ECHOES OF REMEMBRANCE

SAMUEL BRONSKI, 26years of age, stood upright in his allotted corner of the wrestling ring, wearing his Champion’s belt, which stood under the blue and white dressing gown. The gown was emblazoned front and back with the Flag of Israel, which sent a message to all of the crammed spectators, of a momentous battle, soon to occur. A long awaited bout between a Jewish born New Yorker and a Palestine born citizen, and immigrant, to Philadelphia, as a young child.

Samuel’s mother was on his mind with a plethora of jumbled thoughts surging in his head, just like a mouse in a tidy bin, unable to escape. He imagined on that warm summer night that she would be with her friends in the new apartments in Manhattan, surrounded by the photos of long ago when she lived in Northern India and practiced her native Hindu religion until Claude the handsome Jewish Army Officer in WW2 courted her, married her and fled to the USA in 1947 to escape the looming troubles of partition. On her own now, widowed since 1979 with only a tattered photo of the husband of 32 years of whom she bore four children in succession. Now he thought, the Tarot cards would be out and his medium mother would be making predictions and I would be on the top of her list he thought.- I the re incarnation of Samson the Hebrew hero. Which he grinned about just as the crowd roared. His thoughts circled about Ruth’s matchmaking for a nice Jewish girl which all fell on deaf ears. An arranged marriage was not for him and it took much energy to divert the subject away from marriage, yet he knew somewhere there was a woman for him. He touched the three vertical scars running down his left shoulder and smelt his fingers

The smell of sand blood and old meat came into his nostrils, which inspired him, in times of high emotion. No one knew where they came from but his mother Ruth did, on the moment he was born. His deep cleft on a jutting jaw with glittering hazel eyes reminded people that he looked like Kirk Douglas. Which was his nick name at school and the big cats smiled at him, from their cages in the Zoo and he smiled back with a look of ’I know-so do you. And the lions nodded at one another....

RUTH predicted the long awaited bout because the arcane cards always showed Victory, for her son. , an echo of remembrance of the tales of long ago: of Hebrew History, which religion she took on board, yet secretly kept up her Hindu faith. The story of Samson and the Lion was a sign for her the scars told the story yet no one believed her—except her tarot card playing friends.

SAMUEL brushed back his long curling jet black locks and the manager tied them into twin pony tails, as was required, by the rules of Wrestling., Like the Samson of old, much of his power lay in those locks and no one was permitted to cut into the luscious pride, without his permission, yet like all humans he had a particular flaw which was his lust for very young woman which caused his team to strictly monitor his activities, lest his career be blighted by a probing journalist

The audience was divided into different racial groups with the largest being Israelites and Palestine. A huge contingent of ‘Philly’ Cops nervous and dressed right, beforehand were at every entrance ,exits and in the car parks and the Police Commander, a veteran of wars was expecting trouble between those two groups.

A roar broke out when GEORGE the LION OF PALESTINE danced through the crowd, he touched hands and faces, some held up photos of Muslim Priests as he made his way along the path to the arena. He stopped and drew two fingers across his throat and the crowd laughed, though some booed. He climbed into the ring and dropped off his robe and then thumped the image of a Lion on his singlet. George looked up and roared like the lion. He refused to shake hands

With Samson despite pleas from the referee .The crowd was silent when George knelt down and prayed.

The bell rang and George rushed forward to be instantly stopped by a forearm jolt to his head which knocked him straight to the floor, and there he lay, motionless, with attendants and a medicos kneeling beside the unconscious man. A Doctor stood, crossed his arms and swept them out and the crowd knew it was all over. The Lion of Palestine was carried out on a stretcher and Samson left, quietly, smelling his fingers once again and waving them to the sounds of cheers and boos while the Cops outside arrested many of the disorderly bustling, fighting crowd who emerged, pushing ,struggling and throwing punches. Samson was not invited back for a rematch and he had a feeling that the knives were being sharpened to bring him down to be traduced, reduced and turned into bits... It was not a fleeting feeling because it stayed with him in dreams of color and of hair falling on the Barber’s floor, and of a young lion charging towards him.

Those feelings were kept down because of his efforts to keep the secret of his crossing dressing habits. His mother never intervened because it seemed to be harmless however her husband Claude hoped one day his son would grow out of the habit of his fondness for silk against his skin. His bothers never broke the secret

Samuel’s parents were never aware of the sexual antics inflicted on their son by a junior football coach and the dark secret of Samuel with his bi sexuality would never ever be believed. In order to dispel any thoughts. Any ideas and any assumptions, Samson, from puberty on, with raging hormones, made sure he had as many conquests, with the hordes of women who flocked around him, yet it left him feeling hollow.

He kept his signed photo of Freddie Mercury (given to him by the coach years later) and dreamed of Freddie and himself in mutual masturbation. The only person who knew of his secret addiction was his friend the young Rabbi.

The modern Samson, Superman was not without flaws. Something inside of him foretold doom and when in his home he frequently sang the Melissa Manchester song. The words fitted with his bouts of sadness.

’Don’t cry out loud just keep it inside remember to hide your feelings

And if you should fall remember you almost had it all.’ The fall of Samson would be great yet the power within him would always turn black into light. He knew he would triumph over adversity however the journey to find his authentic self would be long and painful.

And behold a young lion roared against him; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion asunder as one tears a kid goat; and he had nothing in his hand.’

JUDGES 14:6

In that audience on that hot night of the match sat a sixteen year old pretty, and of Palestine extraction, woman .A woman with deep brown eyes which masked the expression born of many months of manipulation, cunning and careful planning.

DEE sat with Arthur the aging Greek magnate who was widely known as a major drug dealer and who took her from the streets, after her strict Muslim parents cast her out of the family home in Philadelphia, for her suspected sexual antics with an older Uncle, however they were totally unaware that her brothers lined up in turn, to be masturbated by their sister, for which she charged two dollars and her bank account, under the mattress, grew: Arthur insured that her street stay was terminated. He needed a young vibrant woman in his life. Another mistress to visit in the luxurious apartment which he provided for her, in the best part of Philly Yet he would never get inside of her head and he accepted that fact

The only penetration he required of her was sexual, though she would have been at risk if she dared move away from the solitary Harem which he provided. So Dee kept her secret. She longed for the strong younger arms of Samson, longed to be away from the poor hygiene of Arthur, and in her quite moments, away from his uncircumcised prick which words were spoken to her friends, still on the streets.

She kept her obsession and secret lust for Samuel, away, in the separate folders of her mind, just like a computer—saved and to be used later. And within a short space of time she planned a Holiday to New York to stay with a cousin, and woman who had also escaped the clutches of brothers in the family who threatened to kill her if she had liaisons with the Anglo Saxons boys, who lived nearby It was a start point in the city where her target of love lived and night after night of magic lovemaking which her day dreams gave her. She wrote in her diary, detailing the explicit, the dialogue and how good she would feel after wards.