Page 41 - My Memoirs - Max Kurz

I was introduced to the headmaster, and I told my story. He knew of Mr. Stuart and advised that he had gone to South Africa to teach however he understood that he had since returned to the UK. He ushered me into his office and proceeded to make a telephone call, after a short conversation he handed me the telephone and a deep voice in a clear tone started to recite a poem. He then asked me if I remembered the words and what book it was from. I found it difficult to compose myself and was next to tears. I was speaking to my childhood beloved teacher Mr. Stuart and the book of course was “Faulk the Dauntless”. He like myself was delighted to hear from me and insisted that Renee and I visit him and his wife that night for dinner which we most certainly did.
It was a lovely evening; I was taken aback by seeing him physically after all these years he looked so much older and obviously in poor health. He told me about his relationship with my Dad, and how my Dad found it difficult to pay for tuition fees, nevertheless Mr. Stuart tutored me for as long as he was able. He reiterated the toll the war years had taken on my Dad; I would have liked to have heard more from him but under the circumstances I had to make do with what I was able to learn.
The next endeavour was to contact my parent’s best friends Norbert and Sally, I was able to extract their contact details and tried to contact them. Much to my disappointment and wonderment they were non-receptive and did not want to even speak with me. To this day, that has puzzled me, and I still do not know the reason.
We continued our memory lane trip visiting the Jewish Hospital where Dad had worked and other landmarks that I remembered.
The one important event was my first visit to the grave site where my dad was buried in Prestwich.
I was only 12 years of age when I was first there, and 20 years later at 32, it was a moving moment full of grief and sorrow. Remembering that when my father died, I was numb, devoid of feeling, confused and did not really understand what was happening.
Now I stood before his grave questioning why?
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