oh. rock me mama.

last evening was our final show for marchutz. i wore a black dress and lauren wore white and john told us we looked stunning. and we told him we wore black and white because van gogh believed they were the fourth pair of complements.

it was a beautiful weather. we set out a large wooden table on the lawn and hung paintings in the garden.

men played their guitars and accordions in the grass.

the most beautiful part of the evening was the presence of amos booth. he was a founder of marchutz. and was able for the first time in four years to visit the exhibition. his health is failing.

he was a sole reason for the current presence of marchutz. he believed in the school and paid out of his pocket to support it in difficult times. our school has been often shut down for lack of money, and he refused to let it go. he believed in its vision. he was the most precious gentleman. weak and thin. wearing a tan sweater and red checks. he made a soft speech, held up by his cane and john’s arm. john, appearing as a child next to sir amos. he said it was a blessing to see all the smiling faces. and that he will remember this night until the day he dies. and then he chuckled at his joke. not making much noise but laughing with air. he had kind kind eyes. and the sweetest muffled voice.

afterwards i went up to him to shake his hand. he held my hand for a long time. he told me that it was a blessing from God that our school has continued. that He had always with them. he kept saying, ‘it is such a blessing.’ he was so grateful to us for being happy. so in love. he who had devoted his life sacrificing for our benefit, humbly acting as if we had done something to deserve his good graces.

‘bless you dear. what is your name again?’

‘my name is jena’

‘jena. i will remember that always’

what a gift it was to have met him. lovely lovely man. i will remember him always.

…we danced all evening. rock me mama like a wagon wheel. rock me mama anyway you feel. john came between lauren and i and put his arms around us. “i love you guys” i think he was a little drunk. but we weren’t. and we said we loved him too. and it was true. he pointed his fingers and pranced his toes and was a delight to dance with. lauren and i became marvelous partners by the end of the night. five hours- and we mastered the spin.

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the next morning lauren and i were walking through a square, and there stood alan and john, pointing at the relief on the side of the hotel de ville. i walked up beside john and put my arm around him. he immediately placed his arm around me and began explaining how the relief was magnificent from further back. and that he had to show alan this because alan had never looked at it from across the street.

john: ”did you enjoy last night? i thought it was magnificent”

me: “yes. it was wonderful.”

john: “you two were quite ecstatic. and jena, i was watching you and kevin. you two were good. he is a big guy and he is quite light on his feet! he is smooth.”

me: “i agree. kevin is an excellent dancer. i had no idea.”

then lauren and i left them with our hearts hurting. because we don’t want to leave them.

john and his wife.

john the bartender.

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