All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown Page 6

  “Dip your fingers in the wine, Charlie, like we’re doing,” urged Gertie. “That’s right. Now put them in your pockets. That means when we grow up we’ll be very rich and always have lots of money in our pockets. Isn’t that right, Papa?”

  Papa grinned. “That’s what my Papa told me. But there was something else he told me which is much more important,” he went on. “The Havdola gives us the chance to worship God with all our five senses. Which one of you can explain that?”

  Sarah spoke up. “Well, you see the light of the candle.”

  “You hear the prayer,” added Charlotte, “and you smell the spices.”

  “You taste the wine,” Gertie put in.

  Henny began to count them off on her fingers. “Sight, sound, smell, taste—touch. That’s what’s missing—touch!”

  “Right,” said Papa. “And my fingers touch each other when I make the shadow.”

  “Papa, that’s a beautiful way of thinking about the Havdola,” Ella said.

  “Yes, it is, agreed Papa. Happiness shone in his face. “The new week really has something good in store for us.”

  “What’s that, Papa?”

  “Mama’s coming home tomorrow!”

  “Oh, Papa!” “How wonderful!” The children began dancing and hugging one another for joy. Immediately they were full of plans. “We’ll have to get up real early tomorrow and give the house a thorough going over,” Ella said. “Everything must be in apple-pie order.”

  “Let’s make a big WELCOME HOME sign and hang it over the front door,” suggested Gertie.

  “And make something special for supper that Mama likes,” added Henny.

  “We ought to get all dressed up like for a party,” Charlotte joined in.

  Charlie’s feet wouldn’t keep still. They went hippety-hop round and round the kitchen. “Mama’s coming!” he sang over and over.

  Sarah’s eyes were shiny with tears. “I just can’t wait!” she said.

  It was more than an hour since Papa had left for the hospital. Dressed in their finest, the children were gathered around the stoop. Gertie and Charlotte, chafing with impatience, slipped off to the corner. They wanted to be the first to greet Mama.

  “Too bad we haven’t got a magic carpet handy,” observed Henny. Just then Ella spotted Charlotte and Gertie bouncing up and down and waving frantically. “They’re here!” she exclaimed. The children tore down the street like blurred streaks of lightning.

  In a moment Mama found herself surrounded by her family of laughing, jabbering youngsters. Papa’s face beamed as he lifted his son high above the sea of skirts. Mama’s arms reached out, and Charlie snuggled into them. “Mama! Mama!” he cried, hugging her tightly, as if he would never let her go.

  They climbed up the stairs with everyone chattering away. Mama’s eyes grew misty when she beheld the WELCOME HOME sign on the kitchen door. “I’m so happy,” she murmured, and kissed them all.

  Slowly she walked through the rooms, as if she were getting acquainted with everything all over again. “The house is spotless!” she declared with pleasure.

  Ella noticed that Mama was looking pale. “Do you feel all right, Mama?” she asked.

  Mama sank down on the edge of the bed. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”

  Papa began shooing them out. “Come. Mama needs to rest now.”

  The Healys had been invited for supper. After the dishes were cleared away, everyone remained sitting around the table, nibbling at fruit and nuts. Mama took Mrs. Healy’s hand. “Now at last I have a chance to thank you for all you’ve done.”

  “Go on, now. It was nothing,” protested Mrs. Healy. “Nothing at all.”

  “Nothing!” Ella repeated. “Why, Mama, I don’t know how we could have managed without Mrs. Healy and Grace. They were so helpful with meals and shopping and cleaning and everything.”

  “And don’t forget Mr. Healy,” Papa reminded.

  “That’s right,” chuckled Mr. Healy, “mustn’t forget him.”

  “Many times he took Charlie off my hands, Mama,” Henny said. “He’d tell Charlie he needed him to help out. Charlie loved that.”

  “Yes, people have all been so wonderful,” Mama said. “The doctor, the nurses, everyone. The relatives and many old friends from downtown came to visit me. So I spent most of the time chatting with them and knitting. I made two sweaters for the Red Cross and a nice warm pullover for Jules.”

  “Oh, Ma!” Ella exclaimed. “He’ll be so pleased! He wrote me that August nights can get awfully chilly upstate where he’s in training.”

  Later, Ella and Grace sat downstairs talking. “It’s wonderful having Mama home again,” Ella said. “I’m glad Mama had me to depend on, but you’ll never know how worried I was all the time. Was I spending too much? Were we getting the right kind of meals? And the business of always having to tell someone what to do and when and how! And then afterwards wondering if it was the right thing to do in the first place! I tell you it was pretty frightening!” She took a deep breath. “Well, it’s over now. I feel free as a bird!”

  Henny joined them just in time to hear Grace answer, “Never mind, Ella, after this, taking care of only one husband will be a cinch!”

  “Who wants to take care of a husband?” Henny put in scoffingly. “When I get married, my husband will take care of me!”

  Ella smiled. Her fingers touched the letter she was carrying around in her jacket pocket. She had read it over and over many times since the postman brought it yesterday. She pulled it out and read parts of it again—“ ‘Well, they’ve given us our uniforms. They fit like a T. Only trouble is, who’s got a shape like a T?… They have a well-balanced diet in this army. Every baked bean is exactly the same size as the next …’

  “Listen to this, Grace. You’ll be interested in this.” Ella resumed her reading. “ ‘My buddy comes right from your neighborhood—just a few blocks from you. He’s tall and blond and handsome—what you girls call the collar-ad type. He’s a swell guy. No matter how tough the training gets, he’s always ready with some funny remark which sets us all howling. Bill—his name is William Talbot—says he envies me the many wonderful letters I get from my girl. You know, Ella, even with hundreds of fellows around, a guy can get awfully lonely up here.

  “ ‘I showed Bill your picture, and he thought you were mighty cute. But how could he possibly know how cute you really are?…’ ” Ella stopped reading. Some parts you just had to keep for your very own. She folded the letter and slipped it back into her pocket.

  “That buddy certainly sounds like somebody I’d like to meet,” Grace said.

  “Soldiers do get a leave once in a while,” answered Ella.

  “You could write him and introduce yourself,” Henny suggested.

  “Oh, I couldn’t do that!”

  “Why not? I bet he’d love it. Everybody is always saying to write to the boys to keep up their spirits. I’m sure he’ll answer. First thing you know, you’ll be writing regularly.”

  “Oh—I don’t know.”

  “Want me to write to Jules and ask him what he thinks?” Ella asked.

  Henny brushed the idea aside. “Nah! Don’t go dragging him into it. I’ll tell you what. Everybody is knitting for the Red Cross—all kinds of things which are sent off to complete strangers. So why couldn’t you send something you knit to Jules’s friend. That’s patriotic! What’s wrong with being patriotic?

  “Now—” Henny was getting wound up—“suppose you knit him a slipover like Mama made for Jules. Mama’ll be glad to help you finish it in a hurry when you tell her it’s for Jules’s friend. Then you write a little note, and you pin it inside the sweater—and if you put in your picture too—that’s that!”

  Grace giggled. “Henny, you can think up the craziest schemes! But you know—I think I’ll do it!”

  P’Idyon Ha-Ben

  Early one morning there was a banging on the kitchen door. “That could only be Uncle Hyman,” Mama said. “He’s the one that alwa
ys bangs—Oh, my, do you suppose the baby has come? Come in,” she called out.

  The door opened, and Uncle Hyman swaggered in. “It’s a boy!” he shouted. “My Lena’s had a boy!” He danced around the room and snapped his suspenders. His small blue eyes and jolly round face were shining with happiness.

  “Oh, Hyman, I’m so happy for you!” Mama cried, and the children gathered around, patting him on the back and dancing with him.

  Papa grabbed Uncle Hyman by the shoulder. “A first born and a son! That’s really something to celebrate!”

  “Yes!” declared Uncle Hyman. “My son will have the finest P’Idyon Ha-Ben a child could ever have! Everybody’s invited—I mean everybody!” His eyes came to rest on Grace’s astonished face. “And you too, young lady,” he said, pointing at her. He dashed for the door. “I gotta go! I got a million things to attend to.”

  “Good-by, Hyman. Tell Lena we wish her all the best,” Mama called after him.

  Grace turned to Ella, “It’s nice of your uncle to invite me, but what’s he talking about?”

  Ella laughed. “In Jewish families when the first child is a son, they have a ceremony which is called P’Idyon Ha-Ben. That means redemption of the son. It takes place one month after the child is born. It’s a sort of party, really. You’ll enjoy it.”

  A month seemed a long way off, but it was surprising how quickly the time passed. For days before, Mama had gone to Lena’s house to help with the preparations. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Mama or Lena. “You’d think it was a P’Idyon Ha-Ben of her own,” Papa teased.

  When the family and Grace arrived on the party day, they found Lena’s apartment already crowded with guests. Friends, neighbors, and relatives milled about in all their finery, glad to be together on such a joyous occasion.

  Uncle Hyman and Aunt Lena were off in a corner, chatting with Mrs. Shiner. Catching sight of the family, all three pushed their way toward them. Lena, plumper and more rosy-cheeked than ever, kissed them heartily. “My beautiful nieces and my favorite nephew!”

  “May we see the baby, Lena?” Gertie asked.

  “Why not?”

  They filed into the bedroom and tiptoed over to the crib. “Oh, how sweet!” “Isn’t he cunning!” they whispered. “Look, Charlie, look at the tiny little baby.”

  Charlie stared at the infant. “It’s like a doll.”

  The baby stirred and stretched his little arms over his head. His little face puckered. He yawned—a big, big yawn. “Yes, Charlie,” Charlotte said, “it’s a live doll!”

  Uncle Hyman came in to remind them that it was time for the ceremony.

  Charlie tugged at Mama’s skirt. “Now can I see the pigeon?” he asked loudly.

  They all stopped to listen to Charlie’s strange request. “Pigeon,” Mama repeated, puzzled. “What pigeon?”

  Charlie explained patiently. “You said we were going to a party and there’s a pigeon and his name is Ben. I don’ see no pigeon.”

  “Pigeon Ben! It does sound like it!” Henny squealed with laughter. “He means the P’Idyon Ha-Ben. He expected to see a real live pigeon!”

  Why was everyone laughing so hard, wondered Charlie. “I wanna see Benny the pigeon!” he insisted.

  Papa swept him up in his arms. “Charlie, what you’re going to see is even better—like a little play. Come, and I’ll explain it all to you while we’re watching.” He smiled at Grace. “And to you too, Grace.”

  In the parlor, the company had already arranged themselves in a wide circle. A tall, thin man dressed in a frock coat stepped forward. “That’s the Cohan,” Papa told Grace. “A Cohan is descended from the tribe of Aaron. Only such a one is allowed to perform this ceremony. In ancient times, the oldest son was required to serve in the Temple. If one wanted to release his child from this service, he had to pay for it. Today the Cohan will act like the High Priest in the Temple of old.”

  The room grew quiet. Presently Uncle Hyman appeared from the bedroom. On a cushion in his arms lay the baby, dressed in an exquisitely embroidered white dress. Solemnly he walked to the Cohan and offered the child up to him. He began to recite in Hebrew. Grace turned to Papa inquiringly. In a low whisper, Papa translated. “This, my first born, is the first born of his mother …”

  The Cohan took the child from his father. “Which do you prefer,” he asked, “to give me thy first born for God’s service … or to redeem him for five shekels which you are by law required to give?”

  Charlie pulled on Papa’s hand. “Papa, why is that man taking the baby from Uncle Hyman?”

  “Don’t worry, Charlie. Uncle Hyman’ll get him back.”

  Uncle Hyman held up five silver dollars and answered the Cohan. “I prefer to redeem my son. Here is the value … which I am by law obliged to pay.”

  The Cohan accepted the money and returned the child to Uncle Hyman. Holding the coins over the infant’s head, the Cohan proclaimed: “This is an exchange of that.… May it be the will of God that … this child may be spared to enter the study of the law, the state of marriage, and the practice of good deeds. Amen!”

  Placing his hands upon the baby’s head, he blessed the little one: “The Lord shall guard thee against all evil … Amen!”

  “Amen!” answered the guests. “May you have much joy and honor from him!” They crowded around, ohing and ahing over the baby and showering congratulations on the parents.

  As the guests circled about, Uncle Hyman started shooing them toward the dining room. “Let’s go to the table! Let’s go to the table!” he coaxed.

  They didn’t need much urging. The sight of the table piled high with delicious-looking food whetted everyone’s appetite. Uncle Hyman scurried around filling glasses with schnapps or wine.

  Everyone ate heartily—laughing and singing and telling stories in between. They complimented Lena on her excellent cooking, and her rosy face blushed even rosier with pleasure. Everybody was having a fine time.

  It was late when at last the party began to break up. Tired and happy, the family groups started to leave. “May we always come together on joyous occasions,” was the parting wish as they fondly embraced one another.

  “Girls,” Lena whispered as she put her arms around Ella and Grace, “being married and having a baby is the most wonderful thing in the world. Merchum by you!” (May it happen to you.) For answer, Ella kissed Aunt Lena.

  “Thank you so much for letting me come,” Grace said. “I really enjoyed it.”

  “I’m glad,” Uncle Hyman beamed. “Come again. Any time you like.”

  Charlie was so tired that Papa had to carry him all the way home. They were just entering the house when the little boy suddenly raised his head. “Papa,” he asked, “does the Cohan keep all the pigeon money for himself?”

  “Oh, no, Charlie,” replied Papa. “The P’Idyon Ha-Ben money goes to charity.”

  Round and Round

  In a wall in Mama’s kitchen was a small door which opened onto the dumb-waiter shaft. The dumb-waiter was a large wooden cabinet attached to a pulley rope. It could be hauled up and down like an elevator. When the family first moved uptown, it was the dumb-waiter which fascinated the children most. “Dumb-waiter!” Gertie giggled. “Do they mean it’s stupid?”

  Actually it was a handy silent servant. Tradespeople found it especially useful. For instance, the seltzer man, instead of trudging up long flights of stairs with a heavy case of bottles, put it on the dumb-waiter and hoisted it up. It saved Mr. Healy steps too. Every morning Mama would send the garbage pail down to the basement. Mr. Healy would empty it and send it back up to Mama.

  It was Charlie, though, who enjoyed the dumb-waiter the most. The cabinet was exactly the right size for a small boy. Charlie would crawl into it and have his sisters pull him up and down.

  Also the two families could get in touch with one another quickly through the dumb-waiter shaft. One morning when Ella answered the dumb-waiter buzzer, she could see Grace’s red head turned up toward her. “El
la, guess what?” Grace held up a white envelope. “It came!”

  “From Jules’s buddy?”

  “Uh-huh. He sent his picture. He’s so good-looking!”

  “What does he say?”

  “He wants to see me next Sunday to thank me for the slipover. He’s getting a week’s leave. Come on down, and I’ll show you the letter.”

  Ella tried hard to share Grace’s enthusiasm when she read the letter, but she was worried. Jules was also getting leave. He hadn’t said a word, but Ella knew that such a leave could mean only one thing—they were being shipped overseas. It was terrible, liking somebody an awful lot and then having him go away—and you could not see him again for heaven knows how long! To be wondering all the time he was away—was he all right, would he ever come back? In a panic, she thrust the dreadful thoughts out of her mind. Think only about now! Think about the glorious week when Jules will be here! She forced herself to smile as she said, “You write Bill and tell him Sunday will be fine. He can come over with Jules.”

  “Oh, Ella, you didn’t tell me Jules was getting leave too! Isn’t that marvelous!”

  It was the day! Any minute now Jules would arrive with his friend. Ella and Grace kept circling around the parlor, wondering where to sit or where to stand to make the prettiest picture when the boys first saw them.

  “Henny, please get away from the window,” Ella begged. “It makes such an awful impression.”

  “Yes, Henny, please,” Grace added her plea. “It makes us seem anxious.”

  “Well, aren’t you?”

  “But we don’t have to show it!” Grace replied. “Boys get awfully conceited if you make a fuss over them.”

  “Hey, there they are!” Henny leaned way out, waving her hand excitedly and yelling at the top of her lungs, “Hi there, soldiers!”

  “Henny!” Ella and Grace cried out, horrified.

  Henny went scooting into the bedroom where Sarah sat at her desk studying history. “Sarah, the soldiers are here!”