page 16, Dettaiber'22, 1976 - Norlir SiGe News" |
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By Marguerite Gildersleeve

It was Christmas 1944 in

Amsterdam.

Our country had been
occupied for four and a half
years. The situation had
become unbearable since the
ill-fated Allied parachute
landings in Arnhem, when
for a few days we lived in
hope of liberation.

The Dutch countryside lay
bleak and frozen. Hunger
and fear ruled our lives; my

father and two brothers were .

’ in hiding. But as Christmas
drew near our hearts were
filled with hope.

My mother went ahead
with great plans to make this
Christmas morning a won-
derful event in spite of
tationing. the curfew and the
problem of getting the three
men out of hiding.

There was no tree, but we
had some holly branches to
decorate the one room, and
we were able to heat with a
tiny little stove, much like an
old-fashioned top hat.

We even managed to
ration our rations, so we
could give father and the
boys some extra slices of
bread and an ege each.

Air Canada namesNorth

But mother's biggest sur-

prise was to be a half-pound
tin of butter, real butter,
which she had somehow
managed to save all those
years. She tied it with red
ribbon and put it in the
centre of the decorated
breakfast table.

No candles, but our light
was an ingeniously rigged-up
treadie sewing machine with
a bicycle-lamp suspended
from the antique chandelier.
I would sit at the machine
and pedal, and the whole
table would be bathed in
light.

The big day came at
last—bitter, bitter cold. And
as soon as curfew was lifted,
mother and I went to church.
Father and the boys did not
risk going to church as. the
Gestapo was hot on their tail.
But one by-one they came in
through the garden-gate and
we heard their familiar
whistle.

We gathered around the
table, thrilled at the sight of
a full breadbasket and
miracle of miracles...a tin of
butter, and syrup made from
boiled-down sugarbeets.

While we. sang the old,
familiar carols, Mother open-
ed the tin, then....horrors!
We all smelled it at the same
time. The butter was com-
pletely rancid and uneatable.

Mother -went into shock
with disappointment, her big
surprise ruined. She was
inconsolable.

It was the most dramatic
and sad:moment of my life as
a child. We all rushed around
mother and told her it was
just as well,
could not have tolerated the
butter. We still had the
syrup, -the eggs and—big-
gest, unexpected surprise of
all—a_ beautiful bottle of
burgundy wine, produced by
father out of his secret store.

So there we were, crying,
laughing. clinking glasses,
forgetting the spoiled butter
and eating and drinking to
our heart’s content.

Then father read to us in
English from Dickens’ Pick-
wick Papers and we all
basked in the glow of his
voice, the beauty of that tale,

and the happiness of our

reunion on (as it turned out
to be) that last Christmas day
of the war.

Vancouver resident

Gordon Woida of North
Vancouver has been appoint-
ed as Air Canada's Agency
and Interline Sates Manager,
it was announced this week
by Don McLean, Air Canada
General Manager for British
Columbia and the Pacific
Northwest.

‘In this new position within
Air Canada’s Pacific Coast

district, Mr. Woida will be ‘f

responsible for directing

business and promotional -

activities as they relate to
other airlines and travel
agencies.

Mr. Woida is a native of

1953, and moved to Vancou-
ver in 1955. He is experienc-
ed in both cargo § and
passenger sales.

?

Mr. Woida will continue to
report to Mr. Bill Rourke, Air
Canada Passenger Sales
Manager, in Vancouver.

‘Seet us for ‘good. hearing aid

, Service — sales repairs,
w * batteries, and. advice.

northwestem:
hearing centre

we probably -

4a

eee this i iS
what your
Canada —
Manpower
Centre can
do for you”

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* up to date listing of local and out of town jobs.
e matching of workers with jobs —
e clearance of vacancies which cannot be filled locally

e telex communications with all Manpower Centers across the:
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* free aptitude, ability and interest testing service

@ vocational upgrading and vacational training

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* summer employment and career counselling for students
e labour market Information = -

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north vancouver
Open Tues.-Fri., 0:30-5;
Sat. 0:30-1. Closed Mon...

For additional information contact your Canada Manpower Center.

1221 Lonsdale, N. Van. 988-1151 |

Bruce, Alberta. He joined
Air Canada in Edmonton in

985-5552