CHAPTER
82 – In Which the Canadian Sings Gypsy Scholar
The
city nomads are gathering in the small outdoor restaurant that the Canadian has
opened next to his Breda caravan. He has prepared an extraordinary soup from
the vegetables that Charles, Jasper, Thomas and other natives have brought.
Grocery stall owners from the nearby vegetable market “Dappermarkt” throw many
half-spoiled wares away on the street every day: potatoes, tomatoes, paprika’s,
onions, garlic, string beans, pumpkins, carrots, apples, pears, bananas etc.
Bakers also throw their unsold bread from the previous day out on the street.
The nomads gather that food in big baskets and bring it to their “base”, where
the Canadian washes it all thoroughly, removes the rotten parts and prepares
the meals. Robert Jan has lived here for a year already and has no income other
than the small rent from Dr. Troublemaker, Hare Krishna deserter Hank and
others, who now and then live in a car wrack in his yard.
It
is dinner time. The Dutch usually serve hot meals for dinner, while during the
day they are satisfied with sandwiches and snacks.
“Dr.
Troublemaker! Do you want some soup?”
“No!
Thanks! I’ll eat later at Iris’ place. But I’d like a cup of coffee!”
“Robert
Jan! Bring me and Marlene some soup!” Roy asks.
The
Canadian brings two plates of soup. “That’ll be ten guilders!”
“For
one plate?”
“For
both of you!”
“Should
we pay before or after?”
“Before,
please!”
The
member of the Red Brigades reluctantly gives him the money.
“Is
the bread free?” asks Marlene, who is sitting on a bench between her boyfriend
Roy and Dr. Troublemaker.
The
Canadian puts the money in his wallet. “Everything else is free.”
“So,
coffee costs nothing too,” Dr. Troublemaker quips.
“The
bread, salt, pepper, it’s all free.”
“So
are the spoons and forks,” little Martin adds.
“Don’t
forget the plates and the toothpicks!” the Turk spots.
Sigi
takes it up for the Canadian. “Stop kidding around! In every other restaurant
you’d pay at least 25 guilders for a great dinner like this!”
“In
the Hilton you do for sure,” Dr. Troublemaker says.
The
Canadian pours himself a plate of soup. “I learned the art of cooking from the
well-known chef cook and writer Michel Abehsera and used to work in his
macrobiotic restaurant Samsara in the Lower East Side in New York.”
“Did
you pick up leftover food from the street there as well?” Dr. Troublemaker
asks.
“No way! The Jewish brothers from
Morocco David and Michel Abehsera were quite well off. I went to Hollywood with
David later. We drove the 2500 miles almost non-stop after which I had problems
with my bowel movements for a week, because of that long drive. Thanks to
David’s good connections, I wound up in a luxurious villa called the Kushi
House for macrobiotics that once belonged to that white jazz musician Al
Jolson.”
“You
became the boss of all the chef cooks there?” Dr. Troublemaker says, further
pulling the Canadian’s leg.
“I
recorded several of my own songs in a music studio with the musicians from Neil
Diamond’s band backing me up.”
“And
then you became a big movie star, eh?” little Martin asks.
“No,
I didn’t get that far. David believed in me; he thought I was another Bob
Dylan. But I left Hollywood, disappointed. After that the mother of my first
son Sebastian invited me to come to Rome. There I wrote an goodbye song, a tear
jerker Campo de Fiore – Not All Roads
Lead to Rome, for already a year later I left Rome heartbroken by train to
Amsterdam. But in Basel I got off the train for a short visit to the Goetheanum
in nearby Dornach. I planned to look around there for just a weekend, but
instead I stayed there 12 years…”
Sigi
interrupts him. “Robert Jan, please give me some more soup.”
The
Canadian waves his hand. “Please help yourself, I’m busy!”
Sigi
gets up to go to the big pot on the stove, others follow him while the Canadian
continues his story. “Wait a minute… Where was I? Oh, yes! I forgot to mention
that Michio Kushi’s teacher, the Japanese George Oshawa is usually held to be
the founder of macrobiotics. But that word actually comes from the doctor of
the great German poet Goethe, a man called Husemannn, who wrote a book called Macrobiotics or the Art of Longevity.
Oshawa was full of praise for Rudolf Steiner…”
Now
Dr. Troublemaker interrupts him. “Robert Jan, enough about your Steiner! How
much is the coffee?”
“One
guilder, but it’s free for all of you, tonight. I’ll sing you one of my songs
that I recorded in Hollywood.”
“Oh,
we can’t wait to hear it!” says Dr. Troublemaker.
Only now the Canadian starts finishing
his bowl of soup. Within half an hour the 5 gallon pot of soup made by the
Rudolf Steiner follower is almost empty. The nomads gulp down the culinary art
from the macrobiotic kitchen, which the
Canadian had brought with him to Amsterdam, as if it was the best soup from the
Hilton instead of leftovers from the Dappermarket.
“Robert
Jan!” Charles shouts. “Can we light up the peace pipe?”
“Of
course, you can!”
Darkness
is slowly falling. The light of the candles conjures up a fairy-tale scenery.
The Canadian goes to his caravan while Charles rolls a joint. Robert gets back
with his guitar and blues harp, sits down on a stool and starts tuning his
guitar. “And now a song…”
Charles
gets up quickly and hands the joint over to the Canadian. “Have a smoke first!“
The Canadian inhales, rolls his eyes and gives the joint
back to Charles. He passes it over to Roy, who hands it over to Marlene. She
gives it to Dr. Troublemaker and he to Sigi etc. etc....
Robert Jan strums his guitar and then announces, „Gipsy
Scholar.“
Everyone quiets down. The Canadian tunes the guitar once
more. Marlene’s hand slips under the table, gently squeezing Dr. Troublemaker’s
thigh. „What a whore!“ Dr.
Troublemaker thinks, but he does not complain.
Robert Jan starts his song with an introduction by playing the guitar and the blues harp
at the same time. Then he starts
singing:*
Let me in, will you please open your door.
For a
gipsy scholar from a North Sea shore.
Who
was born in the town of The Hague
In the
low lands of nether and windy weather.
And
who died in that stock of wood
In
the new State of York, so far from the stork!
So let me in, will you please in the name of the Lord.
I'm a
knight of the word who's laid down his sword.
For I
was born again in the city of Angels
And
holy wood, and that was good.
And I
went up a hill in a Swiss village of thorns and roses
And
many colored poses!
So may I introduce myself to you?
I can
tell you why the sky is blue.
And
why the earth is black and the sun sets in red,
As
Goethe already said.
And
why plants grow and rivers flow,
It’s
all there for us to get to know, oh!
Oh, let me in, will you please lend me your ear.
I
won't harm it, Shakespeare have no fear!
Oh, to
be or not to be, 'tis no longer the question, at least for me,
For
on this highway of spirit I've found,
I'm
bound to become free!
So let me please take my leave now from thee
With
these few words that were meant to be:
Oh
when you hide behind the mind of your master,
It
will not turn the world any faster!
The
Canadian takes a bow. Everyone applauds him. “Do you want to hear another song
called Getting It Down in New York Town?”
“No! No! This is enough for tonight!” everyone
shouts.
“Shitty
New York…” Sigi mumbles.
Marlene’s
hand moves higher and higher on Dr. Troublemaker’s thigh. “Do you want to come
and see where Roy and I live?” she says quietly
“It’s
not that far away from here. On the boat near the bridge,” Roy adds.
“I’d
love to!”
The
trio heads for the river boat.
* * *
The Dutch-Canadian Troubadour Robert
Jan Kelder with veteran actor Will Geer and Co. at Warner Bros. Studio in
Hollywood before the start of their tour “Americana 1973” from L.A. to New York
with selected works of Robert Frost, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman and Woody
Guthrie.