Rosenzweigs did have a small room which was vacant and which they were more than willing to offer to Oscar. Henry was relieved, but at the same time he worried a little if Oscar would be able to keep his calm at the fact that he would be sleeping wall to wall with Tamar. He seemed rather churned up already. But there wasnʼt really any other choice, and Henry was certain that in the end Oscar would highly welcome the turn things had taken.
They all spent the evening conversing and laughing. Henry found that he hadnʼt had such a wonderful time for ages. Yasmina had lit a couple of candles, which created a warm and very cozy atmosphere in the little living room, and Samuel Rosenzweig obliged his little audience with a seemingly endless repertoire of hilarious Yiddish jokes.
After a while, Renana knuckled her tired eyes and climbed on Bubbeʼs lap. Then her grandmother began to sing a little lullaby as she was holding the child and was softly rocking her into sleep. A blissful smile on his lips, Paul put his arm around Yasmina. Henry equally put his arm around Sarah, and then the two girls nestled their heads on the shoulders of their loved ones, and closed their eyes.
The warmth of Sarahʼs body next to his, the late hour, and Bubbeʼs song made Henry soon feel pleasantly drowsy. Before he too felt the urge to close his eyes and before he could begin to process the exciting events of the day in a dream, Samuel Rosenzweig emptied his glass of wine and lazily got up from his chair.
“It is late, and you are tired. I think we should go,” he said. “Dr. Scott, would you like to come with us now?”
“Yes, yes, absolutely, very much so,” Oscar answered quickly and so abruptly jumped up from his chair that it almost toppled.
While the Rosenzweigs were busy to profusely thank Esther and Yasmina for the invitation, Oscar sneaked over to Henry in order to have a final word with him before they parted.
“Henry, tell me... is that it—love, I mean...?” His voice was slightly quavering as he spoke, and Henry noticed a certain feverish look in his friendʼs eyes which conveyed that Oscar found himself caught between two emotional extremes; thrill and panic.
Henry couldnʼt help but laugh.
“I suppose so, yes,” he said. “But donʼt you worry, Oscar, it will all be fine. Just be yourself.”
Oscar scratched himself behind the ear, appearing slightly embarrassed.
“I am afraid, what you have seen of me so far wasnʼt really myself. I might have come across as a real dandy and a ladiesʼ man, but I have just discovered that I am in fact very shy deep inside once it gets... well… serious.”
Henry encouragingly patted Oscarʼs back.
“And that is exactly what this woman seems to like about you. Donʼt be afraid to show who you really are.”
“Thank you, Henry…” Oscar said nervously.
“You should better go now,” Henry whispered when he saw that Tamar was walking towards them. She beamed and immediately linked arms with Oscar, who appeared all flustered by this unexpected touch.
“Good night, Mr. Abbott,” Tamar said to Henry in her enchanting voice. “And welcome to America...”
Then she led Oscar, who cast Henry a last gleeful backward glance, out of the room.
When Oscar and the Rosenzweigs had left, Sarah began to put the empty plates over to the kitchen while Esther brought Bubbe to the bathroom to help her get ready for the night.
“Can I play with Sarah tomorrow?” Renana mumbled drowsily as she was watching her mother spread blankets and pillows on the sofa.
“Of course, you can,” Yasmina whispered softly. “She and Henry will be with us for a while. You have all the time in the world...”
She tucked Renana and Ephraim into their new makeshift bed and planted tender kisses on their cheeks.
In the meantime, Henry and Sarah made their way over to the bedroom.
“Sleep well, you two,” Paul called after them. “Tomorrow your new life will begin.”
Henry let out a little sigh as the realization hit him that from now on there really was no turning back.
“I guess so,” he said. “Let us hope that weʼll have a little Mazel…”
Paul laughed and gave his brother a hearty hug.
“You are picking up fast, indeed. That will get you anywhere!”
“I really donʼt know how to thank you, Paul…” Henry mumbled.
“Donʼt worry about it, bonebreaker,” Paul answered. “There is a saying here amongst the Jews: No one has ever become rich by turning down a favor.”
Paul cast Henry a mischievous smile, which Henry returned. Then Paul helped Yasmina extinguish all the lights in the living room, and Henry withdrew to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, quietly, in order not to wake up the children who had already fallen asleep.
Sarah was standing at the window, absent-mindedly staring out into the night.
Henry was unsure what to make of it. As he couldnʼt see her face and as he hadnʼt had a chance all day to talk to her alone, he was unable to tell what was going on in her mind. He wondered if she missed her home already and if she cursed him for having talked her into going with him. And suddenly he felt really bad for even having threatened that he would force her if she didnʼt come out of her own will.
But then Sarah turned her head. And when he looked into her face he saw that she beamed with joy.
With a sense of utter relief, he slowly walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her belly, stroking it gently. Then he brushed her hair aside to lay bare her neck and began to kiss the soft skin below her hairline.
“Look,” Sarah said, “there is Oscar.”
She pointed at the Rosenzweigs, who were just walking over to one of the houses on the other side of the road, Oscar in tow. The latter appeared rather fidgety as Tamar, who still clung to his arm, devoured him with her glances.
“I am so happy for my uncle...” Sarah said.
“So am I,” Henry answered, glad that he had been able to do something for Oscar in return for everything the latter had done for him. After all, it was obvious to Henry that his best friend was all over Tamar, and he hoped that Tamar was what Oscar had been looking for all along and that this love had a real chance to blossom.
Sarah nestled her head at Henryʼs chest and let him hold her and stroke her.
“Sarah,” Henry said hesitantly, “I know that... that all of this here... well, it is not really what you might have expected and what you are used to... After all, you spent the best part of your life surrounded by luxury. And now we are in a very small and rather crowded apartment, and practically all we have got is this mattress here on the floor. What I mean to say is that we might not be able to afford ourselves a spacious place to life in a short while, or very pretty clothes, or jewelry. But I promise you that I will work day and night to ensure that you and I and the baby will be taken care of, and that we will always have something to eat and a proper bed to sleep. And then maybe one day you will be just as rich again as you had been before you left Partridge Mansion.”
Sarah raised her head and stared at Henry incredulously.
“Henry, what are you talking about? Are you insane? Never ever in my whole life have I felt richer than now that I have a real family... Never have I received so much love… Do you really think I could possibly find jewelry and expensive dresses more valuable than this? Do you really see me like that? Tell me that you donʼt, Henry, because otherwise I would be really disappointed...”
“No, I donʼt seriously see you like that,” Henry whispered. “I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. I just thought that you might miss what you are used to, which would be quite understandable.”
“Of course, I miss my English pastures, and the forest, and my horse…” Sarah answered, a hint of melancholy to her voice. “But I believe that what I have got instead is so much dearer to me.”
“Then you still donʼt regret having come with me?”
“No, Henry. The only thing I regret is not having made this decision sooner...”
Sarah sadly lowered her gaze.
“Donʼt be sad, Sarah. You are here with me now. That is all that counts.”
“You know,” Sarah went on, “at times I think that this terrible time that we were separated... well, maybe it served a purpose in the end. Maybe this marriage with Damian, as horrible as it might have been, has made me more mature and sensible.”
Henry couldnʼt help but agree with what Sarah had said. The girl standing in front of him right now was in fact not the one that had known, the one sitting in trees with dirt on her hands, or the one running up the stairwell, screaming her head off. Although he had already loved Sarah back then, he found the new Sarah—the more grown-up and sensible one—highly appealing. He was curious to see what stages of transformation there were still to come in the future, especially during her upcoming motherhood.
Henry was, however, unsure up to what degree he himself had profited from the long time of their separation. Looking back, he felt that he had nothing but suffered. Still, he had to admit that he found that the fight with Damian Cox had added to his maturity as well and had proven that he was much stronger and that he had much more stamina than he had originally thought. He had been nothing but a young and insecure lad when he had come to Partridge Mansion. Now he felt a little bit more like a man. A real man.
“You know, I think we have both grown,” he said.
“I do not want you to work day and night to try and secure me the lifestyle that I am used to,” Sarah whispered. “You can work during the day, but the nights I want you to spend by my side, making sweet love to me.”
A sensual smile slowly spread on Henryʼs lips. He stroked a strand of hair out of Sarahʼs face. Then he bent down and leaned his forehead on hers.
“I will make love to you as many times as you want...” he said and kissed her. “Still, I want you to know that I will do whatever is necessary to make our new life work out.”
“I know, Henry,” Sarah replied. “And I will help you as good as I can. I am not a squeamish, spoiled girl. And I do not want you to carry all that weight, all that responsibility, on your shoulders alone.”
“That is so sweet of you to say, Sarah. I love you...”
“I love you too, Henry, you have no idea how much...”
Henry took Sarahʼs hands and raised them to his lips in order to kiss them when he suddenly stopped. His glance had fallen onto Damianʼs wedding ring which was still stuck on Sarahʼs finger. On board they had decided that Sarah should keep wearing it during the course of the journey so that nobody would question their marital status. Now Henry found that it was high time to remove that testimony of the bad times that lay behind them.
“I donʼt think you need that anymore,” Henry remarked and began to pull at the ring until it came off. The next moment, Sarah had snatched the ring out of his hand and reached for the window in an obvious effort to open it and to throw the ring outside. Henry quickly stopped her.
“Wait, Sarah,” he said, laughing.
“I donʼt want to see this stupid thing ever again,” Sarah exclaimed angrily.
“I know,” Henry answered softly. “But I seriously think we should not act in a rush.”
He held the ring up into air and examined it closely.
“That is pure gold, and I eat my hat if these tiny sparkly things on it arenʼt little diamonds,” he said with a roguish twinkle in his eyes. “I will bring this to a jeweller tomorrow and have it sold for us. I am quite sure that the money that we will get for it will be more than enough to pay Paul for lodging us here and for buying you a complete new wardrobe. Regard it as a compensation for what Damian did to you.”
Henry walked over to his suitcase and carefully put the ring away so that it wouldnʼt get lost.
Sarah frowned.
“But, Henry, now I donʼt have any other ring to wear. And we still need to pretend that we are married, donʼt we? Otherwise people will look at us strangely…”
Henry didnʼt answer. Instead, he rummaged through the content of his suitcase until he produced a little box. Then he returned to Sarah, a huge secretive grin on his face.
“What is that?” Sarah asked uncertainly.
Henry handed her the little box, watching her expectantly as she hesitantly opened the lid.
“Oh my goodness...” she whispered, and her eyes grew huge when she saw what was inside of the box: A ring with a precious sparkling amethyst in the center.
“This is the ring which my father gave to my mother for their engagement, Sarah. I want you to wear it now.”
“Henry, I am not sure if I can accept this… after, all it is your motherʼs…”
“My mother is dead, Sarah,” Henry explained. “She passed it on to me under the condition that I should give it to the woman I love and want to spend my life with. And I really canʼt think of anyone else wearing it but you.”
“Then I will gladly wear it, Henry,” Sarah whispered reverently.
Henry took the ring out of the box and slipped it over her finger, which worked effortlessly as if the ring had been made solely for her to wear.
“We might not be able to officially marry in front of God, as you are still Damianʼs wife,” Henry said, still holding her hand. “Nevertheless, I want to ask you if you would like to be my wife.”
Sarah beamed at him.
“There is nothing that I would love more…” she answered, her voice quavering with emotion. “And you? Would you like to be my husband?”
“Yes, Sarah, I want to be your husband. And I promise I will be there for you until death do us part.”
Sarah let her fingers tenderly run along Henryʼs cheek.
“Death will not part us, Henry,” she said. “Our souls will live on and will forever be connected to each other. Maybe in another life after this one, I will encounter someone who is very sweet and gentle, loving and caring. And then I will know that it is you again...”
Henry quickly bent to kiss Sarah, before she could see how his eyes were getting moist, before she could see how touched he was. Then he took her by the hands and slowly dragged her over to the mattress where they lay down, cuddled up to each other and kissed until Sarah fell into a peaceful slumber.
One last time, just before he was about to fall asleep as well, Henry found himself worrying about their future again, did he ponder if everything would work out fine for them.
One last time before his eyelids got heavy, he let his gaze wander out of the window.
And there he saw that the firmament was covered with a thousand stars.