Five Brothers and a War

Leen and Kees— Onderduikers

The church in Ottoland.

The church had a very melodious organ to accompany the worship service. As Kees looked around to take in the scenery inside the church, he noticed the funniest thing he had ever seen in a church. The organ was powered by a big “see-saw“ contraption that was made to manually supply air for the pipe organ. Two people, of equal size, had to sit on the ends of the see-saw as one person rose to the top of the see-saw, their head would appear above the cloth screen enclosure, and then it would disappear on the down-part of the cycle, while the head of the other person would appear on the other side. When one of them went up his head appeared. This went on for as long as the songs lasted. Leen heard Kees snicker, but being too involved in the songs he had not noticed, so Kees tapped his older brother and nodded in the direction of the pumpers. Leen nearly lost hold of his songbook as he began to laugh. Being Dutch Reformed, laughter and silliness were not supposed to come into play, and the two just hoped that not too many people had seen the frivolity.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

Page 520