Amanda Zhang
Professor Hoffman
November 17, 2016
IDC 1001H
Alexandra’s One Day
The sun shone through the thin, lacy curtains and spread across Alexandra’s bed as she shuffled and groaned. It was 7:30 A.M. and her heart skipped a beat when she remembered that she had a day off from work that day. She hadn’t been feeling well the day before at the factory and her manager who was kind enough to notice insisted that she take the day off. Alexandra shook her head and laughed at the thought that the manager actually cared for her well-being. He was probably afraid that she would spread her germs to the other girls working near her, and it would be a domino effect and hurt the productivity in his shirt factory. All is well, she sighed. After drinking some lemon tea yesterday that her mother brewed for her when she got home from work, she went straight to bed. She woke up feeling rejuvenated and she felt even better knowing she had an empty expanse of free time ahead of her. She flung the blanket from her body, feeling the growing heat from the sunshine to be unbearable. It was only still morning, so the heat outside wasn’t too bad just yet. Her family’s tenement on Elizabeth Street was empty and quiet except for the hushed bustle of people walking by outside her window. Her little brother, Antonio, had gone with her mother on a supermarket run to buy the ingredients for that night’s dinner. Everyone knew that the morning was the ideal time to get the freshest groceries for the fairest price. It was Isabella’s, her fifteen-year-old little sister, birthday today and so it was bound to be a special night. Isabella had gotten up at 5 A.M. to go to work and so Alexandra was unable to wish her a happy birthday. Even on her birthday, she had to work to bring home money for the family. Even though her family wasn’t rich, Alexandra considered herself to be lucky because they had their very own place to call home. Their snug 2-room apartment cost them $8 per month so every penny they earned counted. Everyone dreamed of achieving the American dream. That was why her parents had immigrated to New York in the first place along with many other Italian immigrants from their motherland. They weren’t the only ones. There were a lot of Chinese immigrants as well near them in New York’s very own Chinatown. Her encounters with the Chinese have all been very pleasant whenever she visited Mei Lin, her best friend, at her tenement building. But nevertheless, Alexandra, who had just turned seventeen last month, was practically considered an adult and she understood her responsibilities in the household. Her father was a shoe repairer and they had their own shop just a few blocks away from their apartment.
Alexandra brushed her teeth and prepared her morning breakfast of a biscuit and tea. On the dining table was that morning’s newspaper. Splashed across the headlines were the words “August 2, 1923: President Harding Dead.” Alexandra’s jaw dropped and she skimmed the article about this startling and tragic news. She shook her head as she placed the newspaper back in its place and daydreamed as she had her breakfast. She wondered about the future of America and how things would be affected because of the president’s sudden death. As she cleaned up the mess she made, Alexandra began mentally listing all the errands she had to complete and looked forward to the one exciting thing she had planned to do later in the day. Since she had no work, she decided to attend to household duties her mother usually attended to. Since it was Isabella’s birthday, Alexandra figured her mother would be busy and so it would make things easier if she completed some of the household tasks. On the kitchen counter was a list of things that her mother planned to get. Alexandra knew her mother would be rushing to get the last two things on the list, so she decided to get those things for her. Even though they were a household of only five people, there were always so many errands to run and food to buy. Her mother knew very well that her five-person family could very well eat for a family of eight. But of course, they only feasted for birthdays and holidays and that day was one of those occasions. Naturally, there were even more things to do that day.
Alexandra slipped on a white, cotton sundress and her sunhat to block the intense summer sun from her face and out she went, locking the door behind her. She swung her coin purse on her left hand as she skipped down the few flights of stair and out onto the concrete pavements. It was getting close to afternoon, and already tons of people were out and about. Street vendors were encouraging passersby; shouts of Italian could be heard from a group of men gathered near a barber shop as the men jovially patted one another on the back. New York City was up and fully awake. As Alexandra walked down the street and turned a corner, she saw little boys and girls squealing as water was being sprayed from a hose and onto the street. Some of the littlest ones were running around shirtless, enjoying the cool mist on a hot, summer day. Alexandra continued on her way and finally stopped in front of a penny store to pick up a bag of chocolates for Isabella, who had an intense sweet tooth. Her mother usually reprimanded Isabella for eating too many sweets, but since it was her birthday Alexandra was sure their mother would relent this one time. After paying for her purchase, she proceeded to the General store where they had all household items in the store. Her mother needed a new pin and needle as well as a new kitchen knife, as their old one had turned blunt and was useless in cutting anything. After those two things had been crossed off the list, she went on her way home. As she was walking on the sidewalk, cars drove by her on the street. She marveled at how there had been a significant increase of automobiles in New York City, especially since Henry Ford had just recently introduced the first affordable car to the public. It was exciting that now anyone could afford this incredible machine that was once only accessible to the rich. Things are changing, she happily thought.
When she entered the apartment, she found her mother unloading the groceries and Antonio sitting in the corner, huddled in his book.
“Mama, I got the last two items on the list for you,” said Alexandra.
“Oh thank you sweetheart. I knew I could count on you. I kept putting off getting those things. Nevertheless, Isabella should be home in about four hours. Plenty of time to prepare,” replied her mother.
Alexandra began, “I need to leave soon again but I’ll be back when Isabella should be back home. I won’t be late, I promise.”
Without glancing up, her mother replied, “Okay Alexie, but don’t get yourself into trouble. I want everyone to be home for dinner.”
“I will Mama, I promise” Alexandra answered.
After putting her purse back at her bedside, she got ready to get in her excitement for the day. Alexandra had planned on sneaking into the Cotton Club, a place she only dreamed of being in and she smiled at the thought of being able to see her idols on stage. She didn’t think it was crazy to sneak in because she had other friends who had done so too. She loved listening to the croons of Billie Holiday, and the laughter of the amusing Duke Ellington. She had only imagined being able to see and hear these artists perform. But everyone knew that the Cotton Club was the place where all her favorite singers performed and the club was of such a high caliber. Alexandra felt butterflies in her stomach thinking about finally being able to experience what it’s like to be in the audience of a Cotton Club performance.
Alexandra left the house after giving her goodbyes to her mother and Antonio, with the promise of returning by dinner time. Alexandra trekked all the way to Harlem which wasn’t too far from where she lived. The Cotton Club stood before her as a sparkling emblem of magnificence, with its huge, bright letters across the front.
Clusters of couples, white men, rich ladies in fancy sun hats all gathered at the front entrance. Alexandra was glad that she had decided to wear her hat too, hoping that she would blend in with the crowd. Black, shiny cars were pulling up to the front entrance of the club with chauffeurs coming around to open the door. White women in pearls and men in top hats stepped out of each of these cars. They joined the conglomeration of people already milling around by the entrance of the club, waiting to go in. Although the show time hadn’t started yet, people began filing slowly into the theatre with the doors swinging open and shut everytime someone walked through them. Alexandra took a deep breath as if she were going underwater and walked next to a couple of middle aged ladies in floral dresses. They huddled together in a group and walked into the theatre with their tickets flashing between their fingertips. Alexandra pushed herself among the ladies and the young man checking tickets simply nodded at the group and let them pass. Once through the front door, Alexandra gave a sigh of relief and quickly detached herself from the oblivious ladies. The ladies, too busy chattering among themselves to notice that a stranger had used them as a shield, went deeper into the theatre to find some seats and order some drinks. Alexandra braced her shoulders and took in her surroundings. There were mini tables with about four chairs to each table that surrounded the stage which was located at the rear of the Club. There was a large expanse of empty space in the middle of the club right by the stage for the audience to stand and drink while watching the performances. The stools were already filled with people ordering drinks from the bartender to the left of the club. The chattering rose as more people filed in. Cigarette smoke wafted throughout the air while women stood gossiping and puffing their cigarettes between their fingers. The musty smell of alcohol and cigarettes made Alexandra feel even more excited to be there. She smiled to herself and couldn’t believe where she was. Adrenaline ran through her nerves and she took a seat to the left which was obscured in shadows. People were milling around with drinks in their hands and greeting each other jovially. All of a sudden, the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone on the stage. Everyone became hushed and rushed to find a seat or gathered in the middle of the empty space. In a quick few minutes, a man of a dark brown skin complexion appeared on stage and bean to sing a few notes that progressed into a beautiful melody. He was accompanied by another man on the piano. Everyone had their eyes fixed on the singer and clapped immensely when he was done with his first number. Alexandra herself couldn’t contain her excitement and clapped profusely. She knew that this was a moment she would never forget. This was part of the American dream and a dream that she herself pursued. It was being able to join the celebration of music and being a part of an atmosphere that was carefree and joyful. Being able to come to the Cotton Club and not having to sneak in would be an accomplishment that Alexandra strove for. For her, that meant that she made it and that her parents’ hard work and dedication for immigrating to the United States was paid off. It wasn’t only about being able to enjoy all the pleasures that came with being in the upper class but it was about knowing that she was able to climb up from her poor roots and achieve the American dream. Of course, that didn’t mean forgetting where she came from. She would always be grateful for what she had and strive to achieve better and greater things.
Noticing how late it was getting, she got up from her seat and maneuvered her way out of the crowded theatre. For Alexandra, that exhilarating experience at the Cotton Club was enough to satiate her desire for watching a beautiful performance at the elite Cotton Club. She took a shortcut to go back home. When she arrived, her entire family was already setting the table for Isabella’s birthday dinner. Alexandra was out of breath, but she was grinning from ear to ear.
“What took you so long,” Isabella asked.
“Happy birthday Isabel! Sorry about that, I had to do something important” Alexandra responded.
“Something more important than my birthday,” Isabella jokingly replied.
Alexandra answered, “Ha-ha, very funny. Just because you’re a year older doesn’t mean you get to be a wisecrack.”
“Let’s all eat dinner,” the mother said, “It’s a special day!”
Alexandra replied more to herself, “Yes it definitely is.”
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