Landing 3

Keeping his promise, he hurried back where he had left her.

He had asked someone from the crew to bring her a coffee. He struggled concentrating on his work; he even messed up his lines twice, a fact that caused quizzical stares, raised eyebrows and suspecting half-smiles from the crew and his fellow actors.

He almost had a jump scare when he entered the tiny lounge and saw her spread on the big armchair, completely still, her eyes shut, her jaw touching her shoulder. She was sleeping.

Gently, he removed the foam cup from her hand and observed her serene face. She was a combination of frailness and determination, fragility and strength.

His heart went out to her and he was surprised by the rush of feelings that rose in him. He caressed her face and removed some strands of hair that covered part of it, waking her up as smoothly as possible.

“Hi, beautiful”, he smiled, “how about a small change of plans? You are exhausted and I was thinking… maybe we could skip the restaurant and go to my place, my chef can make us something nice and — ”

“Chef? You have a chef?”, she asked, still not fully awake.

“Well, although I enjoy cooking, I get really busy most of the time and I’m too tired to cook anything by the time I get home. I’ll message him …. is there anything that you should avoid eating or something special you’d like to eat? No? There, that’s settled.”

“Oh, and I was also thinking” he said as she was getting up, “ that since you haven’t made any hotel reservations yet maybe you should stay in my house, no, I don’t mean anything funny, there are guest rooms and you can stay as long as you like and I want to take care of you, will you let me? Please, say yes”.

She said yes, he took her suitcase in one hand, wrapped the other around her shoulders and they went outside.

7 months later, early October

She left her laptop on the coffee table. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, looking pensively at the heavy rain behind the huge window wall.

It’s the end of an era, her inner voice stated.

Lately, he smiled less and less often at her. He was irritated and feeling off most of the time. Last evening they had a fight; she had looked a bit put off and when he asked her why and she said that she was feeling mentally tired, he snapped at her, saying that she was ungrateful.

The last of the discussion echoed in her mind: “ maybe I should move out”- “yeah, maybe you should”, he said before storming out of the house. She wished he would give her a chance to explain herself.

She wanted to point out to him that they never went out like a normal couple and enjoyed themselves in peace; there were always enthusiastic fans asking for selfies, making a fuss.

Of course she was happy with the love he received, but it was as if she was going out only with the actor; the man she had to herself existed only indoors.

She understood his outburst, the reason behind calling her ungrateful. He absolutely took good care of her, showered her with everything that money can buy.

No cooking, cleaning, errands, or house chores were allowed to bother her. She had walk-in closets full of clothes, shoes and accessories. A brand new car and a chauffeur to go with it.

She had mentioned once that she always wanted to travel and indeed she travelled to many places around the world.

But he was too busy to join her.

She was grateful beyond words for this luxury but she had done nothing to earn it, and knowing that she was living on someone else’s expense crushed her.

He had discouraged her from finding a job because he could provide everything, and he was happy to do it. She couldn’t get it through to him that she felt ashamed every time she gave him a present bought with his money.

In all this splendour, she couldn’t find her own light. She was like a precious stone to him, a very much cherished possession…

“Yes, the end of an era”, she said to the rain. Mid-Autumn, like the present phase of her life.

The laptop’s screensaver caught her eye, a photo of a white wolf howling.

She loved wolves. They are devoted to their tribe, they protect their family and their one lifelong mate, each knows their place in the pack and they collaborate harmoniously for the best of their “society”.

But, apart from being excellent team players, the wolves can be loners if they have to. They cope. This is why the wolf became her spiritual animal, her guide and protector.

This time it didn’t take her long to make up her mind. Her original plan, almost 5 years ago, was to go to Germany. But where exactly?

She thought of a relative she had there, her mother’s first cousin.

She hadn’t seen him for years, but they exchanged cordial Christmas wishes every year on social media.

She had no idea where he lived or what his current job was but at least she had a starting point.

Two days later, with her backpack and her suitcase (that contained only the things she had come to the USA with) she boarded the flight to Düsseldorf, where her uncle, beside himself with joy, was waiting to welcome her.

“So, you run a restaurant in Düsseldorf?” she asked him as he started the car.

“Well, no, I told you to come to Düsseldorf, I didn’t say that I live or work here”.

“So where do you live?”

“Thirty minutes from here. In Leverkusen”.

She looked at him with wide eyes, he was smiling because he was expecting her surprise and, in sync, they started singing: it was a night in Leverkusen, right outside the train station, I remember you saying to me “hey, dude, I love you”

“Don’t tell me that — ”

“Yep, when I left home back then, I chose Leverkusen because of the song”

“Excellent criteria”, she laughed.

“So, niece, how come you’re alone? Didn’t you find the right one yet? How do you like your men?”

“Medium rare with baked potatoes on the side!!!”, she glared at him.

“Whoa, I just happen to know a — ”

“Don’t even think about it, I warn you! And don’t try any matchmaking stuff, ok?”

“Okaaay”…

For the rest of their short journey he told her about his life: for the past 32 years, he’s been living with his partner, Anna, and her three children, well, the kids are married off, and they don’t live with them anymore but they visit from time to time.

She knew this fact (that he was involved with a German woman, divorced, with three kids and older than him) from family gossip, ages ago, seasoned with shock and disapproval.

So, she was going to work as a cashier at the restaurant and stay in one of the kids’ rooms in the apartment above the restaurant, free of charge- her uncle was adamant about it.

Twice a month, she could take the weekend off (unless there was an emergency), he and Anna would take over. Her meals in the restaurant would be free and her salary was more than satisfactory.

“Wow, the working conditions in Germany are super, uncle!” she exclaimed.

“Sure, especially when it comes to my favorite niece”, he laughed.

In November, with Christmas only a month away, she asked Anna when they would decorate the restaurant. Smiling, Anna informed her that the restaurant remains closed for 3 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks at Easter.

“Yeah”, her uncle cut in, “everyone around here thinks I’m nuts to be away during the most prosperous season of the year, but let me tell you this, what’s the point of accumulating money if I don’t make time to enjoy it? Plus I want to visit home during Christmas, and Anna loves it there”.

So she would be free of work for 3 weeks, and she could go anywhere she wanted. Realizing how much she had missed the sea, she decided to go up north.

As she was studying the map a name drew her attention: Leer (empty).

A strange name for a seaside town that had a port, a river, canals and waterways, castle, gothic buildings, lakes, forests, everything she loved in one place…

… but maybe it was a suitable name after all because she would empty her mind of sad thoughts and relax.

So, Leer it is!