I wenttoetoRussiabecausemyneighborsaidtomeherelderrepairshadgonetoPalestinetospendtheirdecliningyears, andwhen I dropinonthemlikeEnglandisaroundthecornerfromfromPalestine, we'd knowthecapitalthatconsiderate.
I said, Sure, I'lldropdropinonthemBut I wenttoRussiafirst.
Soforonethatwasgood, togetherwasnotsogoodwhen I wasmissinginOdessa.
That's when I gottheletterfrommyfriendtovisither, a familyinPalestine, acrossthestreet, standingon a littleboatthroughtheBlackSeaintotheMediterranean, and I saw a youngmantoldHimtowomanonontheduck.
Hewaslookingatme, talkingtoher.
I knewhewasinAmerica.
Hewillwipehands, blows a lightbluesweaterandhadgoldenblondhair.
Andhelookedlike a wellbuilt.
HelookslikeanAmerican.
Heyturnedaround.
Hesawmestandingonthedeck.
WejustwavetoHarden's kisser, hungeredby.
I didn't sayDrThesaidgoodbye, thenwalkedup.
Thedocsaidnexttome.
I paidnoattentiontohim.
I keptstaringatthedogandhekeptstaringatme.
I didn't Lincoln, I I wasverywellawareofhim.
There's nobodyelseonthedeck.
See, Hewasn't makinghim a steakwhenhesteppedawayfromthetwoofsix, lookedmeupanddown.
Andthenhesaid, Oh, withyou, I'm gonnahavetrouble.
Hedidn't askyou.
Mynamewas a Russian, Jewish, Greek, whatever, becausethecoloringwasthesame.
TheywerelikediamondsintheskywasbeautifulAndthepeople, verygraciousandgenerous, iscameupwith a very, verygoodfeelingofthepalaceandhadtobe a Jewishcountry.
Whatelsecan I thinkofsowell, letmetellyousomethingwherewelivedinRussia.
Oh, no, I wasn't askedtoask.
How'd youHow'd you?
Uh, I feel, youknow, Buthe's gonenow.
I mean, what?
Yourthoughts, youknow?
Well, heleftforyouwiththreewonderfulChildren.
Oneisgonenow.
Unfortunately, mysondroppeddied a veryyoungage.
MytwodaughtersbesidesaskGoddescendingChildren.
Hedidthemostwonderfulhumanbeingseeslisteningin.
She's I getanythingfortheyear.
Luckythat I don't havebutthetwowonderfulhumanbeingsyoumet.
Youmetmyniece, RuthHillman.
No, I justjustyoutwo.
Howdidyougetthisjob?
I wanttogobacktoRussia.
WeliveinOdessa, whichis a cosmopolitancity, BeautifulcityontheBlackSea.
Sortofthehunt, likeHawaii, A kindofmodel.
Ithadwinters, butthebestoftheyear.
ItwaslikeHawaiiwasmarvelouswith I justhad a toll.
I agroundtheDoyouthinkofthewordsfromtheFromtheBlackSeatotheendoftheday?
Sothethreeroomhousehave a kitchenandbedroomkitchenhave a coalstove, andthelivelywaskerosenelamps.
Butthatwasthroughoutthecity, justthem.
WecametoNewYork.
Myfathercame.
Theywereyouaheadofusbecausehe'd been a socialistandthesearehadinstigatedtheCossackstoraisethesocialistmeetings, saidthebooktoSiberia.
You'llkillthem.
That's whatthismediaswas.
Greattalkaboutthemovementoftheprogramcoming, andmyfathersaidtomakemymotherbeensavingmoneyforthewholefamilytogotoAmerica, thatif I waited a littleraisethenextmeetingleave.
If I stayaway, theyknowmeNowis a socialist.
They'llbelookingforme.
He's a scientist.
Meet a girl.
Soheleftlefttosomebodymymothertoliveby.
And I'llbebackbeforetheyear's up, you'llbeinAmericanwilderness, andthat's thewayithappened.
Works a littlebrownenvelopeandsomebodypickedmypocket.
It's stillmy $10 so I thought, That's whatyoucryingabout.
Youhavethebettersleepingtherelivedintheapartment.
Youhavefoodinthehouse.
Bigdeal.
Yougetthepartofthejoblater.
She's neverwon.
WassavingthatmoneyforMama?
RememberAmerica's streetspavedwithgold?
Youheardthat, haven't you?
TheysuggestWell, theyreallyare.
Becausebeforeyoucame, sir, vetolions.
I found $10 onthestreetand I didn't tellanybody I wassavingfor a specialday.
Well, todayis a specialday.
Sothetenderwasyoulost.
Thetemplewas I foundthatevensupthings.
Noonewantsanythingatall.
Suchthingsyouneversaid a wordaboutsaid, Youknow, I nevertalk.
I wassix a secret.
Nowyouknow, don't worryaboutit.
Andthroughallmylifetimeweheardaboutthe $10.
If I comehomecrying, I lost a nickel.
Originsticklerby $10.
Mymothercomehomesaying I knowaboutthesailorcouldhavesaved $2 isdetectedtwohoursoutofmy 10.
SowhentheysaidPapa, what's thebigdealwiththe $10?
Youneverknowwhattwo.
Butthepointis, it's nothingtocryabout.
Youhaveproblems, Weallhaveproblems.
Wedealwithhim, andthat's all.
Butyoudon't losethejoyofliving.
I neverforgotthatas a presentinhighschool, popularspeakinglikefortheFrenchtolet's wantofevil, hesaysno.
Sonow I'm a Frenchmanbutneverlosethejoyofliving.
Andthat's theway I feltthroughlife.
That's whatDrActuallyinterfere.
Weallhaveproblems.
Nobody's immunetoproblem.
Dealwith a problemandgoonliving.
Enjoylife.
NowwhatelsegoingtodowecantowaycametoAmerica.
Myfatherlikesthisguytoo, andtheygot a niceupontheydidnotgototheLowerEastSide, wherealltheJewishimmigrants, Becausethemanwhowassponsoredmyfatherarrivalwillneverbehappywithhowresponsehecouldn't justappearwas a cousin.
Officewouldlivewiththeseside.
It's beenfedupwithit.
MovetoBrooklyn, a littlevillagecalledAceNewYork, whichisneither.
Doulasfarm.
Sowasthecountry.
Thestreethadtreeshadsidewalks, smallhomes, oneortwofamilyhomeswithgardensoutsidethefirsttimethat I sawhydration, butthesnowballshydrangea.