"Murray and me came from Poland, and left when they started breaking storefront windows of Jewish businesses. So we've been here... in America for about five years.
A Mid 20th Century ROAD TO WOODSTOCK ‘69
The iconic American rock festival of the twentieth century
Authors Notation: Other than those that were actually a participating member or members of the Woodstock Festival, all others are fictitious situations and characters created for dramatic effect, and especially at this author’s whim.
Further Notation: I have no intention of repeating my Woodstock series as presented a couple of months ago, but am digging further into the earlier lives of Sharon and Clyde and her Polish immigrant parents: 'Murray and Sarah Kandinsky and his Irish immigrant parents, Malcolm and Ellen Murphy, and how Henry Ford and World War One affected their lives.
Guess, maybe, I just felt lonely for Authors Den.
So am presenting this sampler from my future novel.
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Chapter Eight
Chicago, Illinois
7:43 PM
It rang...
Hello!" Sarah Kaminsky said.
"Hello! It's me." Mrs. Agnes Pink answered. Asking, "So, have you and your friends come to a decision?"
"We have, Agnes. What we're going to do is to have me take an early train to Cincinnati, or if it goes to your Loveland, I'll come to you..."
"With the money!" Malcolm prompted.
Angrily looking at him. "With our... So you'll know we're serious, I'll bring our eleven hundred down payment with me."
"Didn't ask before, but assuming you saw my advertisement in the Chicago newspaper, I assume you're in Chicago."
"We are."
"I'm there quite often and know the train schedules. So unless they've changed, there is an eight a.m. train coming my way that arrives here at, if it's on time, one-thirty, or there about's and I'll meet you at the station and... Loveland is only fifteen miles from town, so we'll drive there together. "
Turning, "You know where the station is?"
"The Union Station? I know," said Malcolm.
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"She says a train going to Cincinnati leaves at eight tomorrow."
"We'll get you there in time," Said Murray.
"And that she'll meet me at the station and that we'll drive on to Loveland together."
"This is becoming even more than 'too good to be true '." Said Ellen.
"Is there anyplace else you have to go before the train station?" Agnes asked.
"No... Like where?"
"To the bank, maybe."
Turning to the group behind her. "She wants to know if we need to go to the bank first?"
"Yeah..." said Murray "...the bank under the floor in the toilet."
Back to the phone. "No, we have the money."
Imagining getting eleven hundred dollars in ones and fives. "Okay then. I'll meet you at about one-thirty."
"Oh, yes! So I can tell them. What time will there be a train back to Chicago?"
"Four-forty-five. Getting to Chicago, if on time, ten o'clock, or thereabouts."
"In Cincinnati, how will I know you?"
Thinking a moment. "I'll be the lady in a dress with big red flowers on it."
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Cincinnati, Ohio
Monday: 5/15/39
1:42 PM
"Cincinnati!" the porter called. "Cincinnati!" As the chugging train screeched to a jerking halt.
Too nervous to eat breakfast, along with the heat and closeness of the passenger coach during the five and a half hour trip from the train station in Chicago to the station here, leaving Sarah Kaminsky in a state of near nauseous exhaustion.
The purse strap slung over her shoulder, helped down the two steel steps by the porter.
On the concrete platform, taking a number of seconds to accumulate to the non-moving, steady ground, Sarah's eyes scanned the twenty or so people milling about the platform...
"Sarah!" An elderly, thin, wrinkly faced — obviously dyed black haired woman wearing a white dress with brilliant red flowers approaching. "You're Sarah?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'm Agnes. So nice to meet you!"
"So nice to meet you, too. "
"You look exhausted, my dear. Have you had anything to eat today?"
"No. Too anxious, I guess, over making this trip, and meeting you."
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"You must be starved. Come! We'll have a sandwich and some tea before we start home..." adding, to Sarah's relief "... my treat."
1:45 PM
Eager to see her new home and business and— because she'd played it over in her mind a thousand times— the groups arguments of their financial negation. Though truly hungry, she'd just as soon go on, however...
Taking Sarah's hand, Agnes led her from the train depot..."We'll talk over tea, my dear..." across the street and into a close by restaurant.
1:55 PM
Agnes Pink having ordered a tuna fish sandwich and hot tea, Sarah the same. Waiting now for the food to arrive.
"You know, my dear..." Mrs. Pink said "...my husband, Morris was Jewish and I converted to your religion when I was thirty-seven..." thinking "... about twenty-six years ago, when we married."
Her accounting mind ticking the years. She looks older than sixty-three. Sarah thought.
"Where are you and your husband from?"
"Murray and me came from Poland, and left when they started breaking storefront windows of Jewish businesses. So we've been here... in America for about five years." Assuming Agnes would ask. "And we, Murray and me became American citizens three years ago, in 'thirty-six', and my daughter..." proudly "...coincidentally my daughter Sharon was born on the Fourth
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of July."
" 'The Fourth of July'! What a wonderful birthday date for an immigrant to this country."
Waiting as cups and saucers were laid upon the white table cloth before Agnes and Sarah. Removing them from a nearby tray, the waitress placed a ceramic carafe with steaming water and four tea bags strings hanging from the decanters lip, and a saucer containing sugar cubes.
Uncomfortable being waited on, dismissing the waitress, "I'll do it!" Sarah poured tea into both cups.
Detecting no accent of any kind. "You..." Sarah asked "...how long have you been here?"
"In America?" Laughing. "For ever, I was born here and met Morris in nineteen-fourteen and were married a few months later."
Both women dropping two sugar cubs into their tea cups.
"When I met Morris he was on the run from his father, and the law."
Sipping tea, Sarah lowered her cup. "Really! From the law? Why?"
It's pretty pedestrian. Not sure why Sarah is so anxious about the transaction or why it is in small bills. Since the novel is already in Chapter 8 and page 60ish, it makes it hard for me to understand what it has to do with Woodstock? Perhaps you are giving the novel some preparation for this seemingly aberrant behavior of both Sharon and Clyde at an age when most people their age didn't go to rock concerts.
It's a good slice of life at that time with trains being a major source of transportation and banks not necessarily trusted with cash.
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The One Week Writing Workshop shows you how to write a book step by step through a series of motivating writing activities. Working with your own creative ideas, you’ll learn a 7-step novel writing method to use now and on your future novel projects.
The One Week Writing Workshop shows you how to write a book step by step through a series of motivating writing activities. Working with your own creative ideas, you’ll learn a 7-step novel writing method to use now and on your future novel projects.
