Page 277 - harryDEC12_clean.iba

Said once Joyce Meyer, the American preacher (although in generally I do not quote preachers). And that seemed to be the case with the Lloyd‘s underwriters on that afternoon. We decided to leave them in that belief. We remained skeptical. Obviously Jefferson had completely lost control of the US part of his business. John thought he ought to give up on it. We would speak to him in quiet, once the insurers were gone. To everybody’s surprise James Duck, the managing director of CSB, felt obliged to make a speech, which was really not his style.
„I have to say that I have been coming here with misgivings and concern, but after these two days I have to say to you, Fred Jefferson, you seem to have assembled around you the finest team of yacht specialists that can currently be found in the overseas Markets.“
„Thank you for that, James,“
Fred answered. He had won this round.
„Let us drink to that and to a bright common future.“
And we all lifted our filled champagne glasses to a toast, and the glasses were abundantly refilled. Even the Lloyd’s underwriters seemed satisfied and we were back on our way to London. But Jefferson’s prophecies should fail.
When I arrived at the apartment, my spirit burst from one moment to the next like a soap bubble. Lian Sophia had left - she had gone back to Israel to her Kibbutz - but nobody could really say why. She had packed her things from one day to the other, paid her rent and simply left without explanation - no note, no address, no nothing. It seemed that she had left my life without leaving a thread behind to follow. I was despaired. I started wondering, whether I had really met her, or whether it was in my dreams. But then there was her independent, restless spirit that pushed her to ever-new shores. She would have gone to the University in Tel Aviv - to study what precisely? - would she know? I wondered. I sat down for a moment in meditation and then calmness came over me - I was sure that I would hear from her soon-out of the blue and unexpected. Yes, we would meet again in the future at another place, it could not be different I thought. There was a bond created between us, still frail but powerful and I would do everything to preserve it because it was valuable and rare. I poured myself a stiff drink and slowly I dozed off into a sentimental but hopeful state of mind. When it was dark, I woke up and I thought of Lina Sophia again - what would she be doing now - I wondered. Whatever it was, I hoped she would be doing the right thing, as like me she was prone to take wrong decisions, on a personal level I mean if I could only protect her, I thought, perhaps better than myself.
oOo
276