There was never any question as to why Isidore Greenstein came to be known as “Little Issie”. That’s right. He was short. Very short. He stopped growing when he was thirteen. Some said it was due to his diet – a lack of nutritious food. Occasionally simply no food. Others blamed it on his living in a bedroom with a very low ceiling. The likely culprit was genetics, which couldn’t be verified as his parents were unknown. No matter. Issie was just very short. How short you ask? It took quite some time before you were able to see the smoke from the cigarette that always dangled from his lips swirl upwards.
On a completely different and somewhat more important matter, Little Issie never had a Bar Mitzvah, the traditional rite of passage for every Jewish boy when they reached the age of thirteen. The authorities at his orphanage chose to ignore it because they never knew his actual birthdate. Whether this had an impact on little Issie in late life is debatable and perhaps best left to those who knew him better.
Holidays weren’t celebrated at the orphanage with the exception of Christmas and Hanukah whose dates generally coincided. Being able to celebrate them together made it easier for all concerned. Each child would receive a gift, always a piece of clothing which was usually a hand-me-down from an older child who had outgrown it.
One more thing you should know about Little Issie. He blended in with his surroundings. The facial expressions of most people change depending on their attitude. Their mood. How they’re feeling. Not Little Issie. Ever. He was like a piece of glass. People just looked through him. Darn near impossible to read. If someone could will themselves to remain anonymous and blend in, Issie would be living proof of it. This impression was reinforced by his quietness. People would ask “where’s Issie?” even if he was in the room. Now you should have a pretty good idea of who Little Issie was. Perhaps not who he really was, but how he presented.
Several days after one particular holiday celebration, Little Issie was given a new suit. Like much of the other clothes at the orphanage, it had been manufactured by Cooper Clothing on St. Lawrence Blvd. It was the company’s way, or so they thought, of discharging, their communal responsibility. They could have done more. Easily. And should have. But that’s another story.
New clothing distributed after the holidays usually indicated that potential adoptive parents were coming to visit the orphanage. Yes, a couple did come. No, they didn’t adopt Issie. Perhaps because they never really saw him. How different his life might have been if they had. However, Little Issie was allowed to keep the suit and was told that he would probably never outgrow it. That he could wear it at his wedding. They thought it was a joke. Little Issie didn’t find it funny. Not at all.
