A Diamond in the Rough

by Marilyn Land

  Prior to moving on to Johannesburg, they toured the Central Business District with Jake pointing out the site of Zeller Jewelers (Wolf’s Jewelers), the site of The General Store (a clothing store), and down towards the harbor, the Annex which was no longer there. On their way to attending Shabbat Services at the Great Synagogue, Jake went in search of Ben’s cottage. It too no longer existed.

  When they entered the Great Synagogue, to their surprise, they found plagues for Ben and Sidney on the Memorial Wall in the lobby; in looking further, they found there was one for Franz Schiller too. They learned that a Jewish Museum had opened in the Old Synagogue since Jake’s original visit, but unfortunately it was closed for the Sabbath. By the time it reopened on Monday, they had left Cape Town continuing on their holiday.

  They rented a car at the airport and drove to the Victoria & Alfred Hotel located in the heart of the waterfront. Jake was hoping that they could enjoy a little R&R while they were there. At the check-in counter, there was a card advertising scenic flights over Cape Peninsula. As the clerk handed them their keycards, he suggested that they find the time to do so, exclaiming the experience was nothing short of exhilarating.

  After a brief rest, a shower, and a change of clothing, they left for dinner and a night on the town. Although they knew they had not come for a holiday, Zoe and David were charmed with Cape Town, a vibrant and cosmopolitan place they never thought to visit but were rather pleased that they were actually doing so.

  At the top of David’s list was the Great Synagogue, and Government Hall where he wanted to check out property records hoping he could learn who might have received the proceeds from the sale of Franz Schiller’s store. At breakfast, when Jake asked him where he planned to begin, and he mentioned the Synagogue, he told him about the Jewish Museum, and that he and Lexi had left without stopping in. David was excited; surely there had to be some information about one of the community’s longest and most prominent members.

  The new South African Jewish Museum was completed in August 2000, and quickly became one of the most state-of-the-art museums in the Country. The concept of the Israeli design required the existing Old Synagogue be coupled in an entirely new building. The Old Synagogue would house a collection of original Judaica, and the new structure would house the museological zones of Memory, Reality, and Dream; together, these linked areas would comprise the new museum, celebrating the historical role of the Jewish community and its ongoing contribution to South Africa using the most modern techniques available.

  Touch screens and interactive computers stand side-by-side with a peddler’s cart, and documentary films and newsreel footage are shown alongside a 19th century Lithuanian village, as one explores the Jewish pioneers left behind and recognizes new ones that were discovered.

  David’s emotions were intense. From the moment he entered the new South African Jewish Museum, he was certain they would find what they were looking for; he felt it in his bones. They spent four hours at the Museum. They left buoyed beyond their greatest expectations.

  There were dialogues of Ben, Sidney, and Franz Schiller. There were dialogues and a complete history of the Zeller brothers. All of which were comprised of interviews conducted in the early 1940s when the Society had first been founded to collect the history of the Jewish community in Cape Town. They were in their own voices and words; at the end of each dialogue, was the date and cause of their demise.

  The information on Ben and Sidney was accurate and precise. All that Jake had learned and pieced together about his uncles mirrored what their dialogues stated. They had even mentioned their brother Harry and his family in England.

  David adjusted the headphones and began listening.

  My name is Franz Schiller. I was born in Hamburg, Germany, and left home at the age of sixteen to seek a better life, not only for myself but also for my mutti and my five younger siblings. I was determined to get them away from my abusive father. My mutti was Jewish, and she defied my Lutheran father by seeing that I took Hebrew lessons allowing me to become a Bar Mitzvah.

  She further defied him by giving me what little money she had when I told her I was leaving Germany. I promised to send for her and my siblings as soon as I could.

  Upon my arrival in Cape Town, I went to work for Simon Abel who was the proprietor of The General Store. He was up in years and needed help; I was new in town and needed a job; our meeting up was a blessing for both of us. He died a year later, and having no family, he left me his store.

  After a time, I had saved enough money to send for my mutti and siblings. Following weeks of waiting for a reply, I learned my dear mutti had died giving birth to a seventh child. I never learned who sent me the letter; I never learned what became of my siblings; there was no mention made of my father.

  My early years in Cape Town were somewhat lonely; I was obsessed with keeping The General Store up and running, although at seventeen years of age I knew very little about business. When I began attending services at the Great Synagogue, the Jewish community of Cape Town became my home, my family, and my friends. I converted The General Store to The Smoker’s Shop in the mid-1930s; it became a popular gathering place from the onset.

  I’ve always felt that my beloved mutti was watching over me and guiding me; and I attribute all my accomplishments to her having helped me when I left home. Her Hebrew name was Shiloh—the one to whom it belongs—the one to whom my good life in Cape Town belonged. My one regret was that I was unable to help her.

  On March 22, 1945, Cape Town’s Jewish community mourned the passing of Franz Schiller from a massive heart attack.

  David removed the headphones. For several minutes he sat in the booth digesting Franz’s dialogue. Although the picture was not yet complete, connecting the dots had begun. He went in search of Zoe and Jake urging them to listen to Franz tell his story in his own words.

  They viewed documentaries that featured Ben and Sidney at the Annex; Zeller Jewelers as it had looked when the brothers first opened for business in 1905, and in the 1920s when they expanded the store. Another film showcased The General Store in its heyday when it was every prospector’s destination, and when it was converted to The Smoker’s Shop, a new entity for the town. There was also a film covering the changes that came to Long Street—new hotels, new restaurants, and numerous trendy shops featuring all that was the latest in fashion.

  The next day they went to Government Hall in search of the Department of Land Records. All records for the year 1945 had long been archived. The clerk asked them to return in two hours, allowing her time to retrieve what they were seeking.

  They stopped for lunch and ate quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.

  “The Museum is amazing. For the first time, I feel as if I really know my uncles and what their life was like in Cape Town. They seem to have been as happy here as my parents were in London. I find it rather sad that neither married and had a family. I’m glad they had each other, had a good friend in Franz Schiller, and that they were there for one another.

  “David, what are you hoping to learn at the Land Records office?”

  “I’d like to find out who received the proceeds from the sale of Franz’s shop.

  I’m not certain that the information will answer any of our questions, but before we visited the Museum, the only information we had about him was that he was a good friend.

  “As a shopkeeper, we naturally had no reason to connect him to the diamonds, but now that we’ve learned Shiloh was his mother’s Hebrew name, the name carved on the chest, and the name of an Annex account, I’d say the diamonds appear to connect more to one Franz Schiller than to your uncles. I remain convinced, however, that Ben and Sidney did in fact cut and polish the stones at the Annex.”

  When they returned to the Land Records office, as promised, the clerk had pulled the information they sought. As David read that the sale of the store had been completed in August 1945, and
that the proceeds were dispersed to the First National Bank of South Africa, Zoe observed his disappointment. “It was a great idea. It just didn’t turn up anything.”

  They returned to the hotel and decided to relax for the rest of the afternoon.

  That night over dinner, Jake opened up about the thoughts he and Lexi had over the years. “Your mother and I came to the conclusion that there exists one elusive unknown piece to the puzzle; without that piece, we will never learn who shipped the diamonds to me and thereby never learn who they belonged to or if in fact they do belong to me.

  “We have concentrated solely on the only three people we know to be involved—Ben, Sidney, and Franz. But they were all deceased when I received the crate. With all indications pointing to Franz as the owner, perhaps he left them to Ben, and they were sent to me when I became his heir. In that case, they are mine, and I must determine what to do with them.

  “When your mother and I planned our trip to South Africa that included stopping in Cape Town, we discussed making a sizeable donation in their memory to the Great Synagogue and erecting two memorial plaques for Ben and Sidney. However, we were genuinely surprised to learn that two plaques in their names already existed, as did one for Franz Schiller. At that point, we began to suspect the unknown piece to be an unknown person; a person who felt he or she was duty bound to honor the three of them.

  “I love you both; and I can never thank you enough for helping me to try and put the diamonds to rest, once and for all. At times, I chided myself for not having resolved the matter years ago. I no longer feel that way. A decision I may have made years ago would not be the same decision I would make today. One tends to look at things differently as one gets older.

  ‘David, just as you drew different conclusions from what Lexi and I had learned over time, I see things differently now that we have learned Franz Schiller was in all probability the owner of the cache.

  “When we return home, I will tell you the conclusion I have reached and tell you what I plan to do with the diamonds; I am certain you will approve. At that time, I will add a chapter to the family version and bring Harry and Adam into the loop.

  “Then, if my children feel that my story is worthy of publishing, I’m going to let the three of you write it.” He winked at Zoe. “With my approval, of course.”

  She responded, “Of course Daddy; we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  “Starting now, I am declaring the three of us on holiday for as many days as you would like to stay. Tomorrow, the day belongs to your Daddy. We’re going to rise and shine early, pick up bathing suits, and I’m going to introduce you to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world—famously known as Cape Town’s Riviera.

  “I’m also thinking we should take the hotel clerk’s advice and take a scenic flight over Cape Peninsula, although I’m certain they won’t let us fly the plane.”

  They returned to London 22 July 2013, as England welcomed the new Prince, third in line to the British Throne.

  To register the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge gave his occupation as Prince of the United Kingdom rather than RAF helicopter pilot.

  Once Jake made up his mind about the diamonds, there was no stopping his determination to fulfill the second part of his promise to Lexi. In his own words, he told his story from beginning to end, explaining in great detail exactly how he had determined—the one to whom it belongs. In the end, it all seemed so natural, so easy, and so right. He was confident that Lexi would approve.

  The months flew by and as December approached, the entire Lyons family was involved in one aspect or another of their trip to Israel. At Jake’s request, it was extended from their usual ten days to two weeks. First and foremost, they would be celebrating Mathew’s Bar Mitzvah atop Mount Masada, followed by their annual welcoming in of the New Year. Behind the scenes, Zoe, Harry, and Adam were putting together yet another celebration, the occasion of Jake’s 90th Birthday.

  As they welcomed the arrival of 2014 in Tel Aviv, Zoe glanced around the room at her family. Of all her Daddy’s accomplishments and successes, to her, the people in this room represented his very best. She raised her glass of champagne and looking upward said aloud, “Mama, I told you we would find Daddy in London, and we certainly did.”

  David came up behind her, pulling her into his arms. With a twinkle in his eye he asked, “Were you talking to someone?” Before she could answer he kissed her. “Happy New Year. I Love You Zoe Lyons Handler for always.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  Jake sat watching the falling snow out back of the cottage creating a winter wonderland as far as his eye could see. Each spring, though he and Lexi looked forward to the multitude of flowers adorning much of the grounds with their ability to brighten even the darkest mood, he tended to welcome the snow’s calming effect, as well.

  He had a fire going in the fireplace, and he had brewed a pot of coffee planning to spend the afternoon going over his notes in response to Zoe’s recent inquiries. Although Harry and Adam had quickly relinquished their parts in writing his story, Zoe was eager to get started. He was due to meet up with her during the coming week, and he wanted to double-check his information.

  Both were satisfied with the family version that was rightfully presented in Jake’s own words; it was after all his story, and only he could tell it with the passion with which he lived it. When he suggested his children pen the public version, Zoe embraced it with a vengeance. In the back of her mind, she had a strong feeling that her brothers would opt out, and they did.

  She started writing her novel A Diamond in the Rough soon after returning from Israel, using the family version as a basis. Thus far, she had written the first five chapters. Her intent was to write several chapters at a time, give them to her father to read and approve, and move on to the next series of chapters.

  Winter became spring and spring turned to summer. While Zoe kept busy writing her novel, and David spent time helping Adam with the new computer system they had recently installed at the aerodrome, Jake decided to do some housecleaning at the cottage.

  He started with the workshop in the cellar carefully packing up the cutting tools, making a mental note to bring the items that had been in the crate back to the cottage and pack them away, as well. Next he tackled the two boxes of items that he had brought from the house in Middlesex. There were pictures, books, odds and ends from his sisters’ room, and to his surprise the wooden cigar box that Ben and Sidney had given his father; a lion was carved on the lid.

  On a sheet of paper, he inventoried the items with a brief description, returned them to the boxes, and resealed them. He opened the safe, which had been emptied except for the trays of diamonds he had removed from the chest resting on the four lower shelves. Suddenly he noticed a piece of paper at the edge of the top shelf. He reached for it and recognized the note from Franz that had been in the cloth pouch with the five uncut stones. He stared in awe as his eyes fell on the second paragraph:

  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.

  How could he have forgotten so quickly after opening the crate and reading the note? It was only days later that he had asked the Rabbi to translate the letters on the card. Had he remembered, perhaps he would not have dismissed Franz’s involvement from the onset.

  On a warm August day, he decided to take a break and go flying; taking up his favorite Cessna for a spin. He was surprised to find David in the office when he arrived; they spoke for a while before he headed over to the hangar.

  Since returning from Israel and celebrating his 90th Birthday, he found himself often thinking about growing old. Age never mattered to him in the past. He and Lexi had only experienced minor health issues until she was diagnosed with cancer, and his energy level of full spe
ed ahead had never waned; that is until recently. He passed his latest physical, which allowed him to continue flying. He took no prescribed medications, and he wasn’t despondent.

  For the first time in his life, he was lonely. He and Lexi had existed almost as one for their many years together, and when she died, half of him died with her leaving a void. He missed her; he missed her terribly. For two years since her passing, he had been occupied with fulfilling the promise he made her. Now that he had done so, he found himself in a position he had not previously experienced.

  The altitude that always cleared his thoughts only seemed to bring back memories—good memories, happy memories but memories represented the past. He needed to look to the future, needed to have a reason to get up every day; he needed something to do.

  Without realizing it, he had been flying for over two hours. At first, he was disoriented, but quickly recognizing where he was, made a slight turn and headed back to the aerodrome. As he landed the plane, Adam and David stood awaiting him with arms folded and anxious looks. Breathing a sigh of relief in learning that he was okay, they decided to hold their tongues.

  Subconsciously, he had already embarked on a plan.

  Zoe and David’s two sons lived with their families in Houston, Texas. Joel was two years older than Jonathon but they grew up closer than twins. They were both attorneys, both pilots, and both no longer practiced law. Twenty years ago, they purchased a private airport just outside of Houston and with Jake’s help and advice launched Lyons Aviation, Inc.

  Over that time, they built a program offering flight and ground training to an enrollment of 50 students at a time, most of whom study under the GI training bill. As a distributor for Cessna aircraft, Lyons Aviation was equipped to provide repair and service facilities, and on average 60 planes, rental and privately owned, operated from Lyons Airport at any given time.