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Tuesday, April 10, 2007

My Dead Brother Comes to America by Alexander Godin

This story takes one back to Ellis Island and the time of mass immigration to America. A father is already in America and has sent for his family. At the immigration station both he and his wife are questioned and their answers are compared. Suddenly everything stopped.
There was the brutal statement: "Your husband says he has four children, madam, and you have only three. How do you explain that, madam? What are we to think of it, madam?"
Mother stammered; her lips grew white. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she began to explain things to the clerk in a halting manner.
Unlike other short stories, this one shows that what is not said is just as important as to what is said. This story is such a sad but very good story.

3 comments:

Joan said...

These are very interesting. Where do you find them? I'm really curious what the out come is on this one...

Shersy said...

A real emotional story from the sounds of it! Thanks for sharing these with us!

Mike Hindin said...

Godin aka Joseph Katz was my uncle. The story is real. I am named after Mieshe the child who died near Kiev between 1913-14 when my grandfather Gabriel Katz left for America and 1922 when Grandmother Bessie Katz journeyed across Ukraine and Poland to the bowels of SS Kroonland to Ellis Island. Thank you for posting.