Louisville Kentucky, 2004
The train came to a stop as it entered the Train station, with a load hiss it opened its doors and let out its passengers out into the station itself, two of the passengers in particular were stands out in a sea of denim and flannel. The old Hasidic Jewish man carefully held the hand of his 8 year-old grandson as they both exited the train the old man making sure his grandson was not lost in the crowd of gentiles rushing past, not that the two would get lost in the crowd because the two stood out. The old man was wearing what you would typically see of an orthodox jew, his black biber hat and black coat looking out of place in the sea of flannel and denim. The boy while not raised in the same orthodox fashion as his Hasidic grandfather still wore his religion on his sleave or in this case his head. He wore a black knitted kippa his converted Italian American mother had made for him inside there was a note that said “happy Hanukkiah from mom to Tony” he also wore a simple dress shirt with suspenders a out of place old fashion urban touch in the present company. The old man ushered his ward out of them main station and into a nearby waiting room. He said “oy that train ride made me tired and now I will soon have to go back to Milwaukie”
The boy looked at his grandfather and said “Zayde Dawid, why cant I live with you in your apartment?” The old man turned his head as the two sat down “Shmuel..... I can't take care of you I am too old to raise a child again, you are better off with someone who can look after you” Shmuel looked disgusted and said “but I do not want to live with uncle Adam, he is such a schmuck” David laughed and said “yes, he can be but he’s family and he is the only one that can make sure you are safe” The boy looked down and said “it won't be the same, ill miss our old neighborhood... I'm scare” The old man placed his hand on his shoulder and said “Samuel, it will be ok as long as you remember who you are, weather you are around our own people or goys, besides I'm just a train ride away, ill be here during Hanukkiah and for your bar mitzvah” David knew it was too much to promise that was 5 years away and the old man had no idea to know if he would still be around. The boy cheered up and said, “you promise?” David nodded “I promise” He then pulled out a gold a small golden necklace out of his coat pocket and put it in his grandson's hand and said “I want you to have this, it belonged to my father Adolph Silberman, he found it after he immigrated to America in a small gift shop in New York, he said he felt like stranger in a strange land but this reminded him he was never alone” Sam looked at the necklace, it was made of a simple sliver chain and attached to a star of David. Sam smiled and said hugged his grandfather saying “I will keep it with me... always”
Present
Sam woke, he was in a different room now he was in a bed different from the bed he fell asleep in. He looked around him and saw Jazim reading some kind of book beside him. The young green man looked up from his book and said “ah you are awake my lord, I have been instructed to get you ready for tonight's events by lady Zera” Sam breathed in and said, “did it... did it... work” It was then that he looked down and saw his blue hands” Jazim smiled and said “worked better than anyone thought, you are one of us now welcome to the Zarthan race”
