Making of the Encyclopaedia | Prof. George Menachery | Part 17

 Saturday Evening Post

Making of the Encyclopaedia

From the Horse’s own Mouth

George Menachery

Seventeen

It was 8 a. m. That meant that there were only some eight hours left for me to get my baggage out of the parish office. And still I did not know what I could do. I proceeded to the Sub-way station. On the way a coloured person asked me where I was going. He was very tall, dressed as a dude or dandy, with a tall silk hat. Together we entered the station. While I was taking out my wallet for the 35 cents to buy the token he had purchased a bunch of tokens. He pressed me to accept two. I have often noticed how many coloured persons are generous out of the way and present you with gifts, unasked for, probably because I am brown. Inside the compartment I took out my passport holder and the addresses of my father’s pen friends and the two recommendation letters given by His Eminence. The only place that I could visit was the National Office of the Propagation of Faith which was on 5^th Ave. I got down at the 42^nd street and began to walk towards that office. It was on the first floor. I entered the antechamber of the office and after explaining my plight I handed over the recommendation letter to the Fr. Director. He looked at the letter with some suspicion. Then he went inside the office. When he came back he was having a smile. Probably he had checked the signature on the letter  from his file and found it genuine. Or the Cardinal might have sent a coy to him. Any way he said that he is buying two copies of the Encyclopaedia and again went inside and came back with a cheque (check) for $ 65X2 = $ 130. It was on the Chase Manhatten Bank. That cheque could be changed only through the Encyclopaedia’s  account in India. Understanding my perplexity he said, “Just go down the steps and somebody will give you the money”. I did not comprehend but I obeyed. When I came down the steps and turned left to the branch of the bank which was on the ground floor of the same building  a young lady came out and asked me, “Do you need $ 130?” The director must have telephoned her from above. She took the check from me, had me sign it and gave me $130 which she was carrying with her. My astonishment knew no bounds. With the 130 dollars in my wallet I stood erect and breathed a sigh of relief. Now I was a very rich man!

The first thing I wanted to do was to purchase some warm cloth. As I was standing in a nearby junction a man came along wearing a colourful sweater. I asked him where he had purchased it. At first he looked angry but when I explained that I felt very cold and therefore I would like to buy a sweater like the one he was wearing he pointed to a building a little distance away and informed, “ Korvette’s”. I went to the multi-storeybuilding indicated. I told the attendant that I would like to buy a sweater. He pointed upwards and said that all winter clothes are now on the 2^nd and 3rd floors. As summer advances winter clothes travel upwards in the store.  I went up to the 2^nd floor and approached the coloured floor-boy (floor-man rather) and pointing to a jacket asked what it cost. He looked at me in a disparaging way and remarked, “You are not going to buy it Mister”. But I told him that I was serious and wanted to purchase some warm clothing. Then he changed his attitude and showed me the overcoat and said its cost was $ 120 but as the winter is over it is now priced at a mere $ 39.00. He went on to say that it would be a very good buy as it was quite fashionable with huge strong buttons and had also a removable woolen zip-lining inside. I purchased it straight away. It was one of the best things I ever bought and used it in many journeys for the next many years till a priest in Germany enamored of it made me exchange it for a heavy woolen blue winter Russian- looking overall. After my purchase at New York, at any assembly I appeared wearing it I was a noted person and women looked at the jacket with envious eyes. It acted as a sort of open sesame. When I appeared at the Parish office wearing it the Rev. Sr.’s attitude was very different. She telephoned the nearby YMCA and booked a room for me ($ 7 per day) and called a taxi to take me there. I was grateful and went to the YMCA hotel a changed man, with my pocket full of dollar notes! Or so I felt. The Sister’s call was very useful because the receptionist at the Y was reluctant to give me a room until I reminded him of the call made by the Sister on my behalf.