Lest It Be Forgotten After I Am Gone: The Arrival Of Manhood - 4
Raymon Benedyk, continuing his life story, tells of the great blizzard in New York in 1947.
To read earlier episodes of Raymon's story please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/lest_it_be_forgotten_after_i_am_gone/
Of course, this was now the busy season at the store with the run-up to Christmas, and the knowledge of the routine that I had gained during the previous weeks was valuable to them. It was hectic, and sometimes it was necessary to work late or overnight to change the prices on goods in time for bargain sales next day. In Christmas week itself however, all the temporary stockroom staff were laid off except me and one other lad. I looked upon that as a real compliment.
That winter, New York experienced its heaviest snowfall since their records began. The snow blew a blizzard and caused drifts several feet deep all over the city. It was so heavy at one time that more than four feet of it fell in Times Square in some four hours, blocking the streets, necessitating the closure of the shops and stores with staff being sent home. No traffic was able to move and it was an experience I would not like to have again.
As 1948 arrived, I made my mind up that when the spring came I would make my way westward to California. But unfortunately I found that I had developed a very bad bout of Athletes Foot, so bad in fact that I was almost completely incapacitated, unable to wear shoes and barely able to walk. I had to give up my nice job and, for several weeks during January to March, hardly able to move from my room. However, as things improved, I looked around for a job and had an interview with an office that had sales representatives on the road selling table linen and the like, requiring a person in the office to liase with the salesmen. I immediately became aware that the senior person who was interviewing me, was showing an unusual and rather unpleasant interest in my sexuality, asking questions about my friends and social life and, when he helped me on with my coat at the end of the interview, was far too friendly even for my innocence, and I made my mind up not to accept the well-paid job he offered.
A few days later I was offered a job by a distant relative, working in his jewellery store as an assistant. I would be able to room in the back and save on rent. The main drawback to this job were the hours, 9.00 am to 9.00 pm six days a week. As I had spent all my savings whilst incapacitated, I thought this would be a good opportunity to replace that capital and delay my departure westward for a year. And so I learned a little of a new trade; how to open a watch case and check its workings, how to reset pearls and beads, able to effect some minor jewellery repairs and so on, all things as it happened that stood me in good stead later in life. I soon found that my social life did not suffer that much either, and in my time off, at night and on Sundays, which I spent largely with my young cousin and his friends. I also began to date a little too!
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If you wish to make a donation to the Elsa Benedyk Memorial Fund, set up by her friends and colleagues entirely without Raymon’s knowledge to provide funds to support the children's ward of the Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem to commemorate her life of work with children in her nursery schools, it would be most gratefully received. The amount that you give will not be revealed to Raymon. He is not a trustee of the fund. Your cheque, payable to the Fund, should be sent to the fund's Treasurer Mrs I Dokelman, 14 Charville Court, 30/32 Gayton Road, Harrow, Middx HA1 2HT.
