Free House of Ghosts by Lawrence S. Kaplan

between the twin beds in the bedroom he shared with his brother Jake. He tried to walk silently to the only window in the room, but the tired oak floor creaked in response to each step. Jake began to stir. Paul pulled back the sheer curtains and leaned through the window. Flatbush Avenue already was streaming with traffic. As he turned around, Jake was propped on his elbow. “Kid, you ready for today? Remember, if you need anything, ask.”
    Paul looked at his older brother by four years. “I guess,” Paul said with trepidation. “I wish you didn’t have to bust your ass so I could go to school. If I went to work, I could help put food on the table.”
    “Go take a shower,” Jake answered, thinking of his roots. “I’ll put up some coffee.”
     

     
    Abraham and Rachel Rothstein, childhood sweethearts in the small Hungarian town of Munkacs, married and landed in New York in 1914 weeks before the outbreak of the Great War. Abe, who learned the tailoring trade under the tutelage of his father, quickly became the floor manager of a small men’s pants factory. His lack of English posed little problem since the predominent language spoken at the sewing tables was Yiddish. Rachel found employment as a cook in a restaurant. Combining their two meager wages, the Rothsteins were able to rent a cold-water flat in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
    The apartment consisted of two rooms, one a bedroom, the other a combination kitchen and living room. Within months, Rachel became pregnant with her first child. An 8 pound 15 ounce boy was delivered during a snowstorm in the winter of 1916, named Jacob after Rachel’s father. The loss of Rachel’s salary was devastating, causing Abe to take a second job to meet the rent and assortedsundry items needed for an infant. Life settled into a predictable pattern, Abe leaving for the garment center in Manhattan by 5:30 in the morning, returning usually by 9:30 at night, leaving Rachel alone to take care of the baby.
    Abe and Rachel believed that to be real Americans, they needed to be able to read and write English. Attending adult school was impossible, but Abe was determined to acquire these skills. Rachel suggested they buy an Hungarian-English dictionary and together they would learn to read the newspaper. If anything, this nightly translation and reading session provided the couple with a chance to spend a few minutes together.
    After years of enduring his grueling routine, Abe longed for a change. The 1920s opened the door to prosperity as the world of Wall Street demanded fashion in men’s haberdashery. He left his factory job to work in an upscale shop where “Kings of the Street” were outfitted. Abe’s income tripled overnight. The time arrived for the Rothstein family to move to a better, safer area. And move they did to Flatbush.
    The apartment was located on the top floor of the three-story walk up. The pride of the apartment was its bathroom, providing convenience and privacy. Abe and Rachel couldn’t believe their good fortune; they had come to America with nothing, and then lived in what they considered luxury. With business booming, Abe thought about purchasing a home.
    As Jake turned three, Rachel announced she was pregnant. This pregnancy was unlike the first. Into her second trimester, Rachel became ill. Her doctor ordered bed rest for weeks at a time. Paul Rothstein was born on July 18, 1920, six weeks premature. The infant weighed barely 4 pounds, raising fears for his survival. Paul proved to be a fighter, slowly gaining weight and strength. Medical problems continued for Rachel, leaving her lethargic and depressed. Due to his mother’s inability to spend time with his brother, Jake became Paul’s constant companion. Neighbors praised Jake to his father, not believing he was only four. Abe came to depend on his older son, who never complained or asked for the toys of childhood. Abe called him “my right arm.”
    With Rachel’s problems, Abe decided to forgo moving from