by Sarah Raz
There was an entire category of foods that had to have a membrane on top, a film that captured the essence of the dish. Such were the “kaimak” the film that forms on top of a cup of properly prepared coffee and the “plato de leche” the “milk plate”, a dessert second to none. Formal education is very important, said the aunts, but knowing how to cook is more so. As tanti (auntie) Sarah would say, “Be kind to people, make sure to always have a place for them in your heart.”
The aunts taught Alice to knit and crochet. For each new baby in their extended family they had knit a hat, a pair of wool booties, and a cape. That was what all the babies wore when they left the hospital. Boys had blue garments; girls - pink or white. “Learn to knit. Who knows, you may need it one day. Know that every woman’s power is her ability to utilize her talents. The more she knows, the more in control she will have of her own life.” The family had no money for dowries, but every woman who got married got an “anshogar”, a trousseau, something that took much work to be done properly. The bride’s name had to be embroidered on the bed linens and the towels, lace tablecloths had to be made, bedcovers and bathrobes sewn. This is how they made sure that a new bride would never want for anything as long as she lived.
Alice noticed that once in a while, in the early hours of the morning, women came to her aunts’ house and not with dresses on their minds… She reached out to her friend Flora and the two of them decided to sneak by the aunts’ place without being noticed. When Alice peeked through the open window, she saw her aunt Suzanne seated opposite a strange woman, a coffee cup in her hand, telling the woman’s fortune. Sarah saw the two young girls in the window and invited them inside. She told them that it was all in jest and that it was not good for young girls to hear things such as were said in that room. Alice begged to differ. She did not think that her aunt and her visitor were joking. Vaguely, she remembered her mother tell her tales of witches in her family. “Tanti Sarah, tanti Suzanne, I want you to teach me the secrets of fortune telling with coffee!” The aunts looked at each other and knew that from now on there would be another woman in their family to practice the craft. They took their leave from the stranger who seemed mighty pleased with what she had heard, a shy smile playing on her face. That was the start of the first lesson.
Sarah made a cup of very thick coffee and gave it to Flora to drink. The remaining grounds she swirled three times slowly but firmly, so that the thick, viscous liquid reached the very rim of the cup. After the third swirl, Sarah quickly turned the cup over onto the saucer in one fluid motion, counted to seven and turned the cup upright again. She focused her gaze on Alice, a penetrating, searching gaze, a gaze that seemed to ask: should we go through with this?
“It is very important to properly prepare the coffee. It must be strong and thick. And the cup must be turned over quickly because someone’s whole life journey manifests itself in the few coffee grinds that stick to the cup’s sides and bottom.” Tanti Suzanne stopped for a few moments, humming an unfamiliar song that sounded like a love romance. Sarah lifted the cup up with a quick movement of her hand, examined its contents and began to read, while explaining to Alice what she was seeing.
“What we have are different shapes on the sides of the cup and they have different meanings. Each shape tells us something about the character and the fate of a person. The handle of the cup must point at the reader. All the shapes to the left of the handle – that’s the past. To the right is the future. Simple, eh? Now I am seeing shapes with spines pointing towards the handle and that, my dear Flora, means that you will undertake a long voyage south to the city of Kyustendil, where your betrothed is waiting for you. Here, I see a heart shape next to a bird’s nest. You will have a happy life… I see two swans next to a fountain, which means that you will excel at married life. Your future husband will be prominent in the Jewish community. I think his name will start with an “A”, perhaps like Alfendri… you will have healthy children. Everything you see on the sides is like a journey through time. You will yet meet Alice again, under strange circumstances. Alice will have a long journey through lakes and mountains… lots of hills I see here… And here is a rabbit, which means that someone will be calling out to you from afar... Alice will sail on the high seas… a big ship I see… the area below the midpoint of the rim and down to the bottom is unlucky. Many people will have great distress… many people will suffer greatly. I see chimneys amongst the hills. Alice will come to you in Kyustendil and will be in need of your help…”
“Perhaps you can focus on happier things,” Alice asked Suzanne. But her aunt told her that fortune was set and it mattered not who read it. Whoever knows their craft will reach the same conclusion. Tanti Sarah spoke at length, showing Alice the hidden meanings behind every coffee grain and its location in the cup and decoding for her every nook and cranny. “Reading in coffee requires total concentration and you must use your intuition and imagination, too. The shapes in the grinds are but a tool to focus your mind and get your journey started. It is not often that the shapes are clear, so you must practice. A lot. Sometimes the forms contradict each other and the truth is hidden in their combined meanings.”
Flora was giggling, but Alice was captivated with the magic of fortune telling. “Can I read my own fortune,” she asked. “No, that would bring bad luck. You can only read others. If they are close to you, you may glimpse something about your own life. You must examine those who come to you for help. Do they sincerely believe in the power of fortune telling? If he only wants to have fun, do not open yourself to him. This is serious, it’s not a game. The client must do as he is told, otherwise it doesn’t work. Let’s stop now. Today, there is nothing more to be said. Suzanne, why don’t you bring us some dulce blanco (a type of sweet), so we can all finish on a high note?”
Alice felt that her aunt saw things that she had no desire to share; she took the cup and looked once more at the map drawn in it by the coffee grounds. She saw some things that were not said out loud and mumbled to herself softly. The aunts exchanged looks. Sarah came over to Suzanne and whispered in her ear, “looks like she’s got it; she has the gift, she will do alright.”
Jacques, Alice’s older brother fell in love with Rebecca, the soloist of the famed Zadikov choir. The choir had its headquarters in Plovdiv right next to the synagogue and Jacques had been invited by Isidore Sidi, the chairman of the choir’s board of directors, to a recital. The choir was an innovator in the field of Jewish liturgy and gave both concerts and recitals. Rebecca was a tall and handsome woman from a very well-regarded family. Jacques, who was known in the community for his activities, made a good match for her. She was quite certain that her money and his professional success would get her the exalted position in life she had always dreamed of. Jacques was now an accredited attorney and one of the more successful among his peers. Just like his eldest brother, he too caught the Zionist “bug”. He was very active in the community and was soon appointed the head of the Jewish school board.
A carriage pulled up at the crowded train platform and from it disembarked Jacques and his little sister Alice who were on their way to Corinne’s wedding in Sofia. Menachem, their father, hadn’t been feeling well and had decided not to join them. Jacques felt bad for his little sister who was in a foul mood and rarely left home. She had never left her hometown and was quite apprehensive about the long voyage. The two aunts could not afford to travel, but they have labored much to make sure that Alice lacked for nothing. In her trunks, Alice had new dresses they had sewn just for her, fashionable hats, and matching shoes.
Alice looked more and more like her mother. She had long, flowing, honey-colored hair and big blue eyes. Her complexion was fair and she never needed to apply rouge to her cheeks. She had a gentle smile and could never be seen laughing out loud. She was the essence of gentleness and kindness and she always looked like someone who was privy to a great secret that she could never share. On her aunts’ orders she wore a baby-blue dres
s with white polka dots, made in three layers that engulfed her slender frame. Her hat and her shoes were a matching white. She commanded the gazes of the crowd.
Alice boarded the express train to Sofia and sat next to her brother. Jacques, with a distant smile on his face, his eyes darting everywhere, tried telling her little parables to ease her mood.
“All the organs of the body were gathered for an urgent meeting. Which organ is the most critical for the proper functioning of the human body they asked?” That was the start of his tale, told in the Ladino language. Alice had heard that story dozens of times already. “Jacques, keep your stories for our new family members in Sofia,” she said and glued her nose to the window pane, immersed in the beauty of the landscape.
It was a gorgeous spring day. The sun, peeking out among the clouds, cast its light on a multitude of fields whose crops reflected it back with an endless variety of greens and browns. The famous Rose Valley filled the air with its subtle aromas. They rode past several villages and, like in pictures from coloring books for children, her eyes met with grazing cows and sheep, pigs in their sties, orchards of peaches, plums, and apricots. All the hedgerows were in bloom; cherries in flaming pink, apples in blinding white. Particularly impressive was the stretch of track that crossed the Maritsa River on a bridge high above the valley floor. Alice could never have imagined what life looked like outside of Plovdiv.
The train arrived at the capital city of Sofia. At the station, they were met by emissaries from Corinne’s future family, who took them to the house that would soon be hers. For the first time, Alice saw the “tram”, the only system of electrically powered public transport in Bulgaria. The trams rode on tracks that bisected the streets of the capital city, horse-drawn carriages sharing the roads by their side. Sofia was humming and full of people. Alice felt that she would have many adventures here.
This would be her first chance to see Corinne’s betrothed, a tanner by trade. A friend of the family arranged the match and for Corinne, who had no dowry, it was a good one. The bridegroom’s family, or so they said, was very well off.
The house was indeed luxurious. It had two stories: one for the occupants of the house and one that was taken up by an enormous kitchen. The house featured a great dining room dedicated to entertaining complete with a large table, over the center of which there hung an impressive crystal chandelier. On both sides of the table there were doors that led to guest bedrooms. The floors were carpeted in deep red and from the entrance there arose a curved staircase that led to the second floor.
The staircase was framed by a carved wooden baluster and the walls were adorned with oil colors depicting pastoral scenes. This must be what the palaces of the nobles look like, Alice thought. She was given her own room with a four poster bed above which there was a canopy. The linens on the bed were covered in prints of violets and the wallpaper had a bird and flower motif. Beside the bed there stood a wash basin with actual running water.
Alice couldn’t make up her mind if the lovely smell in the room came from the freshly cut bouquet of flowers or the large variety of perfumes that were arranged beside it on the night table. Her temples were pounding from all this luxury. She had yet to hug her sister, but she was already being urged to make herself ready to leave for the wedding. Not quite recovered from the long journey, she was already washing and changing. She wore her special dress, the one that took so many hours to make. It was sky blue, coming to just below her knees. The dress was embroidered with gold thread and its collar was stitched over with tiny elegant roses. A narrow gold-colored sash and matching shoes completed the ensemble.
Alice hurried towards the main doorway where she met Jacques. Thin, almost emaciated, his pallor was accentuated by his flaming red curls. Dressed in a rented formal suit, he looked like someone she could really be proud of. Jacques was taken aback by Alice’s beauty. It suddenly occurred to him that one of these days it would be her that he would be accompanying to be wed. How could he miss her becoming a woman? The aunts had really outdone themselves this time. Alice wrapped her arm around his, stuck out her chin, and with a firm step walked towards the waiting carriage.
They drove to the great synagogue. Alice recalled her history lessons. The synagogue was inaugurated in 1909 with great fanfare. Ferdinand, the emperor of all Austro-Hungary and the empress Leonora cut the ribbon. Even Theodor Herzl, the founder of the Zionist movement, was in attendance as a guest of the emperor who had always been a friend to the Jewish national movement. The synagogue was modeled after the great Sephardic synagogue in Vienna, the imperial capital. The main focal point was a great rotunda, which was framed by classical columns in the Greek style. The building incorporated both red and white bricks and housed up to a thousand worshippers. It told the story of a proud and wealthy Jewish community.
The wedding was the epitome of luxury. Alice had never seen a synagogue wedding attended by so many. The ladies wore fashionable gowns in all the colors of the rainbow and the men were in black tie. The meal was a feast fit for kings and the music captivated her ears. But how strange was the young couple? The bride, tall and regal, the groom short and stocky. Alice cold have sworn that the foul stench of rawhide wafted from him in every direction. Even on this occasion and even after nearly immersing himself in perfume, he could not lose that ever-present aroma.
Alice’s first impression was hardly positive and she felt sorry for her sister. The service was rather cold and heartless. Alice could not understand most of the words, which were part Hebrew and part Ladino. Having been a member of the Maccabee youth movement as a child, she knew a few everyday Hebrew expressions, but liturgical Hebrew was quite foreign to her. She knew a few Hebrew songs, songs about Zion, but religious ceremonies were hardly her natural habitat. She missed her own family. Her father, her aunts, anyone with whom she could share her impressions. The prayers were said and the blessings chanted. “We shall raise Jerusalem to the crown of our joy!” The glass shattered and the cavernous hall was filled with shouts of “Mazal Tov!”, with hugs, and with kisses.
She sat down to rest at the edge of the hall, took off her shoes and put her feet up on an adjoining chair. Jacques was standing at the center, surrounded by a group of admirers, lecturing them about the Zionist organizations he had been involved with. As always, he wasted no opportunity to make new recruits for the cause. “As for me,” Alice thought, “I’d be happy with a smaller wedding, as long as it was for love.”
As she was thinking these thoughts she overheard two girls whispering in French, a language she knew well. Some of the girls were telling the others that the groom came from a village in Turkey and he was a good man and well-off, but unfamiliar with city manners, which was why many of the girls in the capital had kept their distance from him. That was why he had to find a match away from the city, a woman who would not expect to be treated like a lady as they themselves would. Alice assumed that it was jealousy that was talking here. Her head spun from all the excitements of the day and she suddenly felt quite nauseous. How she wished that her mother were there, by her side. She would never have allowed things to go as they did. Yes, Corinne was known for her smarts, but what good were they when she had no experience and no guidance.
Alice looked out the window, trying to find a moonbeam, a trail of light form the moon, that object that was supposed to guide her in the most decisive moments of her life. She just caught a glimpse of it before it was hidden by a passing cloud and fixed it in her gaze. She could not tell if the moon was smiling or frowning, but it was certainly full and in full command of everything below it.
Alice never had a chance to exchange a word in private with her sister. Corinne had been so distant, it was as if she were taking part in a play in which she was not playing the leading role. Her face betrayed the signs of great stress and Alice could not help but feel that she was not satisfied with her new status.
For the morrow, the friends of the groom had planned
an outing to the Vitosha Mountains. “We shall give the newlyweds a real wedding party on the mountaintop,” they said.
The outing to the mountainside was a welcome surprise. Jacques devoted his time in the capital to his business and asked Alice to wait a day or two before going back home. So when Corinne invited Alice to join them, she was excited to accept. The newlyweds, rather worn out after their nuptials, had let everyone know that they would meet up with them later at the point from which they would all start their ascent.
The prescience of the aunts, Sarah and Suzanne, came in quite handy. It was as if they had known that Alice would be invited on hiking expeditions and they outfitted her with the right dress for the occasion. It was a pink number, a type of frock with ribbons in the front and under it, a white blouse with puffy sleeves embroidered in red. For the first time, she wore a little straw hat adorned with a ribbon decorated in pink violets, which quite nicely offset her long honey-blond braids. In her hands, she held a small purse though she had nothing to put in it. She looked around and saw a small bowl filled to the brim with chocolate squares. “Those may come in handy,” she said and wrapped a few in a handkerchief that she proceeded to stuff in her purse. The carriage that came to pick her up had already been occupied by two somewhat older and seemingly married couples and a single young man. The atmosphere was jolly. She was led to understand that this is how Corinne’s life would be from now on. Restaurants, theater, and nature outings - that was how the young people in Sofia had spent their free time.
