‘ ‘ ‘  One was tempted to a little laugh when one saw him.’  Short, in his mid- sixties, he had a somewhat sad look about him. His clothes invariably appearing as if they had been selected from a pile of seconds at a jumble sale.’ ‘  His stained peak cap of dark leather had a crumpled look.’  None could guess that when no alternative was at hand he would use it as a bag in which to carry his smaller hand tools.
‘ ‘ ‘  He had lived as an odd- job man for as long as the people of the small town could remember, his curious figure seen frequently in pursuit of this or that.’  One could easily single him out from a distance owing to his extraordinary habit of moving his head from side to side as he stepped. This movement so much reminded me of a metronome.’  For all that, Michya was a much loved person, greeted by many as he went. I feel that he is as much a part of the old town as it’s ancient clock tower.
‘ ‘ ‘  He had acquired’  a strange habit of leaving his shoe laces untied.’  This annoyed and angered his wife terribly but all her efforts to cure him of this were to no avail.’  Michya’s frequent stumbling and half- tripping over his laces as he came and went were very much a part of his quaint image.
‘ ‘ ‘  The months before Passover were always his busiest, many of the house- holders requiring this or that repair to their’  home.
‘ ‘ ‘  On this particular day Michya was on his way to Mrs. Danziger.’  Behind him he drew a small trolley which was filled to overflowing with tubs of paint, a step ladder, rags and other paraphernalia needed for painting.
‘ ‘ ‘  To any observant eye it would be apparent that Michya that morning was somewhat nervous.’  Not only did his hands keep twithching on the bars of the trolley as he went but his head did not pendulate as he went. This occured only when he was deep in thought or tense.
‘ ‘ ‘  Mrs Danziger was large and not be trifled with. Certainly not the kind of woman to be ignored or overlooked. She, as opposed to her husband who was as timid and calm as she was formidable, tended to make a humble tradesman quake when serving her.’  When it came to bargaining she often had her way.’  It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that Michya was not a little worried.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘  ‘ “Michya,” she pronounced sternly as he stepped through her doorway,’  follow me and’  I’ll show you what you must do.’  Be sure to be careful.’  I am cleaning the kitchen cupboards and, as you see,’  my saucepans are on the floor.’  So be careful when you paint the living room.”
‘ ‘ ‘  “Wouldn’™t it be better, Mrs. Danziger,’  to give me the floor today, and you do the cupboards another day?” Michya asked, nervously expecting some sharp retort.
‘ ‘ ‘  She turned towards him abruptly. He being short and following very close’  behind her at the time,’  found his face within just a few inches of her ample bosom.’  In this position she said in a commanding voice: “I have my reasons for doing the cupboards today and I am afraid you shall just have to do the best you can. Just be very careful. Do I make myself clear?”‘ ‘ 
‘ ‘ ‘  Her voice rose powerfully at the end of her short speach which left Michya in no doubt as to the only course open to him.’  She reminded him so much of his seargent major of the old days.
‘ ‘ ‘  “Of course, Mrs. Danziger”. The worried look was unmistakable on Michya’s face which was now also somewhat pale.
‘ ‘ ‘  “Now”, she began again in a sudden loud voice, bringing a slight flush to Michya’s face, “I want you to paint the ‘drawing- room, then the kitchen.’  Ceilings as well.’  Is that clear?”
‘ ‘ ‘  “Yes, Mrs Danziger.”
‘ ‘ ‘  “Then there is the front balcony. I want you to pay special attention and care there because of my plants. Now when you are ready to do the balcony you must call me.’  I have special instructions for the balcony.”
‘ ‘ ‘  On mentioning her plants her face was seen to soften just a little, momentarily, fleetingly, like a shaddow passing. Her expression, however, returned almost immediately to its usual firmness as she added in conclusion,’  “Well, aren’t you going to begin?”
‘ ‘ ‘  With a little start, as if coming fully awake for the fist time,’  Michya turned and stepped forward.’  He half- stumbled over a trailing shoe- lace, but,’  regaining quickly his balance, hastily made his way to his trolley which he had left outside near the balcony.
‘ ‘ ‘  Briefly related, this particular job Michya began with especial care and in expectation of little satisfaction. On one occasion, coming down the ladder with his face to the ceiling examining his work, his booted foot became squeezed firmly into a gleaming aluminium pot at the foot of the ladder. Fortunately, however, partly owing to his untied lace, he was able to extract his foot from the boot quite quickly. Then, with some difficulty removed the boot from the pot.’  This came out with a loud sqeal remarkably similar to the sound of a cat whose tail had been trodden upon.
‘ ‘ ‘  Mrs. Danziger was on the scene in a flash, the expression on her face a frightening thing to see. Seeing, however, nothing untoward other than Michya holding his boot in his hand, she managed a grimmace intended as a smile and re- entered the kitchen.
‘ ‘ ‘  It seemed to Michya an eternity until, finishing finally the two rooms, he was able to tell Mrs Danziger that he was ready to work on the balcony; would she please give him her special instructions.
‘ ‘ ‘  On the balcony Mrs. Danziger pointed to a very handsome round black table supported upon a strong center leg.’  Upon the table were arranged pots of varying sizes in which were a rich variety of plants of many shades.’  A’  very tall luxurious plant stood in the middle of the table and was fastened to a support which reached up close to the ceiling.
‘ ‘ ‘  “This table must not be moved.’  As you see, the tall plant support reaches the ceiling.’’ ‘  Her tone sent a chill through Michya.’  “Work carefully above it.’  In order to be sure that no paint falls on the leaves I shall give you a sheet to drape over it.”
‘ ‘ ‘  Mrs Danziger left Michya examining the ceiling and walls while she went to bring the sheet.’  She was back in a moment and passed to’  the small man.’  Michya, ascending a few steps carefully draped the sheet around the plant support, tied the middle to the top then arranged the large white sheet like a tent over all.’  Mrs Danziger who had been watching him like a hawk while he worked, snorted a kind of approval.
‘ ‘ ‘  “You must know, Michya my husband and I were not blessed with children. These plants are very precious to me.”
‘ ‘ ‘  As she spoke her tone was not soft this time as may have been expected, but seemed to contain a sinister quality.’  A finely veiled threat that sent a slight shiver through him.
‘ ‘ ‘  As she returned to the kitchen, Michya closed the door to the living room.’  It would, he felt, be a little safer that way.’  He decided to begin at the far end of the balcony ending at the plant corner.’  His hands were sweating slightly as he started up the ladder.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘  Michya relaxed.’  The work was going smoothly and all seemed to be ending well. He need not have worried that much, he thought.’ ‘  Things had turned out rather well.’  It hadn’™t been all that difficult. Her being busy in the kitchen had enabled him to work more or less without subjecting him to her icy scrutiny.’ 
‘ ‘ ‘  There had been a terrible moment when he had taken fright at her coming suddenly into the room and a terpentine soaked rag had fallen into an enamel cooking pot. Her profanity had almost caused him to spill a can of paint. Fortunately, however, only about a cupful’  landed on the floor. So, he continued his thought,’  all in all, it had not been that bad.
‘ ‘ ‘  He had fininshed the ceiling above the tall plant support and began his descent. He was lowering one foot to a lower rung when he found that the lace of the shoe was caught under the upper boot.’  This prevented the descending foot from reaching the rung below. He quickly found himself in a state of imballance over which he had no control. Inexorably, Michya was moving towards the center plant support, the ladder being dragged after him.
‘ ‘ ‘  There was nothing for it but to stop his fall by holding on to the’  support. With a fervent prayer he regretfully shot his arm out to the tall plant support holding on to it for dear life.’  To his horror the support’  began slowly to move sideways scraping the ceiling as it did so. Then, as if in slow motion, Michya, in dread, found himself and the ladder crashing down onto the sheet and all that was below. As he landed on the table,’  it, too, leaned to one’  side then,’  as if in a nightmare, toppled over, bringing him and Mrs. Danziger’s precious botanical garden to the floor in a hopeless heap.
‘ ‘ ‘  The sheet, having wound itself around him, Michya eerily appeared for all the world’  as if wrapped in a shroud.
‘ ‘ ‘  Michya’™s mind worked fast.’  He quickly began to do the one thing that he felt was most prudent. He eased himself out of the tangled catastrophy and stood erect. One glance at the tangled pile of table, support, sheet and plants he moved as rapidly as he ever could.’  He gathered his cans of paint, rags, ladder and other parrafanalia loading them rapidly into his hand cart which was just ouside the balcony door.’  With one last look at the shambles,’ ‘  Michya eased himself out of the narrow door of the balcony and in a moment was to be seen making his way hastily back from whence he had come that morning stumbling a little now and then on this or that shoe lace. Particularly noticible was that his head did not pendulate as he went for he was indeed in deep and troubled thought.
‘ ‘ ‘  As he retraced his steps his calmness gradually returned.’  Almost imperceptibly at first, his head began to pendulate from side to side.’  But Michya was also seriously vowing a solomn oath: ‘œCome what may,’ he swore, ‘œ never again will I leave my laces untied.’