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13 Life in Syracuse
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123 13 Life in Syracuse Radia’s will to succeed was enormous. She pushed herself relentlessly to be as good a mother and spouse and to sell as many of her wares as she could. She went out in all sorts of weather (which in Syracuse in the winter can be especially fierce) to contact prospects and deliver lace. In early 1915, she contracted pneumonia and pleurisy and was hospitalized . Habeeb was at this point working long hours at Brown-LipeChapin six days a week and in the evenings at the custom tailoring he was able to arrange on the side. No one was available to care for twelve-yearold Dave and six-year-old Nick. Habeeb split what little time he had between visiting Radia in St. Joseph’s Hospital and caring for the boys. “How are Daoud and N’cola doing without me and with you here?” she stammered after she began to regain her senses. “Well, they’re pretty much on their own,” Habeeb admitted. “I feel guilty. I’m letting everyone down,” she sobbed. “Nonsense!” insisted Habeeb. “We’re doing fine.” But he, too, worried about the boys. “Habeeb, I’ve heard that the Onondaga County Orphans Home takes children for short periods of family crisis. What about taking them over there for a bit?” Radia suggested through tears. Habeeb went to the home the next day. By that evening, the boys were residing there until the family could recover from the trauma of losing Radia to illness. The home was a large house with dormitory sleeping rooms. The children were separated by gender and age group. Dave went to an older boys’ dormitory room, Nick with the smaller lads. This arrangement was very upsetting to young Nick, who had always slept in the same room 124 | The Arab and the Brit with Dave, if not with his parents. The nights were long, sad, and frightening for him. During the day, the children were transported to their respective schools. This part was better for Nick, who had grown accustomed to his first-grade class. He was not able to sit with Dave for the evening meal, but he was close by. They were able to spend time together after dinner before going to bed. This unpleasant experience made a vivid impression on little Nick. He saw Dave everyday before school in the morning for a few minutes at breakfast and again in the afternoon after Dave returned from school. He did not get to see his mother for several weeks, and his father only on Sundays. He was a most unhappy little boy. Dave and Nick remained in the orphanage for three months during Radia’s hospitalization and convalescence. This period was a serious setback for the family’s objective of building capital. World War I was well under way in 1916, and even though the United States was not yet a combatant, there was a gunpowder plant located just west of Syracuse in Split Rock that produced explosives for the war effort. Many immigrants worked at the plant. Radia had a natural gift for languages and a very good ear. She polished her English as she sold her lace around town, which gave her the knowledge of three languages. One day while returning home on the trolley to West Street from a day of selling her embroidery and linen in the university section of Syracuse, she overheard two Russian immigrants discussing something quietly in their native tongue. This was a bit unusual because most immigrants were interested in practicing their English rather than speaking in their native language. She was fluent in Russian, so she could not help overhearing the conversation. What she heard upset her greatly. In fact, Radia could hardly believe her ears. The Russians were plotting to blow up the gunpowder plant! She listened more intently than ever as she continued with her ride. Sure enough, these men were scheming to destroy the plant. That evening after the boys were in bed, Radia told Habeeb of her shocking discovery. [18.223.172.184] Project MUSE (2024-04-17 22:16 GMT) Life in Syracuse | 125 “Are you certain that you understood correctly?” Habeeb demanded. “I’m certain!” she stated emphatically. They both had worked diligently to accumulate wealth and perform well in their respective jobs. They had purposely tried not to be conspicuous as they went about their daily responsibilities. They just wanted to do a good job, be well paid, and...