A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  “I, however, have a suggestion. Although I am selfishly as pleased as Adam that you are doing this for the family, I feel you should take it a step further and publish it for the public. You’re quite renown not only in England, but also in America, in Israel, and in South Africa. You’re a decorated Ace RAF Pilot, your philanthropy is unrivaled, and then there’s that knighthood ceremony I recall when you became Sir Jacob Lyons.”

  Jake was taken aback. The children for the most part led private lives. Harry had never capitalized on his renown as a transplant surgeon; and Adam had never capitalized on the many humanitarian efforts of MedAir that were all done pro bono. So, never in a million years, did he think that they would want to share his story with the world. He and Lexi had always been about family.

  Overcome with emotion, he spoke. “You amaze me and flatter me to no end. I had no idea you felt this way.” Jokingly he said, “It appears you already know my story, and perhaps there is no need for me to tell it after all.”

  Everyone welcomed Jake’s news. Zoe raised her glass in toast. “To Sir Jacob Lyons our very own Diamond in the Rough. Here’s to equating each and every facet of your journey to the cutting of a stone and polishing it to perfection.”

  His family’s excitement was overwhelming; Jake sat quietly. What just happened? His promise to Lexi was a personal thing, a family thing. What about the diamonds? He didn’t know if he wanted that to go public. At this point, he didn’t have a clue as to what he was going to do with them.

  He repeated over and over again, “I didn’t agree to anything. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this. You’re blowing this way out of proportion.” But nobody was listening.

  The week went all too quickly. All agreed that their 2012 holiday was one of the better ones, although there had never been a single complaint about any of their past gatherings. London proved the best choice; it was the family’s home base. Regardless of how scattered they had been through the years with children attending school abroad or living abroad, home was home.

  With their holiday at an end, Jake and Zoe returned to the project with gusto. She knew she had a lot of work ahead of her, but finding Harry and Adam as excited as she was about their father’s story spurred her on. If they were to consider having the final manuscript published, perhaps she was not the one to edit or rewrite it. Maybe it wouldn’t have to be rewritten. It would be much more authentic in her father’s own words.

  Her musings could wait. There would be time to polish the finished product. All she knew for certain was that it had to be perfect.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Jake was unsure how to proceed. Before their holiday, they had left off at Lexi and Zoe’s arrival in London. At that point in his life, the diamonds were already in his possession, and he had travelled to Cape Town and returned. Once Lexi and Zoe became his life, the diamonds were quickly forgotten. Many years would pass before Lexi would learn of them.

  When Jake decided to leave De Beers, trading diamonds for aviation, the cache remained secure in the safe at the cottage. By that time, they were living in the house in Pembridge Square and visits to the Cotswolds were far and few between. The carved chest sat on the floor of the master bedroom where Jake had placed it emptied of its contents. To Lexi, it was part of the cottage’s furnishings when she arrived, and she gave it no further thought.

  As Jake continued relating his story, he purposely omitted mentioning the diamonds. Following their holiday and Harry’s suggestion to publish, he revisited his thoughts and considered including them only in the family version and only when they determined who would receive them was resolved. There were other parts of his story that he also felt should be solely for the family because they represented his personal feelings. His growing up in the East End, his idolization of his Papa as he taught him about diamonds, his uncles Ben and Sidney—he thought too personal and inappropriate for a public version should it materialize.

  When he declared, The End, Zoe was a little surprised. Where was the mystery? Had she missed something? What was it that he had wanted her to help him resolve? And there was that feeling again; was he holding something back?

  For the next week, they began at the beginning and read through the pages stopping only when Zoe had a question or something was unclear. For the most part, they were satisfied with what they had accomplished.

  “Daddy, why do I feel that something is not right? Is this really The End? Although we know a good deal of your story, and it is enlightening to learn your feelings firsthand, I sense that at times especially when you speak of your uncles, you seem disconnected, almost as if you don’t consider them family. I know you didn’t really know them having been quite young the only time you met them.”

  If Jake were certain of only one thing, that one thing would be that Zoe knew her Daddy. She had the same connection with him that he had with Lexi. She often knew what he was thinking, and sensed what he was feeling; he found it uncanny. After all, for decades she had lived thousands of miles across the sea. How could it even be possible that she knew him so well?

  “From the very day we met up in London my darling Zoe, you have plied me with questions. To the best of my ability, I believe I answered each and every one convinced that if I hadn’t, you would have continued asking. Now here we are almost seventy years later and nothing has changed. That and my love for you Zoe Lyons Handler will also never change.

  “We’ve had a long week, and now the weekend is here. Time to go home and spend some time with David. I feel guilty taking up so much of your time since you moved back to London; he’s been quite nice about it. How does he really feel about his daddy-in-law interfering in your life?”

  “He would move heaven and earth for you and you know it. He feels guilty about having kept me in the States for so many years. It was actually his idea that we move to London, and I love him for it. It was the nicest, most unselfish act on his part especially since our boys and their families are still there.”

  The distance that had separated Jake and David was not reflected in their love and respect for one another, nor did it deter from the bond that developed between them on both a personal and professional basis.

  “Give me the weekend to collect my thoughts. When you return on Monday, bring David with you, and I will reveal the other part of my promise to your mother; the part that requires your help.”

  When Zoe and David arrived on Monday, Jake awaited them. The table was set. He bade them be seated; he served them omelets, scones, and coffee as they chatted. Their banter was light and David commented on the bright sunshine streaming in the window on the otherwise cold winter’s day. With breakfast done, they helped him clear the table.

  Jake went to his bedroom and returned carrying the carved chest and sat it on the dining table. When they were seated once again, he began reading from the pages he had printed out. Beginning with his discharge to learning Lexi was living in Palestine to learning that Sidney had died while he was on Guernsey Island to starting a job with De Beers to returning from New York only to learn that Ben too had died before he had the chance to visit him in Cape Town as he had promised.

  At that point he stopped reading and spoke from the heart. “Ben was my last surviving relative. I had promised to visit him, and it was my intention to bring him to London so that we could get to know one another; we were family. I thought I had lost your mother, and I didn’t know I had a daughter. Your mother’s last news about me was that I was missing in action; she came back to London to learn what happened to me so she could build a life for the two of you.

  “Weeks after receiving the wire notifying me of my uncle’s demise, I received a crate that held my uncles’ remains with the request that they be buried with my family. The crate also contained their personal effects, their diamond cutting tools, assorted papers, and items that I knew nothing about. In the center of the crate was this beautifully carved chest. When I
lifted the lid, it appeared empty, but after removing the shallow tray on top, I learned otherwise.”

  Jake stood, opened the chest, lifted the shallow tray and observed Zoe and David’s reaction to the diamonds before them. They were speechless, of course, just as he had been. The only difference, he was alone. The questions began.

  “Who sent them to you? Who did they belong to? Are they yours? What were you supposed to do with them?”

  “I have no answers to your questions because they are the same ones that have remained unanswered since I received them. I travelled to Cape Town weeks later only to learn nothing about the diamonds. The crate had been shipped from the funeral home, but I wasn’t successful in learning who actually packed the items for shipment.

  “I did meet people who knew my uncles, people from the synagogue, the bank, and a black African woman who had cared for both Sidney and Ben when they were sick. I learned that my uncles were highly thought of in the community, and that they had been happy in South Africa. They were both diamond cutters and worked for the Zeller brothers who ran a fine jewelry emporium in Cape Town. When they opened the Annex, a gem cutting entity, Ben went to work for them and ultimately managed the day-to-day operations.

  “I learned a man named Franz Schiller became a good friend to Ben and later to Sidney. He started out as the proprietor of the town’s general store during the diamond rush, and later converted it to a smoke shop. As far as I could learn, Franz had nothing to do with diamonds or the jewelry business. He was simply Ben’s first and lasting friend in Cape Town.

  “By the time I arrived, not only were my uncles deceased, but Franz was gone as well. The bank manager I met knew them only through dealings with the bank, and to the Rabbi at their synagogue, they were among his congregants. The woman that had cared for my uncles taught English to the refugees at the synagogue, and I spent a couple of days speaking with her. She was the most informative, and I learned a good deal about my uncles from her. The diamonds never came up in any of our conversations, and I had no reason to believe that she would know anything about them.

  “I returned to England with no answers and even more questions. Two days later, I met up with you and your mother at The Tea Shoppe. The rest is history. Once again, I had a family and that was of the utmost importance to me. The cache remained locked in the safe here at the cottage. Only once before did I remove them when I showed them to your mother; she’s the only person I ever confided in. As close as I was to Marcus, I never even considered telling him although I can’t explain why I felt that way.

  “Throughout the years, I was always searching. At times I was drawn to articles about diamond heists particularly during the War. Nothing ever connected. When one of the Zellers passed away, I paid a condolence call to the surviving brother and learned about the Annex and that Ben had been the driving force behind its success. If I had known they were living back in London, I would have contacted them years earlier.

  “I have some information, but very little. I’m hoping that when I show you what little I have, maybe we can research it on the computer. It’s a long shot, but one never knows. You and David are more adept at that than I am.

  “I have some items in the safe at the house that I want to share with you, as well. They were among the things that came in the crate. Your mother was adamant that I resolve the issue of the diamonds before I leave this world. She felt a new approach was needed.

  “Perhaps I would have been more successful at finding answers to my questions had I pursued it when they first came into my possession. By now, it seems highly unlikely that anyone is still alive that knew my uncles and Franz Schiller that could shed any light on the matter. By process of elimination, instead of searching for the rightful owner, my mission is to find a worthy owner. In the long run, that might prove to be the easiest way.

  “There’s one more thing.” He closed the lid of the chest and traced his fingers over the carved letters. “These Hebrew letters spell the name Shiloh. I found a card with these same letters written on it and showed it to the Rabbi in the East End. He translated them for me and told me the meaning of the name—the one to whom it belongs.

  “Somewhere in the back of my mind, it seemed as though I had heard or read that before. Perhaps in my Hebrew lessons, but it never came to me. Years later, I learned from Phil Zeller that this same name was given to an account at the Annex. I’m fairly certain that my uncles cut and polished the diamonds.”

  Everyone sat quietly—thinking. Finally Zoe said but one word, “Wow!”

  David said, “I second that.”

  “Can you understand why I was slightly apprehensive when Harry wanted to go public with this story? I wasn’t totally convinced I should include the diamonds in the family version.”

  “Why do you feel the diamonds were not meant for you? They must have some connection to one of your uncles or both since they were in Ben’s possession when his things were shipped to you. I can’t imagine someone just adding the chest to the crate, and I certainly can’t imagine why anyone would want to give the diamonds away. They’re magnificent.”

  “It’s almost one o’clock. David, if you would be good enough to help me carry the chest down to the cellar, I’ll put the diamonds back in the safe, and return the chest to my bedroom.

  “As you pointed out earlier, it’s a beautiful day; why don’t we go flying for a while. I don’t know about you, but the altitude always clears my head. I’ll pack a bag and accompany you to London; we can leave from the aerodrome. Later today or tomorrow, we can go through the other items I was telling you about that came in the crate. It’s also been on my mind to suggest we get a new computer setup for the house.”

  “I’m way ahead of you Daddy. David and I did just that months ago.”

  By the time they flew the plane back to the aerodrome, it was growing dark. The drive to London took longer because of heavy evening traffic, and Zoe whose thoughts weren’t about to give it a rest took advantage of the situation.

  “Do you think the items you’re planning to share with us are connected to the diamonds in any way?”

  “I recognized immediately the items that are totally personal. There are watches that I believe belonged to my uncles, as well as two men’s dome rings. There are other rings that I can only assume belonged to my grandparents; the styles of the wedding rings, in particular, are definitely old country.

  “Don’t let your curiosity get the best of you my dear Zoe. We’re almost there. Let’s freshen up and grab a bite to eat at The Pub; they have the best fish and chips in town. When we get back to the house, I won’t make you wait until tomorrow. I promise.

  Jake retrieved the items from the safe in the cellar and placed them on the kitchen table. He pointed out the jewelry he had spoken of in the car, the intricately carved elephant, a cigar box similar to the one his uncles had brought for his father when they came to London, a covered medium-sized jewelry box, a small cloth pouch that appeared empty, and a large envelope containing an assortment of papers.

  “Upon opening the crate, I found two small wooden boxes with Stars of David carved on top and each identified with my uncles’ remains for burial. There was a box that contained jeweler’s tools that are in the cellar. Zoe, as you watched me work and wanted to learn, I handed you tools from that box. Another box contained all of these items before you.

  “The crate was rather large, large enough to contain a coffin, and it was shipped from a funeral home. When it was delivered, I had them put it in the garage. I backed out the car to allow me room to open and unpack it. The chest was the last item I removed. When I discovered it held a cache of diamonds, my first thought was how unsecure and unobtrusive the crate had been shipped. At first, I thought perhaps the diamonds were sent to me in error, but then as I began to rationalize, it occurred to me they had been intended for me and deliberately shipped in a way that would attract the least attention
.

  “Throughout, I have stuck to my original conclusion that to unravel the mystery of the diamonds, I had to identify the sender. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful in doing so. Time is like a river; the flow that has passed will never pass again. So I am changing course. I am no longer seeking the one to whom it belongs; I am seeking the one to whom it shall belong.”

  Zoe began looking through the items on the table—the pieces of jewelry, the elephant carving, and the cigar box that she examined with curiosity. “Do you see any similarities in the animal carving on this box and the elephant or any comparison of the box’s carvings to the chest?”

  “I never compared the box to the chest. I do feel there is a similarity to the animal carved on the top of the box and the elephant; the detail in both is extensive. I’ve always felt the carvings on the chest paralleled the facets of a diamond and were done so intentionally, just as I have always felt that the chest was made to order to accommodate all of the diamonds with the trays separating the various sizes.”

  Before Zoe could move on to the covered jewelry box, Jake leaned forward and picked it up along with the empty cloth pouch. He removed the lid and placed the box before them. “Zoe, you called the cache magnificent; what do you think of these?”

  The box lined in black velvet consisted of five sections; each section held a large diamond cut and polished to perfection. Beneath each stone was its name. The Alexandra was the largest—22 carats; Lady Lyons—18 carats; Princess Zoe—16 carats; Prince Harry and Prince Adam –just over 15 carats apiece.

  Zoe and David stared at the beautiful stones sparkling under the light hanging above the table. “Daddy, these are awesome. It’s obvious you named them; did your uncles cut them?”