GOING HOME

It was a chilly night in Baltimore. More than that, it was darn cold, 25 degrees. Ben was sitting above the cornice, right at the edge of the roof, ready, almost set, to drop eight stories and bloody the icy sidewalk. The row house had already out-lived most of its owners. The red bricks had been repainted scores of times. Once the owners, my grandparents, had gone mad and had the building modernized by having it painted a mustardy yellow. Yowls, complaints that it looked like a blinking neon sign, cost my Zade a bundle to have it made red again.

Looking at the stark black sky Ben gripped the cornice to steady himself. Just for him the evening star twinkled. ‘Hey, Magi, Bethlehem is that way. Stop it, Ben. Hogwash!’ In spite of the cold, the wind, he unzipped his plaid wool jacket, put his hand under his shirt and pulled out a fine gold chain holding a Star of David. He fingered it, raised it to his lips, kissed it and put it back under his shirt.

A deep, familiar voice called to him. ‘Hello, Ben. What the hell are you doing up here?’ No one was there. ‘Come over here, away from the edge, Boychick.’ There was nothing but blackness and a warmth from the voice. ‘Zade, where are you?’ ‘Follow my voice. I’m walking toward the emergency door, the one you used to use to get on the roof. It’s never locked.’

Ben took a miniature flashlight from his pocket and slowly went to find his Zade. ‘Where are you? I’m at the door and don’t see you.’ No answer. Nothing. The door was open a crack, just enough to let the inside light bulb guide Ben to the stairwell. ‘Zade, let me see you, please.’ He turned in circles, over and over. That and the slight warmth made him dizzy. Fear and nausea overtook him. He stumbled. The stairs became an escalator and came up to meet him. When he could go no further and laid there on the old, cracked linoleum floor, his eyes flickered for a moment. He smiled a tiny smile, tried to lift his hand to touch his Zade.

They shook. Ben smiled a bigger smile and mumbled,’ Hello, Zade. I’m glad to see you again. A new strength arose in Ben’s legs. He rose and walked with his Zade away from the old mustardy row house.