A Question of Nobility?
by
Alex Domokos
Being exiled in 1951 to a godforsaken village in Hungary, I found that the villagers were very curious about city folk. In particular, members of the aristocracy became the centre of their attention.
Graf Majlath was an aristocrat but also a member of our work gang in the sandpit. He was a sturdy man who accepted his lot with dignity and without complaint. To fulfil our five-cubic-meter requirement of sand hauled from the bottom of the pit up to the surface was a strenuous chore. The pay was so low that we could hardly earn our daily bread. The presence of a Graf shovelling sand was an irresistible spectacle for the locals.
"Gentlemen," Graf Majlath said, "nobility is tested in hardship." We knew that he was tested severely since his wife was a paraplegic. She was wheelchair-bound, and every day the Graf helped her to dress. He prepared her breakfast and lunch before he came to work. In a small village there are no secrets and soon everybody knew of the misfortune of the Graf.
As soon as the news had spread, mysterious hands left pieces of bread, cheese, lard, or a pail of bean soup at the Graf's window. Knowing that his pride would have been hurt if the gifts were offered to him openly, the villagers were tactful and arranged it secretly.
As soon as I learned about the villagers' charity, I began to wonder, "Who represents the meaning of nobility? The Graf? or the villagers?
I am still pondering.
