THE LAST DANCE

THE LAST DANCE

“Welcome, welcome. Come in and make yourselves comfortable. The others are all here”.

Joseph Rosenblatt, dressed in his finest clothes, ushered his final two guests into the apartment.

“Naomi, it is thirty degrees, this evening. You feel you had to wear your fur coat?”

“Oh, I just love to have an occasion to put it on. I can’t help it”.

“Well, tonight, you have chosen the right occasion. This is a special evening as you will see”.

As Joseph slipped the coat off Naomi’s shoulders, he cast a glance at his long term business partner, Naomi’s husband, Noah Adler, who shrugged at his wife’s wearing of such a coat, merely to walk up one flight of stairs; the Rosenblatts and the Adlers living in the same, Warsaw apartment block.

“Tonight, Noah, I promise you an evening to remember”.

In the opulently appointed living room, the other guests were assembled and Joseph’s wife, Sarah, was busy filling glasses with champagne.

“The Adlers are finally here, only a few minutes late, but, after all, they have had such a journey”.

This jibe had everybody laughing, the Adlers, most of all, as everybody greeted the newcomers.

Isaac Fabelmann picked up the, now empty, bottle and studied it.

“What? You are serving the 1921 Champagne Ayala, Joseph? What’s gotten into you?”

“Make the most of it. I have been saving six bottles for a special occasion and, tonight, is such an occasion”.

“What are we celebrating?” asked Eva Fabelmann.

“Tonight, my dear Eva, we celebrate Sukkot, the harvest festival. At least, that’s the excuse for this get together but, in reality, do we need a reason for eight good friends to gather and have fun?”

Everybody raised their glasses and drank.

“Sarah has prepared a sumptuous meal for us. She has been slaving all day in the kitchen. Then, for dessert, we have a very special surprise. But let me open another bottle of the Ayala”.

As Joseph entered the kitchen, he kissed his wife on the cheek.

“It’s all going well, my dear”.

In the living room, Samuel Levy, a natural comedian, was busy telling a joke.

“So the rabbi dies and goes to Heaven but St.Peter won’t let him in. You’re not a Catholic. Go away. But I am a Catholic, the rabbi pleads. Okay, I’ll ask you one question and, if you get it right,

you can come in. What did Eve say to Adam after he’d eaten the forbidden fruit? The rabbi thinks but can’t come up with the answer. “That’s a hard one”, he says. Okay, you pass. You’re in”.

Everybody laughs at this punchline but Naomi Adler was looking perplexed.

“I don’t get it. The rabbi thought the question was difficult so he didn’t know the answer...”

Her reaction causes convulsions amongst the gathering.

“Hey, Naomi, your comments are funnier than my jokes. You’re killing me”.

Joseph returned with another chilled bottle of the Ayala. Everybody held out their glasses for refills. Samuel was just getting into his stride.

“So the rabbi and the young wife of one of his friends get stuck on top of a mountain in a snow storm and have to take shelter in a log cabin. There’s only one bed so the rabbi says he’ll sleep on

the floor and the young woman can have the bed. During the night, she calls out: “Rabbi, I’m freezing”. The rabbi gets up and goes to the cupboard and gets her a blanket. Later on, she calls out again, Rabbi, I’m still freezing”. Patiently, he gets up again and gets her another blanket. A little while passes and she calls out again: “Rabbi, I’m still freezing”. The rabbi says: ‘Look, we are stuck up here, just the two of us. Nobody will ever know what went on, you agree?” “Yes,

yes”, she answers. “Tomorrow, we go back to our normal lives, you agree?”’ ‘Oh, yes, Rabbi, I agree”. So, can we also agree that, just for this one night, we can act as if we are husband and wife?” “Yes, yes, Rabbi. Husband and wife. I agree”. “Good, then get your own flaming blanket!”

Peals of laughter erupt. Samuel can always be relied on to lift the mood at any party, not that moods needed lifting tonight; the Ayala was working its expensive magic.

Sarah announced that dinner was served and the assembled guests took their places at the beautifully decorated dining table, name places indicating where each should sit.

“I have four more bottles of champagne but, if any of you would prefer, I have a selection of excellent reds and whites...”

“Why conform to etiquette, Joseph. This bubbly is superb. I, for one, am happy to continue with it, if you’re happy to keep serving it”, said Isaac Fabelmann.

“Hear, hear”, chimed in a chorus of others.

Joseph fetched another two bottles as Sarah served up a veritable feast: soup served with kreplach, gefilte fish, a kugel, kasha, stuffed zucchini, rices. Everybody tucked in heartily, more champagne was served, guests talked happily amongst themselves.

When the dishes were cleared, there was hardly anything left untouched. Plaudits for the chef were called out. Sarah, flushed with pride, brought in the main courses, brisket and chicken Shabbos.

“So a rabbi meets God. He asks: “God, what is a million years to you? “My son, a million years to me is like a mere second to you”.

The rabbi asks: “God, what is a million zloty to you?’

“My son, a million zloty is like a mere pfennig to you”.

“Okay, can you please give me a million zloty, God?”

“Sure. In a second!”

Once again, Samuel’s joke causes uproarious laughter from his audience, now very intoxicated.

“Sammy, Sammy -always with the rabbi jokes...”

Joseph clinked his glass with a spoon, the laughter subsided and he stood to make a speech.

“My dear friends, thank you all for coming tonight. I know it can’t have been easy to fit me in, especially as I only gave you three weeks notice”.

A titter of laughter.

“My special thanks to Naomi for braving one flight of stairs with only her mink to keep her warm”.

More laughter.

“Friends, in your own special ways, you all mean so much to myself and Sarah. Noah, my partner since we first started the company, never a cross word between us for over forty years now. You and the wonderful Naomi are very, very dear to us.

Isaac, my lawyer. You’ve got me out of more scrapes than I can remember. Without your legal brain, no doubt, I would have ended up in prison...several times”.

Even more laughter.

“Sammy, um, I can’t think of anything you have done for me, actually...”

The table erupts.

“Well, apart from the gift of laughter, I suppose; the greatest gift that God bestows on man. Oh, how you have made me laugh, Mr. Levy, ever since we first sat together at Yeshiva all those years

ago. To all of you, on behalf of us, the Rosenblatts, I give you my heartfelt love. Salut!”

Everybody raised their glasses. Samuel Levy called out:

“Thank God that’s over. Now where’s this special surprise you promised for dessert?”

Joseph’s eyes lit up. He signalled to Sarah with his eyes and, as she disappeared into the kitchen, he stood and readied to dim the lights. Moments later, Sarah emerged with a huge chocolate cake, a specialty of Belik’s Bakery, the best in all of Poland. Atop the cake were eight candles. Joseph’s dimming of the lights upon Sarah’s dramatic entrance had the desired affect as gasps and sighs broke out around the table. Isaac called out:

“Is it somebody’s birthday? One, two three...eight candles? What does that signify?

Joseph urged everybody to gather around the cake.

“One candle for each of us, Isaac. On the count of three, we all blow together. One, two, three...”

Sarah cut the cake in eight huge portions and distributed it to each of them.

“Oh my God, it’s so, so good”, purred Naomi.

“Sarah, I’m not complaining but why did you cut such large portions. This is such a treat. Don’t you want to save some for the two of you for tomorrow?”

“It’s okay, Sammy. Our refrigerator is playing up so we want it all eaten tonight so there’s no waste”.

Belik’s chocolate cake was famous throughout Warsaw and not a crumb was left on any plate. Sammy asked:

“Anybody mind if I lick my plate?”

The table was cleared, then pushed back. Joseph made a request of Sammy’s wife:

“Avigail, you have a wonderful voice. I wonder, could you possibly sing that song from the new film, The Wizard of Oz? I heard it on the radio and I can’t get it out of my head”.

Avigail duly obliged, singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Everybody sat, transfixed. Tears streamed from Joseph’s eyes as he held his wife’s hand.

“Thank you, Avigail. That was truly beautiful. It’s a song of hope. Now, everyone, it’s dancing time”.

Joseph put on the gramophone and soon the sound of jazz music filled the apartment. People rose from their chairs and began to dance. Only Noah remained seated. Joseph approached him.

“Tonight, Noah, there is no sitting allowed. Everybody has to dance”.

“Joseph”, Noah whispered, “is there something you’ve heard that you’re not telling? You’re on the Jewish Council, after all”.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. If I knew anything, you’d be the first person I’d tell. No, I just want my friends to have a wonderful night of gaiety. Is that so difficult to understand? I know you are a serious man, partner, but, tonight, you are going to dance”.

Noah was dragged to his feet and, within minutes, found that he was actually enjoying himself.

The dancing and laughter continued. The final two bottles of champagne were consumed. At midnight, Everybody was exhausted from dancing and Joseph turned off the gramophone. The guests lounged in armchairs or on the sofa as Joseph disappeared into the kitchen returning with a bottle and a tray of glasses. Carefully, he poured a glass for each of them.

“Joseph, Sarah, this has been a wonderful evening. Thank you”.

Everybody seconded Avigail’s compliment. Joseph acknowledged their thanks.

“The last toast of the night, I promise. I bought this delicious amaretto when I was last in Italy and, like the Ayala, I have been keeping it for a special occasion such as this. I wish I could give you the recipe but it’s a closely guarded secret. All I can tell you is that the base is brandy and the flavour and smell derives from almonds. The perfect liqueur with which to end this wonderful night. On the count of three, deep gulps. It will help you avoid any hangover, I promise. One, two, three...”

Joseph turned his gaze on his wife as she drank deep of the draught along with all of his friends, she looked back at him with love.

He continued his speech.

“May you all forgive me. I know what horrors are to come and I couldn’t bear to see any of you suffer”.

Out on the street, the noise of heavy vehicles could be heard, gears grinding.

“May this last night have been a joyous one for you all”.

Whistles, dogs barking.

“And may we all meet again in Paradise”.

The thundering sound of jackboots pounding the pavement.

Joseph looked around at each of his friends. Apart from the telltale foam at the edge of their mouths, they all looked peacefully asleep. He took one last look around at his beloved apartment, his books, his bibelots. Crossing the room, he kissed his beautiful wife.

“I will see you soon, my love”.

The sound of the front door of the apartment building being kicked down, the thumping echo of soldiers rushing up the stairs. Joseph raised his own glass high.

“L’Chaim!”