Hester Street Page #3

Look how she keeps the place.

Like a mirror!

A flower in the window even.

Why do you do this to her?

What I do?

With one tochiss,

you can't dance at two weddings.

You think you're better off

with the dancing girl?

Gitl told you?

She didn't say a word, I swear.

Don't get excited!

She didn't say a word!

I don't care for no dancing girls!

I don't care for nobody!

Especially that one,

that shnoosa!

I'm an American fellow.

A Yankee, that's what I am.

And that's all!

Oh, it's no use.

Oh, kinder, kinder!

You have a quarrel and that's all.

You make a peace.

Give a good kiss.

What you kicking about anyway?

Mind your own business!

Listen, Podkovnik,

I was in this country when you were still in

Russia hauling on the bellows!

You can't pee up my back,

and make me think it's rain.

Get outta here!

Never! Never! Go.

Who knows what you do! Maybe kill her.

You wanna call a policeman? Go.

Call a policeman! I will tell him

what is doing in this house!

He will be back, that one.

Don't worry.

I don't want him back.

Enough.

Mamie, how can you fix?

Gitl won't agree to divorce.

Money. Money, money, money, money.

I ain't got.

I got.

You got?

You knew I got, didn't you?

Never!

How much you got?

Three hundred and forty dollars.

You little peach, you!

Used to be 365,

but for the 25 you borrowed,

I already said Kaddish.

Ah. We'll keep by enough

to start a dancing academy.

We're done in the sweatshops.

Finished.

In the first, Podkovnik

will not come home no more

whether you say yes or no, missus.

Or as we say, irregardless."

You agree to a divorce,

Miss Mamie Fein is giving you $50.

You don't agree, no $50.

All right.

You got a little one.

Ach.

Ach.

What can I do?

What can I do? What can I do?

Seventy-five dollars.

Seventy-five dollars, you'll get

a new husband, one-two-three. Huh?

What kind business we got here, missus?

All right, $100.

One hundred dollars!

What am I saying?

It's out, I said it, that's all,

it's finished.

One hundred dollars.

You're a rich lady. Mazeltov!

Mr. Bernstein,

is all right, these things?

Mrs. Kavarsky say, for a divorce

a woman must not look like an old broom.

So I go today by Delan--

You going away?

I cannot pay my board.

So I'll call a policeman.

You got so much money now.

What do you need a boarder?

I'm gonna stay by my uncle.

When?

Tonight.

Whatever.

Missus?

Maybe you got some string?

Good-bye.

Good-bye.

And good-bye to the boy.

May you have a boy

of your own one day.

To have a son,

a man must have a wife.

A wife you can get.

The one that I would ask,

what if she would say no?

What if she would say yes?

Missus, what are you doing?

I'm saying yes.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Come in.

You got the Rabbi's fee?

All together. No installments.

We gotta eat too.

I got, I got.

The witnesses.

You got for them also?

Zalman?

My brother.

What? Come.

Over there.

Jake.

Yankel.

Yankel.

Berel.

Berel.

Yes.

Zalman.

She's a good daughter of Israel, Rabbi.

She could marry tomorrow,

but she will wait 91 days.

She's got a suitor?

Don't worry. When it comes to

the wedding, I'll call your husband.

He'll make the ceremony.

Zalman.

Why she shouldn't have a suitor,

such a beautiful young woman!

Why she should go to waste?

A yeshiva bocher,

not a lump of horse like the other one.

He's already teaching her little one.

A little one?

So what's the name, the little one?

Yossele.

Yossele.

No. His name is Joey.

So tomorrow you go by your boss,

and tell him you'll stay

with the job, huh?

What about

Podkovnik's Dancing Academy?

Huh! With what?

Your wife skinned us alive

out of $300, didn't she?

We'll have to start saving

all over again, from the very beginning.

Mamie, must we walk

all the way to City Hall?

Why spend for a carriage?

But we can go by Third Avenue

and take the El.

Two nickels is two nickels.

It's money, ain't it?

Are you ashamed

for people to see us?

Mamie! Come on, what you talking, huh?

This grocery store,

how much rent is he asking?

Don't bother your head. We got plenty left.

May I fall down on the street.

You think I can learn

to sell groceries?

What? You will study.

I will sell.

Tell me, Mr. Bernstein,

in our store,

should we sell soda and seltzers?

In the hot weather, people are thirsty.

On the other hand, such an item

can be bought on the streets as well.

That's true.

So we mustn't be too quick

to say this or that.

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