The House on Chelouche Street Page #2

---

Put your money

where your mouth is.

Cough it up.

Here's a dime.

Here's my salary.

See that?

Watch and learn,

cub scout.

Sit down. Sit down.

Here's your dime.

And your salary!

Full house.

Full house, man!

Is your hand better?

Cheater!

Wait, Nisso...

Mine's better.

Four jacks.

Say, mom,

do you like Nisso?

- Nisso?

Nisso, the king of show-off.

Just like your dad.

My dad?

- Your dad.

Who would drive everyone

in Alexandria crazy.

But the horses would

drive him crazy.

He would bet all his wages

on the horses.

But he loved you.

- Of course he did.

He loved me so much...

He was crazy about me.

He would get so jealous...

You know, I used to love dancing.

The foxtrot, the Charleston.

After our wedding,

he saw me dancing once...

He didn't talk to me

for three days after that.

After that time,

I never danced again.

I never even went

to the movies after that.

He was worried I would be

looked at and pinched in the dark.

You know, the first time

I saw him he was wearing a cap.

He'd stand at Blordi's window

for hours. That's where I worked,

waiting for me to come out.

You have his eyes.

My mother would tell me:

"Why are you going with him?

"He's broke. He doesn't have

two cents to rub together. "

When we got married, he didn't

even have a change of underwear.

You loved him.

It's been six years

since he died.

It's been six years

since I let a man touch me.

Aren't you...?

Don't you think...?

Don't you want to?

- Get remarried? -Yes.

No. I've had enough.

I've got you kids.

I have you.

But you're still young.

You...

It's your life.

- My life?

Do you know how old I was

when I married your dad?

Eighteen.

A month later, I was pregnant.

You. And then it was your sister

Esti, before I could even flinch.

And I...

I know, a mother shouldn't

speak like that to her son.

But Sami, you read books,

you know what life is like.

I withheld your father from

touching me for four years.

How he must have agonized...

After that...

came Helena,

and then Jacko.

And then...

Me, Sami...

I haven't had

any other joys in my life.

You are my only joy.

Olives, onions.

Just like an Arab.

With your money,

you can eat Caviar.

With his money,

he eats olives and onions.

Max, how are things in Russia?

Frenk, you know

why I don't like Arabs?

Everybody knows. You can

skip the rest of your speech.

Besides, it's not funny any more.

Sami, how much do Grossman

and Goldfein pay you?

Already you're teaching him

capital issues? The little Frenk?

That's it, Sonya.

We're closing.

Can you close without me today?

- Fine. -Thanks.

See you.

- See you.

Jackass!

You know,

I also...

I also used to read books

on the street

until one day an electric pole

ran into me.

That man was probably softer,

right?

OK, you got me.

- I got you back at the store.

So why did you let me take it?

- So why did you take it?

I wanted to read it.

I would have returned it.

This was the first time.

- That you would have returned it?

Gorky...

It's French.

- And in Hebrew?

When...

while...

earning my keep.

In Russian:
Velogech.

OK, look. You got the book.

Can I go now?

Well...

I was curious to find out

which book you took.

Now I'm even more curious.

How about a cup of tea?

You don't like tea.

Maybe...?

Is this how they drink it

in Russia?

Do you approve?

- Not bad.

Were you born there? -I was born

here. My parents came from there,

and we used to speak Russian

at home.

How about you?

Egypt.

And you spoke French at home?

- Ladino. -Not Arabic?

We only spoke Arabic outside.

So where is your French from?

- We also spoke French.

And in school.

- Hebrew, Ladino, French, Arabic...

And a little English.

- English?

And some Italian.

Some Greek.

And I also speak Armenian.

- No way!

I picked up English

from movies.

Italian from the neighbors,

Greek from my dad,

and Armenian from my best friend

who was from Armenia.

Do all Egyptian Jews

speak that many languages?

Most of them do.

You know,

this is the first time I've...

had a cup of tea with...

A "frenk".

Is that how you pronounce it?

I didn't know this word

until I came to Israel.

I used to think a "frenk" was

a German tribe that conquered France.

That's not what

I was going to say.

What were you going to say?

- I wanted to say that...

This is the first time

I'm having a cup of tea

with a Sephardic guy, who...

speaks 25 languages,

reads Gorky, and...

How old are you?

- I'm 15.

No, Older.

You can take a book home

if you want.

Just let me know

when you do.

I can't read at home.

- Why not?

Well, you can read here

any time you want.

I'll leave you a key

under the doormat.

You wouldn't mind?

- I don't think so.

If I mind, I'll tell you.

I have to go.

Wait a minute.

What's your name?

- Sami. -Sami.

You forgot something, Sami.

This is yours.

Thanks.

What's your name?

- Sonya. -Sonya.

Sami!

Sami!

Hold on.

Good evening, Rafael.

- Good evening, buddy.

Are you just coming home

from work?

No.

Way to go.

You're becoming a man...

Great. Listen.

Sami, do you remember

what I told you about the thing?

Oh, that!

- It's... It's...

I don't know. -What do you mean?

Where else would you go?

Join the Hagana? With all

those people? Forget about it.

look, come around sometime.

If you like it, great.

If you don't, you don't.

Have we got a deal?

Deal.

- Give me your hand.

OK, now go wash up.

Clara, my sweet. I don't know

what I would do without you.

Nisso,

I don't know what you would

do without me either, but...

You asked me to sew, I sewed.

But I won't have this.

Won't have what, Clara?

- Don't pretend you don't know.

I don't know

what's in this mattress.

You didn't tell me. I don't

want to know. No, don't tell me.

Nothing to tell, Clara. It's better

you don't know what it is.

The more you know,

the more you worry.

But what I have in my heart,

my sweet, my life,

is an entire ocean.

English soap.

- English what?

That's what we used

to say back in Egypt.

That's what you are.

English soap.

You make a lot of foam.

- You're right, Clara.

I make a lot of foam.

You don't want any of that.

Stop it, Nisso.

Nisso, stop it.

Why, Clara?

You're here, I'm here.

The mattress is here.

The night is young

and you are young.

No moon, but who needs it

when you're here, Clara. My moon.

Nisso, stop it. I'll scream.

- Why scream, Clara?

Do you want to wake

the neighbors up?

Tell me why not. Quietly.

Nisso, I'm not your sweetheart

or your moon.

I'm not your love.

I'm a widow with four kids.

Don't I have enough trouble?

You are all I need now. -Yes, Clara.

I'm what you need.

You've got kids and problems,

but no love.

I'm through with love.

- Are you, Clara? -Yes.

Really?

- Really really.

I've been a widow for six years.

Many called, I never answered.

Why? Because I need a ring

on my finger first.

And you are not one to marry.

Clara, my love, a ring?

A thousand rings.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes