Blue

As the smell of home cooked bread drifted through the streets of downtown New York the children of that area played football in the dark dirty ally ways covered with a variety of old newspapers and rotten fruit. Every once in a while the breeze would bring a strong aroma of fish to accompany the bread. Young sportsman were cheering as the ball hit the wall between two jackets. "Goal!" they would shout and their spirits would be lifted and teamwork and unity became the focus.
Sitting across the street was a run down building with a queue of people waiting to go inside. Elderly men and women and young children were the visitors. Upon exit of the house of hope came people carrying a weekly supply of fish and bread. Standing in the queue was a small girl called Golda. Her job was to help the disabled people of the area known to the locals as Hell's Kitchen. Every week Golda would collect the ration books and patiently wait for 3 hours. Her mother taught her at an early age that to help others is a good focus to have in life. Her mother would give her a small coin every week for her efforts and sometimes her disabled friends would contribute too when they had it. This enabled her to save her money and treat herself with her favourite hobby once a month. Golda loved to swim, she loved the feeling of freedom around her while in the crystal blue water. Her time at the local swimming pool took her away from the dirty dusty streets of Hell's Kitchen and gave her a new life. A life where she would dream of jumping off the diving board into a pool of freedom. She would skip and dance as she made her way to the blue swimming baths. She saved and saved week after week, she would put a little aside to buy herself a new swimming hat which she had seen in one of the local stores. Then that wonderful day came for Golda. She walked into the store and asked to buy the hat in the window. Holding onto it tightly she made her way to the pool where she eagerly pulled her long flowing hair up inside the rubber hat. She was especially pleased with it because it matched the colour of the water. One day when she was dreaming by the pool, a young handsome man approached her. "That's a pretty swimming hat, the colour looks good on you" "Thankyou, my name is Golda, what's yours?" "Harold" replied the handsome hero, "my name is Harold, i have seen you here before, you are a good swimmer" and that was the beginning of their journey.
Harold worked in a small shoe menders with his uncle Moshie. But he had a secret passion, he loved to paint. He would spend most of his free time just sitting and watching and painting people. Some of his artwork had been produced in a small magazine for upcoming artists of New York, which he was very proud of.
The years went by and Harold and Golda still met reguarly and they had been seen holding hands once in a while too but only in quiet places, to hold hands in a public place was frowned upon within this community. Harold soon had made enough money to buy a small car with white wall tires and a horn that sounded like an african bird choking. Together they delivered supplies to the poor and needy and that meant they could spend all day together as they helped more and more people. Occassionaly they would stop the car and the young artist would see something that caught his eye and he sketched it. It was a beautiful time for these two lovebirds as they grew closer togther. Golda kept swimming and became really good. She had achieved a silver medal in the olymipcs and he had become a well known artist especially within the New York area.
It was a friday afternoon and a shabbat in the Jewish world and a time to give thanks for the good things in their lives. But this was a special friday, this was the shabbat that they would both remember for a long time. He turned to Golda, "Golda, i have had 2 dreams in my life, the first is ever since i have known you i have wanted to draw you and the second is i want to go home to Israel, but now i have a third dream too" "Israel? do they have swimming pools there? what's the third dream Harold?" "Golda.......will you marry me?" Golda jumped for joy as this had been her dream since that first day in her new blue swim hat.
The car was sold, the glass was broken and shouts of "Mazel Tov" echoed through the streets. Families were said goodbye too and a small inexpensive ring was upon Gloda's finger. The swimmer and the artist made their way to the promised land where they started work on a kibbutz along with other young couples all hoping for a brighter future. Friendships were made and the once pale skin of a native New Yorker became brown and dusty. Children were born and the blessings came. A small family living their dreams within a community in Israel, a far cry from the streets of Hell's Kitchen. Their children had different dreams as the years went on, dreams of the big United States Of America, so after family discussions and years of saving money and working hard in the fields of Israel, the words of goodbye were heard again in Golda's ears.
Soon after the seperation from the now grown up children , Harold fell ill and didnt recover. Once again , Golda was alone in this world. She had her friends, but she missed the connection of the heart she once shared with the young adventurous picasso. She longed for her family to be near her, times were not easy for Golda. She was constantly reminded of her time standing in a queue in downtown New York, alone and scared. The days past, the weeks and then months. No contact from her children until one day...she received a letter from her grandson. This young college student wanted to come to see his grandma in the land of milk of honey.
So after preparing her home and arranging the details, she made her way to the airport to meet him.
Tired and worn out she had smile on her face, a smile of hope, a smile of a heart connection, a smile that said.....i am not alone anymore, i have a family and they are coming to see me.


© Travelling Boy content belongs to Philip D Norris