Interludium I, Part 1: A Journey Home
Tyr Anazasi
Well-known member
A Journey Home, Part I
Hamburg-Altona, June 5th 1944
It was just six o’clock in the morning when Maria Adomeit walked through her apartment door and closed it behind her. Driving her rollator with the handy handbag at the front to the elevator the old woman made her way down to the front doors of her apartment complex. When she arrived downstairs Maria could hear voices agitatedly discussing with each other, yet as she reached the door, the only thing Maria saw was her neighbour Jessica Schröder with her baby on her arms. In front of her stood an empty baby transporter, behind the woman her Audi car with its doors still open. In the distance Maria recognized two police officers walking away, both wearing ‘down time’ uniform.
“Hello, Frau Schröder,” Maria greeted the other woman pleasantly. Then – because it was only polite to do so – she asked: “Are you alright, my dear?”
“Oh, hello, Frau Adomeit,” Jessica greeted back. “I´m fine.” Clearly this wasn´t the case, Maria mused inwardly as she took in the obvious signs of distress she saw on Jessica. How tightly she clutched her baby as if she was defending it from something, the exhaustion in her eyes and the grim look on her face. No, clearly Jessica wasn´t fine and Maria conveyed her thoughts with one single sharp gaze at the other woman.
“Well,” Jessica carved in. “As you probably heard, I had a discussion with the police officers.”
“Were they racist?” Maria inquired. After all she had heard about the problems occurring after the Event, especially incidents between DT Germans and persons of colour.
“Yes…No…,” Jessica sighed. “No, they weren’t. I had this problem before…”
“It´s because of Mäxchen…” It was more a statement than a fact.
“Yes, again. I don´t even know why people…” Jessica stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Look, my father came from Senegal and his skin was of black colour. My skin colour is of a lighter brown, but my baby is white with blue eyes and blonde hair. I even looked it up: Something like that happens to 17 percent of children born from mixed parents. But I still have to prove that I´m the mother of my own child and not his nanny!”
“At least he inherited your and your father´s hair,” Maria commented. Well, right now the hairs were few and far between, but the signs were already there.
“Yes, indeed,” Jessica agreed. “I guess he´ll hate it, though.” She shrugged.
“Hmm, perhaps.” Maria paused for a moment. “Did you hear from your father?” She knew that Jessica´s father lived in the USA.
“No,” Jessica shock her head. “I haven´t. We came back just the day before The Event. I fear he´s gone like everyone else outside of Germany.” Another reason why Jessica was so tense these last few days, Maria thought. Hopefully Jessica´s husband Ralf would help his wife getting over her father´s disappearance.
“What are you doing here, though, Frau Adomeit?” Jessica asked, not willing to delve further into this topic.
“I just wanted to take a small journey,” Maria answered and winked conspiratorially. “I think I´ll be back again tomorrow.”
“Does your son know about that?” Jessica inquired with raised eyebrows.
“Of course!” Hell no, he´d never agree to that! “What are you doing outside at such an early time?” Better to change the topic as fast as possible.
“Max and Ralf fell ill,” Jessica replied. “Only a cold, I assume, yet Ralf is behaving like he´s dying.” She rolled her eyes and both woman – quite familiar with ill men and their antics – sniggered.
“And you are sure that he´s a physician?” Maria asked in jest; after all she knew that Jessica´s husband was working at Asklepsios Clinic Altona.
“Yes, he is,” Jessica said. “He even filled out this prescription for me, so that I can get some drugs for him. I was just on my way, so if you want I could take you to the station?”
“Oh, that would be so nice!” Maria replied delighted.
“It´s no problem,” Jessica said and smiled.
***
TBC
Hamburg-Altona, June 5th 1944
It was just six o’clock in the morning when Maria Adomeit walked through her apartment door and closed it behind her. Driving her rollator with the handy handbag at the front to the elevator the old woman made her way down to the front doors of her apartment complex. When she arrived downstairs Maria could hear voices agitatedly discussing with each other, yet as she reached the door, the only thing Maria saw was her neighbour Jessica Schröder with her baby on her arms. In front of her stood an empty baby transporter, behind the woman her Audi car with its doors still open. In the distance Maria recognized two police officers walking away, both wearing ‘down time’ uniform.
“Hello, Frau Schröder,” Maria greeted the other woman pleasantly. Then – because it was only polite to do so – she asked: “Are you alright, my dear?”
“Oh, hello, Frau Adomeit,” Jessica greeted back. “I´m fine.” Clearly this wasn´t the case, Maria mused inwardly as she took in the obvious signs of distress she saw on Jessica. How tightly she clutched her baby as if she was defending it from something, the exhaustion in her eyes and the grim look on her face. No, clearly Jessica wasn´t fine and Maria conveyed her thoughts with one single sharp gaze at the other woman.
“Well,” Jessica carved in. “As you probably heard, I had a discussion with the police officers.”
“Were they racist?” Maria inquired. After all she had heard about the problems occurring after the Event, especially incidents between DT Germans and persons of colour.
“Yes…No…,” Jessica sighed. “No, they weren’t. I had this problem before…”
“It´s because of Mäxchen…” It was more a statement than a fact.
“Yes, again. I don´t even know why people…” Jessica stopped herself and took a deep breath. “Look, my father came from Senegal and his skin was of black colour. My skin colour is of a lighter brown, but my baby is white with blue eyes and blonde hair. I even looked it up: Something like that happens to 17 percent of children born from mixed parents. But I still have to prove that I´m the mother of my own child and not his nanny!”
“At least he inherited your and your father´s hair,” Maria commented. Well, right now the hairs were few and far between, but the signs were already there.
“Yes, indeed,” Jessica agreed. “I guess he´ll hate it, though.” She shrugged.
“Hmm, perhaps.” Maria paused for a moment. “Did you hear from your father?” She knew that Jessica´s father lived in the USA.
“No,” Jessica shock her head. “I haven´t. We came back just the day before The Event. I fear he´s gone like everyone else outside of Germany.” Another reason why Jessica was so tense these last few days, Maria thought. Hopefully Jessica´s husband Ralf would help his wife getting over her father´s disappearance.
“What are you doing here, though, Frau Adomeit?” Jessica asked, not willing to delve further into this topic.
“I just wanted to take a small journey,” Maria answered and winked conspiratorially. “I think I´ll be back again tomorrow.”
“Does your son know about that?” Jessica inquired with raised eyebrows.
“Of course!” Hell no, he´d never agree to that! “What are you doing outside at such an early time?” Better to change the topic as fast as possible.
“Max and Ralf fell ill,” Jessica replied. “Only a cold, I assume, yet Ralf is behaving like he´s dying.” She rolled her eyes and both woman – quite familiar with ill men and their antics – sniggered.
“And you are sure that he´s a physician?” Maria asked in jest; after all she knew that Jessica´s husband was working at Asklepsios Clinic Altona.
“Yes, he is,” Jessica said. “He even filled out this prescription for me, so that I can get some drugs for him. I was just on my way, so if you want I could take you to the station?”
“Oh, that would be so nice!” Maria replied delighted.
“It´s no problem,” Jessica said and smiled.
***
TBC