The Reunion by Geoff Pridmore

Author:Geoff Pridmore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Book Guild
Published: 2020-06-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Heike’s Story

(Landshagen, Bavaria)

A pleasant enough hotel set at low level so as not to disturb the view from a popular spa town, it was quite modern and well equipped, but nothing special. The postcards could remain in the desk drawer – not worth taking. Ironically, it was very close to where Heike had grown up; her mother’s home was a walk away, or would have been had history played out differently.

Getting ready, having accepted Hanne’s invitation, Heike fussed over what to wear, which wasn’t like her at all, and she was in two minds about what she would say if Hanne wanted to pursue the Berlin subject.

How silly to even mention it! Hanne didn’t even know that much. For a moment that afternoon everything flooded back because of that wretched visit to the monument. Perhaps it would have been good, even cathartic, to tell Hanne what was in her head, but now that time and feeling had passed. She’d buried it all again, locked it away in the glove compartment of her mind.

It had been nothing more than a “moment” and now that moment had gone.

She no more wanted to go there than look at the old family house just up the road. In one respect, she appreciated Hanne’s interest, but this was ancient, personal history and talking about it would open old wounds. If she did open up, then Hanne would want to analyse it, chew it over with her, look for a solution, recommend someone to see or some well-meaning organisation. That was the kind of person Hanne was: she facilitated such things for people; helped them to find answers. But most of all, she didn’t want Hanne to take it home to Cornwall and discuss it with Sandy and the “boys”.

Heike hardly knew Hanne’s children; they’d only met on a couple of occasions, the most recent being when Hugo died and Heike attended the funeral. From Cornwall it would spread across the wider family and be discussed by Heidemarie and Heidemarie’s in-laws, who were close. It would be discussed in Canada and South Africa and God knows where else.

Like Hanne, she saw little of the wider family, and that was something of a self-infliction because she preferred the distance that Lubeck offered her – a distance from her past. In Heike’s mind she was the rebellious black sheep – the half-American communist who turned her back on the “Fatherland” to embrace the cause of communism because she was so vehemently anti-fascist.

Where to begin with this one? Not everyone was so anti-fascist. Start with the lipstick – lipstick for fair skin and hair, so nothing extravagant. Hanne was so fortunate with her thick, auburn hair! The mirror is a good listener. Start with the mirror. The mirror will reflect everything…

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