The Time Mender 

By Lee Kendrick 

I have always been interested in horology since I was eight years old. Back in London in the mid-60s, my Uncle Bill used to repair clocks and watches, sometimes, he would bring some home from work to repair for customers. When I would visit him and my aunt Betty with my parents I would pull up a chair and sit watching him tinkering with a clock or watch.

I was so fascinated watching Bill using what he called his…  Little people's tools …Miniature tools such as screwdrivers and pliers, while wearing a special eye magnifier; positioning a tiny cog, spring or gear. It was a type of meditation for me, causing me to go into a trance! 

Because I was so engrossed in what Uncle Bill was doing when Aunt Betty asked me at Teatime if I wanted jam on toast or other food she would snap her fingers in front of my face and shout Steven to jolt me out of my daze and Back then I'm sure they thought I had some attention problem!

By the time I left school at 16 I had to look for work. But due to my interest in horology, my uncle offered me a job working at his repair shop. Now aged twenty-six, I'm still working at the repair shop and haven't ever wanted to do anything else. Sadly, after my uncle passed away two years ago, at seventy-nine, and aunt Betty, last year, I kept the business ticking over (no pun intended!)

 Soon after both my parents recently passed I moved from home into the flat above the repair shop. Due to a lack of business, I have had to diversify to make more money in business by selling clocks and watches; now repairing other things such as radios, cameras, TVs, and even clockwork toys; All right, I'm not going to be rich, but I am comfortably well-off.

Over the years, working with various timepieces has given me some strange experiences! And I realise now, why when I was a young boy I seemed to go into some kind of trance. When observing my uncle Bill, repairing a watch or clock. What I never mentioned to anyone was while in a trance state I was in a different environment. I was somehow affecting the present time; And was able to see people in a past setting in their home,wearing the watch or I could see their clock in their bedroom, etc., which I had just been repairing.

Why these timeslips occur I don't know, but these last few months my visions have grown in clarity; So much so, that when I stop time I feel myself projecting into another environment … a bedroom, the drawing room of a manor house, or garden. 

One such incident occurred that was so fantastic, It's hard to believe it really happened! I was given the lucrative assignment of repairing an 18th-century French clock— a type of Grandfather clock for an Antique dealer for his American buyer, worth £250, if I got it ticking again!… It stopped working many years ago!

After working on it for five days, and putting all my other repair jobs on hold on the fifth day, late at night I got it ticking. Shortly after, my room seemed to spin. I guess it's like the feeling people get if they suffer from vertigo.

Seconds later, I saw an incredible sight of people in 18th-century clothes, wearing wigs and speaking French. To my surprise, I understood what they were saying. However, some times in my visions this isn't always the case, I would need a translator to understand what has been said. The room I was in was very affluent with the most beautiful ornate furniture and fireplace. I then heard a loud ticking sound and saw the same clock that I'm repairing was standing in a corner of the room. Suddenly there was a loud bong as the clock struck twelve; Immediately a strange vibration ran up my spine. And then I was back by the clock in my repair room, feeling drained. I just had to go to bed!

This time thing is like a two edged sword…It's a gift but it is also a curse! The thing is I love my job and if it means having the occasional side effect with these time experiences then so be it. Anyway, the antique dealer was pleased with the clock, and apparently, so was his American customer, who gave him a bonus for having the clock working.

But I too am very pleased because any clocks and watches the antique dealer wants repairing he comes to me,which Is very lucrative for me. And it's a bonus with each timepiece giving me wonderful experiences! 

 Tomorrow I have an interesting project to start working on. An elderly German gentleman wants me to repair his Second World War watch a friend gave him shortly before passing on. It is an interesting watch because it was given to Waffen SS German soldiers in the 1940s, during World War II. It's a No.61 Eaglemoss Military Watch. The Waffen SS were Hitler's elite combat soldiers. They swore allegiance to Hitler. I have never repaired a German military watch before so it could be a challenge for me! And the No. 61 is extremely rare, even unheard of!

As morning came I phoned Beth, my girlfriend, to arrange a drink in our local pub tonight. Beth lives with her parents, both Jewish who moved to England from Germany after the War broke out in 1939. At the weekend I'm going to visit Beth's parents for tea for the first time. I just hope I can make a good impression so they like me!

After a busy day, with people asking me to repair their: TV, radio, carriage clock and a Japanese clockwork robot; I Closed the shop and after a short tea break, I went into my workshop to start repairing the German Waffen SS watch.

Fitting my eyeglass to my eye, after numerous failed attempts to open the back of the watch with a jewel screwdriver I finally prised it open. To my astonishment I had never seen such workings before in a watch. Inside I saw the various workings of the watch: a type of mainspring, the balance wheel, a weighted component that oscillates at a given rate, and there's the escapement, but they were all constructed differently. Normally there are attached to the escapement two pink tab jewels– Rubies; Strange this has three Rubies connected to it! This is unheard of.

Looking closer at the Mainspring I notice it didn't have your typical spring; these are wound up to move the watch hands. But this one is different; it seems to be made up of minute crystals linked together, probably quartz. There are twenty-four of them, this must be linked to the twenty-four hours a day - well approx anyway. This watch is way ahead of its time. There is even what looks like a tiny battery compartment. This is remarkable, the watch is twenty-four years old! How can this be possible? Switzerland and Japan have just started researching the possibilities of quartz watches!

 It seems a few privileged Waffen SS had worn these special watches for a special purpose. My problem is, how the heck am I going to fix this watch when I don't recognise these watch parts? 

The German wants the watch repaired in a few days, I would normally be able to repair a typical watch in an hour or so. 

Then I had a brainstorm! I could solder copper wire to the battery compartment connection points!

After numerous failed attempts to solder copper wire to the connections it was done… Then all hell let loose! A loud beeping sound went off from the watch, making me jump out of the chair! Finally stopping after a few seconds. I noticed the watch hands now working. But I got a surprise when an aerial slid out the side of the watch. Then an even bigger shock when I heard a voice in German emanate from the watch shouting… "Hallo Nummer 49, kannst Mich Hören?" Learning German from Beth I was able to understand what the man was saying… (hello number 49, can you hear me?) I realised this was no ordinary watch! But also a communication device… A mini walky-talky! 

I was so dumbstruck, that I didn't know whether to say something or keep quiet. 

 Soon I started to feel light-headed and a feeling of time standing still. I realised I projected my consciousness to a different place and time. In front of me was a German Waffen SS soldier sitting by a radio trying to speak to number 49 during the war, Very sinister! But as I scanned the radio operator's room, there were a few radio operators, communicating to a number of people assigned a different number.

I got the distinct impression of evil from this place. A feeling that this was part of a secret Nazi organisation and that they were conspiring some diabolical plot!

Moments later, I could feel a tingling sensation down my spine then a vibration, the next thing I knew I was back in my workshop sitting by the Waffen watch, feeling drained as usual. I had to ground myself so I made some tea and rested a while. It was then I remembered I was to meet Beth to take her to the pub for a drink. When I checked the time I couldn't believe it was 10 o'clock. I was going to meet her around 8 p.m. I phoned her and explained I was working on a big job and lost track of time. She got angry and slammed the phone down on me! Not a good sign! I guess I will have to try to make it up to her somehow. 

The following morning I decided to check that the Waffen watch was still working and hoped to find out more, where and who exactly these people were. But before I even touched the watch…

Hallo Nummer 49, kannst du mich hören? 

 Then like a whirlwind I seem to spin round at a fantastic rate and projected inside, what I could only describe as a castle. There were some six radio operators sitting by their radios communicating with numerous Secret SS, Waffen operatives. And there were two men sitting in burgundy, coloured posh armchairs, listening in on what messages were communicated back to the radio operators. These two elderly gentlemen were very dashing in their waffen uniforms and medals. I imagine both of them were highly-ranked officers, one a Colonel the other a General.

Looking further into the large, castle living room I saw an ornate fireplace and above was maybe a 10X8 foot coloured photo of Hitler with folded arms, with a deadly serious look on his face!

Just then one of the radio operators turned to one of the two men and said: 

“Sir number 49s watch is on, but he still doesn't answer!” The man in the armchair told him to keep on trying.

“Ja, Mein General!” Shouted the operator.

Just then there was a loud knock at the large oak door. The General asked the person to enter.

Another General entered the room.

"Hello, Herr General Klepp!” said General Bader, "Come in and let me show you our plans!"

Both Generals after a short talk walked towards some book shelves. General Bader then took a book from the middle shelf. Suddenly, a door opened up to the side of the bookshelves and the Generals went inside. Like a ghost I passed through the door and was shocked by what I saw…

A model of the “Houses Of Parliament.”

“So General Bader, when is it going to take place? Well General, Klepp sir, in just a week from today the English will, as you know, celebrate “Guy Fawkes Night! You know when they have fireworks and bonfires all over the country?”

“Well I thought, why don't we join the party and resurrect Guy Fawkes by doing what he failed to do?” laughed General Bader…and Blow it up with their Prime minister and all the party's MPs inside!

I was gobsmacked. How could they hope to make this happen?

“This sounds too fantastic, General Bader, but how can anyone get in there if they are not an MP?”

“But Herr General Klepp, have you not heard of the Trojan Horse?” 

“ Yes, of course that is one of the strategies all our German Generals are taught at military school.

“Don't you remember Mein General sir, since the 1950s we have infiltrated the British Parliament by placing our own people in their system? We have people in key positions ready at a moment's notice to act. Our sleepers are primed and ready to go into action!” In a few days my men posing as security will plant the small bomb devices in the same place where Guy Fawkes was discovered. Then while out of the building they will detonate the bombs remotely!

As I listened to this insane General Bader speak to his leader General Klepp I started wondering how can I prevent this attack from happening?

Then I couldn't believe what General Bader said next…

“When the houses of Parliament are destroyed, that's when the New Prime Minister, Harold Malden, after pretending to be in bed with the flu during the bomb blast in Parliament; will rally the English people on his side against the terrorist who did this and they will vote him as their new Prime Minister!”

Now in shock, I felt a vibration and was forced back to my shop. I felt tired and desperate to find the answer to how to stop these Nazis before it was too late. 

First I needed to know where this castle was in Germany? Then by some miracle, I had to get the police or whoever to believe me, so they could capture these Nazis. .

Moments later, I could hear banging at my door. Opening the door I saw Beth.

“Steven, what took you so long to open the door?” 

“What's wrong Beth?”

“I went past your shop at 12 o'clock and saw people unable to get in. I was worried something may have happened to you!” Said Beth, starting to cry.

“Calm down Beth, I was in the workshop. I 

I can't believe it's so late. Sorry I worried you!” I kissed her cheek and explained I needed to speak to her Dad urgently. I wanted him to meet me at the shop right away. 

It was a long shot but Beth's parents had run-ins with the Waffen SS prior to escaping on a boat to England. I was wondering if he knew about either of the Generals I saw in the castle.

Finally, after Beth contacted her Dad he arrived thirty- minutes later. After closing the shop Beth, her Dad, Karl and I sat with a cup of tea while I explained everything that had happened about the Waffen watch, and the projection to the castle, and then I told Karl the name of the two Generals in the castle. Suddenly, he turned pale:

“How could you possibly know these men? Nazi hunters have been after these two for twenty years after their War Crimes in Belarus!” Karl was starting to believe me!

I explained about their plot and that we only had about six days to stop the Nazis.

He asked me the name of the German coming to collect his watch today. This time he went deathly white. His Nazi hunter friends wanted this Manfred Schmidt, a Waffen SS Panzer commander for atrocities he had committed in Russian villages.He told me I must find out the name of the castle in Germany and he will contact his Nazi hunter friends to tell the German police.

That night I activated the watch and managed to project back to the castle.

“Why am I seeing men in Kilts?”

 I could see two Scottish men saying “heil Hitler” as they gave the Nazi salute to General Bader sitting behind a desk.

“Thank you gentlemen for letting my men and I stay at Lingverness Castle. You are true patriots of our cause!”

This is unbelievable the Nazis are right on our doorstep in Scotland. I must get back and tell Karl.

I phoned Karl who said he'd meet me at the shop when Schmidt arrives to collect his watch later today. Apparently, the Nazi hunters contacted Interpol so they prepared all the proof and sent it over by telegram to New Scotland Yard. Arrests were soon to be made.

“ Hello, Mr Schmidt, I've got your watch ready!” I said, trying to hide my nervousness. 

“Danke! Well done, here's your money.” 

“Hello, you old fool! Exclaimed Karl.”

“What are you doing Here?” Asked Schmidt. 

“Why did you bring your watch here? You should've contacted General Bader. He would've sent you a new battery for your watch. This man now knows who you are!”

 Shouted Karl.

“And now I know who you are!” I said.

“Put the gun down Karl!” At that moment two Special Branch officers rushed into my shop firing their guns, hitting Karl in the arm and leg. Dropping him to the floor. 

I had earlier in the day contacted the police. They were already aware of the Nazi plot to blow up the houses of Parliament, and Interpol and the Nazi hunters already knew about Karl. 

 The Nazi Generals and their men and the two Scotsmen at the castle were arrested earlier today, along with traitor- Harold Malden who will probably be hanged with the rest of them after their trial.

As for poor Beth, she managed to get over losing her Nazi father and we got married a few months ago. Her Nazi days were over and no one needed to be the wiser!

Ends