Read Online Among the Living by Jonathan Rabb - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jonathan Rabb
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still be here when I do it.”
“Well that’s just a lot a nerve coming from a boy,” said Calvin. He stepped over to the curtain. “You still want them boxes out here?”
Goldah turned to the front door just as the bell jangled and a young woman stepped inside. She wore her hat low on an angle, hiding much of her face from view. Calvin let the curtain fall as he took his place standing at the wall.
Goldah had turned — with the bell or before it, he didn’t know — but something had made him turn, and he now continued to watch the woman as Jacob smoothed down the back of his hair.
“I’ll be right back,” Jacob said quietly. “Just watch. See how it’s done.”
Jacob moved between the chairs and, with a voice Goldah had yet to hear from the boy, said, “Good morning, madam. Is there anything I can be of assistance with?”
The woman remained by the shelf, her back to them.
“Boy’s a natural,” Calvin said under his breath. “Smooth and clean. He’s moving her to the new ones in from Europe, even though he knows she’s coming in just to look. She’ll be trying on one a those before she knows it.”
Sure enough, Jacob had her in a chair within a minute. He called Calvin over. Goldah watched as Jacob gave the styles and the size. Calvin moved quickly back toward the curtain.
“Okay if you come back with me, Mr. Ike?”
Goldah followed Calvin through.
“Best leave the boy to himself. Okay with me standing in the corner, but he don’t feel so important with you looking over him. Good for Jacob to feel important. He’s a good boy.”
They came to a stack near the back and Calvin’s eyes darted up and along the boxes. “Seven narrow,” he repeated to himself. “So you was in newspapers, Mr. Ike?”
Goldah had been letting his mind wander to other things, pleasant things. It took him a moment to answer. “Yes. I was a journalist.”
“And now you in shoes.”
“Yes, now I’m in shoes.”
Calvin found the box toward the bottom and crouched down for it.
“We got a newspaper here in town. Pretty good. Got some Jewish folk working on it. Not fancy like in Europe with the war, but maybe you want to do that some time, it’d be there.”
“Maybe,” said Goldah.
Calvin stood with the box in hand. “You go to college for that?”
“I did. Yes.”
“That’s how come you speak English so good?”
“I suppose so.”
“That’s real fine. And now you in shoes.”
“Yes. Now I’m in shoes.”
Calvin pointed over to another shelf. They found two more boxes and headed back to the front. At the curtain, Calvin handed Goldah the three boxes.
“If it’s okay with you, Mr. Ike, you go on in and hand them to Jacob. It’ll make him feel good to have you helping him. Important for a boy like that. Unless that’s not a good idea according to you.”
“It’s a fine idea, but I think maybe the boy finds himself important enough already.”
Calvin smiled. “Maybe he do.”
Jacob was standing by the shelf, the woman seated with her back to Goldah. He brought the boxes over, placed them on the floor, and Jacob said, “And this is the newest member of the Jesler shoe family.” Again Goldah heard the precision in the words so carefully practiced. “Mr. Jesler’s cousin — from Europe — Mr. Ike Goldah.”
The woman looked up from under her hat and for the first time Goldah saw the sharpness of her eyes and the paleness of her skin. He had no idea of it then, not even the smallest sense, but a feeling of wonder was once again his.
Goldah remained by the back wall with Calvin as the woman paid. She had said only two words to him — “Hello” and “Welcome” — but she had watched his face and Goldah had managed only a weak smile before Jacob had started in on the fitting of the shoes.
She now moved past them. The bell rang and she stepped outside. Goldah watched her past the large front windows, even after she was gone. And Calvin, watching Goldah watching her, headed
“Well that’s just a lot a nerve coming from a boy,” said Calvin. He stepped over to the curtain. “You still want them boxes out here?”
Goldah turned to the front door just as the bell jangled and a young woman stepped inside. She wore her hat low on an angle, hiding much of her face from view. Calvin let the curtain fall as he took his place standing at the wall.
Goldah had turned — with the bell or before it, he didn’t know — but something had made him turn, and he now continued to watch the woman as Jacob smoothed down the back of his hair.
“I’ll be right back,” Jacob said quietly. “Just watch. See how it’s done.”
Jacob moved between the chairs and, with a voice Goldah had yet to hear from the boy, said, “Good morning, madam. Is there anything I can be of assistance with?”
The woman remained by the shelf, her back to them.
“Boy’s a natural,” Calvin said under his breath. “Smooth and clean. He’s moving her to the new ones in from Europe, even though he knows she’s coming in just to look. She’ll be trying on one a those before she knows it.”
Sure enough, Jacob had her in a chair within a minute. He called Calvin over. Goldah watched as Jacob gave the styles and the size. Calvin moved quickly back toward the curtain.
“Okay if you come back with me, Mr. Ike?”
Goldah followed Calvin through.
“Best leave the boy to himself. Okay with me standing in the corner, but he don’t feel so important with you looking over him. Good for Jacob to feel important. He’s a good boy.”
They came to a stack near the back and Calvin’s eyes darted up and along the boxes. “Seven narrow,” he repeated to himself. “So you was in newspapers, Mr. Ike?”
Goldah had been letting his mind wander to other things, pleasant things. It took him a moment to answer. “Yes. I was a journalist.”
“And now you in shoes.”
“Yes, now I’m in shoes.”
Calvin found the box toward the bottom and crouched down for it.
“We got a newspaper here in town. Pretty good. Got some Jewish folk working on it. Not fancy like in Europe with the war, but maybe you want to do that some time, it’d be there.”
“Maybe,” said Goldah.
Calvin stood with the box in hand. “You go to college for that?”
“I did. Yes.”
“That’s how come you speak English so good?”
“I suppose so.”
“That’s real fine. And now you in shoes.”
“Yes. Now I’m in shoes.”
Calvin pointed over to another shelf. They found two more boxes and headed back to the front. At the curtain, Calvin handed Goldah the three boxes.
“If it’s okay with you, Mr. Ike, you go on in and hand them to Jacob. It’ll make him feel good to have you helping him. Important for a boy like that. Unless that’s not a good idea according to you.”
“It’s a fine idea, but I think maybe the boy finds himself important enough already.”
Calvin smiled. “Maybe he do.”
Jacob was standing by the shelf, the woman seated with her back to Goldah. He brought the boxes over, placed them on the floor, and Jacob said, “And this is the newest member of the Jesler shoe family.” Again Goldah heard the precision in the words so carefully practiced. “Mr. Jesler’s cousin — from Europe — Mr. Ike Goldah.”
The woman looked up from under her hat and for the first time Goldah saw the sharpness of her eyes and the paleness of her skin. He had no idea of it then, not even the smallest sense, but a feeling of wonder was once again his.
Goldah remained by the back wall with Calvin as the woman paid. She had said only two words to him — “Hello” and “Welcome” — but she had watched his face and Goldah had managed only a weak smile before Jacob had started in on the fitting of the shoes.
She now moved past them. The bell rang and she stepped outside. Goldah watched her past the large front windows, even after she was gone. And Calvin, watching Goldah watching her, headed
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