August 2012
He had already passed the charity shop before the penny dropped. So he turned himself around and went back. There it was in the side window, a framed photograph of two triangular cocktail glasses, each with what appeared to be a Martini with olive floating over ice in the glass. The frame was beautiful ebony wood and the background was a brilliant lime colour, but what had caught his eyes was the hand clutching the stem. It appeared old and wrinkly and had several brownish age spots on the back of the hand. Yet that was not the most prominent feature for him, it was the silver bracelet that was hanging from the wrist.
The bracelet had seven small crosses hanging from it and all were gem encrusted. Isaac was sure of the identity of this piece of jewellery; after all he had one identical to it safely locked in the safe at the bank. His father had made it just prior to the war when he had finished his apprenticeship under Cartier. He had modelled it on the bracelet that the Duchess, Wallis Simpson, wore on her wedding day. Although hers had featured the highest quality gems within the crosses, the two that his father had made after had been created out of small slivers of various stones. He knew that the one made for Wallis had featured nine crosses and all were engraved with inscriptions marking key points in her romance with Edward.
He remembered clearly that his father had told him that he had been asked to make two others and that both of these had seven crosses suspended from their chains. The war had then intervened and his parents had to make their escape with their two children to England. It was becoming seriously unsafe for anyone of Jewish heritage to remain in Paris. His father and his mother Ruth decided that the safest way for them to travel was Isaac with his father Jacob, and his sister Rachel to travel with his mother. He remembered their parting and as he stared at this photo his heart yet again went into spasm. That had been the last time he and his father had been a complete family.
The kindly assistant noticing his pallor offered him a seat and brought him a glass of water. He sat there on the second hand sofa feeling quite traumatised. He knew that the bracelet had belonged to his mother and sister. They had hidden it on their person, to ensure that they would have some financial resources when they reached England. How on earth had this photo of that bracelet arrived in this charity shop? His mother and sister had never been found and his father had told him that they may have been betrayed, and could have been sent to any of the camps. Yet as he stared at the photograph again he knew that the bracelet was indeed the identical one to his, and that his father had made them both.
His father and Isaac had struggled when they had first come to England, but father had been such a great craftsman that it was not long after the war that he was employed by a jeweller in Hatton Garden. He had remained there until he had died five years ago. The bracelet had become the symbol of the family as a unit and whilst they struggled neither Isaac nor his father could bear to part with the only physical link that the family had shared. His father never ever made another bracelet. The kindly assistant who had sat him down and gave him the water reappeared at his side. Isaac reassured her that he was feeling much better now and struggled to get up, asking about the photograph. She told him to sit back and regain his composure and she would get the picture for him.
Isaac sat there his eyes misting up as the photo was put into his hands the sticky label priced it as £4.50. He handed it back to her and asked her to put it most carefully in a bag, and he rummaged for a five pound note in his pocket. When she returned with his change and the bag he suddenly thought to ask her if she knew where it had come from. She said that she would ask out the back of the shop where most of the stock was sorted and priced, but advised him that most of their donations were just handed in at the shop anonymously.
Isaac waited patiently clutching the bag tightly, his heart beat was settling and he had felt his pacemaker kick into operation when he first entered the shop. Gradually he felt his colour returning, and as he tried to gather his thoughts a young man from the back of the shop came and sat next to him. The young man was very respectful and asked Isaac what it was he wanted to know. Isaac showed him the photograph and asked if the assistant knew where it had come from. As Isaac watched him the young man shook his head and explained that very rarely did they know where their stock came from. His heart and stomach sank and he felt full of despair. He rose from the chair and headed out, as he reached the door the young assistant caught him up and said that whilst he did not know about the photograph, his girlfriend had pointed out a bracelet very similar to the one in the framed photograph had been in a display in the pawnbrokers across the road. Isaac thanked the young man and crossed over the road to the shop in question.
The old shop window shutters were down but Isaac could see the vintage jewellery; some of it appeared unredeemed pledges, other pieces brought in for sale. Since he had taken early retirement Isaac had often stood and looked in these windows and wondered about the history of various items. He searched the window high and low but could not see the bracelet. He noticed that there were some gaps in the displays, perhaps where the more expensive items had been removed and placed in a safe. How much he had hoped it had not been sold. How would he be able to find out about it if it had gone? He buzzed the door bell and as he waited he noticed the closed sign. He read that it was a half day closing today and with a shrug of his shoulders and a sigh of despair he noted the time the shop opened in the morning and turning headed for home.
Isaac did not know what to do with himself his mind was a ferment of imaginings. His hands and arms suddenly felt stiff and he realised that he was clutching the photo so tightly afraid to ease hold of it. Still in a daze and feeling shocked his feet trudged along the pavement appearing to find their own way home. He closed his front door behind him and hung up his coat; he unpacked the photograph and leaned it against the clock on the mantelpiece. Isaac made a cup of tea and pulled up his chair and just stared and stared, his mind was in turmoil. He counted the crosses time and time again; he knew the colours off by heart. This was his father's second bracelet there was no doubt.
He slept fitfully in the chair his emotions having drained him. Eventually he made a final effort and clutching the photo he staggered up the stairs and fell asleep fully clothed on the bed. The picture remained safe in his hands. Isaac had suffered from nightmares as a child and most often the same recurring dream woke him up crying and calling for his mother and sister. Tonight the nightmares returned and Isaac remembered the terrors experienced on their escape to England. Tonight was more vivid than ever before and he woke up desolate and sobbing, he remembered how his father had sat and comforted him and would never leave his bedside until he fell asleep again. Tonight he was alone and felt totally bereft, he knew that at age fifty plus he should not feel so isolated but he hated feeling an orphan.
He was bathed in sweat so Isaac took a very hot shower and freshened himself up. It was still only three a.m. it was going to be a long morning until nine a.m. when the jewellers opened. He returned to his bed but this time at least he got between the sheets and slept. The alarm was set for eight and Isaac was out of bed with great enthusiasm, he just felt good about today. He could not bear to contemplate not finding out about his very dear mother and sister, but with a troubled heart he walked into town and back to the shop. The photograph was back in the bag and was again being carried safely and securely.
Isaac hesitated as he approached the jewellers, he could see that the shutters were up and the window display now seemed complete. He looked again very carefully across and down over each item in the window, no the bracelet was not there and his heart sank. He rang the bell and turned to face the door and watched as a young man came to unlock the door and to invite Isaac in. The assistant introduced himself as Jac and asked how he could help. Isaac must have again looked pale as Jac offered him a seat. Very carefully Isaac brought the photograph out of the bag and showed it to him. He explained that he had been told that a bracelet similar to the one in the photograph had been seen in this shop window. Isaac wanted to know about this item and he explained very carefully the history of the piece and that he had the matching identical bracelet.
Jac excused himself and asking if he could take the photograph with him he went to the back of the shop. Isaac could hear the feet as they went up the stairs and then the quiet mumbling of voices through the ceiling. Patiently as he waited he tried to calm himself, he thought that Jac had been surprised to see the photograph but Isaac felt that the photograph and the bracelet had been familiar to the assistant. Time passed and Isaac sat waiting. He heard the phone ping as it was picked up and could hear a muttered conversation. Eventually he heard two sets of steps coming down the stairs and Jac came back into view and as he stepped back he said, 'I would like to introduce you to my grandmother, Ruth.'
Following behind him was a tall elegant lady with snow white hair, her eyebrows were thick and white and appeared close together and arched smoothly into the lines of the nose. The lids were full and the eyes were large, dark and brilliant, they gave a dreamy melancholic expression to her face. Her hands were slim and long fingered and indeed were the exact same hands that had been wrapped around the cocktail glass and hanging around the wrist was his father's other bracelet. They came together in tears of joy and sadness, a lot of loving could now be shared and a whole lot of living needed to be caught up on. His mother was back in his life and his sister was on her way to the shop. But one thing was for sure Isaac knew he need never feel that he was an orphan, isolated or alone ever again.