Short Stories : The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 6)

Short Stories : The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 6)

CHAPTER 6

Ms. Scholz, resident:

Derrick is on ZDF again tonight. Have not missed an episode yet. It's strange to see how people get older on TV. But he's still a senior inspector. But he's already ripe for the pension. If the derrick were here, nothing would go away from our things. My silk blouse, which Alwin gave me for my eightieth birthday, is gone too. Just go away. And everyone just shrugs. What a mean thing to steal an old woman's blouse! I will soon go to Mr. Schaumeier, he is the home manager here. I rarely get to see him, mostly he is at some meeting. I don't know what they always have to talk about. Should rather take care of us. On the way to the lift I meet Ms. Wimmer. Should I tell her something about my silk blouse? Oh what, she talks herself out again, "Who will steal the old plank" or something. She has no idea how precious this blouse is to me, after all Alwin gave it to me, God blessed him. I meet Ms. Schopp in the elevator, she used to live two houses away from us. She tells me that something was stolen from her too, a twenty euro note from the dessert drawer. Such a cheek, she says. She's just imagining it. Didn't like her before. She probably gave the money to her grandson when he was visiting yesterday. And today she forgot and blames the poor sisters. But my blouse is really gone. I don't forget anything, I don't have Alzheimer's.

The manager is very nice to me, he even offers me a few cookies and listens to me, even though he has a pile of papers in front of him on the desk.

He calls the laundry, nods his head a few times, and puts the receiver in the fork. "A silk blouse has been found in the laundry room, on which the name tag is missing. They'll send them along with the other things tomorrow, it's definitely their blouse! Ask your daughter to label her clothes properly, Ms. Scholz, how else can the laundry people know who they belong to? ”

Well, at least my blouse showed up again. Now of course I'm stupid again. What could it have been, with the theft. Good thing I didn't blame anyone.

It's different with Derrick, there is always a culprit.

Ms. Wimmer, nurse:

I just met Ms. Scholz in the hallway. Wanted the elevator down to Mr. Schaumeier's office. She mumbled something about "the gang of thieves" here. It's already a cross with the old people. They have mislaid their things forever and because they cannot find them immediately, they have been “stolen”. Almost everything can be found again within a short time. And now she is also pestering poor Mr. Schaumeier with it. He's got enough on his ears anyway. The costs are constantly increasing, but the prices are not so easy to adjust. And hardly a month goes by without a new regulation coming out to "improve the quality" of care for the elderly. First of all, it all costs more money. Money that is not available and therefore has to be saved elsewhere. Does this really lead to a "quality improvement"? I do not know.

Mrs Scholz:

The day after tomorrow is my birthday. My room looks like a flower shop. From my point of view, you could save yourself that. A bouquet, or rather a pot of geraniums or something, would be enough for me. I've had something of that longer. I'll throw the flowers away in a week at the latest. And the joy is gone! I wonder if Werner will give me something for my birthday. He always says he doesn't care about such days. "What is there to celebrate that I'm getting older?" He often says. But last week I saw him holding a brochure from a travel agent. When he noticed my approach, he let it disappear under a pile of old magazines, rather hectically. Who knows, maybe he'll give me a short trip on the Hanseatic. Or on another ship. I wouldn't care. Just the idea of ​​giving me a trip like this where he knows how much I dream of it. That would really be a gift that comes from the heart. Elvira would never think of something like that. In addition, you would be against Hans, the old miser.

Elvira, daughter:

I can't say how happy I am for Mommy's birthday. Hans made the suggestion to give her a trip on the Sweden ferry. All by myself, without saying anything. Mutti still dreams of cruising with Dad on the Hanseatic. "That would be ideal," said Hans, "We pick her up on Friday afternoon, drive to Kiel, up on the ferry. And we'll be back on Sunday! ”. he makes me almost as happy as mom, so a suggestion from him, when he supposedly doesn't like her. This afternoon I pick up the tickets at the travel agency. Our passports are fine too. It was a good thing that Mutti extended her four years ago. So I don't need to ask her about it, the surprise effect would have been gone.

And the highlight of the whole thing is that you Werner is going. He pays for his ticket himself, we just got it for him. I can hardly wait for Mutti's expression when she opens the envelope with the greeting card. And we say "look exactly what's in there!"

And what a face she will only make when she learns that the whole idea comes from Hans. And the money too!

Mrs Scholz:

I don't know what's going on with me. I could hardly sleep last night, I was so restless. There will probably be uncertainty whether Werner will give me the cruise tomorrow on my birthday. Dr. Schäfer, my family doctor was there on Monday. He said he didn't like the values. That was because the results from the laboratory about my blood values ​​had just come. I've told him about my dizzy spells several times.

Helga, the new care assistant that is on duty today

thinks I should lie down and make up for lost sleep. So that I am fit on my day of honor.

An unusual sound disturbs my sleep, it sounded like the siren at our house back in the war when an aircraft alarm was given. Werner stands at my bed and helps me up. He answers my startled question of whether it is burning with a kind shake of the head. I hadn't moved out before bed. So he just puts the thin cardigan over my shoulders and leads me down to the birthday reception. I'm going crazy, I'm in the small salon on the Hanseatic, wherever the small celebrations take place for the passengers. The salon merges with flower vases, flowers of all colors, what a splendor. The table is lovingly set, the beautiful porcelain that I love so much. The thin-walled coffee cups. In it, the coffee tastes so good again. Much better than from the sturdy cups here in the home. In the middle a huge cream cake, topped with raspberries. How did they know that I like raspberries so much? They are all gathered and stand expectantly behind their chairs. Waiting for me to sit down, the guest of honor. The music system plays a piece in the background. Now I only recognize it. It's "As Time Goes By". From “Casablanca” with Humphrey Bogart. That was a man. But Alwin was even better. If he could still be here. Then my luck would be perfect. But Werner is there. And Elvira with her Hans. And Lili, she's getting older, the little one!

Even the captain came to congratulate. And served Rodolfo. Our Rodolfo has also grown quite old. I am overwhelmed. I'm going to the Hanseatic again! I am dizzy with happiness. Werner takes me out into the fresh air. We go to the elevator and drive to the top deck. I look out over the open sea, soon the sun will rise. The reddish glow can already be seen on the horizon. A few seagulls fly over us, screaming loudly like seagulls do. I want to do the same Lift me up in the air, glide weightlessly, fly towards the rising sun.

I get so into this idea that I really seem to be floating.

The seagulls and I fly higher and higher. There, the sun is slowly coming out, but something is pulling me away from it. As if pulled by an invisible cord, it pulls me back to the deck. Almost rudely I land directly on the railing, hold on tight so that the storm doesn't push me down. I have to use a lot of strength to hold on to the railing. If only I knew where this beep came from. No one can be seen far and wide. It beeps ever louder. The wind is getting weaker, I can look again, before I had to close my eyes because of the storm that blew drops of salt water into my eyes. Maybe that burned. But now everything is gone. I open my eyes and see a white wall. I lie in bed. This is not my bed. How do I get into a strange bed? On my right side is a strange device. It flashes everywhere. And beeps. So that's where the beep came from. A young woman in nursing clothes comes to my bed. I don't know that yet. It is definitely not from our home.

Ms. Wimmer, nurse:

That was maybe an excitement today. Helga, our new temporary assistant in my living area called me on my cell phone, Ms. Scholz was doing so badly. She didn't know what to do. I just went to the dentist with Michael, my son. My husband had no time and he doesn't dare go alone. That's why I said in the home that I would come later. Anyway, I got Dr. Called Schäfer, Ms. Scholz's family doctor and described the symptoms. He immediately ordered an ambulance, said it may be too late until he is in the home himself. It was a good thing because she fell into a coma in the room. That is why the paramedics ordered an emergency ambulance, they did not want to take the risk of driving her to the hospital in this way. The emergency doctor then gave her an injection and resuscitated her. But she fell asleep immediately and passed out again in the hospital. Now she is in the intensive care unit with severe brain bleeding. Hopefully she will grab it again. She was looking forward to her birthday. And the captain first. After all, he wanted to take a ferry to Sweden with Mrs. Scholz and her daughter for a weekend. Did she suspect something from the trip and was so excited?

Maybe I'll drop by her after work, let's see.

Continue Reading to The Last Trip of the Hanseatic (Chapter 7) END