Chapter 2- Sunday Morning Business and Leisure Time
Ari walked the deserted streets the next day. Businesses were closed on Sunday, so no one was on the street. Ari had gone to Synagogue as a boy, and when he had married Lotje, on Saturdays. It was an oddity for, what the Christians referred to as church, to be on Sunday when everyone knew the Eternal rested on Saturday and the one the Christians and Messianic Jews called, Yeshua, worshiped on Saturday.
He had seen people on the trawlers he used to smuggle Jews into Palestine praising Yeshua on both Saturday and Sunday. The Messianic Jews observed the laws of Moses the lawgiver and followed the teachings of Yeshua as well. It had surprised him the first time when he had picked up 20 Catholic Jews and they had crossed themselves and said prayers in Latin and then switched to Yiddish and Hebrew and wore talliths.
He found himself wondering if Hadassah had converted to Christianity. Lotje had told him that her father was a rabbi at a synagogue for Christian Jews. So it stood to reason that his daughter might have become a Christian.
Ari entered a shop and saw his friends and Mandria, standing there, waiting for him. "Shalom," Ari greeted Reuben.
"Shalom, Ari," Reuben shook Ari's hand.
"David, how are you?" Ari greeted his sister, Jordana's, boyfriend. David had been assigned to Cyprus by the Haganah and helped get together lists of Jews to smuggle into Palestine.
"Mr. Mandria, this is Ari ben Canaan," David introduced Ari to a portly man with a beard.
"Welcome," Mr. Mandria said, shaking Ari's hand.
"I'm very pleased to meet you. We've heard good things about you in Palestine, Mr. Mandria," Ari said.
"Rumors, but I like them," Mandria said nonchalantly.
"So do we," Ari said.
"Please sit down. Cigarette?" Mandria offered as they sat.
"No thanks," Ari said, taking a cigarette out of his shirt pocket. Lotje had hated the things, but Ari had only smoked occasionally and he had never smoked in front of his daughter. "Well then, how many people have you got by now in that barbed wire jungle of yours?" Ari asked.
"Over 30,000 and they're building for 30,000 more on the other side of the island," Mandria said, pointing with his cigar.
"How many people arrived yesterday on the Star of David?" Ari asked, putting his cigarette in his mouth.
"611," David said.
"Well, we're going to take the same 611 off the island and land them in Palestine," Ari said, lighting his cigarette.
"611?" Mandria asked in surprise as he looked at David and Reuben.
"He thinks he's Moses," Reuben laughed.
"Ari, we haven't been able to bring more than 10 or 15 on the ships," David protested.
"This will be a new experience. One more thing; there's a time limit. Today is Sunday. We'll stage the break a week from tomorrow," Ari said.
"Next Monday?" Mandria asked surprised.
"Why not tomorrow?" Reuben asked.
"Ari, we cannot do it," David said grimly.
"David, the United Nations will vote on the Palestine issue before the end of its present session. Between now and then we have to show the world that the thousands and thousands of homeless Jews of Europe are not going to accept any solution that bars them from Palestine. A mass escape. The very same people who arrived yesterday on the Star of David is worth more than a million speeches," Ari said, standing up and walking to a bookshelf.
"But this isn't the Red Sea, Ari. It's the Mediterranean," Reuben said.
"You're right. Smite these waters as much as you will, they will not part," Mandria agreed.
"That's why you have to get us a ship, Mr. Mandria. I want a legitimate freighter with legal registry and legal cargo we can unload right here in Cyprus," Ari said.
"A ship? For six- That's a wonderful idea!" Mandria interrupted himself and standing up. "Brilliant! It will be expensive, to bring in the frigate also," Mandria said, taking a puff on his cigar.
"Not to brilliant. You know our treasury is based on donations and right now we are rather low," Ari said. "Well, can you deliver or not?" Ari asked impatiently after a few seconds of silence.
"I'll do my best. For the Jews, Mandria will do everything," Mandria said, clapping Ari's shoulder before going back to his desk.
"The Jews have paid you well for your efforts, Mr. Mandria," Ari said, feeling his temper rising.
"Ari, you don't understand-" David started to say.
"No, no. I understand. Do you believe that I, Plato Mandria, would do this for money? Do you think I'd risk 10 years in prison for money? I tell you it has cost me over 5, 000 pounds since I have started working with the Haganah," Mandria said ruefully.
"You owe him an apology, Ari," Reuben said firmly.
Ari looked at his friends and sighed. "I do apologize, Mr. Mandria, for my stupid remark. I have a daughter I haven't seen in 10 years and I have been worried about her. She'd be 14 years old," Ari said.
"It's not necessary. If I apologized each time for being stupid I'd spend a lifetime on my knees," Mandria said goodnaturedly.
"Also we'll need 14 lorries," Ari said, getting back to business.
"14? You can have well as 1400!" Mandria exclaimed.
"Ari, the British requisition for every car and truck is on this island. The Haganah makes mistakes just like everyone else," David said. "And this is one of them.
"David, I want to hear every objection, every criticism, every suggestion but only once. Now have the project underway, Mr. Mandria," Ari said firmly.
"Almost accomplished. I'll send a telegram to a friend of Mandria's," Mandria said, sitting down.
"The British don't monitor telegrams?" Ari asked concerned.
""Not thoroughly, but some of the money talks better. They'd like to see the Britains in Europe, the Jews in Palestine, and the Cyprian in Cyprus. Not, mind you, that I am anti-British. If I must have a master the British are by far the best. The only problem, my dear friends, is why have a master at all. I'd rather have God," Mandria said as he left the room.
Reuben grinned as he looked at his friends and Ari smoked his cigarette. "You shouldn't have hurt him, Ari. He's a real friend. He told me he wanted to send some of the Jewish boys and girls in the camp to the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus," Reuben said.
"Maybe, but don't let the Mandria's of the world fool you. They work for you and tell us how terrible it was that six million Jews went into the oven. But when the showdown comes we always stand alone. Mandria will sell us out like all the others. We have no friends. Just ourselves. Remember that," Ari said sternly.
"You're wrong, Ari. But you're going to have to learn that for yourself. Now tell me, how's Jordana?" David asked, changing the subject to Ari's sister.
"I think she's in love," Ari teased as he handed David a letter.
"You didn't tell me you had this letter since last night!" David accused as he opened it.
"I just forgot about it. He's in love with Jordana. He thinks everyone else is," Ari said to Reuben.
"He's right. Does she mention me in there?" Reuben asked, trying to read the letter over David's shoulder. Ari smiled, but felt the moment go as he thought of Lotje and Hadassah. Lotje had been one of the six million killed and, quite possibly, Hadassah as well. It was hard to think anyone cared after so many had died in the ovens.
Mandria came back soon after that to tell Ari he had a ship and before Ari could think about it, he was standing on a run-down fishing boat; otherwise known as a coffin ship. A coffin ship had been used during the war, but the passengers normally died on the ship because no country would let them in.
"Isn't she a beauty?" Mandria asked exuberantly. Ari looked around. It was filthy and dilapidated, but no one would figure that the Haganah were using it to smuggle illegal Jews into Palestine.
"Ari, it's not appropriate," Ari heard Lotje's voice resound in his ear. Lotje was a stickler for cleanliness being next to Godliness. He never thought he'd miss her getting upset over his leaving papers in a mess or his shoes in the middle of the floor. Then again he had thought that his having a Palestinian passport and visa could get Lotje and Hadassah into his country. He had been wrong on so many counts.
"You must have it towed across," Ari said, looking around. Ari still didn't trust Mandria, so there was no point in letting him see that the boat might work.
"All right, she isn't a beauty, but her heart is of solid oak. You'll see," Mandria recanted his previous statement.
"Ari," a man in a captain's hat came to him and shook his hand.
"Hank, how are you?" Ari asked in a friendly tone. Hank was an American Jew who, like Ari, had lost his wife and children in the Auschwitz crematoriums. Hank had joined the Haganah and had proved an invaluable friend and ally. "Hank, this is Mandria. Mandria, Hank's run more ships through the blockade, after the war, than anyone," Ari introduced the two men and they shook hands.
"It was Mr. Mandria that arranged this," Ari said, looking at the concern on Hank's face. It was obvious Hank wondered if Mandria could be trusted.
"Not a bad ship, huh?" Mandria asked with a good-natured laugh.
"Not a good one, Mr. Mandria," Hank said, just as goodnaturedly.
"For the money we pay every ship can't be the Great Harry," Mandria said to everyone's amusement.
"Can the Olympia make it to Palestine?" Ari asked.
"On my mother's honor she has made 300 trips from Cyprus to Turkey and was fast on her own," Mandria bragged.
"That's just the trouble. We can always try just one more run on a better ship than this," Hank said.
"I want a loudspeaker system aboard. A power unit that can float down to 600 people," Ari said, looking around as he walked.
"There is no such equipment for sale on Cyprus!" Mandria said with a feeble laugh.
"If you can't buy it, steal it. Stock us with provisions for five days," Ari said, ignoring the twinge of guilt at the thought of stealing anything. All Jewish children had been taught 'Thou Shalt Not Steal" since the time before they knew what stealing was. Ari had been the one to teach Hadassah right from wrong. And now he was doing what he had told her not to do.
"I can only do two days!" Mandria argued.
"For five days and all prepared food. Neither canned or packaged," Ari said, having none of Mandria's argument.
"They're the most expensive, naturally," Mandria grumbled.
"Have you got my jeep yet?" Ari asked.
"I told you it's impossible. A jeep is out of the question. Absolutely," Mandria said, wiping his forehead with a silk handkerchief.
"What about the engine tank? Will you need someone to overhaul it?" Ari asked Hank.
"No, no. I can take care of that," Hank said.
"Mr. Mandria, what about that jeep over there?" Ari asked, pointing to a parked car on the concrete dock.
"What? That? It belongs to his beatitude, the Greek Orthodox archbishop of Cyprus," Mandria said, a look of consternation on his face.
"Steal it," Ari said firmly. Usually Ari tried to avoid stealing from Christians since he had married a Christian Jew and a lot of them helped the Haganah. But the archbishop's car was the only one he could see that would work for his plans. "Paint it. Hide it until I'm ready for it."
Hadassah ben Canaan sat next to Kitty as Karen splashed in the ocean. Because of the Nazi identification number on her arm and a few bruises and whip marks on her back and legs Hadassah couldn't join her friend. A bathing suit would reveal her injuries. So she just sat back with a book in the balmy sun.
"Are you sure you don't want to go into the ocean, Hadassah?" Kitty asked, finishing a cup of her tea.
"I'm positive. I'll just sit here and read while I'm smelling the salt air," Hadassah said with a wan smile.
"Well, it's about time to leave. That's why I asked," Kitty said as the waiter poured some more tea in Kitty's and Hadassah's teacups. Hadassah had always hated the taste of tea, but she was too polite to say so. All she could do was force down each cup as it was poured. After two years of recuperating in England she still couldn't get used to the taste of tea.
"Well, you'd better call Karen now. She'll never want to leave the beach otherwise," Hadassah said, suppressing a shudder as she took a sip of tea and Kitty called Karen.
Karen ran to the table, her golden hair dripping wet and a happy smile on her face. "Oh, that was wonderful! May I have another swim before me and Hadassah have to leave?" Karen asked, plopping down next to Hadassah.
"Just one more because we're due back at the camp," Kitty said in a warning voice with a smile.
"Are these the two girls you were telling me about?" A British general with a kind look in his eyes asked as he sat down and looked at Hadassah and then the shore where Karen was swimming.
"Yes," Kitty said.
"You don't swim, girl?" The general asked Hadassah.
"No Sir. I did for a short time before the Nazis invaded Holland, but after that Jewish children weren't allowed to swim at any of the beaches or swimming pools. Then the Nazis arrested me and my family and I have a tattoo and a few bruises," Hadassah said, fingering the handle of her teacup.
"These girls are rather nice girls," the general said.
"Hmmm. Would it be too difficult for me to arrange to take them back to America with me?" Kitty asked, taking Hadassah completely by surprise.
"Not from our end it wouldn't. We'd be glad to let them all go so long as they don't end up in Palestine," the general said. "Let me know what you decided. I'll get Captain Caldwell to arrange it for you." the general stood. Hadassah was glad to see him go. Kitty had said that he was sympathetic to the Jews, but it seemed as if he wanted to keep the Jews out of their homeland.
"Thank you. Karen!" Kitty yelled toward the surf. Karen came running, breathing hard. She sat next to Hadassah in front of a plate of salad. "Karen, Hadassah, would the two of you like to go to America?" Kitty asked kindly.
"Of course. Everybody would like to go to America," Karen said, cutting her salad with a knife and fork.
"I don't know. We're not exactly orphans. We have family in Palestine. At least I hope we do," Hadassah said nervously as she gnawed her lip.
"Then you two should go. I'll cancel the rest of my trip and I'll take you with me. And you can go to school there and then later to the University. And if you like it and want to you can become American citizens," Kitty said with exuberance.
Karen and Hadassah both looked at each other before looking at Kitty. "You mean go right away?" Karen asked.
"Perhaps in the next week or two. Meanwhile, I may be able to get you both out of camp. I'll speak to the general tonight. What's the matter, Karen, Hadassah?" Kitty asked, finally noticing sad looks on the girls faces and that they had stopped eating.
"Nothing," Hadassah said, trying to control her shaking voice.
"Well, you both want to go, don't you?" Kitty asked.
"Yes, but we...we must think about it a little bit," Karen said, forcing a smile.
"What is there to think about?" Kitty asked, confused.
"We don't know, but it's important and we need a little time. My father used to say think things through before you decide on that kind of decision," Hadassah explained.
"Take all the time you wish," Kitty said in a strangled, hurt voice.
"Kitty?" Karen asked.
"Yes?" Kitty asked.
"Don't be mad at us," Karen begged.
"Of course not. It's getting late. You'd better finish your food." Kitty changed the subject abruptly, but Hadassah could see she was still hurt.