The Predators (3 page)

I shook my head. “I’ll be all right,” I said. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I never saw a dead person before. And it’s my mother and father.” I couldn’t help it. I started sobbing again.

The coroner was a very kind man. He just patted my shoulders until I felt better. “Come with me into the office,” he said. “You’ll need to sign the rest of the forms so the mortuary can take your parents.”

I got to his office and I suddenly realized that Uncle Harry hadn’t come downstairs with me. “Where is my uncle?” I asked the coroner.

“Your uncle wasn’t feeling too well,” he answered. “We had him lie down on the couch upstairs, but he’ll be down with us in a few minutes.” He then picked up the telephone on his desk. “Jenny,” he said. “Bring down the package of the Cooper things. Also check on Mr. Cooper and see if he feels like coming downstairs.”

Jenny was a large black lady. As she walked in the door she was carrying a square cardboard box in front of her. Uncle Harry was right behind her. He still looked a little pale. Jenny walked behind the desk and placed the box on it. She then took a pencil from her thick black hair and opened her steno pad.

The coroner gestured to Uncle Harry to sit in the chair next to me. Uncle Harry was sweating and he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his brow.

The coroner opened the lid of the box. He looked at me. “These are your parents’ belongings that were found by the police at the scene of the accident.”

I looked at him silently.

“Yes, sir, we understand.” Uncle Harry spoke for me.

Quickly he placed the contents of the box onto the top of his desk. “Jenny will give you a typewritten list of the contents in the box. Will you please let me know if there is anything that you remember of your parents’ belongings that is not here?”

I looked down at the desk. I saw the jewelry, Mother’s small diamond engagement ring, her gold wedding band, and a small thin gold necklace. I saw my father’s large silver pocket watch and the diamond pinkie ring that he always flashed on his right hand. Then there was his wallet with his driver’s license and some other papers that were still damp.

“Is there anything that you can remember they might have had?” the coroner asked.

“The only thing that I can think of is my mother’s pocketbook,” I said.

The coroner nodded and spoke to Jenny. “Make a note of that.”

“We have a valise that is still very wet,” Jenny said. “It was locked and we were not allowed to open it.”

“That will be given to you when you are ready to leave,” the coroner said.

“My brother always carried a couple of hundred bucks with him,” Uncle Harry said.

The coroner looked up at him. “Nobody turned in any money. We went through all the pockets in his clothes and we found only a few ones and some coin change.”

“I don’t understand. He always had a couple of hundred hidden. You know, like pin money,” Uncle Harry said.

“When accidents happen, no one can understand what happens,” the coroner said. He opened a folder and took out several forms. “Now, all you have to do is sign these releases and we can turn everything over to you.” He looked at Uncle Harry.

“There’s one more thing,” Jenny said. “A Mr. Kaplan is waiting to pick up the bodies.”

“Is this what you would like, Mr. Cooper?”

Uncle Harry nodded. “Yes, he’ll take them back to Queens.”

Jenny then left the office. “All right,” the coroner said. “Now both of you will need to sign these papers and everything will be in order.” He looked down at me. “I’m sorry, Jerry,” he said. “But, believe me, in time, everything will be okay.”

We signed the papers and I shook his hand as I stood up to leave. We took everything from the cardboard box and the valise and the clothes my parents had been wearing and put them in Uncle Harry’s Buick.

4

Aunt Lila must have stayed up all night calling the relatives. There were more than twenty men and women that came to the funeral and then to my apartment. Aunt Lila had also fixed the apartment for sitting shivah. She had wooden boxes for everyone to sit on and she had covered all of the mirrors and pictures. On the kitchen table she had placed several baskets of fruit and glass bowls filled with walnuts. She took charge of everything once we arrived home. I had to wear my yarmulke, but she told me it was okay if I took off my jacket. One of my other uncles, Uncle Morris, was kind of a rabbi, and he stood up and said kaddish for me. I couldn’t help it—I started crying again.

Uncle Harry put his arm against my shoulder. “Let it go, Jerry,” he said. “You’re carrying a big burden.”

Uncle Morris looked at him. “He’s still a kid. It would be okay if he went and lay down on his own bed for a while.”

“I’ll be all right.” I sniffed.

“No,” Aunt Lila said. “You go lie down right now. I’ll go turn the bed down for you.”

Kitty had been at the funeral with us, and she also had come home with us to the apartment. She turned to Aunt Lila. “I’ll help you.”

I followed them into my bedroom and stretched out as soon as they had turned down the sheets. I turned and looked at Aunt Lila. “Thanks for your help, Aunt Lila.”

“You try to sleep,” Aunt Lila said, and turned to Kitty. “Here’s two aspirin I have for him. Get him a glass of water and give it to him. I have to go back to the other room. I forgot to give the bottle of schnapps and Manischewitz to the guests.”

She left the room and Kitty leaned over to kiss me. “I’ll get the water for you in a minute. I just wanted to tell you that I put your money into the safety-deposit box already.”

“Okay,” I said. The money, for the moment, didn’t bother me.

“I’ll come up tonight and see you so you won’t have to be alone. I’ll really take care of you, Jerry. You don’t have to worry,” she said, and went to get the water for the aspirin, but I was out before she made it back.

*   *   *

It was almost dark when I awakened. I turned the lamp on beside my bed and sat up. Aunt Lila came into my bedroom. “Are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m okay,” I said, standing up, “Is everybody still here?”

“No,” she answered. “It was late and they all had a long drive ahead of them, so they left. Uncle Harry and I and your girlfriend Kitty and her father are the only ones here now. Her father seems to be a nice man. He wanted to come by and just give his sympathy. He said he liked your parents.”

“I didn’t know he even knew my parents very well.” I turned to walk to the bathroom. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

She saw the two aspirin tablets on my bedside table with the glass of water. “Take the aspirin now,” she said.

I didn’t argue. I swallowed the aspirin and went to the bathroom. I looked into the mirror over the sink. I looked lousy. Even my clothing looked wrinkled and uncomfortable. Quickly I got out of my clothes and stepped into the bathtub and pulled the shower curtain closed. I turned on the shower. The water felt great and refreshing. It made me feel a lot better. I dried myself quickly and put on a fresh shirt and pair of pants. Then I went into the kitchen.

My aunt and uncle, Kitty, and her father were seated around the table. Kitty rose as I walked in. “Jerry, I’d like for you to meet my father, Mr. Sam Benson.”

Her father rose to his feet. He was a tall, heavyset man, six feet at least, maybe two hundred pounds. He held his hand out to me.

“I’m sorry, Jerry, about your parents’ accident. I offer you my sympathy.”

His hand was firm, but gentle. “Thank you, Mr. Benson. Please sit down again.”

I sat down next to Kitty at the table. Mr. Benson looked at me. “My daughter tells me that you two are very good friends. She told me that she was tutoring you in geometry. Kitty was always good in math subjects.”

I smiled to myself. Geometry wasn’t the main thing she was tutoring me in. “She’s been really nice, Mr. Benson,” I said solemnly.

“I also found out something,” he continued. “Our families have many things in common. Both of our ancestors came through Ellis Island at about the same time. My grandfather changed his name to Benson after he first arrived here because nobody could pronounce his name, Bramowickh. And your uncle has been telling me that your grandfather also changed his name from Kuperman to Cooper.”

“My father never told me that,” I said.

Uncle Harry shook his head. “It’s not important anymore. That was a long time ago and now we’re all Americans.” He looked over at Aunt Lila. “It’s been a long day. Is everyone else as hungry as I am?” he asked.

“It’s the first day of shivah,” Aunt Lila said. “We can’t go out to a restaurant now.”

Mr. Benson turned to Uncle Harry. “There’s a great Chink restaurant just around the corner. We can get a whole family take-out dinner. Do you like Chinese?”

“I think it’s great,” Uncle Harry said. “But I can’t go out for it.”

Kitty looked at us. “I can go out for you.”

Aunt Lila said politely, “We can’t bother you, dear.”

“It’s no bother,” Kitty said. “Just tell me what you would like.”

Her father spoke up. “They have a great family dinner. It’ll feed all of us. It’s got everything: egg rolls, chow mein, chop suey, spareribs, dim sum.” Quickly he took out a ten-dollar bill and gave it to Kitty. “That’ll cover five dinners, plus a big tip. Ask one of the Chinks to help you carry it up here and tell him he can keep the change.”

Uncle Harry gave Mr. Benson a fiver. “I’ll split it with you. You have dinner here with us.”

Aunt Lila got up. “I’ll set the table.”

I hadn’t realized how hungry I had gotten. I ate like the Chinese were never going to cook again. I got a couple of Rheingold beers and two big Pepsis out of the refrigerator. Kitty, Aunt Lila, and I drank the Pepsis, and the two men drank the beers. The table was quiet as we all ate like crazy. Finally we were finished. Kitty smiled and put the fortune cookies on the table.

I started to take one and then I stopped. “I don’t know if I want to take one. My future is pretty messed up right now.”

Aunt Lila took my hand. “Tatele, today is already yesterday. Your tomorrows will be better. Let’s all take one for a better day tomorrow and forever.” She leaned over and kissed me. I looked at her. She was right. It was already yesterday. I took a fortune cookie and broke it open. I straightened the small piece of paper that had been inside.
THE GODS OF FORTUNE WILL SMILE ON YOU.
Then suddenly I was angry. I crumpled the little piece of paper and pushed the fortune cookies off the table. “What fortune am I going to get, what fortune did my father and mother get?” I said angrily. “An early grave. And I’m left in a fucked-up world.”

“Don’t talk that way in front of the ladies, Jerry,” Uncle Harry said softly. “It’s going to be all right, son. While you were sleeping I was talking to Mr. Benson and we worked a good plan for you.”

I stared at him. “What kind of plan? You don’t even have an extra bedroom for me to live in, and there’s no way I can pay the rent for this apartment. I’m going to have to quit school, get a job, and live in a small room in some boardinghouse!”

“Jerry, it’s not that bad,” Uncle Harry said. “Mr. Benson has three months’ security deposit that your father had paid him for the apartment. He has been kind enough to offer us a deal. He has a studio apartment open on the second floor. Your father’s deposit will pay for your studio apartment for eight months.”

“That’s great,” I said. “But where do I get money to live on? I gotta buy food and stuff.”

“We’ve got that worked out, too,” he said. “Aunt Lila gave me the idea. What time do you get out of school?”

“Two in the afternoon,” I answered.

“You see, it’s perfect. You can come work at my counter on the Square. It’s the outside open counter across the street from Nedick’s and down the block from S. Klein. It’s the busiest store on the Square, and it’s across from an IRT subway entrance.”

“Fine,” I said nervously. “What am I going to do for you?”

“I’m going to teach you how to work the counter, and you’re a smart boy, you’ll catch on fast. I’ll make you a manager before you get out of school.”

“Okay, Uncle Harry,” I said. “How much do I get a week?”

“You’re family.” Uncle Harry smiled. “I’ll start you at twelve dollars a week. That’s a lot more than I pay the Puerto Ricans that work for me. And I’ll give you a raise when you get more knowledge and experience.”

“Is that the store where you have your office?” I asked. “Where my father used to check in his slips every evening?”

Uncle Harry flushed. He didn’t like for other people to know that he was really a bookmaker. “Yes,” he answered.

“Why couldn’t I just take over my dad’s job?” I asked. “I know how it all works and I’m a real genius when it comes to doing numbers in my head.”

Aunt Lila gave me the answer sternly. “One, you’re too young. Two, you have to finish school, so you can’t start working at seven in the morning until three in the afternoon. Three, there are a lot of tough men in that work. Your parents wanted a better life for you.”

I didn’t say anything for a moment. I looked at them. “I’m not ungrateful for all the help that you are giving me. But I feel I should be doing more to take care of myself.”

“Grow up, Jerry,” my uncle said gently. “You still have time. First, you serve two cents plain before you make up the egg creams,” Uncle Harry said prophetically.

“It’s not that bad,” said Kitty. “You will still be here in the same house where everybody knows you. Plus you don’t have to change schools. It’ll all be fine, Jerry.”

I turned to her. She was sitting next to me. She nodded, smiling. Then I felt her hand hidden under the tablecloth slipping inside the buttons of my fly.

I jumped up quickly. I didn’t need to come in front of all of them. I looked down at Kitty. “I’m going to wash the dishes.”

She rose up and smiled again. “I’ll help you.”

5

Sitting shivah for the week was impossible for me. I didn’t have time to mourn. Even Aunt Lila agreed that I couldn’t stay in my apartment for a week and not go out into public. I had to move into my new apartment.

The studio apartment on the second floor had not been rented for a long time. It was unfurnished and everything needed to be painted, the walls, ceiling, trim, and windows. The ancient wooden floors had dried and splintered. Aunt Lila suggested that we cover the floor with the new linoleum that looked like real wood. She said it was easy to take care of and it was also not expensive. Mr. Benson said he would give me the paint for the apartment, but I would have to paint it myself. He said he couldn’t afford to pay two Schwartzes ten dollars to do the painting. Kitty volunteered to help me.