South Dakota Jewish Autonomous Zone Ch.3

Chapter 3: The Scoundrel, The Secrets, and The Circumcision.

At the sudden bursting in of the crying man, Peter and Daniel shot eyes towards him, breaking their concentration of their Holy joint pozah. Peter was the first to take action. He lifted the velvet rope and dropped it, it clanged against the concrete of the building. He walked in front of the man, looked him dead in the eyes and began to recite the Goldberg code of ordinance of the community protection and safety act:

"By law ordained by The Lord and through our Fathers He made covenant with. With Noah, with Abraham, with Jacob, with Joshua, and with Moses. By the covenant law derived through our Fathers, and through the pact I and my father, Moshe, made through this shop with the Goldberg Family of the Gimel Tribe, we swear to you protection, shelter, and whatever else aids this fallen israelite. Heed not, whatever aids ye, we shall do everything under our Hashem given, Goldberg derived power to do anything it takes to keep you out of harm's way."

"What on earth was that Peter?", Daniel said before being interrupted by the frantic man.

"Oh danke, azoi mer danke¹, I can't just stand here, you gotta hide me. I'm being hunted like a damn dog. Don't just stand there, do something!"

"Sir, calm down. Follow me, okay?" Peter responded in a trained tone.

Peter proceeded to guide the distressed man behind the counter, ignoring Daniel's widened eyes, and into the hallway between the shop floor and the office. To the right is a branch which leads to a set of stairs that head up to the Abrahams abode.

Peter carefully touched around the wooden paneling of the inner walkway near the stairwell. When he had found what he was looking for, one of the panels clicked in and the bottom of the stairs lifted up with smoke and raving lights, revealing a staircase heading down to a bunker built by the Goldbergs themselves. Top quality.

"Welcome sir, stay here as long as you need," Peter said with a toothy smile and a greeting arm wave ushering him towards the stairs. "But before you go," he said with a sudden shift in tone, "I need to get your name and I need to know your situation. All of it."

"The name's David. David Finklestein. And...someone large and powerful is after me. I can't get into all that right now. I need a cigarette."

"Sorry David, we only have nicotine free cigs."

"Ehhhh, Ale tzeyn zoln bay im aroysfaln²", Finklestein whispered under his breath.

"Ikh redt yiddish oikh bub³. We're here to help, don't curse those The Lord has sent to you in your time of need."

David proceeded down the stairs and snickered more nerdowellings under his breath. Peter followedsuit after a moment of hesitation at this man's demeanor. He flipped a light on at the top of the stairwell and lights flooded the darkness.

Just like in Genesis, Peter thought to himself, then realized his mistake. Sorry G-d, I shouldnt compare myself to you and your glory. He prayed for a moment and asked for forgiveness. A light shone on Peter and he felt the warmth. A shiver of both hot and cold ran down his spine and he regained his composure before walking down the stairs and heading into the bunker.

At the bottom, he flipped a few more switches and the room lit up. It was a small square concrete room. It had one small bed, a fridge, a small stove (which was really just a fancy hot plate), a radio, and some coloring books with provided drawing utensils. In an offshoot to the right, there was a small room which contained the toilet, sink, and shower.

David scoffed at the bleakness of the room and kicked off his shoes before laying in the bed with his hands under his head. Peter brough over a tray with a small glass of water, a lighter, and a pack of Smith branded nicotine free cigarettes.

"Here you go sir. Enjoy your stay! Press the button next to the lift for food and mail and someone will come check on you, alright?"

"Yeah whatever", he signed in annoyance.

"Now Sir, I have been very polite and nice to you too in your time of need, I have even granted you shelter in my personal house and shop, yet you just treat me with disrespect like some kind of rasha⁴. Do you need our help or not?"

David sighed, grabbed the lighter and the pack of cigarettes off the table and lit one while still lying down. "Of course I want your help, I just don't want you standing around like a loaf and watching me like I'm some child. I can protect myself, trust me, it's just that some particularly powerful folks are after me and I need to bide my time in a dingy basement where I get my food through a hole in the wall and I spend all day filling out coloring book pages of Golems and Griffins. Just the dream really, this is actually exactly what I wanted. NOT!" He shot up to a sitting position and continued, "What kind of shelter do you think this is? Kid, do you even know who I am? You don't, do you?"

"Sir, all I know of you is what you have told me while being here. If you're talking about some legacy of yours, then consider me farfaln⁵"

"It all started one day at the last GYC assembly. You're well aware of the Goldbergs, you are one of their dogs, but how familiar are you with the Smiths?"

"Well, not very much other than that they're one of the six Yakuza families"

"The Smiths aren't doing too well right now, I got myself caught up in some nasty business with them, they're in a rough spot"

Peter jolted to attention, "What do you mean, what happened? Ran out of cream cheese for your bagels?"

"You dolt, much worse than that."

"Oy vey, don't tell me they're all out of koshering salts are they?"

David just stared at Peter.

Peter's eyes widened and he subconsciously hit a pozah in fear. He jumped up on the tip of his toes and while balancing this position carefully he swung one fisted arm up and the other fisted arm out. His face projecting his shock with a gaped mouth and wide open eyes.

"Please do not tell me, for the love of El Shaddai⁶ that the Smiths lost all their copies of the torah?!"

"No kid, stop shpiltn⁷ around!"

David popped out of bed and was standing, towering, over Peter. "Kid, stop fooling around, I am being serious as a Jew could be..."

Before Peter could get out a response, David said very quietly, "Listen closely." He grabbed hold of Peter's shoulders and continued, "this information does not leave this room."

Meanwhile upstairs, Daniel sat on the class countertop and was reading from his Torah:

"Devarim 8:15, 'Who led you through the great and terrible wilderness with its seraph serpents and scorpions, a parched land with no water in it, who brought forth water for you from the flinty rock?' ," he recited. The topic of research and study his Rabbi had given him was about luck and fate and what the role of Hashem is in those forces of life. He read over the verses provided to him until he grasped the truest meaning of The Lord's words.

As Daniel continued his rotating cycle of torah verses, the door opened and the bell responded its usual brass chiming, airways irritating to the ears, Daniel thought. An older gentleman walked in and said, "Good day ayngel⁸, are you the one I spoke with over the phone?

"No, that was the owner's son, I'm just an employee. Right now he's in the back with some scoundrel who came running in yelling all sorts of shetut⁹ about being in danger or whatnot. The chutzpah on these crazy mensches has got me all worked up over here," Daniel said while flailing his arms frantically to the man.

"Oy vey, well is he available for my product removal?"

"Oh for sure, I'll go grab him, wait here and enjoy the free grape juice and matzo crackers." Daniel turned his back before remembering that he's supposed to help Adelman pick a new model.

"Oh sir, before I forget, do you know what model you want to swap to?"

"I'm not quite sure yet, I'll have a long and hard think while you go and get Peter," he gave a hearty chuckle before going and noshing on the free provisions.

Daniel gave an awkward grin before heading back to receive peter.

Peter was most likely in the office, Daniel thought, but as he entered the hallway a light crept up from down in the basement, through a set of stairs mechanically lifted to reveal the secret vault. He had been told what was down there and how to get to it in an emergency like this, but never did he venture down. He was nervous, and a bead of sweat running down and under his glasses made him aware of his sudden uncertainty.

The floorboards creaked, the light bulb flickered and the narrowness of the concrete walls settled Daniel into uneasiness.

Just keep walking, one foot forwards and then down. just keep walking..., Daniel thought to himself.

Muffled voices in a secretive whisper floated into the stairwell, where he remained unnoticed by the men further down. He pushed his body flat against the wall and leaned his head in to try to catch a glimpse of what's being spoken.

He learned closer, and took another step down.

"...and that's when I kicked down the door...", he heard from the deep voice.

Finklestein continued, yet his words fell not upon Daniel's ears.

He heard a gasp from Peter. Daniels eyes widened, and he sidled down ever closer.

"I see why you came to us now, good thinking sir. May Hashem's path for you grow wider and brighter. Thank you, truly, B"H."

"B"H to you too my friend...", Daniel darted back up the stairs making a raucous of creaking and panted breaths.

"Well, guess curiosity got the best of him, if he overheard too much, i'll make sure he stays quiet," Peter said to Finklestein as the two's eyes stayed locked to the door.

David smiled at Peter, took his hand and shook it, before saying, "You've spent enough time down here with a schmuck like me, get back to your work and your friend bub."

Peter saluted with the same respect to this man as he would his father. He didn't say another word before heading up the stairs. At the top, he pressed the button in the wall panel, and the stairs returned to normal. What a beautiful creation of G-d, I could almost shed a tear.

He came out into the shop floor, the light blinded him momentarily through the glass expanse at the front. He guarded his eyes with a hand placed on his brow. For a brief moment he wished yarmulkes had a brim, but quickly regained his holy composure as G-d's commands and dictations plunged into his mind's eyes and corrected his minor infraction upon the law of Hashem and the Torah.

He stared at Daniel with subdued caution as he walked alongside the product display cabinet, his right hand dragging along the glass collecting the dust sat atop. As Peter approached Daniel, he casually slitted right next to him. He wanted to question Daniel but he realized the two of them were not alone in the store.

There on a black pleather and metal framed chair sat a gray and plump man. The two locked eyes and in an instant they recognized each other only having spoken through the phone.

"Herr. ¹⁰Adelman?", Peter said.

"The one and only."

"Perfect, right on time. Alright I'll get you back here in our service room and get you fixed up. Do you know which one you're switching to today?"

"I think I've made my decision, and I'm gonna be a little brave here, but I'll just go for the basic model, suits the needs of those who use it," he chuckled in his deep gravelly voice.

"Absolute perfect decision Mr. Adelman, I'll get you out of here in no time, just follow me."

In only a few minutes the two men returned from the service room, they said their thanks and their goodbyes and Mr. Aaron Adelman left with a tinge of a holy aurora around his being. Things were good.

"You sure know your stuff, Peter"

"What can I say, it's my job," he shrugged.

"While you were gone I was looking at the news and I saw something I think you're gonna really enjoy."

"well don't just stand there, what is it?"

"Bar Mitzvah, 3:30pm, at Khoref street synagogue, the Cohen Family."

Peter's eyes lit up in wonder, "Oy Daniel we getting it good today! I'm sure Avaa won't mind if we close just a bit early, right?"

"I don't know, he's your father."

"Yeah, and your uncle, your fathers brother. remember the fifth."

"good point Peter, let's get ready."

"Absolutely!"

1 Yiddish for "Thank you, thank you so much".

2 A Yiddish curse meaning, "May all your teeth fall out."

3 "I speak Yiddish too bub".

4 Hebrew for "A wicked person".

5 Yiddish for "Lost".

6 Hebrew for, "God Almighty".

7 Yiddish for, "Playing."

8 Yiddish for, "Boy".

9 Yiddish for, "Nonsense".

10 Yiddish for, "Sir".