I was forced to go on vacation to my parents and to get back my papers that were lost. I also had to buy underwear and other clothes. The compensation money was not enough even for half of the new things to be bought. All other things like radio, tape-recorder, typewriter, and camera equipment were not covered in a seaman’s compensation. There was no money for this, except if I had insured my property privately. Of course I had not done that – who would expect a shipwreck?
Hell and my weaker self (pig-dog)
The struggle with my inner pig-dog started. It told me that I should go back to the sea and find a ship. My parents advised me that I should remain on land and take up a job in a hotel. But the small imp won and so I became a slave to the sea once again. The "Hansa" convinced me to sign a two-year contract with them. I did it and was sitting in the plane to Bombay. The offer was too lucrative, to say no to it: I was to be the sole chef on the "Arsterturm" with many paid overtime hours and even more special allowances.
The new subsidiary shipping company of the "Hansa" was called "Kalbas Line". The routes were between Calcutta and Basra, hence the name "Kalbas". The brief untroductory talks in Bremen revealed to me also that I would have lay time again in Colombo and I liked that. The ship was a training ship for prospective officers and machine operators. There would be also twenty-two Indians and twenty-two Pakistanis, the so-called "Laskars" on board. They in turn would be trained as machine operators and deck hands to work later as cheap personnel on the big "Hansa" ships. I do not know whether there were no German sailors or if they were too expensive. Why else the Asians? I was picked up in Bombay at the airport by the shipping agent, whom I already knew and was brought to my future workplace and home. The "Arsterturm" was a small vessel of about four thousand gross register tons. It was a steam ship and the last of the "Hansa" ships and I also think the last of the German merchant fleet. It was explained to me that the future marine engineers completed their apprenticeship here in learning about steam turbines. I was told that in the future there would be only turbine ships. This meant that they had to have "experience in a steamship". The trainee officers would complete their travel time here and then go to school once again for finishing their examinations to become officers. As officers, they could then get their ship master's certificates.
Only now I realized what I had got myself into: Steam ship - which meant not having any comfort in any way, from whichever point of view. No air conditioning in the kitchen and a stove with oil burner. This was a diesel or heavy fuel oil injection, a "Saacke Burner”. It became damned hot in the small galley because of this. No electrical stove. Thank God there was a food processor available, with which I could make bread dough without my sweat dripping into the dough. I knew that there was still a lot sweat that would trickle away before I was in Germany again. I knew the Persian Gulf of course - why did I get into to such an adventure again? Was the longing for Colombo so great - or perhaps for the dancer? At that moment I could not answer these questions. I would certainly know later.
The Pakistanis were responsible for the deck and the Indians for the machine.
Once a week they received their dry ration of rice, dal, tea, sugar, lime juice, sweetened condensed milk, Atta, their chapathi flour and such provisions. There was fresh flesh and vegetables every other day, as long as they were still available. As we all know, pork was taboo for Pakistanis who are Muslims. Beef is not permitted for the Hindus. They all could scarf down chicken and this was served very often, till one day.
The Indians had their own cook just as the Pakistanis. The accommodation and also cooking area were on the quarter-deck; you couldn't say anything to that.
But despite the primitive facilities, the currys that they cooked were world class! I could never understand which of the two had cooked curry so well - both were great. As frugal as the Lascars were, I did not have to peel potatoes or for that matter, clean vegetables, fish or shrimps since they would do it for me for a small tip or "baksheesh" as they called it. They did this work for me.
The cooperation between Asia and Europe as well as the relationships between human beings was excellent.
Since I had to go shopping in Kuwait, it was the highlight of my trip. I drove with the ship dealer into the city and bought everything I needed in a huge American-style supermarket. My food costs were higher than the normal "Hansa" standard of 4.80 DM anyway. The interesting thing was not the shopping. It was the moment when the ship dealer delivered the goods. Suddenly the weights and quantities were different to that on the invoice. At first I got upset by this - and yet when I looked into the envelope, which the ship handler gave me, I was very satisfied with the green dollar bills. And this happened in every trip. So it was, if you were the buyer.
The Captain had to countersign the invoices but he never checked it. I believe that he could think that I got some baksheesh. He also never asked where the whiskey came from, which often was left in his room, without him having bought it. Very early I had learned that you can live only if you let others live Since I too made sales of cigarettes and alcohol on board, it was very easy for me to do barter transactions, to exchange goods against other goods such as brown bread or whole meal bread in other German ships - so I could write down some hours of baking for extra charges.
Since it was already such a devilish route and not a very comfortable ship, then the deprivation had to be compensated somehow. Everyone knew that it was a pig of a job that I had and all were happy with my work.
If you had a little bit of talent for organizing, life was bearable. The poor devils in the machine room had a crappier job. At least I could go and get some fresh air now and then, even if it was scorching hot. But in the machine - it was only hell.
One day a report came from Bremen saying that I was the most expensive cook in the shipping company. I wrote back that they could send another cook by all means. No one came and so I could continue to shop more expensively than other cooks. Who would go voluntarily to hell? In fact shopping in Kuwait was very expensive even without the little cheating, but indispensable. It was the only place on the route, where there were any European goods at all. Older seafarers joked around like this: If a person had made more than four trips to the Gulf without going off the wall, he was free of accusations of no less than murder.
Should I hold out with my two years - how many Gulf trips did have already behind me? And how many times had I been acquitted of murder? It was most likely that I would die before that! I bought a huge quantity of terry cloth bed sheets in India, which I could change several times a day. It was dry again in a flash. Three to four times a day I stood under the shower with my clothes on and went out wet as I was - back into my hell. After a quarter-hour everything was dry till the sweat started coming through again.
Gradually, but only very slowly, I could get used to the blazing heat; a human being can withstand a lot. Since the Laskars did much of my work, I could relax in my cabin and have the fan to blow on my belly.
I believed that I had invented the pixies, until one day my weaker self pig-dog reported and gave the devil free rein. It was Ramadan, the fasting time of the Muslims, and all of my Pakistanis fasted. Time came to standstill; daytime became the martyrdom of the Pakistanis. Even in this heat they did not eat, drink or smoke even though it had been allowed according to the Koran. In the night it was palavered, smoked like a poorly installed diesel engine; their bellies were filled and during the day they were useless. But for their faith they would do almost everything, they might have even killed me.
It was the last day of Ramadan and the Pakistani cook wanted to have some extras for his crew to celebrate the breaking of the fast. But extras were not included in the contract, so I did not give anything. But on the orders of the Captain, I had to hand out an extra ration of mutton to the Pakistanis. The Indians came to know of it and wanted the same. Of course they did not get anything and they threatened to go on a strike. Somehow the Pakistanis and the Indians came into a state of war and beat e
ach other up.
I was just able to prevent an Indian from bringing a cleaver over the Pakistani cook's skull. The distribution of the provision developed into a battleground and the situation threatened to escalate. I bawled out with all my might that it was enough or there would not be anything for anyone. The situation calmed down and I continued to distribute the provisions.
But then my little swine-dog was back again. He sat on my left shoulder - he just looked on as I was almost killed on that particular day.
There should be an extra portion of meat but only for the feast of the Pakistanis - an extra portion of meat.
There was also a bonus - out of sympathy - for the Indians, equal rights for all.
Only my wicked goblin was so possessed by the devil that I was too weak not to listen to him. I followed him and gave the Pakistanis a beautiful pig head, which was actually meant for the German crew.
Delighted by this magnificent idea, I also added a few pig's feet to it.
To celebrate the day, I also gave my Indian friends a beautiful cow's haunch - and as an added bonus a cow's tail, which again was meant to be used for the oxtail soup for my crew.
Everyone should be happy today. Happiness came!
It came over me with such a force from the Pakistanis and the Indians together that I could only escape by running into my cabin.
I had played this game deliberately because their quarreling had made me so angry.
I had never though it was possible how quickly the hostile parties could become reconciled. I should patent my diplomatic chess move and sell it to the United Nations.
Peace on earth, just by swapping food!
And the war was now against the person who had caused such a disaster and who had started the war, as I was in this small setting and who had to be tracked down now.
Only by the Captain’s persuasion, I was able to save my life. If forty-four men were standing in front of your door wanting to kill you, you would be scared stiff.
During the whole of the remaining period on the "Arsterturm", I was very careful on board, even when I went on land and was a helluva lot careful that none of my Laskar-crew followed me.
What would happen if someone would blow up the Kaaba in Saudi or any Hindu temple?
I have never seen such fanatical people in my life - I swear, they would have killed me.
But because they were somehow dependent on me, they put their hatred aside and I supplied a ration of neutral chicken as a kind of reparation out of my own private money now and then for the daily ration.
The pixies stopped working for me and I had to peel the potatoes myself. But already after the second round trip, everything was fine again and I was vindicated.
It was back to the same routine and they explained to me a lot about the religion of the Muslims on request or alternately also about the religion or beliefs of the Hindus.
I have come to know that a community cannot operate without faith or a religion (even as in the case of communism). It became clear to me that without faith, no matter in what or in whom, a State's structure would collapse. The human being becomes isolated - he must believe in something, whether now in the family or in the State.
Ever since this period, I respect foreign religions like my own. Every person has a right to his religion.
It is also good that there are such strictly religious people. As long as they are not one-sided and defend only their faith, but also respect the faith of the others.
A human being without faith is like a tree without branches. Not very pretty to look at. But a fanatic is an evil person. He can do much more damage than one who does not have a faith, since the fanatic is sick in the head. It is completely up to a person whether he has a faith or not. But a person who represents a cause fanatically does this because he is impelled to do so at the incitement of others either directly or indirectly. It is the idol in sport as it is with actors. But in religion, it is the Church, which makes so many promises. But unfortunately we cannot monitor the Church's promises - you just have to believe in it.
So I cannot understand that there are people out there, who want to assume the appearance of other unknown persons. They try to walk around as the doppelgänger, like the Beatles or Elvis or someone else who is well-known. I always wanted to and have kept my identity till this day and when I look in the mirror, I see myself as my role model and I am proud of myself.
That is why I cannot be a fanatic. I believe only what I see.
And at that moment I saw that we would arrive soon by our ship in Colombo and that I would go to Tropicana and I would find out if I had a chance with the dancer. If so, then I believed that I would take it up to see how far I would come. I already knew some of the girls and hoped that the dancer was still there. Word had spread that I always gave a good tip. And this had not been forgotten.
They all wanted to sit and drink at the table with the chef of the "Arsterturm" and come along into the hotel because of the good payment. But I wanted only one person - I wanted the dancer. My research showed that she had a steady rich boyfriend and my hopes of ever getting her into bed died. By coincidence I came to know the said boyfriend: Our first officer and radio operator wanted to go on land to buy a ring with a blue sapphire for the first officer’s fiancée.
Since I knew places due to my previous stays in Colombo, they asked me to come with me as city guide. So that is how we landed in the "Gems Bureau", a gemstone shop. There I met Salim. I came to know that he was "my" dancer's boyfriend only later.
Salim was the owner of the gemstone shop with his father. Salim invited us to visit one of his mining sites. We accepted gratefully and he drove us in his Mercedes to a gemstone mine. The day went by fast and I remained on board this evening and I felt sorry for myself because of the dancer, whom I could not have.
A dancer named "Charma"
On the way back from Calcutta, we docked once again in Colombo. And I went again to Tropicana - and this time I had the opportunity to come in contact with the dancer. Her name was Charma, she was a Catholic and so she was not with Salim any more. This was because he was a Muslim and his father had been angry with him that he was not a relationship with a Christian woman.
After this first contact with her, I went to the Tropicana each time we were in Colombo. And I was happy that Charma was sitting at my table. Now I was her favorite and I managed to go to the hotel with Charma. It was so good that I could get used to it. I was not only in love, I was addicted to her. This time we were in the harbor for three weeks and I went to the Tropicana every evening and with Charma to the hotel.
My board credit melted increasingly and my stamina ebbed too. I was glad when we were back at sea. I was troubled that I had to spend a lot of money but the news that the contract with the "Kalbas Line" would end soon had me worried. This would mean: Goodbye to Colombo, goodbye to Tropicana and goodbye to Charma.
But if you are in love, you will have such hilarious thoughts and you do strange things - I was in love and was ready leave my ship here in Colombo and to spend my life here with Charma in the future.
Love is blind - or lovers are blind. No matter what the people said - I was not blind. There was only a little blackout in my brain, which I quickly overcame because Charma helped me. She asked me why I wanted to stay in Ceylon and said it would be much easier if she could come with me to Germany.
All my people - the Captain, the radio operator, the boat man and even the shipping company tried to shed light on my reasoning once again. All of them advised me against a wedding or anything like that. They reminded me that I had always known otherwise where there was a limit. That I had always said that you don't buy the whole cow because of a liter of milk. But I was not satisfied any more with the milk alone, I wanted the whole cow. Charma was willing to change her life and come with me to Germany.
Love makes you strong, inventive and also willing.
Just one trip to the Persian Gulf, back to Burma and then again to Colombo, from there we
had to travel home directly. So Charma had one month to procure the necessary papers. She needed a passport, an international vaccination certificate and later I would go with her to the German embassy to get a visa.
Our plan was fixed - she was coming with me or by plane to Germany! The Captain was the first one to know of my decision and he was not very thrilled.
Very carefully he tried to explain to me that a dancer from such an establishment like Tropicana was not the innocent small Catholic girl that she played so convincingly. I countered that none from our ship had been with her together so far.
The captain however pointed out that there were also other ships, which touched at Colombo. The conversation was not pleasant to me and I changed the subject. But the very next day I persuaded him to write the shipping company and ask if Charma could not be hired as a crew member. I knew something like this was possible - for a dollar a day, sailors traveling home who had missed their ship in a drunken stupor could travel on another ship and work it off. Something like that was right but only for seafarers who owned a seaman's passport, my Captain told me. Of course, the request at the shipping company turned out to be negative for this reason. Even as a paying passenger it was not possible, since we were not permitted to carry passengers as per actuarial principles.
Finally the Captain mentioned that the shipping company had informed him that there would be only one possibility: A crew member who had been on board for a certain amount of time without having returned to his home port, had the right to take his wife along.
I saw a small glimmer of hope.
My captain confirmed to me that my period "of not having gone to my home port" had already been more than exceeded. Although I was not married - but I would catch up on that in Colombo immediately. We had to hurry a lot, to complete everything, since it was announced that the lay time this time would be only ten days.
My Dream to Be Free Page 11