A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  It was in that room that Bill had set up his short wave radio; surrendering instead a smaller radio at the onset of the occupation. This had been his one effort of resistance. He had kept the radio risking everything if caught, based solely on Lulu’s having gained the good graces of the German Commandant, which thus far had resulted in relatively few demands and restrictions upon them and their farm.

  His broadcasts over the four years of occupation allowed him to keep in contact with other operators along the southern coast of England. On rare occasions, he broadcasted the situation on Guernsey, but his main goal was to learn of news of the War. Being cut off from all communication, Islanders were forced to rely on German propaganda, having no way to learn the truth.

  On the day following Jake’s awakening, over dinner they discussed the War, the German occupation of the Islands, and family. Bill took it further. “At any time, if anyone from the occupying forces is approaching the farm, we are going to have to hide you. You have no papers, and we have no explanation for your presence here. The good news is there are a number of hiding places where you will be safe and undetectable.”

  Talk of the War had sparked some food for thought, but Jake did not reveal this. Instead, he relayed concern. “I owe you my life, and I don’t want to compromise your safety and freedom. I also intend to carry my weight and help any way I can around the farm; that is, if you will teach me about farming—something I am quite certain I know absolutely nothing about.”

  As Bill, Lulu, and Lila laughed at his professed statement, they realized how much they had taken a liking to this young man and were thankful he landed on the shores of their farm and not in enemy hands.

  They continued their discussion and decided that Bill would contact an operator in Portsmouth and relay the information on Jake’s dog tags in an attempt to learn his identity, as well as to advise that he was alive and safe on Guernsey.

  The signal plans (call signs, frequencies, and times of transmission) and procedures used by these clandestine operators during the War were for the most part of utmost simplicity, making one service easily distinguishable from another by their different characteristics. The random contact times and frequent changes in wavelength considered so essential were represented by uncomplicated regular patterns simple to reconstruct. They were given a reasonably good range of operating frequencies to help protect them from detection and arrest. Thus far, Bill had successfully sustained regular contact with several operators in the UK.

  After dinner, Bill retreated to the room atop the barn to transmit information on Jake’s dog tags and to relay that he was safe. In return, he learned of the D-Day invasion and the Allies’ success to begin the liberation of France.

  Now that he was awake and on the mend, Jake was given a guest bedroom. Bill’s clothing was a close enough fit to replace his uniform, which they buried in a box along with his dog tags in the yard beneath Lulu’s flowerbed.

  Jake spent a restless night dominated by thoughts of their conversation over dinner. Bits and pieces began to emerge, but the pieces didn’t fit. He dreamt of a family seated around a dinner table—there were three children—a boy and twin girls. Was it his family? Was it the Walsh family? He dreamt of an RAF pilot flying a plane, a plane in distress—was he the pilot? Was it his plane that was in distress? As he continued to drift in and out of sleep and dreams, he suddenly bolted upright in bed and uttered but one word, Lexi.

  After D-Day, and in fear of commando raids, the Germans adopted a more strict approach to controlling the Islanders. All the beaches were mined and put out-of-bounds to civilians.

  The Islands became a base for treating German soldiers injured in the battles in northern France after the Allies had broken out of their beachheads on D-Day. As more and more of France was freed from Nazi control, more and more Channel Islanders tried to get there to escape the occupation they had endured for four years.

  Because the Islands were not a part of the Normandy landings, they remained under German occupation, severed from the rest of Europe. As food and fuel supplies dried up, life became steadily worse with both the occupying forces and Islanders suffering from starvation.

  Farms on the Islands were stripped of their meager remaining resources, as the Germans confiscated all remaining cattle and crops from civilians. Having managed to virtually escape the hardships of the occupation, Bill, Lulu, and Lila considered their situation extremely fortunate. They, however, did not allow themselves to become passive and overconfident and continually planned ahead and kept their eye on what the future might bring.

  They stockpiled crops and butchered the two sheep they had raised as pets. The two remaining cows not previously confiscated by the Germans were solely to provide milk and dairy products and were never considered for meat consumption. Once again, the German Commandant paid a visit to the farm; he took one of the remaining two Guernsey cows and left the other for Lulu.

  It was the Commandant’s last visit to the Walsh Farm, and the only occasion there was a need to hide Jake. All went well.

  By August, the food situation was dire—the Islanders and German forces alike were on the point of starvation. In September, a ship sailed from France to Guernsey under a white flag. The Americans on board asked the Germans if they were aware of their hopeless position. The Germans refused to discuss terms and the ship sailed away. The cold winter of 1944 made life even more unbearable.

  Bill began broadcasting each and every night about the plight of the Islanders, and the desperate need for food and supplies before it was too late. They shared what little they had with the few nearby neighbors that remained.

  After months of protracted negotiations before the International Committee of the Red Cross, the SS Vega was permitted to bring relief to the starving Islanders in December 1944, carrying Red Cross parcels, salt and soap, as well as medical and surgical supplies. The SS Vega made five additional trips to the Islands.

  The Walsh Farm remained safe and secure. Jake’s memory returned over time during the long winter months triggered by information Bill received about his identity and military status. Although they spoke of family and London and the War and how it had affected them, Jake kept his thoughts of Lexi to himself.

  His sleep was troubled, and he often woke in a cold sweat. Jake recalled over and over again the three days he and Lexi spent together in London; he lived for the day they would be reunited. He had made her a promise that he would return, and he intended to keep that promise.

  They celebrated his 21st Birthday with as good a meal as possible under the circumstances prepared by Lulu and Lila. Jake regaled them with stories of past celebrations and gifts; he thanked them for the best gift of all—having saved his life and hidden him from the Germans.

  Bill spent more and more time broadcasting the dire situation on the Island. In return, news about the War was exhilarating as the Allies basked in victory after victory. Winter passed and spring arrived.

  On 12 April 1945, Bill learns on his evening broadcast that Franklin D. Roosevelt has died of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Harry S. Truman has been sworn in as the thirty-third President of the United States of America in charge of a country still fighting WWII; and unbeknown to the world in possession of a weapon of unprecedented and terrifying power.

  Less than a month later on 9 May 1945, the German Commandant, who had taken such a liking to Lulu Walsh, surrendered and the first British Troops landed in St. Peter Port from HMS Bulldog. The occupation of the Channel Islands, the only British soil occupied by German troops during WWII, was at long last over.

  Jake bid farewell to the Walsh Farm—to Bill, Lulu, and Lila. It was a bittersweet farewell, and he promised to return to Guernsey.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  When the HMS Bulldog docked at Portsmouth, Marcus and Elena were there to welcome Jake home. Although they knew he was not free to leave with them, they wanted to see for themselves that he
was truly okay. They wanted to be there for him as the only family that he had. As they watched him walk down the gangplank of the ship, they saw that except for appearing thinner, he was a welcome sight.

  They called to him waving frantically. “Jake, Jake, over here.”

  As he waved back and approached them, he was visibly crying. By the time he reached them, they too were crying—tears of love, joy, and relief. The three of them stood hugging one another; it had been a long time. He was home, and he was safe. The War in Europe was finally over.

  Painfully noticeable was Lexi’s absence. Not knowing what else to say, Marcus assured him that she was fine; that she was in Jerusalem with her father.

  They only had a precious few minutes together before Jake was whisked away.

  The last time Marcus had spoken with Lexi was in late March 1944. On that call, she told him that she was due to graduate in April; her brother Mark was getting married in May; and her father was returning to Jerusalem in June, urging her to go with him. It wasn’t until months later that Marcus received word that Jake was missing.

  He rang up the number at the house; there was no answer. He even went to the house on several occasions, but no one answered the door. He contacted her school hoping they had a forwarding address; they did not.

  After continuing to use any and all resources he could muster, he learned that Jake was in safe hands and unhurt on Guernsey Island. He was given this information in strictest confidence indicating it was not to be shared, but he would have shared it with Lexi if he had been able to get in touch with her.

  When the War ended in Europe and the Channel Islands were liberated, Marcus received word that Jake would be coming home by week’s end on the HMS Bulldog docking in Portsmouth. He rang up Elena immediately.

  “Jake is coming home. I want to meet him when his ship arrives in Portsmouth. I know he will not be free to come home, but I want to see him; I want to hug him; I want to know that he’s okay.”

  Elena shared his elation. “Oh Marcus, that is such wonderful news. Of course, we will be there; don’t even think about going without me.”

  On his way home, he went by the Portman house to give it one more try. He walked up and lifted the knocker. The door opened, and there stood a pretty young woman about Jake’s age.

  “Good afternoon. I hope I am not disturbing you. My name is Marcus Hirsch, and I would like to inquire about someone who used to live here.”

  Since he was an older gentleman, she assumed he was inquiring about her father-in-law; Lexi never entered her mind. “Hello, I’m Rosalie Portman. I’m married to Dr. Portman’s eldest son Mark. Won’t you please come in?”

  She showed him into the sitting room—the very same sitting room where he and Elise had sat discussing Jake’s plight. He noticed that very little had changed, but this was not unusual due to shortages of everything during five long years of war.

  “If you have time, I’ll make some tea and hopefully, I can answer your questions. Things always seem to work out better over tea, don’t you agree?”

  Marcus smiled. “That will be fine.”

  As he waited for her to return, he walked about the room looking at the many photographs that were recent. There were wedding photographs of Rosalie and Mark, a family photograph at the wedding with Lexi, her father, younger brother Sam, and the bride and groom. And then suddenly, there it was, a photograph of Lexi holding a beautiful newborn baby girl—with the same red hair as her mother’s.

  Rosalie returned and placed the tea on the table. Pouring them each a cup, she said, “So what do you wish to ask me about my father-in-law?”

  At first Marcus was speechless. Why would she assume he was inquiring about her father-in-law? After seeing the photo of Lexi, he decided it best to take the opening she had given him and do just that—inquire about Manny Portman. “I heard he was leaving for Palestine well over a year ago. Is he still there?”

  “Yes, indeed he is. He has permanently relocated to Jerusalem. My husband and I were married shortly before he left, and at that time, he had not decided to make the move permanent. At that point, Mark and I felt this house would be perfect for us. Although he offered us the house when we were married, we stayed with my parents for a while. Mark is a physician now and currently at Cambridge, and it has proven a good choice.

  “When my father-in-law lost Elise, he was depressed for months, and we were all worried about him. With Mark and Sam in medical school, and Lexi in nursing school, he was alone most of the time, and it was starting to take a toll on him. He lost his usual lust for life and seemed to grow old before his time.

  “He originally accepted the offer to join a group of medical personnel traveling to Palestine to take part in assessing a research program at the Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus. It brought him back to life and gave him the boost that he needed,

  “His decision to move there permanently was somewhat of a surprise to all of us. My sister-in-law Lexi, fresh out of nursing school, went with him and opted to remain there too. She is currently deeply involved in the Hadassah Hospital School of Nursing, and is contemplating going to medical school.

  “She has built a nice life for herself there.” Standing and walking over to the mantel, she picked up the photo of Lexi. Handing it to Marcus she said, “We recently received this photo of Lexi and her newborn daughter Zoe.

  “Did you know Elise or Lexi? How do you know my father-in-law?”

  “I did have the pleasure of meeting Elise a long time ago. I also had the pleasure of meeting Lexi a couple of years ago. I never met your father-in-law; I was inquiring about him for a friend.”

  “If you like, I am more than happy to give you contact information for him.”

  “I would appreciate that.” In the back of his mind, he had already noted the information that Lexi could be reached at Hadassah Hospital School of Nursing. He would keep her father’s information if the need arose to contact him.

  He rose to leave. “Thank you Rosalie for the tea; I enjoyed our little chat. Good Luck to you and Mark, and I wish you much happiness and the best of everything. Now that the War In Europe is over, we Brits have a lot of cleaning up to do to get back to normal.”

  The earlier elation that Marcus felt learning that Jake was coming home was gone. He drove home devastated at Jake’s latest loss and disappointed in himself that he had not kept in touch with Lexi. The photo of her and her newborn daughter Zoe did not add up. It was simply not possible she could be Jake’s. It had been a year and a half since they had seen one another.

  There was no way for Marcus to know that the photo had been taken almost a year earlier, and that the ring so visible on her left ring finger was the one that Jake had given her.

  When he arrived home, instead of an upbeat happy man, Elena greeted a depressed sad man who once again had to deliver bad news to a young man who had already endured more than his share of loss and disappointment in his short life. Marcus had grown to love Jake as a son knowing their relationship was one that many fathers and sons never realize.

  He was determined that nothing would mar Jake’s long-awaited homecoming. He didn’t know exactly how or when for that matter, he would tell him, but he would find a way, he had to find a way to soften the blow that he knew it would be.

  Jake spent a week in the hospital, where test after test proved he was in good health and good shape. He attributed all the credit to the Walsh family who took care of him, and their uncanny good fortune to stay in the good graces of the German Commandant, allowing them to avoid the starvation and deprivation endured by the majority of Islanders.

  Jake reported back to Coltishall to a resounding welcome. Jitterbug Jake was home—they knew it; they never lost faith. The first item on his list was to take to the air—he yearned to feel the euphoria of flying a Spit once again. It had been over a year since he had last flown; the night he and his plane had g
one down in the Channel.

  On a beautiful sunny afternoon, he was told a Spitfire awaited him. He was not the least bit nervous. This was not at all like the first time, but he quickly recalled he hadn’t been nervous then either.

  He taxied the plane to the holding point on the runway; he did his run up and instruments check. On getting the green light, he released the brakes and glided the stick back gradually, opening the throttle to takeoff power. A few seconds later, he felt the plane fly itself off.

  Sitting in the snug cockpit with that beautiful wing in his field of vision, Jake was home. With speed building up, he retracted the undercarriage, closed the canopy and climbed to a safe height over the base. After flying for over an hour, he reluctantly headed back. He flew every chance he got over the next few days. For Jake, flying was his elixir.

  In June, he was granted a ten-day leave, and he caught the train to London.

  This time, instead of simply showing up at De Beers, he rang up Marcus and told him his plans prior to leaving the base. He turned down his gracious invitation to stay with him and Elena, and opted to check in to the Savoy. He had a lot on his mind—first and foremost was getting in touch with Lexi.

  To Marcus, the time had come. He had thought of little else since Jake’s return than how he would deliver the news that Lexi was married, had a daughter, and no longer lived in England. He discussed it at great length with Elena. Neither could contemplate what this would do to Jake; he had been through so much and managed to rise above it all. Could he possibly do that once again?

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Jake arrived at Charing Cross Railway Station and decided to walk to the hotel. It was a clear day, a little on the warm side, but it felt good to be back in London. The destruction left by the German air raids was a reminder that although the War in Europe was over, it would be a long time before everything was rebuilt and looked as it once had.