An Orphan's Tale by Jay Neugeboren Page B

learned. He wanted to be able to keep all the sayings he’d memorized in his head at once, but he wondered if there would, after a while, be enough room. He thought of getting out of bed and writing in his notebook, but he decided that it might scare Charlie if he did.
    When the lights were out and Charlie was in bed, Danny spoke. “I’m glad I was right—that you do buy and sell land. I think I can help you.”
    â€œI’ll bet you can,” Charlie said, but he was drifting off to sleep.
    â€œI think I know how you can get a lot of money.”
    â€œYou impressed Max with what you memorized—that’s something.”
    â€œI mean it. But you have to swear to me first that you won’t send me back.” Danny laughed.
    Charlie smiled. “Sure,” he said. “No deposit, no return, right?”
    Danny propped himself up on an elbow. Charlie’s half of the bed sloped downward, from his weight. Charlie was turned away from him, on his side. “I mean it,” Danny said. “Swear it to me.”
    â€œLet me sleep, okay?”
    â€œSwear it. Please.”
    â€œOkay, okay. I swear.”
    â€œAll right,” Danny said, and he lay back down, smiling. “I know something and it’s this: Dr. Fogel has over three thousand acres of land.”

Three
    TUESDAY
    Today was the 1st day we were apart and even though I know he won’t be home until after practice I keep going to the window and looking out for him. I’m afraid something will happen to him in the city but I don’t want to telephone the school because I don’t want him to see how much I worry about him.
    Why I’m writing in my notebook again: 1. To help myself imagine that he’s here with me. 2. To record this precious period of my life in writing.
    I’ve been with him for 3 weeks and 6 days now and he never mentions my going anywhere else. We’re together all the time: in the city, at the school, in the office, and in his car. I stayed here today because he said he might have time to stop at the Home.
    What I feel: that more has happened to me during these few weeks than in my entire life up until now! Charlie can tell how happy I am. He always smiles at me and roughs up my hair and this is what he says: When you’re in love, Danny, the whole world is Jewish!
    A question: Is Charlie thinking about me while he’s away, and if he is and he misses being with me the way I miss being with him, when he comes back will he say so, or will he be angry because I’ve made him become attached to me and will this make him give me back to Mr. Gitelman?
    Mrs. Mittleman came up before and brought me cookies and a glass of milk. She asked me to call her Shirley but I won’t. She saw my notebook and she told me not to throw away education. There was a sign in her school when she was a girl which said
    AN EDUCATION ENABLES YOU TO EARN MORE THAN AN EDUCATOR.
    While she kept talking I worked on my memorizing. Two days ago I found the saying in PIRKAY AVOS that our motto comes from but guess what? The motto part isn’t even from Maimonides! He was quoting somebody else’s saying! Here’s the way the whole thing really goes:
    AS THE SAGES USED TO SAY, “GIVE ME FRIENDSHIP OR GIVE ME DEATH.” AND IF A PERSON CANNOT EASILY FIND A FRIEND HE MUST STRIVE WITH ALL HIS HEART TO DO SO, EVEN IF HE HAS TO GO SO FAR AS TO COMPEL THE PERSON TO LOVE HIM, EVEN IF HE HAS TO BUY HIS LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
    Mrs. Mittleman looked out the window and said she was worried about Charlie being knifed or mugged. I told her I was doing special work for him and needed to be left alone.
    Every morning at breakfast Mr. Mittleman pinches my arm to see if I’m fattening up.
    Here are some of the things Charlie does in the city:
    1. He collects rents for Mr. Mittleman. Some of the rents are his but most of them belong to Mr. Mittleman and buildings he manages. Charlie gets extra money