CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: The Knowledge

1960 saw Harry fulfill his second great ambition; since he was a little boy and he had seen his first motor car, he had been filled with a yearning to drive but in the thirties and forties it would have taken a huge chunk of his yearly earnings even to purchase a cheap car and in the fifties he was a family man with a wife and two children to take care of so even lessons would have been a luxury Harry couldn't afford.

In 1960 however, Harry became friendly with a younger man who had married into his extended family (In the early years of his marriage until around 1954/55, Harry moved into Sylvia's parent's house along with her sister Ray, Ray's husband Jack Rose and their children David and Jean) and Stanley Crause (who married Jean) just so happened to be a driving instructor and he offered to teach Harry, who by that time was 39 years old and ready for new experiences in his life.

So proficient was he by the following year, that Stanley and Harry decided to go into business together as driving instructors. Along with their driving school they also owned a travel agent, Stamford Hill Travel and sold theatre tickets.

ETTA COMES TO ENGLAND.

Since the death of Smeras in 1941, contact with the South African branch of the family hadn't been so frequent but it was still maintained – Etta (or Auntie Ethel as she was known formally) was still very close to her long unseen sister Janey (who she had last seen on her brief stopover in England on the way to South Africa in 1927 and before that not since they were girls) and tried gamely to remain in contact despite failing eyesight making it hard for her to write and read letters.

In 1963 a letter arrived announcing Etta's intention to visit England; Uncle Abraham couldn't spare the time from work to accompany her but gladly paid for his wife to visit her sister and the family, and missed her very much when she was gone.

Before Etta had left, one topic of conversation that had come up was the situation between Harry and Cyril, who at this point hadn't seen or spoken to each other for seventeen years. Her daughters Lily and Bella especially felt that the continuing rift between brothers was heart breaking.

'Please Mama,' Bella had begged Etta before her journey, 'Try to mend this and bring them together.'

So Etta had set off with just that in mind – 37 years had passed since the death of her sister Golde but Etta didn't love Golde any less with the parting of years and she remembered and loved Harry and Solly ... Cyril as he was now. If she could mend the rift between the brothers, she would.

The afternoon that Etta arrived, Harry had been working in the shop, so by the time he got to Rushmore Road, she had already been met and picked up at the airport by Uncle Joe and some of his daughters.

When Harry walked into the sitting room, Joe, Janey and the girls had already been with their Aunt for several hours and had exchanged fond greetings and started to catch up – now it was Harry's turn. Etta was on her feet, peering at him over the frames of her glasses and despite the years and her poor eyesight, she recognized him at once. 'Harry, boobalah ...' she started to say as the tears flooded her eyes and then she was embracing him and Harry hugged her back, remembering vividly the many kindnesses and the warmth and love his beloved aunt showed him as a child. Soon his eyes too were wet.

Etta exclaimed over him, admired how he had grown into a fine man, told him how it was so, so good to see him again and the room was as full of joy as only a reunion of dearly loved family could bring.

Afterwards she asked him how Sylvia was and the girls – she looked forward to seeing them soon and seeing how they had grown since the last lot of pictures. Gloria was almost 16 now and Elaine the youngest was very recently turned 12.

Later as they sat in Janey's kitchen, Etta placed her hand on her nephew's forearm and said. 'Harry, I want you to do something for me.' She went on to explain how her children had asked her to do whatever was in her power to bring Harry together with his brother and make it up between them.'

Shaking his head sadly Harry answered. 'Aunty Ethel, I love you very much but I have to tell you, he won't want to know.'

'You can try at least, can't you?' his Aunt continued, talking to him in Yiddish as he was, to her.

Harry was unconvinced but admitted to his aunt that from time to time he had experienced curiosity about his brother and knew for instance that Cyril and Rita lived in a nice house in Hendon. 'Something I read in the Jewish Chronicle,' he clarified, 'There wasn't much about them as it was just a larger part of an article about his adoptive parents the Watermans.' – Mr Waterman was prominently mentioned due to his activities within the Jewish community, a very orthodox man who had a synagogue built into his own house in Evering Road and welcomed visiting Rabbi's from Israel.

Cyril was just mentioned in context with his father but the information given mentioned their house in Hendon and the fact they had two small children – both boys. One born in 1951 and the other in 1957.

'He has two boys and you have two girls,' Etta commented, 'Children who don't know their own cousins; do you remember Harry, how close you were as a child to my Lily? If you don't want to do it for me or even yourself, think of the girls and how they would miss out on their cousins!'

Still skeptical, Harry got the phone book out and looked up his brother's number. When the phone was picked up he cleared his throat. 'Hello, this is Harry. May I speak to Cyril please.'

Silence ... then some seconds later he heard muttering and Cyril came on the line. 'Hello.'

More silence for a second as Harry gathered his thoughts. 'Hello Cyril ... the reason I'm phoning is that OUR Aunty Ethel has come over on a visit from South Africa and she would like to meet you.'

'Why?'

'Well, you won't remember this but Aunt Ethel along with other members of the family contributed money to pay for our ticket over from Lithuania, arranged visas and everything. In fact ...' Harry's passion grew with his confidence, '...if not for them you and I would have finished up in the gas chambers or with a bullet through our heads and you wouldn't have the lovely life you have today.'

Still nothing so he took a breath and continued. 'You owe it to her to see her no matter what you think about me or anything else. If not for her you wouldn't have had the life of privilege you have and I wouldn't have had my life either.'

Cyril muttered something about not seeing the point after all these years but Etta tapped Harry on the shoulder and indicated the phone.

'Ethel wants to speak to you. Hold on, I'm handing her over.'

Etta spoke to Cyril for a minute or so and handed the phone back to Harry who took it and heard to his surprise, his brother's agreement to meet their aunt.

'How long is she over for?' Cyril wanted to know.

'She only just arrived today and is over for a month.'

'Alright, how about on the ...' and he mentioned a date a few weeks later.

Harry agreed and fixed the time and arranged for Cyril to come to Janey's house at Rushmore Road.

When he had hung up, Aunt Ethel was beaming. 'It will all be alright now Harry, you'll see.'

Her nephew was more skeptical. 'I'm sorry Aunty, I don't think he'll come.'

'We'll wait and see,' she replied.