CYRILLE FLEISCHMAN
241
Also the month for Izzyk's group to play at a jazz festival between Monaco
and Cannes, as confirmed by the invitation sent to the Gilleski home. A lit–
de festival in a litde resort. But with a fee, and that was no small event!
Izzyk went straight to the president. He knew his musical activities were not
appreciated, but this was the chance of a lifetime. Besides, he could perfect–
ly well eat kosher and go to services on the Riviera, a coast that was not
inhospitable. The president was flattered that an ordinary teacher from his
litde school should be invited to a festival. He would have preferred a
Hebrew grammar festival! But okay for a jazz festival. Mter all, it was a gift
from heaven. Still, there was the mistress Suzanne Gilleski had mentioned
to the butcher's wife one day. The president took Izzyk by the shoulders and
looked him squarely in the eyes:
"It
appears that, they say that..."
Izzyk helped him out: "It's not true."
"Nevertheless, everybody says..."
"Do I even have time to listen to what everybody says? There's noth–
ing to it. Believe me, it's nothing. Suzanne's imagining things."
"And you? You're sure you're not imagining things? Things that aren't
so nice? Be frank with me."
"There's nothing. It's all baloney. I play jazz. Suzanne can't stand me
going out at night, that's all there is. You're leaving for vacation when? July
13th? I leave with you. I stay for three days. I go to the festival. I come back.
You keep your eye on me. I can't do any better."
The president scratched his head: "Invite you to my hotel room, I can.
Food: no problem there. But go every night with you in the bus to keep an
eye on you while you play? I'm wondering. First of all, what kind of music
do you play? Jazz here, jazz there, I'm not clear on it. You play...tangos in
jazz? Waltzes?"
"No it's in a class by itself, faster."
"Rhumbas. At my daughter's wedding, when my poor wife was still
alive..."
"No, Monsieur Guitterman,jazz, I can't explain, for me it's life."
They went on talking for a long time. Guitterman went home with
Izzyk to ask Suzanne Gilleski if she was willing to stop all the talk about a
mistress that was upsetting the neighborhood. He would invite Izzyk to his
hotel in Juan-Ies-Pins to allow him to go to the festival and he would look
after him.
The president was already seventy-six years old; he carried authority,
and Suzanne Gilleski agreed to pack her husband's suitcase so he could be
at the Gare de Lyon on the evening ofJuly 13.
She went to the Saint Paul metro with
him
and for the two stops it
took to reach the railroad station she made sure that no woman was fol-
