November 25, 1950
Jewish Quarter,Kosher
At the entrance to an alley, a shadow stretched across the curved tiles. A thin man carrying a stick and a small ladder approached the lamppost and climbed the ladder lightly before lifting the glass door of the lamp and inserting the stick, the burning end of it, into the nozzle.
Seconds later, a faint spot lit up beneath it, dancing on the ground near a small shop topped with a handwritten sign: "Al Zahar Perfumes." Above the rows were bottles of rose oil, closed with pieces of leather and a thin curtain that did not hold back the fragrance from passersby.
Leroy made his way to the shop, raising his hands in scattered greetings to the shopkeepers when his son, Linus, spotted him at the entrance to the alley. He tossed a cigarette in the middle of the road before waving his hands to dispel the smell, smiling shyly at Mrs. Geneva who stood before him in her wrap... two columns of white marble, encircled by gold anklets, held a bowl of cream under a proud chest, a nose, and a face adorned with eyes to die for.
The widow of the neighborhood, to whom the saying applies: Behind every great woman... is a man looking at her backside. A smile of satisfaction appeared on Leroy's lips when he saw her and took out a bottle of perfume, from which he wiped his right hand before patted his trimmed mustache. He approached, drawing her with his eyes until he stormed into her surroundings: "How are you, Geneva?"
She whispered in a nerve-wracking hoarseness, "Hello, Mr. Leroy."
He pulled a chair , sat her down by the door. "Rest for five minutes."
Linus asked who looked like leroy " anyone bought anything from you"
"Bellamy took cloves and basil and said the bill will be at the end of the month".
Leroy asked Linus " are you going to Neville" ?
Linus answered " yes "
Then he patted his shoulder and said, "Go, your mother is alone."
Linus looked away from Geneva and
winked, accepting the slip. "You're welcome, Linus's father."
At nine o'clock, he closed the doors of his shop, securing them with an iron bar and a large lock. As he was about to leave, he heard the sound of shattering glass. He opened the doors again, and with the street light on, he found the wooden frame shattered on the floor next to the wall. He lifted it onto the table, contemplating the rope that had broken for no reason, before extracting the picture from among the remains of the glass.
It was a hand-colored picture of the president in his military uniform, and under it was the slogan "Union. Order. Work." Leroy exhaled as he contemplated the president eyes, which bore endless sadness and worry, he folded the picture and put it in a corner. He tightened his scarf around his neck, pressed the hat on his head, and made His way to Darb Nasir, where Neville lives, his lifelong friend who promised him a warm evening with the tunes of dalida .
Leroy made his way through the stormy November winter, warming his palms in his coat pocket, lost in thought about the troubled accounts in the shop, the responsibility of seven hungry mouths.
Leroy made his way through the stormy November winter, warming his palms in his coat pocket, lost in thought about the troubled accounts in the shop, the responsibility of seven hungry mouths
On the outskirts of Darb Nasir, across leroy, there was an iron gate guarded by a six-pointed star and a large ram's horn. He went up to the first floor, knocked on the door, and waited until the light came on and it opened. Tuna, her eyes dark and milky, holding a small cat to her chest: "Hello, Uncle leroy."
- "Girl, are you still awake"?
She braided a red lock of her wavy hair around her index finger: "Dad has bored us with a new record. It looks like we'll stay up until morning for the sake of dalida" .
Leroy stroked the cat's back, so it growled angrily.
- "Shut up, Babsy. Come in, Uncle leroy. I'll make you some tea".
neville's apartment was modest, revealing the taste of a music lover. A large picture of dalida dominated the living room, and There was also a bookcase in the middle of which was a rectangular plaque that read, "May the great name of the Lord be glorified and sanctified in the world which He created according to His will, and may His kingdom be established during your days and during the lives of all the children of Israel."
In the living room, Neville was engrossed in his gramophone, trying to reason with it about dalida voice, which sounded like the creaking of a rusty door.
He shouted out loud "Damn you old piece of junk" .
Leroy smiled : Ms. Dalida must have upset you?
He replied without looking up, "The record costs 20 francs and sounds like shit. I'll throw it in their faces tomorrow."
He threw the record aside and picked up a wet towel, wiping the lenses of his thick-framed glasses before placing them on his thin nose .
Leroy took off his shoes and sat down: "Madame Laila. What are we going to have for dinner today?".
Madame Laila replied" Lamb meat that will make you lick your fingers ".
"How are your children"?.
He took a breath and continued: "The kids don't want to work, I mean in the shop, They all want the government job. They're ashamed from their father's and grandfather's profession!! But if you get the truth, I'm happy. I don't want the kids to see what I saw.
"But you need someone to help you in the shop. We've grown up, leroy."
At that moment, Joseph knocked on the door... "Joseph Bakhoum."
A cheerful, round face as soon as leroy saw him he called : "clothes seller."
Joseph took off his shoes "You started without me, you scoundrels".
The lamp met was served over the parsley with the tahini and the beer bottles were scattered.
Leroy hit his legs in surprise:" the president's photo fell on it's own today I swear ".
Neville replied " that's a bad omen " .