Mr. Monday and other tales of Jewish Amsterdam

YESTERDAY NEVER RETURNS 173

muscles seemed to be permanently cramped and he always seemed to have to break a certain tension before he could function. In his frog-like eyes there was a challenging look, an expression of "I take".

At that time, the diamond industry had some prosperity and paid good wages, so my parents decided that it was no longer necessary for us to live in the narrow Marken Alley. They looked around and one day we were able to rent a better situated tenement nearby in Rapenburg Street. This was a considerable improvement, because the back windows offered a view of gardens and a canal. And so we parted from our neighbours.

Aunt Duplikate had red eyes when we packed our bags. She told Mother that she would never forget what she had done for her family. We wished her and Uncle Levi mazzel and broches in his business.

Afterwards we maintained our friendly relations with their family, but naturally the mutual visits became more infrequent. Sol very seldom came to sit at our table any more, after we moved. Now and then we heard news from Duplikate, usually it said that her family had increased again.

We only heard again about Sol when he left school and got a job at the Weesperpoort Railway Station. Wearing a white jacket and carrying a large serving plate, he ran along the trains shouting, "Rolls.. .nice rolls with salt brisket, wurst, roast beef, cheese! Nice rolls to take along!" His set weekly wage consisted of the capital amount of half a guilder, but he could keep the tips and sometimes these amounted to a full guilder in a week. He told us that ten cents pocket money was enough for him and that the rest of what he earned he gave to his mother. For the first time in her married life, Duplikate had a steady income.