To America and Back
Page 30
When the ship arrived in Haifa port, there was a tumult on board. Humik was among the first ones who were allowed to get down, as he had nothing to declare in the Customs’ Gates. He walked to the bus station, after having crossed the wide Port Gate. A man, waiting to somebody, told him:
“You have to walk immediately to a bank. Change your Dollars into Israeli Pounds (It was long before the currency’s name was changed to ‘Shekel’). You can’t pay Dollars to the bus driver. He won’t receive foreign currency. It’s forbidden by the law.”
Humik did as he had been told.
He was already seated in the bus – which was full of old women, standing on the passage, carrying bags and baskets and wearing queer kerchiefs on their heads againt the burning sun outside.
The man who had spoken to him before, now was also inside the bus. He invited Humik to sit next to him, and soon became the youth’s financial Adviser.
“Remember,” he told him, “Owners of vegetables’ and fruits’ stores and small sheds – all prefer Dollars. But in the Groceries – half of the sellers are afraid from the police, and half like to arrange something, which is not called bribe. That means- everything is legal, if you are not caught. Israel is a Socialistic State, as it had ever been. The Government and the people like Uncle Sam – but not a young man like you.”
It was an early hour of a warm afternoon. Humik got out of the bus and walked to Dizengoff street in north of Tel Aviv, where Semadar was dwelling. He knocked at the front door. She opened and was embracing the youth, then kissing him on his both cheeks, and he had done the same to her.
“I did not know if I would find you at home,” Humik said in Hebrew, “But I have known that you might be here, as it’s not yet evening time.”
“Oh, you have to thank God,” she said,” There had been such bad rumors about you.”
“What had they said?” he smiled.
“That you are in the underworld. I mean: dead. Also in the underworld of real criminals, as Mike had written to me… about faked Dollars and so on. But worse than all is- that your mother is very anxious about you. You haven’t written her for more than a month, she said. Why?”
“Oh, I had no wish to talk with my parents. Mike and myself changed the telephone number- since we had been caught, you know. Too many friends and curious newspapermen began phoning. Who knows who else called- maybe some criminals also. We had thought: Maybe the Poerto-Rican himself would like to threaten us, and things like that. One day I felt that somebody was tracing me. I guess, that this fact had been one of my main motives to arrive here in a rush.”
“You are clever, Humik. And you’re a welcome guest.” she said.
“I will prepare for us what we call: Cheeps, or fried potatoes. I’ll fill oil in the frying pan. We’ll wait for it to boil and become brown.”
“But for me- it shouldn’t be too hot.” he said.
“How had you been able to sail so soon?” she asked, “I know that a regular immediate ticket is expensive. It had happened to me- regarding the flight ticket, that Erga Lifshits had paid half.”
“I had bought my ticket a month ahead, and didn‘t tell anybody.”
“I understand,” she said.
Semadar was turning to the frying pan. Humik was looking at her nice, straight figure. ‘Why have not I been attracted by her?’- he was thinking. Had her face been thicker, and had her left eye’s-apple turned a little bit to the eye center… we could have been sweethearts. The audience don’t see all these small ‘details’ from far, so she is quite a likable singer. Her voice is fine, I like it. I preferred Tamy on her, maybe also because Semadar has not been as intelligent as she. I’d seen that immediately. I was afraid we would not have many topics to talk about… ’
Humik suddenly remembered how he was celebrating his last evening in Manhatten. He was running to Central Park, passing through streets along skyscrappers. Above him there were colored illuminating advertisements for movies, stage dramas restaurants and other entrtainment businesses. Numerous cars were moving. He knew that such a busy and crowded city he wouldn’t meet again a very long time. He saw that some runners were doing like him, wishing to medidate while developing their feets’ strength, hearts’ pounding and lungs’ breathing. They all were feeling the closure impact of the huge town, the isolation of the individual and the loneliness of the soul… Humik came to a lonely path among the sparsly planted trees. He had raised his head, saw the cloudy sky and began to think like-philosophically.
‘Now I’ll tell about that kind of thoughts to Semadar,’ he told himself, ‘even only for breaking the silence. Otherwise she might think I am just indifferent or non-friendly to her.’
“You remember the Central Park?” he asked. She nodded, while stretching her hand, and bringing a plate with with the fried potatoes to the small table. Humik indicated her to sit, and both were eating from the same plate with the forks she had brought. He remembered Tammy and him enjoying the park, and asked Semadar if she had heard about the poor girl.
“Tamy became better,” said Semadar, “she recovered and I heard she had returned to the States… I’m so busy that I could not contact her…Now, you continue with your tale about yourself in the Central.
“Once I had been running there alone at sunset,” he said, “and I saw the sun getting down. At the same time- the pale moon was hanging in the middle of the sky. I thought: Why wouldn’t a huge wall be rising in between them? Then – some people in the middle will see one half of the sky in almost darkness, with a moon – and at the same time they will discern the other half to be still in daylight and see the sun.”
“Oh, I know that you love astronomy,“ she said, “When you were enthusiastic about our singing in America, I remebber that you said to both Tamy and myself : ‘For wonderful singers like you- I should pick up some stars and put them on your cushions, instead of flowers that you get from a simple fan.”
“The sun,” Humik continued his previous loudly meditation, “has a very different route than the moon. So are their measures, as our eyes see them – and in absolute terms.. .The sun is always burning, and you should look at it only through a coaled-glass. Then you’ll see that its shape is always a circle, and its route always from east to west. Not so with the moon: It has various routes, that I don’t pretend to know about, and it has different shapes and sizes along a month and a year and a period. But d’you know why have I mentiones all this?”
“Maybe,” she said, a little bit embarrased, “Ah, because you like astronomy, I’ve already said that … “
“It’s also because I am the moon- and you are the sun!” while he suddenly said that, he became serious, and his face was wearing a sad expression.
“I mean: I am not an artist. I … sometimes envy them, including you, of course. You are the sun, Semadar. And I have not my own light…”
She was smiling, but understood his modesty and sincerity.
“You are talking like a philosopher or a poet,” she told Humik.
“Or are you dizzy now, somehow? Maybe because you’ve fallen in love with me?”
“Sorry, I can’t,“ he said,”I won’t be able to fall in love on the coming period. I am still not a ripe fruit here. I have to be with myself. O’key? And I don’t want to bother you for long.”
“But tonight you’ll sleep here,” she said. “I’ll sleep on a reserve mattresse that I have.”
“Thank you, dear Semadar. Tomorrow I’ll search to hire a room. I’ll walk and see some in the old area of Tel Aviv. I was told by Mike that they are cheaper. I want a quiet place. Till I’ll get to the army… You know? I was not sure at all, that you’ll permit me to sleep here tonight. Thanks again. If you have a show tonight- I’ll join you.”
“O’key, I invite you,” she said, “But I must remind you to phone to your mother, she is very anxious. I haven’t wanted to urge you do that, before you eat something and rest a while.”
“Please,” said Humik, “You phone to her, when we go out. I know you
have a café in the neighborhood, with a phone … “
“Yes, I’ll get to Ruth Café, and contact your mother. It’ll be seven in the morning in LA. May I wake her so early?”
“Yes. Tell her that I am tired from the sailing, and the sea sickness had weakened me and I fell asleep after I’d arrived. I’ll phone her tomorrow night. I don’t have to talk much with her… I am really longing to talk with the Danny, my little brother. I love him. I’ll pay you the cost call to Los Angeles.”
He escorted Semadar to the Show, that took place in Kibbuts
Givat Haim. Humik enjoyed the beginning of the Show, then was snoring a little. But he woke close to the end, so Semadar did not know he had fallen asleep. After they had returned to her room at midnight, she let him have her bed, but he was adamant to sleep on her mattress on the floor.
Before going to sleep, Semadar went to Ruth Café and phoned to Ramona. The small broker Effy Freulich would have won thousand Dollars, for discovering where was Humik. Now Ramona has saved that amount, and she immediately informed her lawyer in Jerusalem about that.
Next morning Semadar and Humik were eating vegetables’ salad at 10 a.m., during which Humik was looking at the Girlsingers songs’ list, that Semadar had shown him. He asked her to repeat singing the song, that had been mostly applauded last evening.
Semadar was singing it, after telling that Erga had invited for her an Opera teacher, who would develop her voice. Some high soprano tones, said Erga, seemed to be difficult to Semadar, so she should try to elaborate them. All that on Erga Lifshits’ account .’
“Very nice. It’s a good solution,” said Humik.
CHAPTER 31