The House with the Green Door

The House with the Green Door

It was Sunday again, and 5 o’clock. The gate swung open and two men walked up the path. The tall one knocked three times on the green door. The door opened a crack.

“Who is it?”

“Rudolf sent us.”

The door opened wide enough to let them in.

Half an hour later the door opened again and the two men walked down the path in the dusk, to a waiting car. This time they were not empty handed. They each carried a bag over their shoulders.

It was time for supper inside the house. The mother served a dish of steaming vegetables and a dish of meat and potato stew (skipperlabskovs). The daily rations for the four of them. The vegetables came from the garden and the meat was the cheapest cuts that the mother could find at the Supermarket.  Leftovers were for the following day. It was always the same.

Ena, the mother took a paper from her apron pocket and spread it out on the table.

“ I have a letter from Mille to say that her son Frederick is on a safari trip out to South Africa. The letter is dated five months ago. With our poor postal service it is no wonder it has taken so long to get here! Where can Frederick be? He will of course have to stay with us, being the son of my old school friend.”

“ But Mother, how will we hide what we are doing from Frederick?” asked Pernille.

“We will make a plan, don’t worry.”

Ena’s husband Folke, swallowed a mouthful of stew,

 “The thing is, we, as a family have agreed that we are doing the right thing, not only for us as a family but for our friends.”

“Of course,” burst in Helge, “No one can accuse us of deliberately breaking the law but we don’t want Frederick to be in the soup if we are found out. Because he will be staying here, he too will be in trouble, if we are found out.”

The Jensen family had come to South Africa for the sun. Three years before, they had opened up a small restaurant called Moma which was flourishing. At least it had flourished right up to March of this year.

Then the pandemic hit the world. Covid 19, it was now called and the South African Government had declared a State of Emergency and like other countries all over the world, had laid down rules and regulations to be followed.

Most of the rules were in keeping with global trends although every country had variations. In South Africa there had been a total and unique ban on alcohol and cigarettes.

“I suggest we wait and see if Frederick arrives and then we will make a plan,” said the mother.

 Frederick turned up on the doorstep the next day, with his backpack and looking travel worn.

“Hi everyone, I hope you got my mother’s letter saying I was on my way here?”

“It only arrived yesterday!” said Ena, “Welcome to our house, Frederick it is wonderful to see you!”

Pernille was glad to see that Frederick had not changed in looks or in manner since she had last seen him in Denmark. He had the same hairstyle, blonde hair falling over his forehead and the same smile that lit up his eyes as he looked at her.

The family members looked at each other with trepidation. What were they to do now?

“Come and make yourself comfortable Frederick, I will make space for you in the spare room.

Frederick noticed the uneasy looks they exchanged and wondered to himself.

“We are going to our shop to collect some stuff” said Folke the father. “Make yourself at home and we will see you in a while.”

The family drove to the shop where they had a meeting about how to guard their secret. The shop was empty because of the Pandemic. Theirs was not the only business that was threatened with closure . The whole country was suffering. Like in America, Breweries were closing and wine Farms were turning their workers off. All restaurants like Moma were closed and the people were struggling to survive.

“Look we decided, the four of us, that we would sell the stock of alcoholic beverages from the shop to our friends. We are trying to survive financially and this is one way we can keep going for the present and put food on the table.”

“We are helping our friends, particularly the elderly ones who are isolated from their friends and families. Now at the end of a dreary day they cannot even have the consolation of a solitary glass of wine . There is no respite from the miserable days of the ‘Lockdown’” said the mother.

“What are we going to do about Frederick?”

“We will try to keep him out of the way whenever we have people collecting the stuff.”

“We are no better than the  bootleggers in America during Prohibition.’ Said Pernille.

“Pernille you will have to get Frederick out of the way at collection times.  Start thinking of how you are going to do this.”

On  that first Sunday, Pernille asked Frederick to go for a walk with her. He was reluctant but the thought of spending time alone with her, helped him to decide.

Pernille took Frederick up Table Mountain. She led him up along the contour path to Cecilia Forest where they went up and up. Frederick stumbled often and started to complain. Boulder hopping was not for him!

“Pernille, can’t we turn back I really do not enjoy this. You know coming from Denmark that the highest hill, Ejer Bavnehøj is only just over 170 m high. Danes are not used to mountain climbing.

“You have not the right shoes on” said Pernille.

“What do you mean, I have not the right shoes. They are Danish shoes and the Danes make the best.”

“Not in this instance. Come we are getting near the top and we can have a picnic tea.”

Pernille looked at her watch. With any luck they would have tea and get back down the mountain before dark and the collection would have been made by the time they got back to the house. She did not wish to be on the mountain after dark.

The following Sunday when the next pick up was due, Pernille again asked Frederick to go for a walk.

“ We will go to Kirstenbosch Garden. We will go in at the top gate because the bottom gate is closed for Lockdown. It is an easy walk this time, compared to last week.”

 Frederick looked at her dubiously. “Alright but promise me to turn back if  I find it is very rocky?”

Pernille led Frederick along the contour path once again and they got to the way leading up to Skeleton Gorge. This was a new experience for Frederick where he had to clamber up a chain ladder.

“Pernille , I want to go back to the house, now!”

“Just a bit further Fred and we can stop for tea again. I have made some linser and I know you cannot resist those!”

Once again the collection was made.

The third Sunday Frederick, who had become suspicious  stated that he would go on the train to Kalk Bay, where there was a little fishing harbour and see if he could find a temporary job helping the fishermen offload their catch of the day. He needed to earn some money and an acquaintance in the village had mentioned the possibility to him of finding some work.

He went off in the early part of the day but instead of going to Kalk Bay, doubled back and around 5pm hid in the garden near the front door. The men came on time and knocked three times on the door . The question was asked,

“Who is it?”

“Rudolf sent us.”

The door opened and the men disappeared inside.

On the fourth Sunday, Frederick again went out, saying he would be back late.

Shortly before 5pm He walked boldly up to the green door and knocked three times.

“Who is it?”

“Rudolf sent us “

 said Frederick in the gruffest voice he could manage.

The door opened and in he walked.

“Oh you have found us out, dealing in banned goods and breaking the law.”

“ Pernille, there is no need for you to have guilty feelings, when you are talking to a partner in crime.”

“ What are you talking about?”

“ I have been a ‘go between ‘ in the sale of banned tobacco products since I got here. Someone I met on the safari across Africa, has a tobacco farm near here and roped me in to help him and his family keep the farm afloat.”