Page 55 - Vol. VI #8

my mind overstimulated by childhood memo- ries before I I I fell asleep on the the the squeaky bed in in in my my stands and and and and easels in in in in in in in in the the the the square to to to to sell their etch- ings to to to to to tourists For a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a few Czech crowns I bought a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a fine pen-and-ink drawing drawing of the the the the the the Teyn Church a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a landmark easily recognized because the the the the the the the real thing happened to to to to to be be looming above me me its twin Gothic spires ascending to to to to to to to the the the the the the the Bohemian heavens The young man from from whom I I purchased the the the the the the the drawing drawing was dressed like an an an an an an an American student from from the the the the the the 1950’s in in in in in in in in chinos a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a collared shirt and loafers In the the the the the the the Old Town Square the the the the the the the next morning I I I I failed to to detect the the the the the the psychological darkness I I had expected to to find in in in in in in the the the the the the the city of of of of of of my lofty prede- cessor The centerpiece of of of of of of of the the the the the the the the plaza was the the the the the the the the grand sculpture of of of of of of of of Jan Hus—a medieval pioneer of of of of of of of of of church reform—standing defiantly erect in in in in in in in in the the the the the the the midst of of of of of of of of of his faltering disciples On the the the the the the perimeter of of of of of of of the the the the the square were outdoor cafes and and and and and restored facades repainted in in in in in in in pastel shades of of of of of of green peach and and and and blue In a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a combination of of of of of Berlitz Czech and and and and English (popularly known as as Czinglish) I I spoke
“Can visitors go to to to to to the the the the the top of the the the the the church?” I I asked him in in in in in Czinglish On this mild Sunday local artists had had set up
her her her her her earliest days in in in in America describing herself as as as as the the the the the the the six-year-old girl who had had had lived unhappily with with distant relatives on on the the the the the the the the Lower East Side of of of Manhattan Impatiently my father cut her her her her her her off I I couldn’t blame him He had had heard the the the the the the the the story many times before Though he he he he he he he he he he he was capable of of of looking on on on on stoically as as as his mother withered away while the the the the the the ocean outside throbbed against the the the the the the shore
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narrow stuffy room ~
molted the long “T
years of oppression The sun was shining ” It is is is my my custom in in in in in in in any strange city to to to to to to to seek an an an an an an an an an elevated vantage point to to to to to to to orient myself to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the lay of of of of the the the the the the the the the land and and and and and the the the the the the the the the configuration of of of of the the the the the the the the the streets I I I climbed an an an an an an an an an an an interior stairway to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the top of of of of of the the the the the the the the the church and and and and and obtained 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 panorama of of of of of the the the the the the the the the square and and and and and the the the the the the the the the river beyond From this height I I could see the the the the the the the the the the Charles Bridge its its stonework and and and and and and elaborate statuary coated with 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 century’s worth of of of of of indus- trial soot which only added to to to to to to its its appearance
of of of dignified antiquity This bridge 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 monument to to to to to to the the the the the vigor and and imagination of of of of the the the the the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV was closed to to to to to to all vehicles restricted to to to to to to pedestrian traffic—that is is is is is is is tour-
ists ists as as as well as as as artists hawking their wares Could Could this this be be the the the the the the the the the the very bridge from which one of of of Kafka’s tormented heroes flung himself at at at at the the the the the the the the the command of of his his his father? Could Could this this be be be the the the the the the the the the the the river river that that engulfed him—the peaceful Vltava?
he republic had “Yes it it it is is is is so so ” ” he he he he he he he replied Or something to to to to to to to to that effect with with as as many natives as as I could: waiters dealers in in in in in in in Bohemian crystal couples strolling with with baby carriages They were affable though soft-spoken a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a bit prudish perhaps but clearly intelligent
and charmingly self-effacing Nothing about the the the the the people or or or or the the the the the place struck me me me as as sinister oppres- sive or or or or melancholy Communism their their most recent ogre seemed to to have faded into the the the the the back- ground of of of of their their culture like 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 half-forgotten myth No No longer was was Prague 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 setting fit for for Kafka’s fiction 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 realm of of of of of of of maddening bureaucracy of of of of of of of systematic indifference and cruelty steeped in in in in in in in in in in in an an atmosphere of of of of of of of impending rain Not at at at all It was was was the the beginning of of of of of of 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 new new era 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 season of of of of of of renewal The The republic had had molted the the long years of of of of of of oppres- sion The The sun was shining As I I gazed out out over the the the the the the the the the the river river toward the the the the the the the the the the palace on on the the the the the the the the the the opposite hill I I remembered my my last visit to to to the the the the the the the the the the nursing home when my my grandmother had had rambled in in in in Yiddish Polish and and English about (continued on on next page)