Chapter 18 - The Dike

During the harsh winter, the Dutch people were suffering from starvation and cold. However, hope arrived when two Swedish ships brought supplies to Delsal Harbor. The ships were unable to proceed further due to the frozen canal, but luckily it began to rain, signaling the thawing of the canal. The arrival of the supplies brought joy and gratitude to the Dutch population. Later, more ships arrived from Sweden and the Dutch people voted to help the Noldenarpolder farmers who were suffering from flooding. They decided to open the dike and let the water in. The process of opening the dike was a big event, with many spectators and a festive atmosphere. Despite the challenges, the Dutch people remained hopeful and believed that their love for their country would prevail. Chapter 18, The Dyke The weather got colder and colder. Mother Verhagen found so many starving strangers begging at her door that her supplies gave out. With the war never-end, people began to fear that liberation would come too late. And then, on Tuesday, January 30th, the Dutch newspapers carried a message of hope. Two Swedish ships had arrived in Delsal Harbor, laden with flour, peas, dried vegetables, margarine, cod liver oil, and milk powder. It was a gift from the Swedish Red Cross and would be distributed to children in hospitals. Unfortunately, the ships could not proceed further along the frozen canal until it thawed. As if in answer to prayer, it began to rain that same evening. Shivering and starving, Holland rejoiced. A few days later, extra loaves were distributed on the rations. The population of the cities went wild with gratitude. It was as if there were no barriers anymore. Perfect strangers rejoiced together. Many prayers went up to thank God for sending the bread in Holland's darkest hour. On February 13th, more ships arrived from Sweden. This time, everyone got a loaf of bread and a package of margarine free. To the Dutch people, those loaves came with some messages the dove brought to Noah. The waters of bitterness were receding. And meanwhile, it rained. The snow melted away and seeped into the ditches, which filled and overflowed. Mr. Verhagen was glad he had taught Hildebrand to help him. There was too much work for one person. The mill had to pump steadily, but it was doing its job. The grass in the Rheinsederpolder was no wetter than it should have been. It was a different situation altogether in Noldenarpolder. The shortage of electricity in Holland had assumed major proportions. Even these industries could, which had priority now, find themselves without current. The rations the Noldenar mill received were negligible, and consequently pumping stopped. The rain did not stop, however. And so the Noldenarpolder was filling up. First, it changed into a muddy morass. And presently, there was only a blank sheet of water, which reflected the trees and buildings, and crooked gates which protruded from it. The Noldenar families were alarmed and indignant. Their houses, crops, and cattle were suffering. They were practically marooned in the shallow water. They complained bitterly. Mr. Tromp, the engineer who ran their pump, walked to Leyden to argue his rights with the electricity supply board. He found chaos. Crowds of people had arrived on exactly the same errand. And there were few officials to talk to them. Most of the members of the board were in bed with the dreaded hunger edema, a disease from which many died. Mr. Tromp, not Trump, Mr. Tromp, heard hair-raising stories of inundations and miseries in other parts of Holland, and trudged back with the news that there was nothing he could do. The Verhagen family had just finished a meal of newly caught tyke, when they saw a procession coming along the dyke, heading for the watchman. In front walked Mr. Schinderhans. He was followed by other farmers of the Noldenarpolder. There was a hang-dog look about them. Diek transit gloria mundi, said Hildebrand, vanishing into the attic. Mother hastily carried the empty dishes to the kitchen, while father straightened his tie and went to open the door to the visitors. Presently, the little living room was so full of people, there weren't chairs enough. Some had to stand. Farmer Schinderhans cleared his throat. Mr. Verhagen, he began, we've come to make a request. We believe it might be possible for the watchman to drain our polder, as well as the Rheinseder. We're in a tight spot. If the water gets any higher, we're ruined. We're ruined already! Piped the small farmer. The grass roots are dying, the pizzerias are rotting. Father scratched his chin. He was trying not to feel triumphant that they had been forced to come to him, the old-fashioned miller, for help. It is not for me to decide, he explained. I'll notify the president of the polder board, and he'll probably call a general meeting of all the farmers of the Rheinseder polder. It'll have to be put to a vote. Mr. Schinderhans looked worried. Perhaps he remembered the many times he had paraded the superiority of his own polder. Perhaps he wished now that he had been less patronizing to the Rheinseder farmers, since his wealth and well-being now depended on their votes. It is also possible that the other farmers had similar thoughts. How much time will that take? I asked, anxiously. I'll see about it right away, Father promised. The farmers relaxed, and accepted a cup of acorn coffee from Mother before they left. That afternoon, Father went to the general meeting at the polder house, and when he came back, he looked happy. We won, he said. They voted to help the Noordaar. Noordaar polder farmers. But it was a tight squeak. Many were against it, and I can't altogether blame them. The argument was that the others had chosen electricity, for better or worse, and why should we now suffer to help them out? What did you say, Father? asked Earthjan. I told him it was their duty, said Father, that this nation had been built by Dutchmen cooperating against their enemy, water, and they could not abandon the Noordaar people. I also told him it would not be so risky. The Watchmen is a powerful mill. And though our polder is only half the size of the Noordaar, we have our lake, which gives us a far greater water capacity. Somebody asked, What if the wind should drop and the Watchmen be stopped? I told him it was most unlikely in February, with the southwest wind. So they voted for it, said Mother. They did. Father smiled to himself in a pleased way. Will it make them change their minds, Father? asked Joris. Will it make them stick to the wind? It might, said Father, still with that pleased smile. It might very well, if we do the job. And Joris thought to himself, We must do the job! We must! Father started right away to speed up the mill by adding sails. Joris and Earthjan and Hildebrand all helped. Now the milllings were going very fast, and the Watchmen trembled and shivered and shook while the wind flashed in front of its window, and you could hear the water foaming out into the canal. We must be way below our water level when they open the dike tomorrow, said Father. So they were going to open the dike. Joris and Earthjan were both silent with a kind of awe. All their lives they had been brought up to respect the dikes. The bulwarks which kept out Holland's greatest enemy. No sacrifice was too great to keep them in repair, and now one of the dikes would be pierced and the enemy would wash around their own mill. They were up early the next day to see what would happen. The farmers of the Noordenaarpaldaar were already massing the corner of Mr. Koren's farm where the dike would be pierced. They brought planks, buckets, and spades, and many wore hip-boots for the water when the Noordenaarpaldaar reached their knees. They were in a great hurry to begin, though it had stopped raining. The wind was blowing black clouds across the sky, whipping the water in the Noordenaarpaldaar into wavelets with white foaming tops. Word had spread that the dike on Farmer Koren's land would be dug through. Many helpers were coming from the village. Engel and Dr. De Vries arrived with rain on, and hadn't gone home yet, so the food situation in Leyden was so bad. Hendrik appeared, with Hans and Hebel, who had been sent to the farm to recover from malnutrition. They looked ill, and Joris felt sorry for them. There was some consultation between father and the members of the Paldaar board as to the quickest way, and most least damaging way, to let in the water. There was a shortage of wood and other materials which ruled out the most efficient method. They finally decided on a cofferdam, which was made by hammering overlapping planks in a big V, closed at the tip by a single plank, and baked against the dike. That kept the Noordenaarp water off. Now, women and children with buckets emptied the water inside the dam, and then the digging could begin. There was only a limited amount of space, so not everybody would be active, but most people preferred to watch anyway. More and more spectators arrived. This was the biggest thing that had happened to the village for a long time. It almost became a party. Women arrived with kettles full of synthetic coffee or hot milk. Hot milk? The sound of excited chattering could be heard far away. Presently, the wind chased away the clouds, and a watery sun appeared, shedding a half-ghostly light on the accumulation of people, all in colorful and odd clothes, milling around and chatting. R. E. Corrin, Ingle, Rianna, and Dirtjan formed a group. "'I wonder where Liendert is,' Ingle remarked, looking round. "'You'd think he'd be right on the spot, but I only see Hendrik.'" "'He and his father don't get on,' said Dirtjan. "'I doubt whether Schinderhans' senior wants him around. Liendert is shockingly rude to his father.'" "'He is looking very elegant lately,' Rianna remarked mockingly. "'I saw him wear a new pair of boots yesterday. He must be in favor with the German authorities.'" "'Oh, no doubt they pay him,' allowed Ari, "'but I don't think the Germans respect informers. They really admire patriotism. "'My grandmother had soldiers quartered with her. She lives in Harlem.'" "'The officer wanted to know all about my uncle, who had fled to England. "'My grandmother gave him the information and calmly added, "'I'm proud of him.'" "'And do you know what?' the officer looked at her and said, "'So would I be, if I were in your place,' and tore up the information.'" "'That's true,' said Rianna. "'The Germans know that people who love their country make good citizens. "'The Land Watchers can't win. They'll find in the end that they have no friends.'" "'They'll all be finished on Hatchet's Day,' growled Ari. "'Hatchet's Day was the day Dutch people longed for, "'and they could take their revenge on their own countrymen who betrayed them.'" "'Yikes.'" "'Meanwhile, Joris joined Havel, Hans, and Hendrik. "'Hendrik was telling the other two boys about Freya. "'You'd see her now,' he boasted as if he were with his own dog. "'Freya was expecting puppies, and Hendrik couldn't wait for them to be born.'" "'Oh well.'" "'It we had.' "'It we had kept her. We would have eaten her.'" "'Uh...' said Hans resignedly. "'We ate our cat.'" "'Joris was shocked and felt fervently grateful "'that father had brought the pup for him.'" "'Imagine eating your friends.'" "'Hello.'" "'All the same, Hans and Havel must have been very hungry to do that, "'and he again noticed their pallor and clunking cheeks.'" "'The work on the dyke was finished. The men had dug down to the ground. "'The presidents of the poldar committee held up his hand, demanding attention. "'The crowd stopped chattering. "'Now we are going to let the water into the Reinseder poldar,' he said. "'This is a solemn moment. It is seldom that we voluntarily break a dyke. "'I hope that we will each in our own way say a prayer for the success of this undertaking.'" "'There was some applause.'" "'But most people stood watching silently. "'Mr. Schanderhans removed the closing plank from the cofferdam "'and immediately the water came surging through, bending the boards of the dam, "'filling the empty space, finding the hole in the dyke, "'pouring with passionate, seething swirls into the Reinseder poldar.'"