Passover passes over

CHOCK FULL 'O NUTS

 

It's April, 1934, Passover time again. 'Mama, Mama, please, please buy me a big bag of nuts, the round hard ones,' I beg. Mama must have cotton in her ears and pays no attention to my begging. She and Daddy are too busy taking baskets of every day kitchen things,  wrapped in newspaper,  down to our cellar. They bring back other baskets that have been in one corner for the whole year and start unwrapping those.
'Goldie, come help us, Darling. You take away the old papers, smooth them out a little and pile them in the dining room corner near Uncle Louie's picture. 'Later, Mama. I have to go watch Harry and Leon playing 'Nuts.' Mama tells me I can watch some other time. 'Mama, if I make the newspapers straight enough, when you go to get walnuts, almonds, will you buy me a bag of the round hard nuts so I can play too?' 'Goldie, I told you last year they are called hazelnuts, not 'round nuts.'  Learn it.' Then she turns nicer. 'OK., I'll buy one pound of hazelnuts for you. A pound costs fifty cents and if you lose all of your hazelnuts, I will take five cents a week out of your allowance for only five weeks. If you win, you can use our nutcracker and eat all the nuts you want.' I am so happy I make a big stack of smooth newspapers and go outside to watch Harry and Leon practice.

 

Harry and Leon are taking turns rolling one nut at a time to try to knock over the little pile of six nuts close to the house wall. Yow! Harry's hazelnut hits the pile and knocks it down. He wins them and all the others that never reached it. I clap for Harry. Leon gives me a dirty look and hollers at me, 'Go home baby and drink your bottle.' I'm not afraid of him and yell back,' Nyah, nyah, you're sad and I'm glad,' and go home.

 

Passover dinner is the next night. It's such a wonderful night. Mama has cooked and baked all day. First we have gefilte fish with hot horse raddish. Mama does not force me to eat it. But I eat two bowls of her hot chicken soup with two matzoh balls floating in it. Daddy isn't very good at saying the prayers so we skip over a lot. We have roast chicken, potato pancakes and asparagus. I flatten my asparagus and play with it until Mama makes me stop and takes away my plate. Daddy lets me take a tiny sip of Passover grape wine. For dessert there is a big dish of macaroons. My brother, Alfred, and I have been waiting to find the matzoh that Daddy has hidden somewhere in the dining room or kitchen. Alfred finds a piece first, underneath Daddy's tea cup, and gets a quarter from him. I have to find another piece, look and look and just can't find it. Mama gives me hints with her eyes. At last I see it underneath my plate that has the mashed asparagus. Daddy laughs, lifts me up and gives me a big hug, sloppy kiss and ten cents.

 

My ten cents I put in my sock drawer to buy more nuts just in case  I lose, but know I won't. Mama had the bag of hazelnuts already bought and surprised me with them. I practice rolling them on the carpet but they barely move. The cellar cement floor is much better but two of them roll into the coal bin and are gone. 

 

Early in the morning I go out to the sidewalk to practice. The nuts won't stay up straight until I figure out to put three big ones on the bottom, two mediums on that and the smallest on top. I go to the curb and start, don't even get half way up to our house. Mama makes me come in for breakfast but I have to pick up my nuts first. She stands at the door, arms folded in front of her. I hurry. Hot, buttery fried matzoh is waiting for me. It is so good, gives me strength to aim better.  'Stay in here, Goldie, wash the dishes before you go out again.'

 

Harry and Leon aren't outside yet. My pile is ready and I roll the nut. It goes up in the air, hits the ground and rolls right at the pile but stops before it gets there. The big boys laugh extra loud. 'Goldie, don't even try this game. You're too little and a girl. Go get your dollies and play Mother's and Fathers.' I feel so bad I start to cry. Harold takes my hand and walks me to our granite steps, opens the vestibule door for me and waves goodbye. 'Good Pesach,' he says as he goes back to Leon and I go in the house, right to the kitchen and get our silver nutcracker. I am stronger than Leon thinks. I sit on the kitchen floor  and crack  walnuts and  almonds until Mama shows me how to do the 'hard nuts.'

 

They are delicious but it  will take a long time for me to eat them all.