the house and the gardening. After all, he couldn’t manage it by himself.”
I was speechless.
Marleen wasn’t done with Bernd yet. “I’m sure Inge just got the wrong end of the stick, so I set her straight. And then I made sure a few other people knew the truth too.”
Bernd looked at her stonily. “Are you done?”
“Yes, and now I feel sick to my stomach. I’m getting myself a brandy.”
She stood up and left us alone.
“Bernd, what the hell have you done?”
“My God, Christine. It really doesn’t matter why we separated, does it? I mean, no one’s really interested. You just took off, and you’re doing fine now, so whatever I do doesn’t really matter to you.”
“What on earth do you mean? How could it not matter?”
“You’ve got a new apartment, and you’re earning good money, while I’ve got the whole house around my neck and on top of that have to pay you fifteen thousand euros. Because Hans-Hermann commanded it.”
“But you’ve kept everything. You wanted the house. You wanted the separation. So why are you two lying to everyone?”
“Oh, don’t be so stubborn. You can’t just forgive, can you? Antje can’t understand it either. This kind of thing happens all the time, and in a year’s time everyone will have forgotten about it. You’re the only one sulking.”
Marleen had heard the last two sentences.
“Bernd, I want you to leave now. And quickly, before I really lose my temper.”
I couldn’t move or say a word.
I watched my husband as he ripped his car keys out of his jacket in a rage and went to his car. The brakes squealed as he sped away.
Marleen handed me a grappa.
“Get that down you.”
I sat down and drank the glass empty. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. “I thought it couldn’t get any worse.”
Marleen poured me some more. “This really is the limit. But this is as bad as it’s going to get. There’s a reason behind everything. Bernd clearly overextended himself; he had no idea how much you were paying for. And Antje was being given the cold shoulder, so they came up with this story to explain it all. That’s why no one has been in touch with you. But now I’ve put the story straight, and Antje will be the one with the problem, which she’s sure to take out on Bernd. It’s all so horrible.”
“I’m not in the slightest bit sorry for them. I don’t want to hear about it anymore.”
My gaze wandered across the dark terrace. It was already late.
In my mind I saw Luise in Cox, Jens on the beach chair, my balcony, Dorothea waving to me.
Marleen was watching me. “Perhaps this whole drama has a silver lining. You were too soft; you weren’t angry enough.” I returned her gaze.
“Perhaps. I’ve no idea. At the moment I just feel numb. And cold.”
In the middle of the night, I woke up. I switched the light on and sat up. Looking at the wall opposite, a framed photograph caught my eye that I hadn’t noticed the day before.
Beach chairs on Sylt.
I opened the window, sat on the ledge, and smoked a cigarette. Ten minutes away, I thought, what a load of crap.
I lay back down in bed and turned out the light. Shortly before I fell asleep, a thought came into my mind. Maren’s husband was a lawyer. I would give her a call. It was time.
At Any Price
N ina missed the ball by a hair’s breadth and let out a load groan. She’s panting just as much as me, I thought, wiping the sweat from my brow. Breathing heavily, Nina leaned against the wall and, sapped of energy, let her squash racket fall from her hand to the floor.
“Eight to five,” I announced. “Come on, Nina, it’s my match point.”
She struggled to catch her breath and got into position.
“Go on. At least the game’s nearly over. If I carry on much longer I’ll be sick!”
She didn’t even manage to return the serve.
As we sat opposite each other in the changing room, sweaty and breathless, Nina massaged her calf with a pained
I was speechless.
Marleen wasn’t done with Bernd yet. “I’m sure Inge just got the wrong end of the stick, so I set her straight. And then I made sure a few other people knew the truth too.”
Bernd looked at her stonily. “Are you done?”
“Yes, and now I feel sick to my stomach. I’m getting myself a brandy.”
She stood up and left us alone.
“Bernd, what the hell have you done?”
“My God, Christine. It really doesn’t matter why we separated, does it? I mean, no one’s really interested. You just took off, and you’re doing fine now, so whatever I do doesn’t really matter to you.”
“What on earth do you mean? How could it not matter?”
“You’ve got a new apartment, and you’re earning good money, while I’ve got the whole house around my neck and on top of that have to pay you fifteen thousand euros. Because Hans-Hermann commanded it.”
“But you’ve kept everything. You wanted the house. You wanted the separation. So why are you two lying to everyone?”
“Oh, don’t be so stubborn. You can’t just forgive, can you? Antje can’t understand it either. This kind of thing happens all the time, and in a year’s time everyone will have forgotten about it. You’re the only one sulking.”
Marleen had heard the last two sentences.
“Bernd, I want you to leave now. And quickly, before I really lose my temper.”
I couldn’t move or say a word.
I watched my husband as he ripped his car keys out of his jacket in a rage and went to his car. The brakes squealed as he sped away.
Marleen handed me a grappa.
“Get that down you.”
I sat down and drank the glass empty. Everything felt like it was happening in slow motion. “I thought it couldn’t get any worse.”
Marleen poured me some more. “This really is the limit. But this is as bad as it’s going to get. There’s a reason behind everything. Bernd clearly overextended himself; he had no idea how much you were paying for. And Antje was being given the cold shoulder, so they came up with this story to explain it all. That’s why no one has been in touch with you. But now I’ve put the story straight, and Antje will be the one with the problem, which she’s sure to take out on Bernd. It’s all so horrible.”
“I’m not in the slightest bit sorry for them. I don’t want to hear about it anymore.”
My gaze wandered across the dark terrace. It was already late.
In my mind I saw Luise in Cox, Jens on the beach chair, my balcony, Dorothea waving to me.
Marleen was watching me. “Perhaps this whole drama has a silver lining. You were too soft; you weren’t angry enough.” I returned her gaze.
“Perhaps. I’ve no idea. At the moment I just feel numb. And cold.”
In the middle of the night, I woke up. I switched the light on and sat up. Looking at the wall opposite, a framed photograph caught my eye that I hadn’t noticed the day before.
Beach chairs on Sylt.
I opened the window, sat on the ledge, and smoked a cigarette. Ten minutes away, I thought, what a load of crap.
I lay back down in bed and turned out the light. Shortly before I fell asleep, a thought came into my mind. Maren’s husband was a lawyer. I would give her a call. It was time.
At Any Price
N ina missed the ball by a hair’s breadth and let out a load groan. She’s panting just as much as me, I thought, wiping the sweat from my brow. Breathing heavily, Nina leaned against the wall and, sapped of energy, let her squash racket fall from her hand to the floor.
“Eight to five,” I announced. “Come on, Nina, it’s my match point.”
She struggled to catch her breath and got into position.
“Go on. At least the game’s nearly over. If I carry on much longer I’ll be sick!”
She didn’t even manage to return the serve.
As we sat opposite each other in the changing room, sweaty and breathless, Nina massaged her calf with a pained
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