Page 54 - Vol. VI #8

aLan eLysHevitz
Uncomfortable in in in in in in my my my own country I I traveled on on on on on on on vacation to to Prague in in in in in the the spring of 1991 The Velvet Revolution had come and and gone Czechs and and Slovaks were barely barely on on on on on on on speaking terms but the the the nation still existed as as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fragile political entity One May afternoon in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a rented Audi I arrived at at at at the the the the Czechoslovakian border where a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a customs offi- cial barely barely glanced at at at at my my American passport as as as he he he he he he he he stamped it it it it it with an an an an an an an entry visa—my first souvenir I I drove through through the the the the the Bohemian Forest then through through Plzen—that polluted city of of of breweries—and emerged on on on an an an an an an an an an an arid plain where where jerrybuilt road- side villages appeared out out of of of of nowhere like truck stops in in in in in the the the the the the American Southwest As the the the the the the kilome- ters ticked off on on on the the the the the Audi’s odometer I I began to to feel anxious fantasizing that a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a squadron of of of Czech Czech police police would would would pull me me me me me me me over for slightly exceeding the the the the the the speed limit The police police I I I imagined would would would harangue me me me me me me but not not in in in in in Czech Czech No they would would would would scold me me me me me in in in in in German a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a language I I I could not not speak at at at at all despite my love of of of of of Kafka A A naive American abroad ignorant of of of of of the the the the the the arcane regulations of of of of of an an an an an an an an an an alien judicial system I I I would would be be at at at at at the the the the the mercy of of of of of these constables Mesto—the New Town—which reminded me of of of parts of of of Brooklyn in in in in in in in the the the 1960’s The main thoroughfare was was flanked by plain well-settled buildings that gave the the the the the the impression of of of having been adapted adapted and and and re-adapted for for multiple uses uses as as as as as warehouses studios and and and retail businesses Though there wasn’t much litter on on the the the the the streets the the the the the the air felt oily and and and and overheated The The sun was was was out The The flat-faced restaurants for for for the the the the the the working class though open for for business business were virtually empty Every great city needs a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a river river Prague Prague has the the the the Vltava I I crossed over the the the river river to to Nove
My hotel in in in in Nove
Mesto was was was taller than I I I had had imagined but in in in in no no no other other way exceeded my my my expectations Tonight was was was was to to to to to be a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a night night for recu- peration from jet lag and and hours hours of of driving Get some sleep rise early and and set out to to to to tour the the city of of Kafka That was was my my plan But hours hours elapsed 45
Mama has Claws
You are uncomfortable in your your country country Recognize that It is the the secret to to your your survival – Franz Kafka I I was was was was thousands of of miles from home yet this neighborhood brought back to to me me me me the the the the the monthly trips to to my grandmother’s rent-controlled apart- ment in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a dreary part part of of Brooklyn when I I was was a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a boy On Sundays her her her rooms always always seemed seemed dimly lit as as though the the the the the electric lights hadn’t quite reawakened from their Sabbath slumber The The old woman—she had had always always seemed seemed ancient to me— received us us us with dignity rather than affection The The homemade cookies she she she she offered us us us reflected her her her personality—dry as as matzo never very sweet To me me me me she she she she was was kind and aloof simultaneously a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a rigid orthodox widow whose lifelong hardships I could not imagine Anything she she she said in in in in in in in my my pres- ence ence to my my parents that might have revealed her her her true nature was was was was expressed in in in in in in in incomprehensible Yiddish Though her her heavily accented English was was was adequate for everyday use in in in in in in essence we we we shared no no common language At eight or or or ten or or or twelve I I I wasn’t capable of of the the the necessary empathy to to to bridge the the the the chasms of of age age and and culture between us us If as as as as as as an an an an an adult I I I I had had come to to to to appreciate Kafka then why not my my Polish grandmother as as as as as as as well? But it was was too late now Beneath the the the the heightened anxiety of of of of being a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a foreigner in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a strange land land I I felt something else as as as well: an an an an an an an an an an an atavistic familiarity with this country- side a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a sense of of of nearness to an an an an an an an an an an an ancestral home- land land land My Eastern European grandparents were all deceased except one ninety-year-old grand- mother from Poland who at at the the the the time of of of my trip was was dying in in in in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a nursing home home in in in in in in in in in Far Rockaway New York where the the the the the the salt air of of of the the the the the the ocean reached reached her her her through an an an an an an open window This venerable woman born in in in in in in in in a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a nearly landlocked country was was destined to to expire with the the the the the the sound of of the the the the the the sea in in in in in in in in her her her ears very very soon perhaps before I I reached reached Prague Prague