AMOSOZ
191
am first Jew to hoist up skirts in Palestine since Bible times . Assum–
ing Bible is not legend. For that I am punished in Simferopol. One
horse falls on top of me and breaks my legs. In Tulkarem they blow
off my head. I get them in the teeth. Much blood spilled. Does
madame know? My life is no life at all. Great tearfulness I have until
day of my death. And yet once I also loved a woman. Even I forced
her to go under bridal canopy with me . Although her heart did not
desire me. Perhaps she desired some poet? Whereas I - how should I
put it? - from navel up I was in love, singing serenades, offering
handkerchiefs and flowers, but from navel down a swine from the
land of swine . Hoisting skirts left and right in fields . And she, my
beloved, my wife, she sat all day long at her window. She had little
song: 'Yonder, where the cedars grow . . . . ' Do you happen to
know this song? Permit me to sing it in your honor: 'Yonder, where
the ce-dars grow . . . . ' Beware of these songs , dear lady. They are
written by angel of death. And she , on purpose to punish me, she
ups and dies on me . Just to be contrary. She leaves me and goes up
to God. She does not know that He is one swine also. She jumps out
of frying pan into fire . Give me your hand. Let us be off. The watch
is ended . The Jews built themselves a land . It is not the right land,
but they built it anyway!
It
is all askew, but they built it anyway!
Without God - but they built it anyway! Now let us wait and see
what God has to say about it all. Well, that is enough now: two
kopecks I should give you for )'bur sparrows? Two. More than that I
will not pay . My whole life has been battle and defilement. I soiled
the gift. Skirts and punched teeth . So why should I give you money?
What have you done with your own gift of life? One flower I will
give you. One flower and one kiss on the lips . Do you know what is
my secret? I have never had anything. And what about you? What
brings you to me? What have I done to deserve this honor?"
When he finally stopped and his eyes roamed from me toward
the view of the bay fading in the blaze of sunset, I asked him if there
was anything he needed .
If
he wished me to see him back to his
room. Or to fetch him a glass of tea.
But he only shook his magnificent head , and muttered: "Two.
More than that I will not pay."
"Volodya," I said , "do you remember who I am?"
He withdrew his hand from mine. His eyes brimmed with tears
of sadriess. No, to his shame he had to confess that he could not
