The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

  “Duddy!”

  “It’s the Kravitz boy. He’s back.”

  Guests came rushing out of the dining room and smiled, still clutching orange juice or slices of toast. Linda embraced Duddy in front of everybody. “Boy,” she said, “am I ever glad to see you!”

  Rubin slapped him on the back. “You little bastard,” he said. “You lousy little bastard.” But even he smiled and Duddy could see that he hadn’t shaved yet. Probably he’d been up all night.

  “Are you O.K.?” Bernie asked.

  The guests cheered when he entered the dining room. “Don’t worry,” Mr. Cohen said with a meaningful wink. “Everything’s going to work out fine.” Duddy looked puzzled.

  “He can take the next two days off,” Rubin announced in a booming voice. There was some applause. “But no complaints please if the service is slow. Duddy’s my top man in the dining room.”

  “If service is slow. Is that what the man said?”

  After breakfast Duddy went to the dormitory. He had only just sat down on the bed to rest when Bernie and Donald came in. They had brought Irwin with them. “He has something for you,” Bernie said severely.

  Irwin smiled.

  “Give it to him.”

  “I want to tell you how thrilled I am,” Irwin said, “that you didn’t drown. I was so worried.”

  “Give it to him right now, please.”

  Irwin handed over his winnings. It was just short of three hundred. “I intended to return the money anyway,” he said.

  “Nobody’s going to know about this, Duddy,” Bernie said, “so don’t worry.”

  “They were afraid you might be too proud to take the money,” Irwin said. “Isn’t that amusing?”

  “Shettup, Irwin.”

  “You cheated me. You arranged it all with Linda and the wheel was crooked. I hope you had a good laugh.”

  “The wheel wasn’t crooked.”

  “Cheaters never prosper,” Duddy said. “I hope this’ll be a good lesson for you. I hope you’ll profit from it in the future.” That night a delegation comprised of Farber, Mr. Cohen, and Paddy invited Duddy to have a drink with them in the recreation hall. Mr. Cohen, ever since he had winked meaningfully at Duddy, had been an awfully busy man. All morning and most of the afternoon he had waylaid guests in the lobby and on the beach and even — once the word had got out — in their rooms. “Think of what the poor kid must be going through,” he’d say for a starter.

  “It’s my fault maybe.”

  “Look,” he’d say, “if you can afford a month here you can afford this. Would it be better to spend the money on doctors?”

  Everyone smiled at the delegation when they sat down at the bar with Duddy. Mr. Cohen held out a large envelope. “We want a promise from you first,” he said.

  “Wha’?”

  “How much did you lose last night?”

  “Three hundred bucks, but —”

  “No buts, Duddy. You’ve got to promise us no more roulette. Finished.”

  “Sure.”

  He handed Duddy the envelope. “It’s from all the guests together. A hundred and forty-two contributors.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “I may have given more than Farber but we’re not saying. Twenty dollars is the same as five,” Mr. Cohen said, looking hard at Farber. “It’s the spirit that counts.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I mean…” Duddy pressed the envelope, testing it for thickness and substance. “… Well, thanks…”

  “You’d better go to sleep now. You must be tired.”

  Duddy rushed upstairs, emptied the envelope on his bed, and started to count the money. There was close to five hundred dollars in the envelope. Duddy laughed, he shouted. He rolled over on the floor and did a couple of somersaults.

  “Hi.”

  It was Linda.

  “I had no idea Irwin was going to bet that much. Honestly, I didn’t.”

  With all your college education, he thought, what are you? A couple of crooks. “Sure,” he said tightly.

  “Do you really think we were after your money?”

  Will you go, please, he thought. I work for your father but that doesn’t mean I have to talk to you.

  “I’ve broken with Irwin.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “It was a bad joke. I’m sorry. But I had no idea —”

  “— that the wheel was crooked?”

  “The wheel wasn’t crooked. But it’s only a toy and it’s an old one. It has certain tendencies. Irwin knew them.”

  Duddy shrugged. Ver gerharget, thought.

  “I thought you went out with me because you liked me. Boy, was I ever a sucker. That night at the Hilltop Lodge must have cost me twenty bucks.”

  “You want the money back?”

  “You think I’m dirt,” he said, “don’t you?”

  Look at me, he thought, take a good look because maybe I’m dirt now. Maybe I’ve never been to Paris and I don’t know a painter from a horse’s ass. I can’t play tennis like the other guys here, but I don’t go around spilling ketchup in other guys’ beds either. I don’t trick guys into crazy promises when they’re drunk. I don’t speak dirty like you either. You make fun of your father. You don’t like him. Tough shit. But he sends you to Europe and Mexico and who pays for those drinks in the afternoon? You’re sorry for making a fool out of me. Gee whiz; my heart bleeds. Take a good look, you dirty bitch. Maybe I’m dirt today. That bastard of a black marketeer Cohen can give me twenty bucks and a lecture about gambling and feel good for a whole week. But you listen here, kiddo. It’s not always going to be like this. If you want to bet on something bet on me. I’m going to be a somebody and that’s for sure.

  “Did you laugh,” he shouted, “tell me, did you laugh when I told you about my plans for the future? I’ll bet you and Irwin split your sides.”

  She flushed.

  “Thank you,” he said. “Thanks a lot.”

  “You have no right to be angry. I kept my promise,” Linda said, indicating the money on the bed. “I said you couldn’t lose and you didn’t.”

  “And something else,” Duddy screamed, stepping between her and the money. “He’s not in the transport business.”

  “What?”

  “My father.”

  She looked puzzled.

  “He’s a hack and he picks up extra money pimping. My father’s a pimp. Now beat it. Scram.” He ran after her. “Go tell Irwin. Hurry. That ought to be good for a laugh. My old man’s a lousy pimp.”

  Duddy slammed the door after Linda and the next morning he gave Rubin his notice. Since it was the height of the season, however, he agreed to stay on for another week if he was given a room of his own — any room — and did not have to eat with the other waiters. Duddy was the quickest boy in the dining room and Rubin agreed. He hoped Duddy would stay the season.

  14

  Wednesday afternoon Duddy met Yvette at one of the rear entrances to the hotel.

  “Wow.”

  Yvette had black hair and large black eyes. A pretty girl even in her maid’s uniform, today she wore a straw hat with a wide brim and a white linen dress and little white shoes.

  “C’mon,” Duddy said. “I’ll get one of the boats.”

  “No. We’re going somewhere special. Another lake.”

  Duddy looked pained and he wondered if she realized that he was ashamed of being seen with her on the lake.

  “Do you like my dress?”

  “You’re a knockout.”

  Yvette took his arm. “I don’t have to be back until nine,” she said. “What about you?”

  “I’m off until tomorrow breakfast. What’s in the basket?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Yvette led him across the railroad tracks again and up the rocky slope. They started up a narrow path over the mountain.

  “Jeez. I thought we were going swimming.”

  “You’ll see.”

  On top of the mountain she took a bo
ttle of beer out of the basket and shared it with Duddy. He tried to pull her to him. “No,” she said. “Not yet.”

  They came down on the other side of the mountain and walked through a field of corn and a wide, hilly cow pasture. They crossed some disused tracks, hopped from rock to rock over a swirling creek, climbed a wooden fence and crawled under a barbed wire one, and entered a thick wood. An hour later they emerged from the woods and started up a gentle green rise. On a shelf of level land near the hilltop Yvette stopped and pulled Duddy down on the grass with her. “You close your eyes and rest,” she said.

  When he woke he saw a roast chicken and bread and beer and pickles spread on a white tablecloth on the grass. They were both famished and ate quickly. Yvette rolled over into his arms and Duddy eagerly began to undo the buttons down the back of her dress.

  “Have you got your suit on?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Me neither. We don’t need it here.”

  Swimming in the nude, he thought, may be O.K. at night, but — “Are we going to walk naked to the lake?”

  Yvette laughed. He kissed her and began to pull tensely at her dress.

  “The lake’s right here,” she said.

  “Wha’?”

  Duddy jumped up impatiently, abandoning her on the grass with her dress half off. “Where?”

  “Go to the top of the hill.”

  Duddy climbed the rest of the rise. “For Christ’s sake,” he said. “God.”

  Yvette embraced him from behind, pulling out his shirt and loosening his belt.

  “This is really — For Christ’s sake!”

  Duddy’s heart began to pound. Yvette was undressing him, she bit his neck, but Duddy hardly noticed. He stepped absently out of his trousers. Before him spread a still blue lake and on the other side a forest of pine trees. There was not one house on the lake. Some cows grazed on the meadow near the shore and over the next hill there were a cornfield and a silo.

  There were no other signs of life or ownership or construction. Duddy cracked his knuckles, he beat his fist into the palm of his open hand again and again.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Her voice startled him. He had come to think he was alone.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked quickly.

  “Beautiful?” Duddy laughed wildly. He broke rudely free of her embrace and raced down the hill and plunged into the lake.

  “Wait. I’m coming.”

  But he ignored her. She watched as he swam out and dived down to the bottom time after time. Once or twice he stayed down long enough to worry her.

  “Duddy, that’s all. Come back.”

  Once more he plunged to the bottom, nearer the shore this time. When he broke to the surface again there were scratches on his forehead and chest.

  “The bottom’s fine. There are rocks here and there that’ll have to be cleared, that’s all,” he said, stepping out of the water.

  Yvette failed to understand. “You stayed in too long,” she said. He trembled. His lips were purple, his teeth were chattering. Yvette began to rub him fiercely with a towel. “Will you stand still for just one please,” she said.

  “Have you ever brought anyone else here before?”

  His expression alarmed her.

  “Answer me!”

  “You’re jealous,” she said.

  He stiffened against her embrace.

  “That’s nice,” she said softly. “I’m glad.”

  Duddy realized that they were both nude and for the first time he was embarrassed.

  “You fool,” he shouted. “You little fool. I’m not jealous. But you’ve got to tell me. I want the truth. Have you ever been here with anyone from the hotel?”

  “No.”

  “But you’ve come here before?”

  “Yes.”

  “Many times?”

  “Yes.”

  “God damn it.”

  “You don’t understand. Not with… men. We used to come here to swim when we were kids.”

  “Oh. Oh, I see.”

  He began to walk up and down, scratching his arms.

  “What’s wrong, Duddy?”

  “How far is it to the road?”

  “About half a mile, maybe more.”

  “Can you see the lake from there?”

  “No.”

  He started to pace again.

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “Listen,” he said, “you mustn’t tell anyone — absolutely nobody — that we came here today.”

  “But we haven’t done anything wrong?”

  “Jeez. What can I do to make you understand?”

  Yvette waited.

  “Just promise me that, will you? You’ll tell nobody we came here and you will never bring anybody else here.”

  “Why?”

  Duddy took a deep breath. He shook his head. “If you promise me that I’ll give you fifty dollars.”

  Yvette turned and ran up the hill. Duddy took off after her. He watched sullen and afraid as she hurried into her clothes. “Are you cold?” he asked hopefully.

  “I’m going.”

  “Why? It’s still early.”

  “I don’t like you any more. I don’t want your stinking money.”

  He tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away. “Jeez, Yvette, I’m sorry. I’m — I’m just so excited, that’s all. Don’t go. Please don’t go. I need your help.”

  Yvette hesitated.

  “Please…”

  “You wouldn’t be ashamed if you had come here with Linda. You’d never offer her money, either.”

  “Oh, Yvette. Yvette. You don’t understand. Let’s go back and look at the lake again.”

  The lowering sun blazed behind the mountain. He’s all skin and bones, she thought, and she picked up his shirt and trousers. “Take these,” she said. “You mustn’t catch a chill.”

  Duddy made love quickly to Yvette by the shore.

  “I feel so good,” she said. “Do you feel good?”

  He could watch the lake over her shoulder and in his mind’s eye it was not only already his but the children’s camp and the hotel were already going up. On the far side there was a farm reserved for his grandfather.

  “I’ve never felt better.”

  “Do you like me? A little, even.”

  “Sure. Sure thing.”

  He would have to buy up the surrounding fields with infinite care. Guile was required. Otherwise prices would surely skyrocket overnight. Yvette lit a cigarette for him and Duddy decided where he would put the camp play field. The land there is as flat as a pool table, he thought. It’s a natural. His heart began to pound again and he laughed happier than he had ever laughed before.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Wha’?”

  “You were laughing.”

  Once the land was his, and he would get it if it took him twenty years, he could raise money for construction by incorporating the project and selling shares. He would never surrender control, of course.

  “Do you trust me, Yvette?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want to buy this lake.” She didn’t laugh.

  “I’m going to build a children’s camp and a hotel here. I want to make a town. Ste. Agathe is getting very crowded and five years from now people will be looking for other places to go.”

  “That’s true.”

  “A man without land is nobody,” he said. Yvette felt that his forehead was hot and she made a pillow for him out of a towel.

  “If the wrong person saw this place he might get the same idea. That’s why you mustn’t tell anyone we came here or bring anybody else here. Who owns the land, Yvette?”

  Brault owned a third of it, maybe. She wasn’t sure about the rest. Brault was a hard man to deal with.

  “So am I,” Duddy said. “And this land is mine.” He told her about the Boy Wonder, and how he would have to ask him for a stake. He explained that he did not have more than two thousand
dollars saved and it might take him several years to buy up all the land surrounding the lake and she must help him. The farmers would be wary of a young Jew — they might jack up prices or even refuse to sell, but another French-Canadian would not be suspect. He was too young to marry, he explained calmly, and in any event he might have to marry a rich woman if he could get one, but if she helped him he would always look after her and she would get a share in the profits. He had to return to Montreal tomorrow and get started but before he left he would leave her money to cover the preliminary costs of inquiries, notaries, and anything else that might come up. He said he’d keep in close touch with her and come to Ste. Agathe whenever he could manage it.

  “I’ve got nearly three hundred dollars in the bank,” Yvette said, “if it’s of any help.”

  They talked a lot longer and had to return by the road — it was too dark to attempt the woods or climb the mountain — and they did not get back to the hotel until two A.M. Yvette went right to bed, but Duddy saw a light in Cuckoo’s room and he went to see him.

  “Gevalt! happened to you?”

  Duddy’s trousers were caked with mud. He felt hot and sweaty, but he didn’t realize that his eyes were swollen and his cheeks were burning red.

  “You’re sick,” Cuckoo said.

  “Gwan.”

  “Where in the hell have you been all night?”

  Feverish but happy, Duddy could not hold back his fantastic find. He told Cuckoo about the lake, though not where it was, and pledging him to secrecy, he swore that there would be a job for him.

  “Sure, sure. But I think you’d better take a couple of aspirins and get right into bed.”

  Duddy fainted and had to be carried into his room, but the next morning he was gone before anyone was up.

  “Somebody saw Yvette with him at the station,” Cuckoo told Linda at the bar the same night.

  “Were he and Yvette —?”

  “She’s crazy about him.”

  “Obviously I underestimated him.”

  “He didn’t even say good-by to me.”

  “Me neither. Let’s face it, Cuckoo, he’s a twisty one and a little liar too.” Linda chuckled. “Among other things he pretended to me that he was an intimate of Jerry Dingleman’s.”

  Cuckoo was surprised. He thought everyone knew that when she was in Montreal Linda went to all of the Boy Wonder’s parties.