saturday night family poker

I remember many a Saturday night, as a kid, when my mothers extended family would come over to our house for the Katz/Braff Family poker game. My mother would add the two leaves to the table and extend the usual seating of six to include at least 18 tushes. My great cousins/aunts and uncles would arrive at least an hour early salivating at the mouth as my mother placed tray after tray of home made corned beef, cole slaw, pickles on the buffet, and since my mothers family were Romanians, plenty of egg plant dishes were also served.

Once the female relatives entered the house they would immediately congregate in the dining room and or the kitchen. Suddenly that part of the house smelled like lily's and gardenias and the living room where the men first meandered became a denizen of at least three kinds of cigar smoke and odor. Once the food was served all aromas and odors were supplanted by the hot juicy fresh smell of corned beef and home made dill pickles and the garlic of the egg plant dishes.

My sisters and I were told, one of the few times my mother was insistent about anything, that if we behaved said hello to ALL the relatives, we could have some corned beef, cole slaw, and pop (in Pittsburgh, soda was called pop), a whole bag of potato chips, (which were only bought for company) and then go to the second floor where all the bedrooms were located. Many times we did just that, but there were times when my younger sister, Francie and I were the only kids at home for one of these poker games, we instead would sit on the stairs leading to the second floor, and listen to the conversations going on during the Katz/Braff poker game.

My mothers family came in two kinds. There was an uncle Joseph who came to this country selling shmutahs, and ever since his first step on American soil seemed to make money and more money. He had 10 kids and all of his children were rich. Then there were the other relatives who had anything from blue collar jobs to menial day labor work. There were the wealthy cousins and then the rest.

Family was important to the Katz/Braff folk, and many times family business along with the actual playing of poker would take place. Many times if financial help was necessary the men would first discuss the issue, and once they shared their wisdom, the ladies would be permitted to chime in sometimes able to change the amount of assistance pledged to a little more.

My Dad, a policeman, making very little income, would always be the first to vote for help for anyone in need. He believed that if you gave what you could, at the level from which your income permitted, you were doing the right thing. He believed if you had $100, you gave what you could, and if you had $1000 you give that much more. He believed that working hard had its rewards, and obligations. He believed that giving what you could was important.

There was one time, as I remember when the poker game became a little less fun and a whole lot more intense. A cousin lost his job, his wife was sick, and the bills were piling up for him. He asked the family if they could help. You are my luntzmen (family), he said. My wealthy Uncle Joseph, took the floor and said of course, we all can give you the same amount of money. Another cousin said, we could do that but some of us have more money to provide at time like this. My Uncle Joseph said, yes some of us do, but if I did that, it wouldn't be an equal gift, a family gift. And if I did that once I might be asked to do it again. How can I remain rich if I give more money than anyone else, if give all my money now what would happen if more was needed later? But you are rich enough to do that, and do it again said another cousin, and if you did, all it would cause you is to buy one less box of cigars.

Suddenly, lots of Romanian was being spoken with some Yiddish added, chairs were pushed back, plates and glasses slammed on the table and as my little sister and I made a mad dash for the safety of our bedroom, cousins were running up the steps heading for the front room where all their coats were being kept.

The poker game was over.

The Republican/Baggers want more and more money cut from the entitlement programs of this nation before they even consider raising the debt ceiling. They believe that social security, medicare must be cut and the poor and elderly, disabled most of whom have little to no money need to pay their way while the wealthy not be asked to pay anything, let alone their fair share to offset the nations debt. Somehow equal in this country does not include the wealthy's participation in helping our fellow 'luntzmen' to survive. Somehow fair share includes half of the share and no fairness about it at all.

As I remember there was no family poker game for a few months. When finally the game was resumed, it was a game of about half the family. The cousin who lost his job, lost his house and lost his wife to cancer. He moved in with his children. The poorer relatives pitched in as best they could to help his family, but as the gossip was spread by my aunts and grandmother, rich Uncle Joseph paid not a single penny. There was a division in the family and as I remember it never ever was healed.