A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  One afternoon, he and Afram arranged to meet at the shop to determine the sale and disposition of its contents. Ben purchased all of his favorite cigars for himself. They entered the back of the store and decided that the furniture was of little value and would best be simply disposed of. Ben approached the chest and lowered the lid. Seeing Shiloh carved on the top in Hebrew, he lifted the lid, and removed the empty tray on top. The carved chest held Franz’s cache—the diamonds cut and polished by the Annex that he had found over fifty years earlier.

  Ben was amazed. All this time he often wondered what his friend had done with the finished stones, the stones he never quite came to terms with finding, and never quite accepted the fact that they rightfully belonged to him.

  When one finds something, it is often because it has been hidden, but Ben discovered the diamonds in the carved chest that sat unlocked in full view for as long as he could remember.

  At first he wondered why his friend had never confided in him, and then he realized that perhaps if he had confided his plans to leave Cape Town, maybe, just maybe at that point, he would have told him where he kept them.

  The Chapel of the Great Synagogue overflowed to standing room only. Some were fellow congregants, some were customers, while others were friends of friends and never knew him personally. They had all come to pay homage to a long-standing member of their Cape Town community. He was laid to rest in the cemetery adjacent to the synagogue he had attended for years. The Rabbi said it best: Franz Schiller was a Mensch—a decent human being.

  Two weeks after Franz’s passing, Ben received another wire from Marcus.

  JACOB TO RETURN TO ENGLAND FRIDAY NEXT—STOP—HE IS SAFE AND WELL—STOP—WILL ADVISE FURTHER WHEN HE ARRIVES—STOP

  MARCUS HIRSCH

  DE BEERS, LONDON, ENGLAND

  The wire was the best news Ben could receive. Once again, he moved forward with his plans, but first he had to settle Franz’s affairs. The store stood emptied of its contents, as did the back living quarters. Everything had been sold or disposed of. Ben enlisted Afram’s help to move the chest of diamonds along with the table it rested upon to his cottage making no mention of its contents.

  In mid-June, Ben asked Jamilia and Afram to meet him at his cottage. The time had come for him to disclose the contents of Franz’s Will, and to advise them that he planned to leave Cape Town in the near future.

  Jamilia accepted but insisted on preparing dinner for the three of them.

  The evening began on a light note. The previous months had taken a toll on all of them—crisis after crisis, loss upon loss. With the War over in Europe, and Japan’s defeat imminent, it was time to look to the future.

  After dinner, they cleared the table. Jamilia placed a pot of coffee and cups before them. When they were once again seated, Ben produced a single sheet of paper.

  “I don’t think I have to tell you what Franz meant to me; he was my best friend, and I loved him like a brother. I valued his advice I sought along with the advice he so freely gave when I needed it most. He was the first person I spoke with when I arrived in Cape Town seeking directions to Zeller Jewelers. From that brief exchange of words grew a lifetime friendship.

  “First and foremost, he was a good man, an honest man who remained true to his beliefs. If you were lucky enough to fall under his good graces, it meant in his eyes, you were a good, honest, and decent human being.

  “Afram, I applaud Franz’s decision to further your education. He saw in you the potential to someday be a great man. He praised you Jamilia for raising your son alone and teaching him things that aren’t learned from books. You showed him life as it exists, not as a fairy tale, while urging him to nurture his hopes and dreams believing if you can dream, you can achieve. I intend to continue to work with you both to find a university to attend.

  “I have a paper before me which is the Last Will and Testament of one Franz Schiller. Jamilia and Afram, you are the sole heirs to his assets, all proceeds of which reside in one account in the First National Bank of South Africa. Proceeds from the shop will be deposited once it has been sold. We will make an appointment with the bank manager, and I will go with you to transfer the account to both of you.

  “The one stipulation in the Will that you attend a university and further your education rests with you alone. Afram, I have no doubt whatsoever that you will honor his wishes, and I reiterate I will do all I can to help you.”

  Jamilia and Afram sat quietly without speaking a word. They had accepted Franz’s offer to send Afram to school with profound thanks and humility. Now to be the recipients of his entire worldly goods was simply too much for them to comprehend. Neither spoke a word.

  “I can see that you had no idea whatsoever that Franz had named you as his heirs. In his defense, when he drew up the Will, I don’t think he had any idea that he would die so soon. I think he looked forward to seeing Afram graduate and begin his life’s journey. He saw firsthand the sacrifices you made when your husband was killed, leaving you with a small child to care for on your own. In some way, I think he wished there had been someone to help his mother when she was in need.”

  Jamilia was crying. “I’m at a total loss for words. Franz was good to us from the very beginning, often telling me to come to him first if we needed anything or he could do anything for us. Through the years, he became an important presence in our lives, someone who watched over us time after time, and Afram and I both looked up to him, blessing the day he came into our lives. We too grew to love him as our own.

  “For now, our lives will not change. I accept your help to find a school and get Afram enrolled. My place is big enough for me especially if Afram leaves Cape Town. If you would be so good as to make the appointment with the bank so we may accompany you to transfer the account, I would appreciate it.

  Jamilia stood; Ben motioned her to be seated.

  “There is one other matter we must discuss. I am about to tell you of the Franz Schiller you did not know.” Ben began in 1882, the year Franz arrived in Cape Town—from Simon Abel to The General Store to the farmhouse to finding the diamonds.

  “He felt as if he had stolen the diamonds, and never accepted the fact that they were indeed his. Having collected them over a period of twenty years, and finding them on property whose owners had passed on weighed heavily on his mind. For most of his life, the rough diamonds remained in a crate hidden in the cellar where Afram found him. He rarely even thought of his cache; it was never a part of his life, and with the exception of three small pebble-sized stones that he sold in the very beginning, his cache remained in tact.

  “After he opened The Smoker’s Shop, he summoned Sidney and me for advice. At that time he related the story I just related to you. He decided to get the rough stones cut, polished, and appraised to determine their worth. I have no idea why or how he came to that decision after years of denying their existence. The Annex took him on as a client, and it took several years to complete the job. I never learned what he did with the finished stones or where he kept them.

  “Franz was laid to rest, and we observed a week’s mourning. Days later, I met Afram at the shop to begin clearing out the contents. Noticing that the chest’s lid was open, I went over and closed it. It was then that I saw Shiloh carved in Hebrew on the top. Shiloh was the client name Franz set up with the Annex.”

  Ben stood. “Please come with me.” He walked over and stood before the chest, Jamilia and Afram on either side of him. He opened the lid and removed the top tray revealing the diamonds.

  If Jamilia and Afram were awestruck at learning the contents of the Will, nothing could adequately describe their demeanor with the sight they found before them.

  Ben replaced the tray and lowered the lid on the chest. Once they were again seated at the table, Ben cleared his throat. “This is my dilemma. Nowhere did Franz make mention or provisions for the diamonds. Since he left his assets to the tw
o of you, I feel they should be yours. There is no one else who could possibly lay claim to them.”

  Jamilia disagreed. “Perhaps he meant them to be yours. You were his true friend, his brother. He entrusted you with his lifelong secret and to cut, polish, and appraise them.”

  Afram who had not said one word the entire evening spoke. “I guess it’s obvious we are overwhelmed. I know I am. If my mother agrees, I think we need to proceed slowly; we need time to process all of this. Franz asked me to make the chest shortly after he opened The Smoker’s Shop. He handed me a piece of paper with markings unfamiliar to me asking if I could carve them on the top. I did not know they were Hebrew letters or that they spelled a name.

  “He gave me the dimensions for the chest, and requested five trays. In addition, he asked that carvings resembling facets on a diamond surround the base. I practiced on small pieces of wood until I got the carvings just right before finishing. Franz was so pleased with the chest that he insisted I take more for my work than we had agreed to. I didn’t want to accept any payment; he had done so much for my mother and me, I was happy to be able to do something for him.

  “I also made the table it rests on. I never knew why he wanted the chest, or what he planned to put in it, if anything. In the years since, I’ve seen the chest sitting in full view in his apartment. He didn’t ask me to provide a way for it to be locked. I thought perhaps he just wanted a larger container for cigars.”

  “I agree with my son; we are beyond overwhelmed. Two black Africans—a woman and a young man—with a cache of diamonds—what on earth would we do with them? What on earth could we do with them? They would be a larger liability to us than they were to Franz. His generosity in naming us his heirs goes far beyond our needs, and for now, I’m afraid that’s all we can handle.”

  Ben agreed. “You are right. For now, the diamonds shall remain here. When things settle down, and Afram is off to school, we will work together on what we can do with the chest and its contents.”

  In agreement, they bid one another goodnight.

  The meeting at the bank went smoothly. Franz’s assets were transferred to a Trust Account for Jamilia and Afram Botu. For two years, each would receive a generous monthly stipend to live on. In addition, expenses for Afram’s education would be paid directly from the account that had been set up prior to his death solely for that purpose. At the end of two years, the Trust provisions would be revoked and all remaining proceeds transferred to an account for Jamilia and Afram Botu.

  As they rose to leave, the manager handed Ben an envelope and a small box that was sealed. “Mr. Schiller left these for you.”

  To Jamilia and Afram he said, “If there is anything further I can assist you with, please feel free to call on me. I would like to set up a schedule with you Jamilia to visit the bank once a month allowing me to go over management of the account with you. I feel this will be helpful to you when the funds pass to you permanently. Of course, when the shop is sold, I will notify you.”

  Leaving the bank, Ben headed to the Annex; Jamilia and Afram headed home. Walking in the same general direction, they started off in silence.

  As they passed the open market with its array of fresh vegetables and fruits, and vendors offering freshly caught fish, Jamilia stopped. “Ben, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of Franz’s final wishes for Afram and me. I’m quite pleased and truly relieved that the bank will be handling our assets for the next two years. At the end of that time, I feel I will be much better prepared to take over the account, and manage Afram’s school needs.

  “Tonight, I’m going to prepare a celebration feast for the three of us—celebrating Franz Schiller—celebrating Ben Lyons our dearest friend—celebrating Afram heading off to university—celebrating life itself.”

  Ben smiled. It was a fine day, a new beginning. The bank’s arrangement for Jamilia and Afram was a good one—he felt a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Now he could finally come clean and relay his plans to leave Cape Town to join Jacob in London without guilt. Tonight would be the perfect time.

  “Jamilia, what a wonderful idea. Please, prepare what you wish, never has one of your meals disappointed, even when we were dining on Sidney’s restricted diet. Of course, we will have dinner at my cottage; I look forward to a pleasant evening with my two very best friends, friends that Franz introduced to my life. I’ll supply the wine and the cigars.”

  They parted laughing. Jamilia gathered vegetables and fruit and moved on to the stands selling fish. She was going to prepare a feast that she had watched her mother prepare many times, but had never attempted herself. She knew precisely where she kept her notes for the savory fish sauce. Moving on, she purchased two loaves of bread. At last, arms filled with their purchases they headed for home.

  Ben arrived at the cottage to the heavenly aroma of Jamilia’s feast that she had promised. The table was set; a small vase of flowers stood in the middle. Noticing that Jamilia and Afram had dressed for this special occasion, he excused himself. After freshening up and a change of clothes, he returned.

  When they were seated at the table, Jamilia handed Ben the wine; he poured three glasses. Raising his, he said, “To Franz Schiller—may he rest in peace. To us—L’Chaim (To Life)! Jamilia and Afram echoed his words and the evening began.

  A light Fish consommé with collard greens started their meal.

  As Ben and Afram sat in amazement, Jamilia brought in platter after platter and set before them a true South African Feast—Baked Fish with Lemon Tahini Sauce, Sukuma Wiki (Pan Seared Greens with onions, tomatoes, and garlic, and Pilau rice.

  Although his mother generally cooked native meals for the two of them, Afram had never seen her prepare any of the dishes she set before them, and he had certainly never tasted anything like them. Since there were no restaurants in predominantly white Cape Town offering authentic South African cuisine, Ben had not experienced the ethnic recipes that Jamilia deemed her Feast.

  Ben and Afram were both delighted. They savored every bite, and complimented her every dish. Though the amount of food seemed overwhelming when the platters were first placed on the table, not a morsel was left.

  For dessert, Jamilia had prepared a Spiced Ricotta Peach Tart and coffee. Ben could no longer contain himself. “You have outdone yourself my dear friend. I have never had a meal as fine as this. You could not have honored Franz better.”

  He pushed back his chair and stood. “Now, who wants a cigar? I have the finest cigars—from The Smoker’s Shop, of course.”

  When Jamilia and Afram left for home, Ben opened the small box that the bank manager had given him. The box contained a small cloth pouch. He loosened the top and spilled the contents onto the table before him—five large rough diamonds. He removed the folded note from the bottom of the box.

  Dear Ben,

  These five rough diamonds are for you. We spoke many times of our friendship and what it meant to each of us, and for that, I am glad we did. Too many times, we do not speak our minds before realizing it has grown too late to do so.

  Shiloh in Hebrew means—the one to whom it belongs; these now belong to you. Cut and polish them to their full potential just as you did our friendship.

  May God be with you and watch over you Ben Lyons. May your new life in London with Jacob bring you happiness and contentment—no one deserves that more than you.

  I love you my Brother.

  Franz

  Ben collected his thoughts. Try as he may, he could not recall ever telling Franz that he planned to join Jacob in London after the War. He had guarded that secret fervently not wanting his friend to feel that he was deserting him. He was certain that he had never revealed his plans to anyone. How could Franz have known?

  When Sidney passed away, Ben was in a terrible place. Vodka became his drink of choice, and on several occasions Franz saw that his friend got home and into bed
safely. On one such evening, Ben did indeed reveal his dream to once again be with the only family he had left.

  Days later, Franz placed the five largest rough diamonds that he had pulled from his cache in a pouch, penned his note, and placed them in a small box. He planned to give them to Ben as a parting gift—what could be more symbolic of his friend’s life in South Africa than diamonds?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Once again, Ben had not revealed his plans to leave Cape Town, but after opening the box and reading Franz’s note, he was glad he hadn’t. The evening he read the contents of Franz’s Will, followed by the revelation of his diamond cache resulted in more than enough for Jamilia and Afram to handle at that point. In addition, he was committed to seeing Afram enrolled in school. In reality, his plans were just that—his plans.

  The celebration dinner was what the three friends needed; a night free of worry and all that had befallen them—both good and bad—in recent months. First and foremost, Ben awaited word from Jacob that he was discharged and what his plans were for the immediate future. Then and only then, he would reveal his wish to relocate to England.

  By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was rendered incapable of conducting major operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent. Together with the United Kingdom, and China, the United States called for an immediate and unconditional surrender—the alternative being prompt and utter destruction.

  While publicly stating their intent to fight on to the bitter end, Japan’s leaders were privately making entreaties to the Soviet Union to mediate peace on terms more favorable to the Japanese. Meanwhile, the Soviets were preparing to attack Japanese forces in Manchuria and Korea to further their own cause.