Chapter Forty-Five

Emily Harris was taken ill suddenly on a very cold and blustery evening when it was difficult for any doctor to come to see her. Miriam sat by her bedside. She knew Emily was seriously ill and that she was unable to contact Sam, who was ‘in transit’ somewhere, between the White Cliffs of Dover and anywhere else ... She had tried to telephone the Army Authorities, but there was nothing they could do, until Sam was based somewhere and they could locate him with a definite address. Rachael and Nathan were unable to help as they sat quietly, thinking that their silence was the only way to contribute to their grand mother’s well being in giving her peace, in her illness. Emily’s breathing became more shallow and irregular as Miriam dabbed her forehead with a damp towel and kept her lips moist with a little sponge. Suddenly the old lady sat up and opened her eyes. She wanted to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. Miriam leaned nearer to her as she lay in her bed and she could hear a few of the words that were spoken so quietly. She called Nathan to the bedside and Emily gave the boy a weak smile before he put his ear to her lips, whilst Miriam and Rachael stood by.

Nathan listened for a little while, straining to understand what his grand mother was saying, before he rose up and took a book down from a shelf above the bed. He opened it solemnly and began to read in Hebrew.

“Lord, I pray for EMILY HARRIS, who is sick and in pain. May it be your Holy Will to renew her strength and bring her back to health; renew her spirit also and free her from anxiety, for You ... and You alone should watch over her body and her soul.

Though I cannot share her pain, help me to bring her good cheer and comfort. Give us the joy of helping each other through all the fortunes of life.

Blessed are You, Lord, the faithful and merciful Healer.”

Rachael looked at her mother in surprise. This was the Jewish prayer for the sick and she realised then, that Emily had asked her grandson to read it for her. As Nathan closed the book and put it back on the shelf, Emily was smiling. A tear came to the boy’s eye and he made every effort to conceal his emotions, but it was not to be He broke down and cried at the bedside.

“Nanna, I love you ...Please don’t leave us,” he mumbled through his tears and as he was the first to speak, Miriam began to cry and had to be comforted by Rachael.

They all wished that Sam had been there as they were sure it was what Emily Harris would have dearly wished as her breathing became fainter and her eyes dulled ...Within the hour, she had gone to her Maker

Miriam and Rachael knelt quietly by the bed, but Nathan left the room quickly. He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Yes, he knew he was now a man he had been told often enough and he was proud of that, but in that instant he wanted to be just a young boy again and his Barmitzvah seemed an eternity away. He wanted to cry and lament his loss the loss of the dearest and most loving lady in his life, and it was easier to do that if he was just the boy he had been not so long ago. His warm tears salted his lips as his shoulders convulsed and he gave way to the agony of his grief.

“Nanna . Darling Nanna, I love you. I wish I could have helped you more than I did. I wish I had told you when you were with us, just how much I loved you. I wish I could have made God save your life for us. Nanna, I wish you peace and I hope you are now with Pappa in Heaven.”

He opened the bathroom door and reappeared into his manhood again. Rachael put her arms around him and they shared their loss in silent tears as Miriam looked on.

***

And Rabbi Jacobs performed the ceremony at the funeral service in the Synagogue.

The words from The Wisdom of Solomon were Emily’s epitaph and she was lowered gently into the earth.

Sam did not get to the funeral service.