Mendelevski's Box: A heartwarming and heartbreaking Jewish survivor's journey (WWII Historical Fiction) by Swindells Roger

Author:Swindells, Roger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers
Published: 2019-02-26T00:00:00+00:00

Monday 22nd October 1945

Jos hadn’t specified a time to go down to see Theo Visser at the Westerdok, so he was outside the Cafe van Loon far too early and had to hammer on the door to attract attention.

Jos’s wife threw open a side window and looked down. ‘What do you want? It’s Monday, we’re closed. What are you doing here anyway?’

‘I’m here to see Jos.’

‘He’s still in bed, lazy bastard, he was out with some of his drunken friends last night. You’ll have to wait.’

He sat on the bench outside.

She had left the window open and he heard her cursing her hungover husband.

Jos cursed back and after a few minutes the door opened. ‘Simon, for goodness’ sake, it’s still night time, come in, come in, I’ll get dressed.’

‘I’m sorry, but you didn’t say what time.’

‘Have a seat in the bar, I won’t be a minute. I’ll bring down some coffee. We don’t have to be down at the dock until at least eleven.’

He told Jos about the visits he and Maaike had made the day before and how he thought neither of the two watch owners could have betrayed his family.

‘So that’s two of the watches your father left you gone.’

‘Yes, but they weren’t mine at all really, in fact they always belonged to de Groot and Dykstra, they just gave them to my father for repair. I had to return them to their rightful owners.’

‘You’re a good boy but it’s cost you a few guilders.’

‘Not when they weren’t mine anyway, father may have put them in the box for safekeeping but I’m sure he wanted to return them after the war and I know he would have if he’d lived.’

‘How many watches, complete ones not just cases, are left now?’

‘Just the one that should have been David Meijer’s. I’ve still got to see van der Meer, he had three according to father’s invoice—somehow he must have got them. His invoice is marked ‘paid’ as well, we just don’t know how.’

‘It could it be him then, the man who betrayed you all?’

‘We’re going to see him this afternoon, he lives on Johannes Vermeerstraat. I’ll tell you tomorrow.’

‘Nice address, there’s money there, probably a rich bastard who did well out of the war. Black marketeer or collaborator, you’d better be careful, it could be him.’

The Westerdok was very busy with small coasters, so different to the huge vessels from the Indies Jos had helped to unload out on Java-eiland and KNSM Island.

‘I can’t see her, Triton, registered in Groningen and owned by Becks. She should have a blue funnel with a ‘B’ on it. She could be anywhere along this quay, perhaps we’re too early.’

‘There it is.’ He pointed to a small vessel, painted light grey with white accommodation topped with a dark wood stained bridge, in the process of tying up on the opposite side of the dock.

‘Well spotted, your eyes are younger than mine and she’s a ‘she’ not an ‘it’. Come on, let’s go before he goes ashore.

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