his head. “
Aus den Schatten zurückgekehrt…
How does Mama stand it?”
She looked at him and began to laugh as well. “
Die Frau Mutter…
” she gasped, and even though she knew it was not as funny as all that, it was difficult to stop. She leaned against the wall, clutching his arm for support, and when the nurse came back, without the bedpan this time, they were still laughing so much that they had to pretend to search for something in Anna’s bag until she had passed, only to explode again immediately afterwards.
“Oh, Max,” cried Anna at last without knowing exactly what she meant, “oh, Max, you’re the only one.”
It was something to do with their childhood, with having grown up speaking three different languages, with having had to worry so much about Mama and Papa and to cheer themselves up with trilingual jokes which nobody else could understand.
“There, there, little man,” said Max, patting her arm. “So are you.”
They were still laughing a little when they emerged into the entrance hall, even more crowded now. Konrad and the doctor were already talking together in a corner, and the nurse behind the desk smiled and pointed them out to Max, in case he had not seen them. But Konrad who must have been watching for them, came to meet them and clasped Max warmly by the hand.
“It’s good to see you, Max,” he said. “I’m sorry we had to drag you away from Greece, but right until this morning it’s been touch and go with your mother.”
“Of course,” said Max. “Thank you for coping with it all.”
“
Nu
,” said Konrad in tones reminiscent of the Goldblatts, “at my age you learn to cope with everything.”
There was an awkwardness between them, and he turned to Anna with evident relief. “That’s quite a change of expression you’ve got there.”
“I told you Mama would be all right,” she said happily, and by this time they had reached the doctor, and Konrad introduced him to Max, and Max thanked him for all he had done for Mama.
“I believe you’ve had a long journey,” said the doctor, and Max told him a little about it, but quickly brought the conversation back to Mama.
“We were lucky,” said the doctor. “I told your sister—” he spread his fingers as he had done the previous day. “Fifty-fifty, didn’t I tell you?”
Anna nodded. It seemed a long time ago.
“Yes,” said the doctor. “Fifty-fifty. Of course in such a case one does not always know what a patient’s wishes would have been. But one has to assume… to hope…” He discovered his fingers, still in midair, and lowered them to his sides.
Behind him, Anna could see a very old lady walking carefully with a stick, and a small boy with his arm in a sling. She was aware of a woolly smell from Konrad’s coat, the warmth of a nearby radiator and the babble of German voices all around her, and she felt suddenly tired and remote. Mama is going to be all right, she thought, nothing else matters. For some reason, she remembered again how Mama had looked that time when she had cried in her blue hat with the veil. The veil had been quite wet and had got more and more wrinkled as Mama rubbed her eyes with her hand. When on earth was that? she wondered.
Konrad coughed and shifted his feet. “… can’t thank you enough…” said Max in his very good German, and Konrad nodded and said, “… deeply grateful…” “After a few days in the clinic to recover…” The doctor waved his hands and there seemed to be a question hanging in the air. Then Konrad said loudly and firmly, “Of course I shall be responsible for her.” She glanced at him quickly to see if he meant it. His face looked quite set.
The doctor was clearly relieved. So was Max who, she noticed, now looked rather pale and suddenly said, “I’ve eaten nothing since yesterday lunch time. D’you think I could possibly get breakfast anywhere?”
At this the group broke up.
They all thanked the doctor again, and then she and
Aus den Schatten zurückgekehrt…
How does Mama stand it?”
She looked at him and began to laugh as well. “
Die Frau Mutter…
” she gasped, and even though she knew it was not as funny as all that, it was difficult to stop. She leaned against the wall, clutching his arm for support, and when the nurse came back, without the bedpan this time, they were still laughing so much that they had to pretend to search for something in Anna’s bag until she had passed, only to explode again immediately afterwards.
“Oh, Max,” cried Anna at last without knowing exactly what she meant, “oh, Max, you’re the only one.”
It was something to do with their childhood, with having grown up speaking three different languages, with having had to worry so much about Mama and Papa and to cheer themselves up with trilingual jokes which nobody else could understand.
“There, there, little man,” said Max, patting her arm. “So are you.”
They were still laughing a little when they emerged into the entrance hall, even more crowded now. Konrad and the doctor were already talking together in a corner, and the nurse behind the desk smiled and pointed them out to Max, in case he had not seen them. But Konrad who must have been watching for them, came to meet them and clasped Max warmly by the hand.
“It’s good to see you, Max,” he said. “I’m sorry we had to drag you away from Greece, but right until this morning it’s been touch and go with your mother.”
“Of course,” said Max. “Thank you for coping with it all.”
“
Nu
,” said Konrad in tones reminiscent of the Goldblatts, “at my age you learn to cope with everything.”
There was an awkwardness between them, and he turned to Anna with evident relief. “That’s quite a change of expression you’ve got there.”
“I told you Mama would be all right,” she said happily, and by this time they had reached the doctor, and Konrad introduced him to Max, and Max thanked him for all he had done for Mama.
“I believe you’ve had a long journey,” said the doctor, and Max told him a little about it, but quickly brought the conversation back to Mama.
“We were lucky,” said the doctor. “I told your sister—” he spread his fingers as he had done the previous day. “Fifty-fifty, didn’t I tell you?”
Anna nodded. It seemed a long time ago.
“Yes,” said the doctor. “Fifty-fifty. Of course in such a case one does not always know what a patient’s wishes would have been. But one has to assume… to hope…” He discovered his fingers, still in midair, and lowered them to his sides.
Behind him, Anna could see a very old lady walking carefully with a stick, and a small boy with his arm in a sling. She was aware of a woolly smell from Konrad’s coat, the warmth of a nearby radiator and the babble of German voices all around her, and she felt suddenly tired and remote. Mama is going to be all right, she thought, nothing else matters. For some reason, she remembered again how Mama had looked that time when she had cried in her blue hat with the veil. The veil had been quite wet and had got more and more wrinkled as Mama rubbed her eyes with her hand. When on earth was that? she wondered.
Konrad coughed and shifted his feet. “… can’t thank you enough…” said Max in his very good German, and Konrad nodded and said, “… deeply grateful…” “After a few days in the clinic to recover…” The doctor waved his hands and there seemed to be a question hanging in the air. Then Konrad said loudly and firmly, “Of course I shall be responsible for her.” She glanced at him quickly to see if he meant it. His face looked quite set.
The doctor was clearly relieved. So was Max who, she noticed, now looked rather pale and suddenly said, “I’ve eaten nothing since yesterday lunch time. D’you think I could possibly get breakfast anywhere?”
At this the group broke up.
They all thanked the doctor again, and then she and
Similar Books
