"When we arrived in Casablanca there seemed to be a curfew going on and some trouble. I had not time to wait for the Pursor to get an advance on my salary. So, I borrowed loose change from my dear friends and also tucked a couple of packages of American cigarettes under the collar of a raincoat which I then put over my arm. At that time, American cigarettes were still the best collateral!
Morroco was a protectorate of France and the cigarettes and raincoat as well as my Belgian passport worked well! Anyway, I made for Irene's address - not before getting some flowers, which to my surprise had used up all my change when I asked the price, so I threw the bunch back to the Arab vendors and made a run for it taking no notice of the screaming sellers.
Arriving at the house, I was told that Irene was at the cinema, so I bought my way into the show using a pack of cigarettes and with the aid of an usher found her. Her welcome was warm and hospitable and I told her I was engaged. She said that I should name my first daughter Irene - my second daughter was eventually so called! I cannot remember the names of her children!.
The last thing I remember looking at, before leaving Casablanca, was the Casbah. Lots of men were walking around there hand in hand, which Irene said was quite usual. She also warned me to watch out for sexually transmitted diseases.
Soon after we left we heard that the Atlantic plateau between Safi and Agadir had moved upwards and had caused an earthquake that killed at least two thousand people. It was a good thing we were away from there at that moment! After that I never heard from my family in Morroco again.
On our return trip, Roger and I made it back to Ostend. We later got taken on for the cargo boats by; Maritime Belge in Antwerp. They respectively sent us off to Angola and the Congo. I was assigned to Lobito and Roger to Matadi in the Congo stream - a climate Roger could not tolerate.
After that trip, he got married and forever stayed ashore. For me, it was only the start, the sea was good to me, good money, a home and an appetite like a horse".
To be continued ...
Morroco was a protectorate of France and the cigarettes and raincoat as well as my Belgian passport worked well! Anyway, I made for Irene's address - not before getting some flowers, which to my surprise had used up all my change when I asked the price, so I threw the bunch back to the Arab vendors and made a run for it taking no notice of the screaming sellers.
Arriving at the house, I was told that Irene was at the cinema, so I bought my way into the show using a pack of cigarettes and with the aid of an usher found her. Her welcome was warm and hospitable and I told her I was engaged. She said that I should name my first daughter Irene - my second daughter was eventually so called! I cannot remember the names of her children!.
The last thing I remember looking at, before leaving Casablanca, was the Casbah. Lots of men were walking around there hand in hand, which Irene said was quite usual. She also warned me to watch out for sexually transmitted diseases.
Soon after we left we heard that the Atlantic plateau between Safi and Agadir had moved upwards and had caused an earthquake that killed at least two thousand people. It was a good thing we were away from there at that moment! After that I never heard from my family in Morroco again.
On our return trip, Roger and I made it back to Ostend. We later got taken on for the cargo boats by; Maritime Belge in Antwerp. They respectively sent us off to Angola and the Congo. I was assigned to Lobito and Roger to Matadi in the Congo stream - a climate Roger could not tolerate.
After that trip, he got married and forever stayed ashore. For me, it was only the start, the sea was good to me, good money, a home and an appetite like a horse".
To be continued ...
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