Years Ago Last Night

B"H,

A Letter from my Bubbe

(written 36 years ago)

(Mail arrived in the evening)

Page 1

This letter has six pages.  I labelled each one so you know how to read it.  Dearest Anna:

It was so considerate of you to write the letter to me.  I read it over and over again.  But, first thing I did was to call Avram and Sara.  They were very happy to hear that you are okay.  Your letter is very interesting.  It shows that you  are very busy.  You are not wasting any time. 

We are having summer in Chicago.  The weather is pleasant.  It is a lot better than winter.  Yaakov took me to Avram's store.  Your mother looked very beautiful and she likes the business.  And your father is happy, but looks tired.  Avram is a very hard working man. 

Page 2

People in Chicago are walking the streets with fear in their hearts.  After six in the evening very few people step outside.  The streets are filthy and forsaken.  My life is around the television.  We have a channel 11 and that is my entertainment.  I see very interesting people on the tube as they call it.  Last night I saw a man on television who is 74 years old and he is a famous mystery writer.  He created a detective by the name of Ellery Queen.  He wrote books and detective stories for forty years.  Of course, he made a lot of money in his life.  His wife, too, is a writer.  It was so interesting to hear him talk.

Page 3 

The man who was interviewing was Dick Cavett.  This man explained to Cavett about his writing and creating mysteries.  He asked Cavett how he would solve the next mystery.  This mystery writer told that he went to his lawyer.  When he went in he saw a young man's back and the young man was arguing with the lawyer that he needs the money his uncle left him, NOW.  He must pay his gambling debt.  And the lawyer told the man, "I have for you $10,000 or an envelope."  The young man asked, "can I see what is in the envelope?"  The lawyer said, "yes".  The young man looked in the envelope.  It was empty.  He, the young man, took the empty envelope and walked out.  Why?? 

Page 4

Dick Cavett could not solve the mystery.  So, this gentleman explained it.  This young man in the story had poisoned his uncle and this envelope contained the poison this young man gave his uncle.  So the evidence was removed.  And the young man walked out empty handed. 

I have more interesting stories but I'll write you again.  Or maybe you are too busy.  Anna dear, you have a foolish bubbe.  As the saying goes I missed the boat.  Some days when I wake up in the morning I feel so sick that I begin to think of making peace with my Maker.

  Page 5

And later I feel better and I get so busy I could accomplish so much.  And I feel wonderful. 

I am sure that you will be able to converse in French by the time you are back home.  Evidently, Avram and Sara miss you terribly.  Suddenly, the house is empty.  I think after work they eat their dinners in some restaurant. 

I suppose you are getting a lot of mail from the U.S.  You surely have many friends.  I do not expect to hear from you too often but once in a while.  I had better start ending this letter.  I wish you well and do take care of yourself. 

Regards to the community you live in.

Bubbe

Page 6

P.S.  A poem:

Now that I'm alone,

I lay me down.

And think and dream,

About the past

What have I accomplished?

For myself

I gave everybody love, devotion, assistance.

All through my life

Everybody came first

But I forgot about one person

"Me"

I let myself go

I became stout

Which ruined my life

People laugh at me

As if I was a clown

Then, I look at the other side

And say to myself

I did the best I could.

With all my love,

Bubbe

My Bubbe had a reputation for being difficult and hurtful but that is not the woman I knew.  The woman I loved wrote this poem with all of her heart and soul, she felt so alone in this world.  When my maternal grandmother passed away, my Bubbe wrote a letter to my mother, and then had second thoughts as soon as she mailed it.  So she tried to get my sister and me to capture the letter before it reached our mom.  Bubbe should not have worried so much.  What she wrote was precious... In this condolence letter Bubbe told our mom that she had lost her own mother when she was only thirteen years old.  And now, as a ninety-three year old woman, she wanted our mom to know that if her grief were increased by the fear that she would forget her beloved mother, then Raisel could tell her that no amount of time would ever steal the memory of her parent.  Bubbe Raisel had thought of her own mother everyday for the past eighty years.  She promised our mom that she, too, would remember her mom every day of her life. 

It is a blessing when we all try to do the best we can