father - home

A meeting with Christine at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was scheduled for the morning of the 8th.The next day, Showa Yu had to go to the embassy of the Republic of China. Before leaving, there were still some necessary procedures to go through.It is not expected to take too long.I sat next to the embassy and waited in a cafe on the corner of a road.In the afternoon, we plan to go to the zoo, where a little polar bear was born not long ago.

"You really should go and see it. It's white, simple, fluffy, and very cute. It is said that this is the first polar bear cub born in the Berlin Zoo." Yu's aunt served a plate of Yangzhou lion's head, interjected.She was a small, kind woman with a round face and a smile.

"Have you been there, Auntie?"

"Hmm, we went last weekend, there were so many people, we managed to squeeze in and only saw two eyes. Tomorrow is Monday, so it might be better."

"Then let's go, a rare opportunity."

Yu pulled Zhao, and Zhao looked at me. "Okay." We said at the same time.

Yangzhou lion head is really delicious, the size of Jade's fist, I ate two at a time, a bit embarrassed, but Yu himself only tasted a small bite.

Zhao walked along the wall of the embassy, ​​why was he the only one?

There were no vehicles passing by on the road, but the red light was still on. Zhao stood waiting at the intersection, looking a little anxious.

I didn't stand up to check out, I just sat there and waited for him.

His face was a little red and he looked very excited. Before speaking, he smiled apologetically.

"Everyone said to celebrate and not let us go."

This "we" does not include me, of course.

There is half a glass of water on the table, which is left over from my drink.Zhao picked it up without looking at it, and drank it in one gulp, then reached into his pocket.I knew he was going to get cigarettes, so I pushed the cigarette case I put on the table over. "Smoke this." At the same time, he motioned for him to sit down. "Would you like coffee?"

"No, they're waiting for me."

Zhao took the cigarette case, took out one, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, took two deep breaths, and then sat down opposite me.He narrowed his eyes as the smoke gushed from his nostrils.

"Your addiction to smoking is about to catch up with mine."

Zhao raised her beautiful eyebrows, and when she spoke, the smoke stuck to her lips and she didn't take it off. "Where? If you are really like you, how will you live in the future?"

"I prepared four for you, isn't that enough?"

"You don't get more than two or four a month. I probably ran out of food before I got back to China." Zhao turned the water glass in his hand, the cigarette stuck to his lips, inhaling almost non-stop, and the smoke kept spraying out of his nose. It was so fuzzy that he couldn't open his eyes.

I asked him for another glass of water.

Zhao quickly finished his cigarette, stubbed it out in the glass ashtray, and picked up the water again.This time he drank slowly, but kept the glass held up to his lips.In fact, he wasn't very thirsty, but he just didn't want to keep his mouth empty and finish speaking.

"I probably won't be able to go to the zoo. Many people will return to China soon, and there are rumors that the embassy is gradually withdrawing. China is a big country, and the chance of encountering them in the future is very small. Therefore, everyone wants to get together and make a fuss, which is regarded as seeing us off. , also... to celebrate."

"It should. Good news is rare these days."

"then you……"

"You don't need to worry about me. Originally, I thought that this time I was short of time and I would not have a chance to visit Verma. This is just right."

"Then... I'll call you when I'm done?"

"Okay. You know the hotel's phone number. This is the public phone downstairs at Verma's house. I might have dinner at her house. It won't be very late." I asked the waiter for paper and pen, and put the hotel phone number He was copied from the pay phone and Verma's house.

Zhao carefully put away the piece of paper and stood up hesitantly. "Then... I'll go first."

I nodded without moving.

I have been sitting with my legs crossed, leaning against the back of the red leather chair, a foot away from the table.Zhao came in, sat down, drank water, smoked, and left.I barely moved, just pushed the cigarettes on the table to him halfway.His eyes followed him out, to the street, waited for the green light, trotted across the road, and disappeared into the iron gate of the embassy.I still watch, keep watching...

A large group of people came out of the embassy, ​​almost all young people. They walked towards the bus station in twos and threes. It seemed that Showa Yu was also there, surrounded by people, and they couldn't see clearly.They were waiting for the bus at the bus station, talking and laughing, making waiting for the bus no longer boring.The car came, and they were still talking and laughing when they got in the car, and the laughter kept echoing in the car and wafting out of the open window.

I drank five cups of coffee and smoked half a pack of cigarettes.

The bus carrying their laughter came back, and the laughter entered the iron gate of the embassy and disappeared inside.

I'm calling Verma.She was surprised, but invited me to dinner anyway and ordered me not to wear an SS uniform.I thought I should say no, I could tell Verma didn't welcome me very much, it was awkward every time we saw each other, but I said yes anyway, otherwise the rest of the day would be a mess.

I left the cafe and went to the best department store to buy a box of Lindt chocolates, a model of a Messerschmitt bf109 fighter jet with a yellow and gray fuselage and a black cross mark.

In the past two days, Berlin has been raining heavily in autumn. The place where Verma lives belongs to the workers' residential area, and the roads are muddy.When I got out of the taxi, I looked for it from memory, and the shoes were covered with mud.

Standing in front of Verma's open door, I hesitated to go in.The old wooden floors with wide gaps were covered with faded cotton rugs, frayed in places but clean.

Verma quickly kicked out a pair of brown pigskin slippers, and at the same time called: "Thomas, go and clean these shoes."

These were the only pair of leather slippers in the house, and they were worn only by me, and probably Joseph, and no one else.

Thomas was Verma's son, almost ten years old, with prominent cheekbones and a thin build, but not short, reaching to my chin.There are two obvious blushes on the cheeks, and the blushes are a sign that the nutrition cannot keep up with the development.

Thomas stared at the model airplane in my hand, and no matter how his mother yelled, he couldn't take his eyes away.

I hand Thomas the model airplane. "Here you are, Thomas, go play"

Thomas hugged the model plane, couldn't close his mouth, and kept giggling, the blush on his cheeks getting bigger.

There was no smile on Verma's face. "Marty, what a young man you are, you have too much money to spend on these useless things."

Regarding Verma's meanness, I just pretended not to hear, changed my shoes, left the dirty leather shoes outside the door, entered the door, put the chocolates that no one picked up on the dining table, and sat down on the wooden chair beside the dining table.

In the past 14 years, I have not met Verma many times, and the atmosphere of each meeting has not improved much.She still broods over what happened back then, even though she is married and has children.Every time I come, Verma will try his best to entertain, but he is not enthusiastic, there is little smile on his face, and his words are barbed.I didn't take it seriously, it wasn't intentional patience, but I really felt sorry for her.This time even more so.

One bedroom and a dining room with kitchen, bathroom is shared, downstairs, no living room.This is Verma's home today.Verma's husband Ulm is a car repairman, honest and honest, which comforts me somewhat.

"You're such a good man, Baron." Every time we met, when Verma vented meanly and I smiled calmly, Ulm would say this and shake his head puzzled.It satisfies me that he doesn't reprimand Verma as a husband.Later, Ulm told me that he once told Verma about this matter, and Verma told him: "This is a matter of our family, you don't care." Since then, Ulm never mentioned it again.

"You're a good fellow, Baron." Behind the words, I could hear the honest man's disappointment and doubt. "The fourth-rank official in front of the prime minister." This is Chinese, and Verma is like a queen to him.Verma grew up with the young baron, loved his siblings, ran away from home from time to time, and still refuses to go home. The grievances and entanglements involved are beyond what an ordinary worker should know.

"What are you drinking? My coffee won't satisfy you."

"Beer bar, if there is one, whatever you want." Strange to say, here, I am not only used to the cramped environment, simple furniture, harsh language, and poor food, but also feel comfortable and enjoy it.

No, I’m sitting at the dining table—I can only sit here, because there is no living room, watching Verma busy in front of my eyes, she is no longer young, but she is still straightforward and cute, even if she is cold to me when.Verma wore an orange turban, which was still the custom in the manor, covering his blond hair, only showing a little at the corner of his forehead.I really want to ask her if she has cut her hair.It would be such a pity if it was cut, how could such long blonde hair be wrapped in if it wasn't cut?I really want to figure it out.

"Why do you suddenly want to see me? You didn't say anything in advance." Verma asked while working.

"I'm here for a meeting. I had a pretty full schedule, but there was a temporary change." I lied.

"I heard that you often go back now, ma'am, how are you? My father, mother..."

"They are all well..." I told her what happened in the manor recently.His father passed away, Joseph visited relatives, built a greenhouse, and could eat fresh vegetables in winter. Mr. Reininger put on reading glasses and could read the words in the newspaper again. Ready, didn't bring some.Of course, I didn't mention Showa jade, not a single word.I don't know if anyone will mention it, but my mother and Mr. Reininger have been in correspondence with Verma, but I am determined not to mention it.

"So, madam agrees?"

Verma's tone was still sour.I didn't answer.

"If I knew this earlier, Joseph wouldn't have to leave."

I still haven't answered.

Verma turned and glanced at me.I smile.

At this time, Ulm came back from get off work.

It's time to eat.Verma put the finished potato meatballs on the table, put the black bread back in the oven, and heated it up. She also melted the Lindt chocolate I brought with butter, added eggs, cornmeal, and milk to make Had chocolate pudding for dessert.

Thomas reluctantly came out of the bedroom, and the airplane model and packing boxes were spread out on the bed.When praying before meals and eating, he couldn't control his anxiety, and glanced at the bedroom from time to time, as if he was afraid that his precious plane would be stolen.Only when he saw the chocolate pudding did his eyes light up.It could be seen that he really wanted to take the pudding to the bedroom to eat, but Verma would never allow it.Thomas knew about his mother, so he didn't dare to mention it.

After dinner, Ulm washed the dishes and Verma made a pot of coffee.The smell of coffee filled the room.

Ulm took three coffee cups and rewashed and wiped them clean.

Verma poured coffee.I smelled it and took a sip. The sweetness and bitterness produced fluid and the taste was pure.I look at her.

"This is what you brought last time, and you haven't been willing to drink it." Verma poured the other two glasses. "You have a drink too, thanks to the master," Verma said to her husband, adding milk and a spoonful of sugar to his own glass, and two spoonfuls of sugar to Ulm's glass without milk.I add nothing. "It's a waste of such good coffee for us to drink, isn't it, Marty."

I've been sitting at the table, looking at Verma, not knowing what to say, but I'm not angry, not at all.If she stopped whining and stabbing me like this sometime, I might not be used to it yet.

"You guys drink first." Ulm didn't come, so he took a rag from somewhere, went outside the door, wiped off the mud on my pair of leather shoes, went back to the house, sat on the small bench, and wiped them carefully. Pick up your leather shoes.

"No, Ulm." I wanted to stop him from the beginning, but he did it on his own, and I couldn't stop him. I'm not used to being polite to people.

"You won't bring a servant with you, how will you wear such dirty shoes tomorrow?" Ulm said while wiping, seeming to be in a good mood.

"It's okay, back to the hotel, I can order room service."

It’s fine if you don’t say this, but Verma will be furious if you say it. "Listen, I'm talking about you, it's really unnecessary." Then she turned and stared at me. "Do you feel sorry for it? Then come here less often. This kind of slum is not the place for your young baron to come."

I can't stand it.Ulm's face flushed even more, he lowered his head deeply, staring at the leather shoes in his hand.

The atmosphere froze, as if the air was no longer flowing. After a long time, the rustling sound of pig bristles rubbing against cowhide sounded again.I stood up slowly, drank the rest of my coffee, and smiled awkwardly at Verma. "I'm sorry, Verma, maybe I shouldn't have come, but... I really want to."

Ulm left the polished shoes at the door.I patted him on the shoulder and held out my hand. "Thank you, Ulm."

"I'll see you off." Ulm opened the door for me.

"no need."

"Let's give it away," Verma said, and she handed the flashlight to her husband.Perhaps because of the lighting, Verma's eyes looked a little red.She told her husband: "Go out through the door on the west side, there will be no water accumulation, and the road is easy to walk."