Letters from Rifka

Green River Community College ESOL 015 – Level 5 Listening Skills and Strategies Description of Miss Rose White - Part 5

Rose at work Rose and Miss Ryan are at work. They are buying clothes to sell in their store. Miss Ryan wants to more about Rose’s family life, but Rose doesn’t want to mix up her separate worlds. Miss Ryan tells Rose that she too was an immigrant, an Irish immigrant. She says she lied to her family and didn’t want them to come to her graduation. She is still ashamed of that lie. Rose says that’s “It’s not like that for me.” Miss Ryan says, “OK” but she’s not convinced.

Back at home The sisters are making dinner and Lucia tells her a story about how she got a cut on her hand. Next, Papa is finishing his dinner and he says the food was good. Then he gives a present to Lucia for her and her husband, “When he is found.” Lucia opens the present and it is a wallet full of money. We learn that Papa saved the money to bring Lucia and her mother. He’s very happy to give the money. Lucia returns the money, says she doesn’t want it, and insists that Papa tell Rose what happened. Papa says nothing happened. Lucia tells the story that Mama was waiting to go to America but then a letter came that said that Papa wouldn’t take a loan to bring his wife and daughter to America. He explains that he doesn’t like to owe anything to anybody. Rose says they suffered because he was too proud to take the money. We then learn the full story. They were all ready to leave together before Hitler came to power. Then Lucia became sick, so he and his wife decided that Papa would leave with Raysl (Rose) while Mama would stay with Lucia. He came and then tried to earn the money to bring the others. In the meantime, Hitler and the Nazi’s took over and then it was too late. He said he suffered too. Lucia is so angry. She emotionally tells the rest of the story of when they were at the concentration camp. The mother took the sick child’s place in the line to go to die and the Lucia survived. Lucia yells at the Papa while he leaves, “She did not abandon me.”

Later Rose brings cocoa to Lucia. Rose wants to know why she came to America. Lucia says that she came because she told David she would meet him in America and she believes he will come to join her. She still has hope for her life with David.

Dancing away from friendship Rose is dancing with her friend. He tells her that he loves her. He’s too serious for her at this point. She just wants to go out and have fun, but he wants to be closer to her; he wants to be “part of her life.” She’s very uncomfortable and runs away. He looks confused and hurt. The next day she sees him at work and look doesn’t say hello. She’s sad and alone.

When Rose gets home, Lucia tells her that she’s worried about Rose because she came home so late. Rose says she went for a walk and that Lucia isn’t her father. They have a fight and Rose is unkind to her sister. Lucia says she will soon move away. Rose goes to see Lucia in her bedroom. They make up and are close to each other. Rose asks her about the number on her arm. Lucia says she will keep it to remember. Rose then tells her that Lucia is blessed because she had so much time with Mama, but Papa was never warm or close to her. Lucia has very bad memories, but Rose has pain too about her life. Lucia understands this, maybe for the first time.

Papa brings hope We now see Mordecai at the immigrant office. He asks the woman if she has any news. She says no, but to continue to check. He says ok and starts to leave. One man follows him and asks him who he is looking for. Mordecai explains, but he is not friendly with the man. The man tells Mordecai to follow him and as they are in the elevator, the man explains he has lists of people in the camps, those who lived and those who died. The man explains that he sells these lists. Mordecai is immediately angry and leaves. Mordecai stops to look back at the poor man. He is disgusted but also thinking about what the man had to say.

Back at the apartment, Rose prepares a picnic for herself and Lucia. It’s on the floor of their apartment because it is starting to rain outside. The buzzer rings and Papa answers. He says he’s outside but wants to come up. The two sisters are nervous as they put away food that their Papa would not approve of them eating. He comes and wonders what is going on, but then he starts to tell the story of going to the immigration office. He tells them what we saw but then adds that he went back to that man, paid him some money and got information about Lucia’s husband David. Rose takes the paper and tells Lucia David is alive. Papa says he is alive and living in Poland. Lucia is very, very thankful. She takes her Papa’s hand, kisses it, and hugs him as she cries with tears of joy.

Rose and Lucia are in a very dirty apartment. Lucia is making plans to fix up the apartment and Rose says she will help. Lucia is happy and says that David will arrive in two weeks. Lucia asks if Rose has someone special in her life like David. Rose answers she doesn’t need anyone special since she has her work.