A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  “Did your father send you to find me? Did he give you the letter?”

  Rudy laughed. “No, my father didn’t send me, and he definitely didn’t give me the letter. When I learned I was coming to Africa, I took it and came to find you on my own.

  “With the War still raging, Germany is not the best place to be these days. I’ve been fighting for our Fuhrer in North Africa, and when we were ordered back to Italy, I deserted. So you see, I can’t go back to Hamburg; nothing awaits me there but prison or death.

  “I’m here to accept the invitation you extended to my grandmother. The way I see it, you can teach me all about your business, and when you pass on, it will become mine. After all, I’m family.”

  Franz stood quietly mulling over in his mind all his brash nephew had said. He didn’t like him, that much he knew. Rudy had shown him no respect, and he felt Franz was obligated to give him an inheritance his own father obviously was not providing.

  “I don’t know what you expected to find here. You know nothing about me; nothing about the life I’ve led, the hardships I’ve faced. And I faced them alone, without family. I wrote the letter to my mutti to help her; to give her a better life than my drunk of a father gave her. The only thing he ever gave her was child after child, year after year, to care for and parent alone until he killed her.

  “Your father, my brother, was an infant when I left Hamburg. I never really knew him, and he never knew me, which is why he probably never tried to locate me. My urging my mutti to come to Cape Town for a better life has nothing to do with you. I sent that letter to her long before you were born.

  “I don’t even know if you are really my nephew; I only have your word. I owe you nothing; there is nothing here for you. Look around. Does it appear that I am living an opulent life? I live in the back of my store where I have always lived except for a short stay at a boarding house when I first came here.

  “’I’ve worked long and hard my whole life even as a young child before I left Germany. I suggest you make your own way in life; if and when you do, you’ll grow to appreciate it.

  “You do know that you had a Jewish grandmother, do you not? How on earth did you ever end up a German soldier fighting for the Nazis? What did your father have to say to that?

  “Now, please leave. We have nothing further to discuss.”

  Rudy Schiller was furious. His face turned beet red, as he cursed and left the store, slamming the door behind him.

  After he left, Franz was so visibly shaken, he closed the store and made his way up the street to the Annex. He had no one else to turn to but Ben.

  Trailing a good distance behind him, Rudy followed Franz and saw him knock on the door of the Annex that was opened by a man who appeared to know him. He entered and the door closed behind him. He wasn’t exactly sure what type of business the building housed. There were no windows—just skylights on the roof. It was obviously under lock and key, since Franz had knocked on the door to gain entrance. The sign above the door that read The Annex revealed nothing.

  He patiently waited for over an hour. At last, the door opened. Franz and the same man who had opened the door walked up the hill to The Smoker’s Shop where he entered his store as the man continued walking toward the center of town.

  Franz went in the back to freshen up before heading out to meet Ben for dinner. Rudy seized the opportunity to sneak into the store and hide behind the side counter. A while later when Franz left to meet Ben, Rudy had the store to himself.

  He entered the back living quarters—two rooms and a water closet. In the larger open room, a sitting area consisting of a sofa, two chairs and side tables atop a large colorful rug. Behind the sofa, against the wall, stood a table that held an ornately carved chest. A dining table sat in the corner kitchen area. The smaller room was a bedroom with a bed, chest, and closet.

  His uncle had been truthful. If he had means, he surely wouldn’t be living behind the store with such meager furnishings. The chest on the table seemed out of place; it was by far the nicest piece in the room. He browsed through the store, again finding nothing that seemed of any value. He didn’t smoke, and had no interest in the cigars. He noticed that several boxes on the shelves were smaller versions of the larger chest behind the sofa. Opening one, he found it empty.

  In his mind, Rudy formed a new plan. Perhaps he had overplayed his hand. He would humble himself and apologize for what he said earlier, and implore his uncle to lend him enough money to book passage to a destination far from Germany and the War. Added to the money he had earned at the dock, he could leave Cape Town behind him and set sail for a new beginning. He would promise to repay him as soon as he could. If he didn’t, there would be nothing Franz could do about it.

  He crouched behind the counter waiting for Franz to return.

  When Franz arrived at the Annex earlier, Ben could see that he was visibly upset. Actually, he had never been to the Annex before. It was not open to the public, and only a handful of people had ever been allowed inside. The building was highly secured—the walls were concrete, no windows, and large safes held the varying quantities of diamonds and gemstones on hand at any time. The door equipped with a peephole was never opened to persons unknown.

  Franz was speaking so fast and making no sense whatsoever. Ben heard the word nephew and for a brief moment thought of Jacob. As Franz calmed down and related the story of Rudy Schiller’s visit, Ben put his arm around his friend.

  “Franz my dear friend, why are you so upset. I think you handled him beautifully. He spoke his mind and came across as brash and disrespectful. You, in turn, spoke your mind and sent him packing. So what’s the problem?

  “I think you are more disappointed than upset. You have wondered for years what happened to your brother and sisters, now you know. They were separated and sent off to orphanages. Obviously, your nephew has not had a very good start in life, but that blame belongs to the brother you never knew.

  “The disappointment is your nephew. What a foolish naïve young man. If he had merely sought you out to get to know you and ask your advice, you would have opened your arms and welcomed him. By demanding what he thought was due him, he alienated you instead. Am I not correct in my assessment?”

  How wise his friend Ben Lyons was. Always there for him; always knew what to say and when to say it, while fighting demons of his own as he faced tragedy after tragedy.

  They left the Annex together; Franz went to the shop and Ben went home.

  They planned to meet for dinner.

  After dinner, at Franz’ request, they went to Ben’s cottage. On a sheet of paper Franz wrote an informal Will. He knew he wouldn’t live forever, and the altercation with his nephew made him realize that he should leave his life’s earnings to a person or persons of his choosing. He had no idea what would happen to his assets if there was no one who could claim them.

  I, Franz Schiller, being of sound mind and body declare this paper as my Last Will and Testament.

  The Smoker’s Shop and all its contents are to be sold, as well as the furniture in my living quarters. All proceeds are to be deposited in my bank account held at the First National Bank of South Africa.

  I leave the entire sum of said account to Jamilia and Afram Botu—the sole condition being that Afram attend a University, and get an accredited education ultimately earning a degree.

  Signed, sealed, witnessed, and dated the 22nd day of the month of February in the year nineteen hundred forty-five.

  It was signed by Franz and witnessed by Ben.

  “I have given great thought to paying for Afram’s education for some time. He is a fine young man and quite intelligent. Jamilia has taught him far more than his attendance at the limited number of missionary schools that are available could have. I think the time has come for him to attend a university of higher education where he can become a leader for his people.

  “Altho
ugh I have penned my intentions in this Will, I will speak to both of them within a week and see what we can set up. I will also go to the bank tomorrow and get a draft for Rudy. I can certainly help him on a smaller scale.”

  Ben smiled. “I knew you would soften a bit where your nephew is concerned. Do you know where he is staying?”

  “No, I don’t, but I can ask around the dock. If he’s planning to leave town, that’s where he will be.”

  “Franz, I’ve been meaning to ask you if you have any small crates around the shop. I’d like to pack up Sidney’s tools and a few of his things and ship them to Jacob when he gets home.”

  “I have several in the cellar, just tell me what size you’re looking for.”

  Franz penned a duplicate copy of the Will. He left one with Ben, folded and placed the other in his pocket. He would go to the bank first thing tomorrow morning.

  “Good night Ben. Thank you for hearing me out. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.

  No mention whatsoever was made of the diamonds. Ben had no idea where he kept them.

  Franz left Ben’s cottage and walked home. He let himself into the shop and went immediately to the back. He rolled back the rug, lifted the door, and as his foot hit the first step, Rudy appeared before him.

  A look of sheer fright crossed his face as he fell backwards down the stairs, his head hitting the cold cellar floor with a thud. Rudy quickly lowered himself to the cellar, and ignoring Franz’s cry for help began rummaging around only to find the space empty except for the three crates that had once held the rough diamonds.

  Filled with rage yet again, he ascended the stairs, and ransacked the store leaving Afram’s boxes, broken ashtrays, and strewn cigars in his wake. Finding the cash drawer, he took what little money there was and threw the drawer to the ground.

  Fleeing the store, he tore up the street to his room at the YMCA. He would leave early and return to the dock. He would find a way to sneak aboard the freighter and hide out until it left port.’’

  Afram found Franz the next morning. He was unconscious, but alive; the cold floor having saved his life. The Police and the ambulance arrived almost simultaneously, questioning Afram at length.

  When Ben arrived, Afram was free to go, but he chose to stay. He never knew that there was a cellar beneath the living quarters. He began picking up the boxes, discarding the broken ashtrays, and in no time the shop was back in order. In the living quarters, he closed the door to the cellar, and replaced the rug.

  The Police viewed it as a robbery, and with the cash missing, in essence it was. Ben told the Police about Rudy Schiller and the confrontation they had the day before. He suggested they check at the dock to see if they could locate him. Ben had no description—a young man in his early twenties was all he knew.

  As Ben made his way to Groote Schuur Hospital, a thought occurred to him. After the ambulance left with Franz, he went down to the cellar, finding only the three empty crates that once held the sorted rough diamonds. He surmised that Franz must have gone to retrieve the crate he had asked him for when he was confronted.

  Where were the diamonds? Could Rudy Schiller have stolen them?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Franz was a tough old bird. He regained consciousness almost immediately. He confirmed to the Police and to Ben that Rudy Schiller had been the culprit, waiting in the store for his return. They correctly assumed that he had snuck into the shop while Franz was getting ready to meet Ben for dinner, and that he had confronted him when he had gone down to the cellar for the crate.

  Ben found him sitting up in bed with a big bandage wrapped around his head. “I would have given him a bit more than what he managed to grab out of the cash drawer.” He joked. “What I don’t understand is why he came back. He must really think I’m hiding something big.” He winked at Ben.

  The young intern came in to check on Franz and extended his hand. “Christiaan Barnard here Mr. Schiller, how are you feeling?”

  “I feel pretty good, but then they tell me I had a good night’s sleep.”

  “That’s what we like to hear, a positive attitude. We’re going to keep you for a few days to thoroughly check you out and monitor your concussion. We’ll probably send you home with the head bandage, but you’ll have to return to have the stitches removed. You have a pretty wide cut on the back of your head.”

  “Thank you for taking such good care of me. Christiaan Barnard this is my dear, dear friend Ben Lyons.”

  Christiaan Barnard completed his internship and residency at Groot Schuur Hospital where in 1967 he became an international superstar virtually overnight when he performed the first successful human to human heart transplant.

  After what happened, Franz was more determined than ever to get his Will and affairs in order and talk to Afram about attending a university.

  Jamilia and Afram offered to run the store while Franz recuperated, but he refused and the sign Closed Until Further Notice remained on the door.

  The Police searched the dock area for days, but Rudy Schiller was nowhere to be found. He had successfully hidden in the hold of the freighter and wasn’t discovered until they were well out to sea.

  When he was released from Groote Schuur, Ben insisted Franz stay with him until he was well enough to return to the store. Jamilia offered to care for him during the day while Ben was at work, citing Afram would stay with him when she had a class to teach. His first day at the cottage, he told them he intended to help with Afram’s education both financially and finding a school for him to attend.

  They were so moved by his offer, they thanked him in unison. Afram’s education had long been a priority for Jamilia, and she viewed the opportunity for her son to further his education a true blessing. The arrangement proved a good one allowing Franz and Afram to discuss schools while Jamilia continued teaching the children.

  He did not mention the Will and what would occur when he passed on; or that everything had been taken care of at the bank. He was planning to stick around for a while.

  For the three weeks that Franz stayed with Ben, the four of them had dinner together each evening. Afterwards, Jamilia and Afram went home only to return in the morning after stopping by the market to pick up supplies for dinner. They spent their days researching the closest and most accredited university accepting black students.

  When he returned to the hospital to have the stitches removed, he was in a good mood. The doctors were pleased with his progress, but urged him to take it easy and not rush back to the shop. After Jamilia and Afram left each evening, Franz would bring Ben up-to-date about the schools they were researching.

  “You know Ben, although my nephew’s coming here wasn’t exactly a happy occasion for me, it did spur me on to do some good with my life’s savings while I’m still here to see it. I do have regrets that I let life pass me by. I should have found someone to share my life, have a family, and dream with. My mutti always said dreams were an important part of the future; it took me a long time to realize that.

  “You and only you have been there for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

  Ben grew quiet, fighting back tears. Franz was to him exactly what he was to Franz.

  “I agree wholeheartedly. In Russia, marriages were arranged. After Harry left for England, all Sidney and I dreamt of was leaving and starting a new life, just as he had. Although in good conscience, we could not and would not leave our elderly and ailing parents. By the time they passed on, we had turned down offers from the matchmaker in our shtetl (town) so many times she eventually stopped asking. We felt it would be easier to leave and strike out on our own without the responsibilities of a wife and possibly children.

  “Like you, a wife and family have passed me by. Losing Harry, his family, and Sidney have left me all alone except for my nephew Jacob. After the War, I plan to get to know him; he’s the only family I have left.”


  Ben purposely stopped short of telling him his plans to leave Cape Town and join Jacob in London. Once again, he just couldn’t tell him he was leaving.

  Early May, Franz left Ben’s cottage and returned to the shop. He felt good, but had been experiencing headaches of late. Dismissing them as temporary, he mentioned them to no one—not his doctors, not to Ben.

  He reopened The Smoker’s Shop to a rousing welcome from his customers and fellow merchants. At Shabbat Services on Friday night, he received a warm welcome back.

  The first few days home were fine. If he grew tired, he closed the shop early. One evening, he fell asleep while sitting on the sofa. He awoke in a cold sweat calling out, “Who’s there? Is someone there?”

  From that day on, he began having dreams of his nephew appearing in the shop. At other times, he envisioned him standing over him with a fist full of diamonds as he lay in his bed. Having recently resumed enjoying dinner out with Ben, he was on his way back home one evening when he spotted Rudy heading up the street ahead of him. His thoughts void of all logic caused him to hasten his pace towards home. Entering the shop and locking the door behind him, he went directly to the back. He rushed to open the chest and found the tray on top empty.

  It was as he thought—Rudy Schiller had found and stolen the diamonds.

  The pain that spread across his chest was excruciating. As he gasped for breath, there was no one there to hear him or help him. They found him dead on the floor of a massive heart attack—a look of horror on his face.

  There were no explanations for his death. His doctors were in agreement that medically he had fully recuperated and was in all probability more fit than he had been before the incident with his nephew. Having never experienced heart problems, the massive heart attack that killed him coupled with the distortion of his facial features remained puzzling to his doctors and friends alike.

  Ben Lyons dealt with his latest loss in robotic mode. He made all the arrangements for his friend’s burial in the cemetery adjacent to the synagogue. He worked with the bank’s representative to offer the shop for sale and moved towards finalizing Franz’s final wishes.