Read Online The Last Witness by Jerry Amernic - Free Book Online

repair. Thestory brought a smile to Jacob’s lips and he was sworn to secrecy. His father said it was all about getting some extra food or money.
Gelt
.
    Soon the size of the ghetto shrank. The Germans took the blocks bounded by the streets of Drewnowska, Majowa and Jeneralska, and made all that part of the Aryan section, so now Jews were restricted to even less space than before. At the entrance gate was a sign: ‘WOHNGEBIET DER JUDEN BETRETEN VERBOTEN.’ Jewish residential area. Entry forbidden. The word ‘JUDEN’ was in big letters. It was the first German sign Jacob ever saw.

10
    Mary Lou Bennett, Director of Care at the Greenwich Village Seniors Center, knocked on the door. “Hello? Is that the newest member of The Hundred Club? It’s me. Mary Lou. Can I see you for a minute?”
    “Come in,” said Jack.
    She found him curled up on his bed, resting.
    “May I sit down?” she said.
    “Sure,” he said, pointing to the armchair in the corner of his room. “And to what do I owe this visit?”
    Jack was always such a charmer, especially with the ladies.
    “Jack, we’re getting calls from people who want to talk to you. Ever since that NYU thing appeared. Did you see it? The one by that student who came to see you?”
    “It was a young person,” he said, waving his hand dismissively. “What do you expect?”
    “I know but we’ve got real journalists calling now. This morning it was someone from the
Times
.
The New York Times
. Did you hear what I said?”
    “A very fine newspaper. At least it was when I used to read it.”
    Mary Lou smiled. She had never seen Jack reading anything. “When was that?” she said.
    “When they had a print edition. But that was a long time ago.”
    “I’ll say. I can’t even remember. So how do you know it’s still a fine newspaper?”
    “I know it on reputation.”
    She chuckled. “But it’s not just them. The other day it was a crew from one of the ezines. They want to shoot you.”
    “Shoot me?”
    “Bad choice of words. You know what I mean. They want to do a clip on you. A story.”
    “Hmm. I heard something about a debate at NYU. Do you know what that’s all about?”
    “Yes. After that article there was a backlash from some people at the school. Somebody challenged the writer to a debate but now it’s not going to be a debate. It’s going to be a panel.”
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means a few people have agreed to sit on a panel and they’re going to talk about the Second World War.”
    “A few people?”
    “A professor. Head of the students’ union from the law faculty I think. And the head of a Christian organization. He’s going to talk about the holocaust.”
    “The holocaust from the Second World War?”
    “No. The Great Holocaust of 2029.”
    Jack shook his head. “People do get their holocausts mixed up these days.”
    “Look, I don’t want to do anything that’s going to upset you. If you don’t want to see these people you don’t have to. You have every right to keep these things to yourself.”
    “What things?”
    “Your memories. But they did call so what should I tell them?”
    Jack got up from his bed and steadied himself. He checked the alarm clock on his side table. It said ten to twelve. “It’s almost lunch time,” he said. “I’m hungry. What’s on the menu today?”
    “I don’t know but I’m sure it’ll be good.”
    “Last time it was shepherd’s pie and it wasn’t so good at all. It was too dry. The peas were hard. Like marbles. I hope it’s not shepherd’s pie again. My mother used to make that and it was delicious. You know how she made it?”
    “Tell me.”
    “She would take a diced onion and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Then a pound of minced lamb. Then she’d take a clove of garlic, a carrot and it was a big carrot, and some beef and then she’d chop some tomatoes, add a little corn flour, a pinch of salt and pepper, and two pounds of potatoes.”
    “You mean grams. People don’t