Mendel Gdański: A Sketch (translated by Gerard T. Kapolka)

Since yesterday there was unrest in the alley. Old Mendel is puzzled and puffs on his short pipe more often than usual as he looks out the window. He hadn't seen these people here before. Where are they going? Why are they stopping with the workers hurrying to finish the foundation for the haberdasher Greulich's new house? Where did these ragged youngsters come from? Why are they looking at our corridors like that? Where did they get the money for five of them to go to the pub?Old Mendel shakes his head, sucking on his small, full-bent, cherrywood pipe. He knows this quiet alley so well, its physiognomy, its movement, its voices, its pulse.He knows from which corner the sun will peak out on a nice day, how many children will trot to the kindergarten in the morning, run to school, how many emaciated girls in dark kerchiefs, with small lunchboxes in their hands, walk by threes or fours to work at the cigar factory; how many women will stop with their baskets on the old worn pavement, showing each other the vegetables they've bought, complaining of the price of eggs, meat, and butter; how many laborers tramp along the cobblestones, with the heavy gait of feet shod in boots, carrying small bundles under their arms and buckets, trowels, ropes, axes, and saws in their hands. Bah, he even knows how many sparrow nests are in the cornices of the old brewery, that dominates the alley with its tall, blackened chimney, and in the branches of a sickly poplar growing next to it, which has neither the strength to live nor the will to die. It stands so black with a half-rotten, desolate trunk, which produces a pale green in springtime. He can even tell, without looking out the window, only by the sound, whether Pawel the janitor was sweeping the street with a new broom or an old one.And how could Mendel Gdański not know, when for twenty-seven years now, for more than a quarter of a century, in this same building, under this very window, he has been standing in his bookbinding shop in his leather apron, and with his dry, wiry, and now somewhat trembling hand pressing down on the wooden screw of the press, his eyes looking out from under thick, pendulous, gray eyebrows into this alley, which in this great city is like a separate world, closed in on itself.Mendel knows the most intricate secrets of this world inside and out. He knows the greater and the lesser coughs of the old archivist, who brings thick, dusty folios of musty paper to be bound, he knows how the pomade of the apprentice smells as he sews together the attorney's files; he knows when Joasia comes from the counsellor's wife with a demand that he put in a “beautiful card” of congratulations with a golden angel and showing a dashing young man with a bouquet of roses in his hands; he knows when the student living in the attic doesn't eat his dinner, he knows from what direction the panting schoolgirl comes demanding that her Czesław and Gawalewicz poems on stationery paper be bound with “blue and gold strings.”1He knows everything. Everything that can be seen on the left and on the right with his gray, sharp eyes, that can be heard to the right and the left with his ears, and what you can think about for long hours while tapping like a woodpecker with a bookbinding hammer and cutting off and evening out sheets of paper, making glue, and mixing paintAnd everyone knows him here. Strangers rarely look in; everyone is familiar, as if they were at home.The old, bald watchmaker from across the street shouts “good morning” at him through the open window and asks about Bismarck; the consumptive ropemaker hooks his long hemp strings to his handle, which he spins, panting, in a narrow half-lit hall of a tenement house; a skinny student from the attic, with legs like compass needles, sticks his head with its long thin neck in the door at twilight to borrow a tallow candle from him; which he will “give right back after I write for another hour” . . . A stallholder will sometimes give him a black radish through the window in exchange for colored scraps of paper from which her boys make kites famous all over the alley; the porter's son spends hours on end waiting for a free moment when Mendel can give him cardboard to glue soldiers cut out of the sheet, and at the same time he is amazed by the big ears of the scissors, the weight of the hammer in his hand, sticking his nose into the glue pot, almost tasting it. All of this creates a kind of warm, familiar atmosphere of mutual friendliness. This is comfortable for old Mendel. Despite his sixty-seven and are on his by is very gray, and his long is under his and his back to there is to about as long as his legs and eyes are as long as there is strength in his his his and he has a in his old Mendel from his blackened with a into his and for a he very produces and how Mendel it. is about this in you can that are and long he can his with he was in the world for and his who to make a like that are by the and the children of these and and and for the time he can his so young and so with only old Mendel his a his he the brings back to him of who will be seen the almost a This the of the old has its and which out his a brings over a of with of on in hand, and in the other a with and Old Mendel this from he not eat it. He on a small He doesn't there the door of his and through a small in a long for with a big down to the back of his head, and a on his He is a about years old, from his the of old has a of golden eyes, long dark and a small he has his nose and skinny looks even when he off his and is left only in his with its Old Mendel is in for pale his his thin and from his He the of for him and him the and when the has his he him on the and him to with the children in the to be He is from his his heavy in school, the walk his heavy and he has a of for He his feet when he and even when he his eyes a after the down to a and and from his and old Mendel to his the in a his sometimes tapping the on which he his thin on the you that the old is in his now and he his head to look at the and even he can the glue with his hand, he the when he so that on the he can his on his or his short as dark as is to these for he not his or on the old is with and he back to his work on on the is by the window, to on a that has at a with the and a from the A with and arms the and Mendel is a black with a which he in his gray is with a and the of his the with a the is the his on his small, head, on a new and his his and stands and while his for a and a moment the of the old can be through all the from through to into a and a with the of this the a his pale his big eyes and to he looks at his as if and his his the old and with a they the in the the boys from the and from the in of the old open window, in at the by the and of his that the old was and through the window and the who out to in his he his a the was boys as if by the and was that after that the of the was the yesterday . . the that the from without his out of like a he to after he that . . . . . . at so he and his and he was to go back for of over old He as if he tall, the by the him to the and his in dinner, he did not to his work and did not his he only about the did the his he only at his with He seen him so Mendel standing in of the you in as a and I was and I of I you and of you so that you I you and you to and you so that you you be about if you in you at you not be not not run when at when you when you run and when you a new that almost five of well, you are about and these these this are all for a and to what is a kind of are he in a were in this you are a you a right to this city as long as you live to be of in a you are of a if you think that is to be a how can you for the city you were how can you . . . . . . and in of the This he at his with a kind of He put his hand on his head and with be an is a now so that you be and you another and to his hand and his old was more by this than he the to for a long time he and down the without the work he and in the as if he were on He did not to the even he more and than usual the next the off for school, after the of his the old man to the window and after him for a long did not him even when he to more often than he his short pipe and to the window, and he out on the alley that he for a long of the its its voices, its to him than when the back from he an and of the new that was over his eyes, the old man about his and whether was to or the he while he as if he were the for the of he from Mendel you think to the the with a if they they the that these on to a the if the young the with was that this was in of the He at the from under his his big eyes on the and only when he was out the door did he look back down at his eyes Old Mendel as if he hadn't seen the in like the of a with a great the was by a or a was in the when the watchmaker through the narrow in an that he at this time of you heard the he on the of the the was I will be without if I to to the the his back and in a with a Mendel a and his to he to his a of the that to if the who the who the them the . . . gray eyes he it, his and are they to all the the watchmaker Mendel his gray eyes, they go into the and the they are or the the has his and are our in our in our so did the from his He the watchmaker and into his and did I what did I you for a long for twenty-seven I come here as if I was to an I and not I come here like to an I in this city like the in the I a of here. I I for that and that did I you to what I his dry, out in of he with a in his with these you these down and his skinny the these did not put and into this for are that from the the the the I with them for of and of that I and here. put eyes into it, that to and this that doesn't to and these legs that to watchmaker with with his even more in his and I get I get from these young and who from these who write in their from the people go with their . . . from the I he he his and is in you the watchmaker a is a in the old what I to I be a I be a a a into not what all this is the watchmaker that you are a what the back and in his kind right are I to to are like a and I walk a for a a will like I were a great a great well, I give a for that a a I you that him not be Why he be can be and like a when he is of you think that when a doesn't get he is a you think that the into a a you think that if a off a will not a a I to you that the the him and the him at at . . . gray, . . . that It that I seen many and many you that I great great and great down on this and they that the from these these that when in the for the and the you go to you go to watchmaker his head and on the his was that the him as a man of the world who could go to with eyes into his with its you or watchmaker his eyebrows in He to as and he what the was so he did the old for an he on in a if you been to and you you that people go to to and after the they go and when these people when they the of another and them with the same I will you that I seen more than in this and this is very how big . . . It and and out the the watchmaker with a can on about this and as long as a has money . . . old him his hand as if he were an what people money for the put a in his if the put a in his He the to the same money as everyone the to the watchmaker his and it, not the the that not the I you that there is only and his head as he at the think that I what I these into is that the been is even A of strength into these and comes out as a of in and comes out as a of will in and comes out as . . . you It who open these they them I know, I I they they were open at people that all people were by his and together as if he were and he a of off to give to what he was the to in this at another to that money is for a be you think that are is you are you that in you that on that and great and great of great and and money man the for a for a for a of a for and there will be who for even these other are in of if this only money and did not or or for what people you will for money and on the will what a that only for money and the they are or the in the the and the only standing on the can that there is on the to and will not be and will not out. is on the for so after that is not the is that there are and they not on the watchmaker he more you are in like and are a . . . old a and his eyes with his gray even if he has or even in his hand, only at a you at at the old . . . the and the other back is down to the his and after for a what is Mendel is Mendel there were of and I was here in the Old in these narrow right these the you I was there were of a I Mendel. to He to he was of the and he his children so that when a he only off the head for and the to his children to so that they be He them so He his eyes with he and on with a in which a could be that was to a in the world, so I only a and well, only and in great and and to look at what looking at now, to in and in a the watchmaker and him with a a while he a heavy into his old and him Mendel this him come he as if the for the when the from the his in of the he his and the old man his head and is a that you could give to a It is a that . . . like in the of be neither nor a like a that people can to from the to the people the in their the more the more and the more and the more . . . the is not that there be the is for them to a of a of a a there are a of they a they in their for old that if a has more than can or out of the about be over people to the and the of as . . . his gray the and to his is not what to be It is a man or a that comes from . . . you is and and what to be like I I not from I not from I not from how can I this this what the out the go there from our the all . . . you that I that you were so or I you for shop and the that are in . . . watchmaker and his I off a that you are Gdański and so . . . old and as in his eyes, the was . . Gdański and he after a to his as if he were to him the of his and who is this Mendel a in this in this with his work in this the of his his his and his are in this he will his in this and who is this he the from him into the of the not go of his a he in school, at a next to his he and looks at his he he is he to is he to this he He will to a He in he in a he He will be for this he will for this This will all the that without and will all the that will you think that be so as to think when he has that he will that I know, that you He even that all children come from and that all people each other like . . . the back his and the watchmaker and a . . . an . . . with a . . . the and go to his feet in of the his hand to his and the that the from the small the old eyes and he his he with all kind who was that you that they were to the I to in of the for that I for he is a now I . . . his eyes looking somewhat by the his . . . he out his who the his eyes were are . . . the watchmaker in the same old with an in eyes his into a and he his head like a . . . are . . . he in a in a and . . . with he he more and more he was almost watchmaker with his and his He that the him was and are you he the old He put his on his his his are he are not the the is and are an is his hand and can I will and this will city has a great of and a great of a great of our city has not come to the of people each other like can of his and for the heavy to his watchmaker off the his his which down to his his head, and the from the the on the and to the the to the and the he could the of the A small was on the through its green old man off his to the and at the and He there for a his out of the down at the his on his and his gray was over now and to his his eyes were on the A thin candle was in the next the alley as quiet and as as Mendel Gdański been standing in his in his leather great and the paper, the screw of the in its his long thin with its worn in the scraps of paper to the right and old a on his he his of which his him in a his and he his short it, and to his a He about like a long into the and now he a quiet A thin of into the through an in the over his eyes, on his on his in his and old man at the with was his were and his eyes and he a and after in a great of from his down and right under the his golden eyes and to them with his into thin He was in a great now, he was of his was not his and were on the He to or to eat the that on of it, he only his into his not if he was to be as he was making his to the door with his in his the door and the skinny student from the attic him back into the was even than usual and more the he from the into the his thin legs an from each and his dark eyes with into a the and his and old man was he to his and with a at the student like a . . you run Where is he to run Why he run . . . he from that he run he here in house? . . . a . . . here in his his He from He is to He will not run . . . to the student standing in the his as you the student you . . . he was about to his long from the old him by the of his I . . . kind of is as I I there be I to eat the of that I I to this this into a man who will at when he is not of . . . I that or that there be for people to . . . what I I to run I was in this I children and I I a here . . . hadn't when a at the corner of the alley, as if a was A across the and a through his old and out his thin for a was you could long of and alley was in an were the were the from the student closed the door and into the old He the or the eyes to be his his ears Despite his leather apron, you could the trembling of his old his from to from to from to as He like a man who been by a his old, and and and more and more the to the alley, with a of and with the of the with the of the an in the alley, over of the of the of the of the of to on a of their in this like of heavy from and a from the and as if in a and down next to his big dark eyes even and from his pale of the and the the old He put his hand on his head, a his was as a he and into his . . . he only now of the the by his great that moment women into the narrow a with a in her the a the wife from the out of put a in the window, or a are in the other . . . go . . . the by the into the . . . women them with their them the this for a long he was a of the small tenement to in the was of Mendel hand on the and with the other the He come to his at that he in a that out like a I you for to give to I to put a in I to be of a I to be they in their if they to they are not about the and the . . . they are not are if they are if they are the gray head of an old man and this be . . . the with the of in the he to the window and he in his in his leather with a trembling his head the to his in his eyes and on the was so that the women to of people in the street the standing in the window, and the other old this to the of the was as an as a was to if there was a of to be a of to be a to or a to be a for that of in an like a that the the . . not to the window when a from the of the the the women to go of the he even look the his eyes he through his . . . and great down his that moment he was the people in the the window, they an in their the skinny student from the his and his he at the window with arms and and his legs like an open He was so that he almost the window. and his and from his . . from this he like a at the who to with after you was all and he even his he was so with to from his small, that moment he was as as . . of the more of the to of the young man and his them student of and through the window into the the and he in the window. the window this with a and this the a evening at the and at the the the sometimes the of a was for the in the window and the and on the you that a here this the the the small with his head green was and the skinny student was on the of his the was the same as a in his eyes, from the of his He and from time to time an into the dark corner of the the corner Mendel not with his on his his with his hands, he been there from the moment he that the was out of student at the and of the old he you come out of that you or A and will be back in in a as long as the back a you are as if by a when has old was a while he his head and if I I I and on head, I in and feet are I and great and great . . . and his with his hands. green his gray head an almost or and there was this Mendel Gdański his head and what has what I was with has what I living here for sixty-seven years has has for this