just a few more grey hairs than he had in the summer of 1924. They
sat out in the back garden in deck chairs, drinking cold beers as Alexandra
prepared the dinner.
“It’s been a while since you spoke
German this much I’d say?’ Uli asked.
“Not really. We try to speak it a
little around the house. Father doesn’t want us to forget where we’re from.”
“And nor should he.”
“I can’t believe it’s been four years.”
Stefan said. “Times were so hard after mother’s funeral. I meant to come back
to Germany, but who had the money then?”
“I understand, Stefan. Times were
hard everywhere. Germany was worse than most.” There was a lull in the
conversation for a few seconds before Uli began again. “And how about you,
Christopher, how are you enjoying working for the old man? You like being an
accountant? I hope he’s not working you too hard, although I’m sure that he is,”
Uli laughed.
“I do enjoy it. We spend a lot of our time in town in
the back rooms of businesses doing their books. We get to meet a lot of people.
I never knew my father was so popular. ” Christopher smiled. “I thought it
would be easy working for my father. I thought he’d let me go early every day
and give me more money and time off than I’d know what to do with.”
“I do give you time off. It’s called
the weekend.” Stefan laughed along with his brother.
“No, it’s been great working for him.
I’m learning a lot and one day I’ll open my own practice.”
“You should come back to Germany,
Christopher. There are plenty of opportunities there now.”
“Christopher is doing fine in
Jersey.” Stefan said.
“All I’m saying is that there are a
lot of exciting opportunities for a young man like Christopher in Germany right
now….”
“Maybe we can talk about
this another time, Uli,” Stefan said
Uli was laughing as he started
speaking again. “I see the old tree house is still there. Do you still want to
live in it Christopher?”
“No, I think this house has a little
more room.”
“Whatever happened to that sweet
little girl? Rebecca? I know that she was in England for a while. What happened
to her? Did she ever come back?”
Christopher opened his mouth to
answer, but his father was already talking. “No, she never came back. She went
to Portsmouth with her brother and as far as we know they still live there. She
and Christopher were very close at the time. It took him quite a while to get
over it when she left.”
“And she never wrote? If you two were
so close why wouldn’t she write?”
“She sent a couple of letters but
then they stopped. She never gave us her address.”
“I’m sorry Christopher. That must
have been hard to lose your friend like that.” Uli said. Christopher looked up
from his beer bottle and nodded.
“Yes it was a difficult time for
Christopher but we got through it. He even has a new girlfriend now don’t you
Christopher?”
“No I don’t,” he said. “Every time I
mention a girl my father thinks she’s my girlfriend.”
“Don’t worry about it Christopher, he
still does the same thing with me and I’m 36 years of age.”
“Which reminds me, when are you
getting married Uli? What happened with that girl Angela?”
“She asked too many questions. Listen
Stefan, I’ll get married when you get married, okay?”
“I was married.”
“Yes but you’ve been a single man for
a long time now, almost 13 years. What’s your father’s love life like
Christopher? Ever find any strange women at breakfast?”
Christopher looked at his father with
a smile on his face
sat out in the back garden in deck chairs, drinking cold beers as Alexandra
prepared the dinner.
“It’s been a while since you spoke
German this much I’d say?’ Uli asked.
“Not really. We try to speak it a
little around the house. Father doesn’t want us to forget where we’re from.”
“And nor should he.”
“I can’t believe it’s been four years.”
Stefan said. “Times were so hard after mother’s funeral. I meant to come back
to Germany, but who had the money then?”
“I understand, Stefan. Times were
hard everywhere. Germany was worse than most.” There was a lull in the
conversation for a few seconds before Uli began again. “And how about you,
Christopher, how are you enjoying working for the old man? You like being an
accountant? I hope he’s not working you too hard, although I’m sure that he is,”
Uli laughed.
“I do enjoy it. We spend a lot of our time in town in
the back rooms of businesses doing their books. We get to meet a lot of people.
I never knew my father was so popular. ” Christopher smiled. “I thought it
would be easy working for my father. I thought he’d let me go early every day
and give me more money and time off than I’d know what to do with.”
“I do give you time off. It’s called
the weekend.” Stefan laughed along with his brother.
“No, it’s been great working for him.
I’m learning a lot and one day I’ll open my own practice.”
“You should come back to Germany,
Christopher. There are plenty of opportunities there now.”
“Christopher is doing fine in
Jersey.” Stefan said.
“All I’m saying is that there are a
lot of exciting opportunities for a young man like Christopher in Germany right
now….”
“Maybe we can talk about
this another time, Uli,” Stefan said
Uli was laughing as he started
speaking again. “I see the old tree house is still there. Do you still want to
live in it Christopher?”
“No, I think this house has a little
more room.”
“Whatever happened to that sweet
little girl? Rebecca? I know that she was in England for a while. What happened
to her? Did she ever come back?”
Christopher opened his mouth to
answer, but his father was already talking. “No, she never came back. She went
to Portsmouth with her brother and as far as we know they still live there. She
and Christopher were very close at the time. It took him quite a while to get
over it when she left.”
“And she never wrote? If you two were
so close why wouldn’t she write?”
“She sent a couple of letters but
then they stopped. She never gave us her address.”
“I’m sorry Christopher. That must
have been hard to lose your friend like that.” Uli said. Christopher looked up
from his beer bottle and nodded.
“Yes it was a difficult time for
Christopher but we got through it. He even has a new girlfriend now don’t you
Christopher?”
“No I don’t,” he said. “Every time I
mention a girl my father thinks she’s my girlfriend.”
“Don’t worry about it Christopher, he
still does the same thing with me and I’m 36 years of age.”
“Which reminds me, when are you
getting married Uli? What happened with that girl Angela?”
“She asked too many questions. Listen
Stefan, I’ll get married when you get married, okay?”
“I was married.”
“Yes but you’ve been a single man for
a long time now, almost 13 years. What’s your father’s love life like
Christopher? Ever find any strange women at breakfast?”
Christopher looked at his father with
a smile on his face
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