One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross by Harry Kemelman Read Free Book Online Page A

You can actually go to the place of the Last Supper—”
    â€œThe Church of the Dormition,” remarked Miriam. “It’s in the Old City near the Wall.”
    â€œHow about it, Hugh?” Amy persisted. She was a fine-looking woman, tall and trim with dark brown hair just beginning to silver. She had little wrinkles around the eyes, which were dark and protruded so that she looked somewhat surprised at all times.
    â€œYou could have gone on that trip that Father Callahan led a couple of years ago,” said her husband.
    â€œOh, it was a bunch of old women, male and female. I want to go with you.” To her hosts, she confided, “Hugh never takes his full vacation.”
    â€œI’ve never really had a chance to,” he explained defensively. “Something always comes up that I feel I should stay on top of. Besides, I’d just as soon let some of my vacation time accumulate for when I retire so that I can take my whole last year off.”
    â€œBut that’s not for quite a while yet,” said his wife.
    â€œBut I’ve got to plan for it. Then maybe we can do some traveling.”
    â€œGrace Bryant went on that trip,” said his wife, “and she came back with all kinds of things she bought.”
    â€œYeah,” said Lanigan, “a bunch of junk. Jim Bryant said that whenever the bus stopped, she was the first one off the bus, buying little knickknacks they make for the tourists. She had bottles of colored sand, mother-of-pearl stuff, and little carvings in olive wood of camels and crucifixes. I’ll bet most of it was made in Hong Kong or Taiwan.”
    â€œNo,” said the rabbi. “They have factories there, Bethlehem and Jerusalem, where they make it.”
    â€œAll right, so they make it there. It still is a bunch of junk,” said Lanigan good-naturedly.
    â€œThat cross she had, that was a nice thing. There were four little crosses, one at each corner—”
    â€œOh, yes,” said the rabbi. “A Jerusalem cross. I believe the four small crosses are supposed to represent the four knightly orders that governed Jerusalem during the Crusader period. I suppose Jerusalem is where you’re most likely to get them.”
    â€œCould you get me one, David, while you are over there?” asked Amy Lanigan.
    â€œIt might not be quite proper for a rabbi to buy a cross,” said her husband reprovingly.
    â€œOh, he wouldn’t have to buy it. He could get someone to buy it for him,” said Amy.
    â€œI’ll get it for you, Amy,” said Miriam. “You just tell me what you want. Is it a pendant, or a pin, or—”
    â€œOh, would you, Miriam? Grace Bryant got a large silver one, but if you could get me a small one, on a chain—”
    â€œYou shall have it.”
    The rabbi reached into the inside breast pocket of his jacket for a pencil and his notebook and jotted down a memorandum, “Amy Lanigan—Jerusalem cross.”
    â€œLook, David,” said Lanigan, “don’t make a big thing out of it. Just if you happen to think of it. I’m sure Amy wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble.”
    â€œOf course not—”
    â€œIt’s all right,” said Miriam. “David makes notes because he can’t remember. But then he forgets to look at the notes. But I’ll remember, Amy, and since I’ll be getting it—”
    â€œI suppose you’ve had a lot of requests from your congregation,” said Lanigan.
    The rabbi smiled as he flipped the pages of his notebook. “Pills for her sister—Mrs. Gross; psychology book—Oscar Lamed; greetings—Mandelman family; notify Ben Levy re his brother Aaron—gall bladder operation successful; talk to and size up Ish-Tov, formerly Jordan Goodman—”
    â€œJordan Goodman? Louis Goodman’s boy. I remember him,” said Lanigan. “Is he over there? He changed his