It was a few weeks before my 13th birthday the year of my Bar Mitzvah (in the Jewish tradition the ceremony for a boy to officially become a man) when my Grandpa Buncher asked for me visit him at his house. We usually would spend Sunday afternoons with him , but this was Tuesday and the first time he actually asked if my father would just bring me over. I of course thought wow, he is giving me my Bar Mitzvah gift early and began to imagine just what that would look like. My Grandma Buncher had passed away many years earlier and my Grandpa still lived in a very large house by himself. The house always seemed spooky and with the passing of my Grandmother, the house itself seemed to be in mourning and it seemed as if the oxygen in the house was diminishing by the year. When my grandmother was alive she insisted that all furniture maintain its luster and she had handcrafted plastic made to fit each sofa and chair precisely. I remember when we did visit while she was alive, before we sat down she would fidget with the plastic making it seem even tighter and as my little sister and I sat down the sound of that movement sounded as if we farted. We both would do it again pointing fingers at one another laughing and no one else knowing why.
My Grandpa Buncher had this green recliner chair which was always about 5’ from his television. In those days there were no remotes so if channels had to be changed the tint had to go from too dark to lighter and if the volume was not just right someone would have to make the effort and do it. My grandmother would repeat the story that 5’ is just enough room for my grandfather to get some exercise and not over do it when he watched the television. It was his TV and his job to control it. No one ever was permitted to sit in his chair…EVER! On this day when I met with my grandfather the television was on but he was sitting on the sofa. My father and I entered the house and we both took a second look and then looked at each other as if we were seeing the most unbelievable sight. I remember my father saying “Dad, are you alright?” “Why not my grandpa replied, sometimes change is good.” My grandfather then said to my Dad, you can come back in 20 minutes, I need to speak to my grandson.” Oh my God, I had never been alone with my grandfather. EVER! I became a little worried and then became almost crazy when he said in the next sentence “Please, Gerry sit in the green chair!” I sat, venturing over to the chair as if it was an unknown tract of land, as if land mines were buried everywhere as if the world as I knew was about to end.
“Golem gone bad, my grandfather said to me, listen to what I tell you”. I looked at him only concentrated on him and at the same time almost expected my grandmother to appear. A Golem can appear magically and at times may do good but IT must be reminded constantly not to do bad. A Golem gone bad can not be stopped until there is no more damage to be done.” Now I became a bit frightened suddenly the house seemed darker, the oxygen even less abundant and somehow as my grandfather arose walking toward the television a Golem was going to step out from the picture tube! My grandfather walked to the TV turned it off and said you need to know this before you become a man, “never start anything you don’t intend to finish. Never begin when you know you do not want to end. Never permit a Golem to go bad because he will hurt anyone in his way.” He walked toward me kissed me on the head, and said who told you you could sit in my chair!” As our political world becomes meaner, stranger and darker all I can think of is a Golem gone bad and it scares me that the Golem is in total control!
