Mendelevski's Box

by Roger Swindells

  ‘That seems to be the end of that then, I was hoping there might be mail here as this address was on all the invoices father sent out. The landlord must have had it. Can you remember anything else about the man who was looking for my father?’

  ‘Well built, dark hair, very well-dressed for around here, middle-aged, I think he’d been wounded in some way, so I guessed military. Sorry, that’s all I can remember.’

  ‘Thank you, it was worth a try. If the customers didn’t send payments or goods here, how did my father get them, I wonder? I must go, I’m off to Rapenburg to see David Meijer, he was from our shul and dealt with father.’

  ‘You know you’ll be lucky to find him alive.’

  ‘I must try tot ziens Bart, we must have a drink and take food together again soon. Grietje really gave me a lecture after our last evening out, you know.’

  ‘Ah Grietje, lovely bottom.’ He laughed, remembering old times. ‘Give her my love.’

  12 Rapenburg was a three-storey house in a narrow street not unlike the Jordaan. 12B appeared to be on the first floor, there was no separate bell so he knocked loudly on the outer door. After a few moments the top window was thrown open and a woman’s head and shoulders appeared. ‘Who are you looking for?’

  ‘David Meijer. I’m sorry to bother you, I think he lives at 12B.’

  ‘Little grey-haired Jewish man, about seventy?’

  ‘Yes, that’s him. Does he still live here?’

  ‘Not anymore, the Germans took him and his wife in 1942 I think. I didn’t really know them, they kept themselves to themselves and I only moved in here a couple of months before they were taken away, just after my old man was sent to Germany. I doubt they’ll be back, must be dead I think. The place is empty, still vacant. The Germans took all the furniture and everything, totally stripped the place. They had trouble getting it downstairs, they wanted to use my hoisting beam and pulley, but I told them to fuck themselves.’

  ‘I see, thank you anyway.’

  ‘Did he owe you money or something?’

  ‘No, he was just a family friend.’

  ‘You a Jew then? I thought you were all dead, all of them round here must be, I haven’t seen one since the war. How did you survive?’

  He turned to walk away. ‘Sometimes I really don’t know.’

  Maaike was sitting at the table with Irene on her knee, comparing invoices, when he got back to Slootstraat.

  ‘How did you get on? That coat looks quite nice, let me see.’

  ‘Apart from this, not very well.’ He handed her the coat. ‘In fact a complete dead end as far as Peperstraat and David Meijer are concerned. Bart hasn’t seen any mail for my father since he left, if there was any the landlord must have got it. No one delivered or collected money or anything that could have been watches or parts. There was someone who asked for my father but that’s it, and David Meijer and his wife were arrested in 1942 and must be dead like all the others. Their place is empty. I’m not sure this is going to get us anywhere. Grietje did try to talk me out of it.’

  ‘Maybe, but we’re not going to stop now, there are still people to see. Someone must have known where you were hiding.’

  ‘What if we showed ourselves, someone detected a movement, a light? Grietje said there was a gang of men just looking for Jews to claim the reward.’

  ‘We’ll worry about that if checking your father’s business contacts gets us nowhere.’ She looked up at him and handed the coat back. ’You did well with this, it’s good barathea material. Forces, I think, probably Navy. Let’s see it on you.’

  He took off Jaap’s old jacket and put on the overcoat.

  ‘Oh yes, my handsome sailor!’

  ‘Stop it! Let’s look at the rest of these invoices, I have to be at work at four. But first, what exactly was on the two invoices to and from David Meijer?’

  ‘I think I’ve solved two of the questions, the ones about payment. I’m not sure there actually was any.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Meijer’s invoice to your father was dated June and it was sent to Dijkstraat, so he obviously knew by then that your father had left Peperstraat.’

  ‘We knew that already. They were friends and Peperstraat is just around the corner from his home in Rapenburg.’

  ‘Give me a chance. Look at Meijer’s invoice. ‘One gold watch case March 1942’. It’s March not June, he had supplied the watch case to your father three months earlier, three months before he invoiced it. He must have actually passed it to your father while he was still at the workshop, he probably walked around the corner and gave it to him.’

  ‘But why didn’t he invoice my father earlier? Was it because he delivered it by hand and then forgot to raise an invoice for three months? But why didn’t my father pay him at that time in June or much earlier?’

  ‘That’s the whole point, your father never intended to pay him.’

  ‘What?’ He sounded incredulous. ‘Father wouldn’t do that.’

  ‘Calm down. Look at your father’s copy invoice to Meijer, I know it’s hard to read as it’s a poor carbon copy, but look closely. Your father invoiced Meijer for a complete watch, which he obviously made to order for him as it says ‘inscribed DM’, but look, down there, your father has then deducted the price of the case from the total cost, so no money changed hands for the case at all. The invoice is just for the cost of the mechanism and your father’s labour. I can’t really understand why Meijer bothered to raise an invoice to your father at all really.’

  ‘I can, knowing my father, he was so strict about paperwork he probably insisted. That explains how father got the cash to Meijer, or rather why he didn’t. Father could have sent out his invoice by post, it’s dated September and we were hiding by then. How did Meijer pay father and how did father get the watch to him?’

  ‘Unless Gerrit delivered the watch and collected payment I don’t know, but I think it’s possible Meijer never paid your father at all. You told me today he was arrested, perhaps that happened before he even got your father’s invoice. He might have been arrested before you.’

  ‘Perhaps he never got the watch either.’

  She laughed at him. ‘Exactly, the light has come on at last! I don’t think he ever did, unless of course Gerrit took it to him and tried to collect payment, and we’ll probably never know that. Maybe Gerrit did take it and found Meijer had already been taken away. We know the invoice wasn’t sent, or delivered, until September, and Meijer was possibly in Westerbork, or worse, by then. The main reason I don’t think he paid is that your father hasn’t marked the invoice. It appears he always marked his copy invoices ‘paid’, but not this one.’

  ‘You’re right, he was very meticulous about things like that. So, if father didn’t get the money, where’s the watch?’

  ‘If Meijer hadn’t been arrested by then and Gerrit delivered it and took Meijer’s money but didn’t hand it over to your father, then I’m afraid the Germans have got it somewhere. But if I’m right, then I suggest you look at the three complete watches in your father’s box for one with an inscription.’

  He bent over to kiss her. ‘Maaike, you’re a genius.’

  Irene looked alarmed. ‘Is Maaike upset again?’

  ‘Can we look at that remaining purchase invoice you mentioned?’

  ‘It’s from Prins Horloges B.V. in Arnhem, they look like a big legitimate company. Your father appears to have been buying parts from them for many years. This last invoice is dated June 1942, but they probably invoiced thirty days after sending the goods, so I think your father probably received these parts in April or May. Look, the invoice is addressed to Dijkstraat, so they must have known the Peperstraat address was no longer in use. I think these are the parts we found in your father’s box, parts he was going to use for the watches he was hoping to make while you were hiding. He’s marked it ‘paid June 3rd’.’

  ‘That must have been the last thing he did before we left Dijkstraat. I can’t remember the exact
date’

  ‘Don’t worry, I think this one’s alright, there’s nothing to suggest they knew your Kromme Palmstraat address and they appear legitimate to me.’

  ‘In that case purchase-wise it just leaves Berger.’

  ‘Yes, but there are still these three sales invoices to customers to check out.’

  The bar was quiet when he arrived, and Jos’s wife disappeared upstairs as soon as he walked in. Jos wasn’t there, so he couldn’t ask him for any of the money. He couldn’t look at the watches either but he decided it would be nice to wait until Maaike arrived anyway to put her theory to the test.

  He made small talk with and served beers to the usual faces at the bar and the downstairs tables. The talk was mainly about the upcoming Nazi war trials in Germany, the many NSB members and collaborators held in Dutch camps awaiting trial in the Netherlands, and the worsening situation in the East Indies where independence forces were fighting the British while Dutch troops were still to arrive.

  Two younger patrons were concerned about the Dutch economy and lack of work considering the vast amount of rebuilding that was needed, but the others pointed out that the country had only been liberated a little over five months and a large programme would take time to organise. Most thought the Labour Prime Minister Schermerhorn should call a general election and that the Catholic party would win. An argument ensued as to whether either could turn the country’s economy around very quickly. Much went totally over his head as he had no experience of political matters whatsoever. All he really knew, from Maaike, was that Rotterdam, the second city and trade port, would need totally rebuilding.

  The topic of the housing situation in Amsterdam in general and in the Jordaan in particular came up. He was asked about the Jodenbuurt and some of the older drinkers, having spent their entire lives and the whole of the war in the Jordaan and northwest of the city, were surprised at the dereliction of the area although he realised many must have been aware of, if not actively involved in, the hunt for timber.

  Maaike arrived early, clearly keen to find out about the watch and, he suspected, to get her wages from Jos. He knew she was struggling for money but didn’t know how to help her financially without offending her.

  Jos arrived about seven, fresh, it appeared, from a number of local bars run by fellow landlords.

  ‘Maaike! Simon! My two young friends. How are you both?’

  ‘We’re fine, Jos, thank you.’ Simon looked at Maaike and she nodded encouragement. ‘Can we talk? Downstairs, preferably.’

  ‘Of course, my boy, follow me.’

  Jos settled himself in his corner. ‘What can I do for you? You two aren’t going to elope and leave me, I hope.’

  Simon ignored the joke. ‘No, nothing like that. First of all, I need some of my money if that’s alright.’

  Jos looked hurt and reached for the jenever. ‘Of course you can, it’s your money, you don’t have to ask, I’m not keeping it from you.’

  ‘I know that, I’m sorry if you misunderstood but I forgot to ask, sorry, tell you. I needed money last night and I didn’t want to go into your special place when you weren’t here.’

  ‘I understand, you’re a good boy, I should have realised. Maybe it’s time you had your own special place down here until you can get the money into the bank.’ He stood up and moved the crates to reveal the metal plate covering the hole. ‘How much do you want?’

  ‘I don’t really know, don’t laugh but I still don’t really know what things cost. I want to buy the groceries for Grietje this week and for Maaike too, she’s been feeding me at lunchtime. I’d like to get them both presents and treat myself to some clothes and a dentist visit.’

  ‘You can certainly afford all of that and more. It’s in that envelope, don’t wait for me to hand it out, it’s yours, just take what you want. Take about three hundred, I guess that will be enough, but keep it safe and don’t forget I’m paying you tonight.’

  ‘I need to look at the watches too.’

  ‘Help yourself, they’re yours not mine.’

  He started to explain what he and Maaike thought had happened with David Meijer’s invoices and watch, but it was clearly too complicated for Jos. One by one he took out the three complete watches and examined them. He selected one and, taking the money, he ran up into the bar.

  Maaike was sitting on her stool. The place was virtually deserted, most of the drinkers wandering home for an evening meal cooked by their ever patient wives, no doubt.

  He stood in front of her and opened his hand, revealing the back of the watch and the initials DM. ‘You were right, you clever thing.’ He kissed her on the cheek, making her blush, and she pretended to push him away.

  Jos appeared behind them. ‘That’s quite enough of that, you two. Right, it’s wages time, thank you for another week’s hard work. More of the same please, it’s going to get busy soon, I hope.’

  He took the watch back down to the cellar, trying again to explain to Jos the story behind it. ‘So you see, the mechanism is mine but the gold case isn’t.’

  ‘It’s all yours, stop worrying, take it from me, your friend David would have wanted you to have it. All you have to do now is sell it to someone with the same initials.’ He laughed at his own joke and reached for a bottle of beer.

  Saturday 20th October 1945

  Grietje called through to Simon’s bedroom, ‘Give me all your washing, I’ll take it this morning and should be able to iron it tomorrow evening.’

  ‘Thank you, there’s no rush, I bought some shirts and two new pairs of trousers plus socks and underwear yesterday when I went into town.’

  ‘New ones? Not from the market? Quite the well-dressed man-about-town, aren’t we?

  A nice overcoat two days ago and now new shirts and trousers.’

  ‘I just wanted to look a bit smarter, that’s all, and you don’t have to keep taking my washing and doing the ironing so often if I have more clothes.’

  ‘Have you come into money then?’

  ‘Well, a little, there was some money in my father’s box.’

  ‘Really? You didn’t mention it. Not too smart to do the shopping at the market for me today, are you?’

  ‘Not at all, it’s your Saturday off, of course I’ll do it.’

  ‘You can drop the washing off too if you want, then I can really have a free day. Irene and I are going to my friend’s to have a bath later. Can you ask if Maaike has any washing on your way past? No doubt you’ll be calling to see her. She’ll want shopping too, I expect.’

  He came into the kitchen and she looked him up and down.

  ‘Oh yes, very smart indeed, and a tie too. It’s cold and damp out there so you’ll need that overcoat, I’ve sponged a few stains off it and brushed it for you. Breakfast is ready, and the shopping list and money are on the table. I’m going to get dressed and get Irene ready.’

  ‘I won’t need the money, I’ll be paying for the shopping in future. I don’t pay much rent, and you cook and clean for me, get my washing done and do the ironing.’

  ‘There’s no need for that, I can’t let you do it.’

  ‘In that case I’ll pay more rent, we’ll sit down and work it out. Jos pays me the same as Maaike now I’ve learned the job. You can’t keep subsidising me, no arguments.’

  She smiled and looked at him. ’Yes, sir, anything you say, sir. My, my, how the young boy has grown into a man. I’m proud of you, your parents would be too. What happened to the person I took in a month ago?’

  ‘It’s thanks to you, you know that, you saved me, fed me and housed me, helped me to start rebuild my life, I suppose you’d call it. Thank you.’

  ‘I think Maaike might have had a hand in it too, don’t you?’

  Maaike answered the door still in her dressing gown. ‘Good morning, come in. I’m not dressed yet, you’re an early bird.’

  She crutched ahead and turned to look at him. ‘You look very smart, is that outfit all new?’

  ‘I went into town yes
terday, they didn’t ask for clothing coupons. I didn’t want to wear them for work last night.’

  ‘Come here handsome, I want a kiss, it’s not often we’re alone.’ She moved towards him and as she swung between the crutches her dressing gown parted slightly and he saw the end of her amputated leg. ‘Oh no, I’m so sorry and embarrassed.’ She quickly covered herself and turned away from him, almost in tears.

  ‘Don’t be silly. It doesn’t matter, you are a beautiful woman. I’ve only ever known you with one leg, I had to see your…’

  ‘My stump.’

  ‘Yes, your stump, I had to see it sometime if we’re going to, well, you know, be a couple. It doesn’t matter to me. Now, I thought I was going to get a kiss.’

  She smiled weakly and went carefully up to him. Letting her crutches fall to the floor, she put her arms around his neck and they kissed. He could feel her soft breasts against him, and the stump of her leg pressing against his groin. He felt himself becoming aroused, so he ended the embrace.

  ‘I have to go to the market for groceries, but I am taking the washing for Grietje first, have you got anything you want me to take for you?’

  Her impish grin had returned. ‘The things you’ll do to get hold of my underwear.’ She laughed, but he was embarrassed and didn’t share in the joke.

  ‘I’ll do your shopping too if you have a list.’

  ‘If I get ready quickly, can we go together? I’d like to do my own shopping if you can carry it back for me.’

  ‘You’ll have to hurry, I have to be at work at eleven. And I’m paying, you can’t afford to keep feeding me.’

  She looked angry and hurt. ‘I’ll pay for my own food, I’m not a charity case, don’t insult me.’

  ‘But I have all that money, I don’t need it or know what to do with it. I want to share it with you. I didn’t mean to offend you, I’m sorry. I just want to help.’