a l a
Jewish
Literary c _upplement
There still was danger, of course. Great danger. But the thought of the
danger didn't dampen Galina's ardor; on the contrary, it made her all the
more enthusiastic.
— FROM
THERE ARE JEWS IN MY HOUSE ' BY LARA VAPNYAR
things and come to my place. We have to make it
knew her way around it. When Galina threw
before morning," she said breathlessly to Raya as
birthday parties, Raya, who always came early
soon as she entered her dark hall. Raya, still fully
to help, was rushing from the kitchen to the
dressed, but without her coat, -rushed up to
living room and back, helping Galina to set the
Galina and burst out sobbing. She mumbled
table and bring the dishes in. And when the
something rapidly while clenching Galina's
guests came, Raya met them in the hall and
shoulders. The words coming from her mouth
told them where to put their _coats and led
seemed to be drenched with snot. They were
them cheerfully into the living room; Now she
hard to make out. They were about the great risk
stood barefoot on the knitted doormat—she
for Galina and Tanya, and that Raya couldn't
had just taken off her boots— asking where to
accept this, that she and Leeza had better try to
put Leeza's and her coats. Galina gave them
sneak out of the town, walk to the woods and hide
slippers and led them to the back room. They
there, and then again about the sacrifice, the
great risk for Galina and that she couldn't accept
"This is
it. Galina felt Raya's sharp chin and sticky tears
on her shoulder. She had the urge to dry herself,
but she had to wait until Raya was through. She
been prepared. She glanced around the room
the end,"
still fully clothed, hunched in the corner of the
Raya said.
She felt her excitement fading.
Galina looked at Leeza's sharp shoulders
between her knees. These two lives were now
completely dependent on her; their very exis-
tence was in her hands. Galina desperately
"We're
sofa. Galina saw that her invitation had been
expected for a long time and already accepted.
adultlike. Nobody knew what to do next.
under a checkered dress, Raya's hands folded
and saw Raya's unpacked suitcase by the door,
her coat, dropped on the chair, and Leeza, also
who had been woken up and told everything,
sat in her bed, trying hard to look serious and
]mew that Raya's tears were sincere, but at the
same time she sensed that her little speech had
went there timidly and sat on the bed. Tanya,
wanted to back out, to say: "No, no, you can't
stay here. It's not for me. I am the wrong type
of person. I am not prepared." But it was too
going to
late to change anything.
'Later, Raya and Leeza stood silently in the
Copyright Lara Vapnyar. Excerpted by permis-
hall of Galina's apartment. Raya had been at
sion -ofthe author from There are Jews in My
Galina's place hundreds of times before and
House (Pantheon,' 2003).
NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CULTURE