The Underground Man - Part 34

Heinz attacked his best friend in friendship, got his head under his arms before letting him breathe again normally. They had known each other since childhood, shared most parts of their life together, good and bad times. Whatever the other one wanted to do, to ask the best friend was their first choice. Traveling far, abroad or even inside Germany, was not on their mind often. They were more private people to keep to themselves, not adventurous, not thinking wild into the unknown, the impossible that could become possible. Both stood on the ground of the here and now, of what was supposed to do, what society expected from them, what their families thought it would be the right way for them, not questioning anything knowing once pensioners life unrestricted would be their reward to have bowed before orders and values of others.

"Now that I have kids and work to do, I cannot do as I want", mentioned Irena to Andrea, her friend from work sitting beside her in the sand serving Joachim, the man she had decided to get married to, with fried sausage and chips adding a cold beer for him. "Only when the time will come that I go on pension, I will finally be free. That is the time I will do all the things I was not able to do while I had to work and my kids around me. Then I will travel...travel always from country to country, all around the world. Than no boss can tell me what I am supposed to do, than I am free to tell myself what I truly want to do."

"Talking about...what to do...“mentioned Andrea grilling another sausage for her future husband on the small grill the friends had brought down from the parking lot to the beach. As most weekends in summer this was their place to be and relax, watch people and ships passing by. Sometimes the Airbus Super Gupy would fly over to deliver parts for the assembly of a new Airbus plane, for them always a great sensation, a reason to take pictures. "What to do...I mean what about your plans to study...as you mentioned to me a while ago."

"To study is a good idea and possible for me...no doubt about that. I have checked it out very well and there are great offers out there, all possible for me...do not get me wrong!" answered Irena looking over her right shoulder seeing her second husband playing with a black dog. "But...you see...I have given it another good thought...and I thought... ."

Andrea looked at her friend with anger in her eyes: "Do not tell me...that you... ."

Irena gave her husband a kiss after his return. He sat down to take a chilled beer, shared another one with Udo from his new work place, a football fan like him supporting Hamburger Sports Club with the little money he had left from work to buy fan items.

"No...I mean...“ stumbled Irena enjoying the chilled beer her husband had opened for her holding it with both hands feeling a cold breeze around her brain, "I thought of the whole thing so well...I mean...it will take years of hard work...each day I have to come home from work being tired and my children around me... ."

"Your children are old enough, they do no longer need you!"

"Yes...I know that they are just about to leave home anyway...but...you must understand...after work than to sit in classes and study for years without end... ."

Andrea faced her friend and hit the nail on its head: "So, you want to blast out to me that you have decided what is possible for you not to do!"

"It is so hard...I need to use so much time and energy to study...I mean there are things that I do not know... ."

"That is what `to study` is all about. You learn what you do not know so that you know!"

"Yes...possibly...“said Irena and looked down to the sand between her open legs. "But I want to enjoy life...I mean life is too short not to have fun...but always learning and learning...that causes me too much headache."

"When you want to achieve something in life, do you think it comes just like a bird from heaven into your brain...jupps...there it is and you become wise, clever and also rich...jupps...just like that without you having to do your part?" asked Andrea being very disappointed about her friend. She had raised her voice for all in the group to hear.

"I do not know how it works exactly...but trust me...I want to be rich and famous still...and I will manage it somehow", took Irena the sand between her open legs into both hands, looked at it and let it slip between her legs slowly, very slowly observing every part of it. It reminded her of the past, the wild days of her life that she had allowed man after man to use her, to bring her pleasure, to have a good time, an easy time, a time of no restrictions, a time to feel all that she was able to feel inside herself.

"To open your legs and let men get in...Do you really think their sperm and sweat will bring you anyhow nearer to a great life?" was Andrea holding the truth against her friend.

Irena rejected the insult heard in her soul:" I am not a cheap girl...no way. Do not picture me like that to anybody as it is not true...simply not true. I do not sleep with any stupid man that comes across my way. I have self-esteem and know I am worth something and not to be used by others...by stupid horny men...no, do not say that...otherwise... ."

"I did not say that and I do not mean it that way...“, tried Andrea to cool her friend down. "Maybe I was using wrong words. If I was hurting you, please accept my apology."

Irena accepted the hand stretched out to have peace between them and said: "Ok, agree!"

"All I wanted to say is, that the sperm of these men here...simply look at them and look at them very well...even your husband Hans-Jürgen will not give you the intelligence that you need to make it in life. I mean intelligence...after all...what is that...I never get it."

"A gift!"

"No way...I will never believe it!" rejected Andrea her idea knowing ion her own family that even each sibling had the same mother and father for which reason the same genes, the children´s outcome was very different. Most of her two sisters and one brother had ended school at a lower level, one of them made it to buy himself a house at young age working hours with no end with his wife complaining him staying away from the family too often. "Intelligence is hard work...and I have seen in so many people, that thinking is all it takes to make it great in life...but only greatness comes when you work hard. I mean not only hard as in discipline, being focused...but more so on your own self, your character, your mentality, your attitude...you must be willing to change completely, to overhaul yourself in all aspects. To sit on the couch and say that you want to be rich and famous but not getting your ass off and start running your marathon...will never work...trust me on that!"

Irena smiled, laughing out loud: "Take it easy...relax." She was tipping Andrea on her shoulders while asking her husband to wait before she can serve him with another sausage. A Super Gupy appeared on the skies, result of many people´s thinking. "Just easy...girl...easy. No need to be worried, no concern at all. I have thought and come to a great conclusion!"

"Which one?...Tell me...tell me quick", was Andrea all excited to hear good news.

"You will not believe it!"

"Unless you tell me...how shall I know?"

"I...hold your breath!" advice Irena her best friend that was nervously waiting for her revelation.

"I will go back to what I have a talent for!"

"And...and? That is what?" forced Andrea Irena to speak out and end the tension.

"I know...I know my talent is drawing!"

"You mean painting as an artist?"

"Exactly!" answered Irena with a bigger smile on her face. The water of the River Elbe was flowing towards the North Sea to make its water end up as rain in Africa. After the fall of the Berlin Wall the river had recovered from the salt and other pollutants East German government once had allowed to be discharged into the river from its dirty old factories making it impossible upstream to even walk in the water, too harmful. Over the years the situation had improved, not perfectly well, but acceptable for human bathing. "I have a great talent for painting as an artist...I always had. It gives me so great joy and satisfaction. Yes, that is what I am now going to do...and then... ."

"Then you will have exhibitions after exhibitions", interrupted Andrea hugging her friend.

"Exactly! And that is how I will end up being famous and rich...very...very famous...and very rich!" applauded Irena to herself. The River Elbe carried more water downstream to cause rain in Africa. Over flooding in most parts of Accra were likely to occur. In the northern parts of Ghana severe draught was making the life of farmers difficult unable for them to feed their family and life-stock.

"I am so happy...so, so happy for you," shouted Andrea out loud for all around to hear. She was out of her mind that is how happy she was for her friend. Finally she had come to a good plan, a bigger step in her life than anyone taken before. From the pictures of Irena she had seen years ago, she knew that there was a seed in her calling for improvement to make it over time to be a star among stars.

"Whatever you need from me to achieve your dream...please Irena...let me know!"

"Do not worry...I will always call on your friendship whenever I need to", took Irena a deep breath while the two sat down again toasting to each other with another chilled beer. "I just cannot wait to start my new career. Than I can get away from my boss that is treating me so unfair...you cannot imagine."

Hans-Jürgen got angry asking for his long time promised third sausage: "When are you going to keep your promise...you said it already long...long...long time ago...and still I have no sausage on my plate. I think I better grill one for myself...that goes faster and is more certain than you talking to Andrea and having fun with no end...instead of doing what you are asked to do by someone like me...your husband."

Irena starred at her husband with anger returning his complaint:" You are old enough...cannot you grill for yourself when you are hungry? What do you need me for? I just have a good time with my friend here...you are always there by my side."

Hans-Jürgen was at least clever enough not to retaliate but shut his mouth and obey her anger. He knew another woman at his age and with his character and position in life would not be easy to find. He had given up to speak against Irena but submitted his own wishes to her; better than no wife in his life he was thinking.

The water of River Elbe were constantly flowing down stream to merge with the waters of North Sea injected by the water from the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean to let it rain in Ghana. A farmer in China had carefully packed his five sacks of rice on a wooden truck. One of the sacks fell off the truck into the muddy waters of a small river winding through the paddy fields. The rice was lost!

"Sanct Pauli is not going to make it...how you can ever think like that?" was Sebastian angry about Hans-Jürgen that was finally enjoying his third sausage, slightly burned. The snaps bottle stood right next to him in a cool box for good digestion of the fatty foods. "Their goal keeper is blind...simply blind and their striker is a chicken that does not know how to pick any corn...an idiot!"

Hans-Jürgen swallowed the last bit of his sausage, took his right arm to clean his mouth, left ketchup on his arm and stated: "The goal keeper is a great player...do not say anything about him. Only because you are a Bayern Munich supporter it does not mean that you have to be so arrogant. Yes...we all know the underdogs have no easy life...they must fight for survival in the second liga...but surely that spirit they have now will take them far...very far."

Eric, working as a carpenter all over Germany, not married, jumped in: "The coach of Sanct Pauli is not correct, they club has paid far too much for him. Look at the club he was playing before...there he was not really successful. Only because he was available does not mean we should have taken him. As for me, I am really angry about the Management of the club that has done a poor job for us fans."

"So, what about the sack of rice that was falling into the mud in China just now?" asked Andrea finishing her last beer for the day. She did not want to give her kids that were with her grandparents a bad impression of herself.

Irena looked at Andrea puzzled and confused shaking her head from side to side: "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean what I say. You just told me that in China a sack of rice was falling into the mud!" replied Andrea collecting the paper dishes and plastic forks to dispose of in the nearest waste bin allocated at the camping site.

"I did not tell you anything of a sack of rice that fell in whatever country", complained Irena against her friend. She corrected her by announcing clearly: "All I sad is that my friend from work said, that she thinks my hair looks great and that I always wear make-up that is matching my facial expressions very well and that I am loved by so many people easy to handle and communicate with and that her kids are lazy at home and that she always has to push them to help with the housework as in the end she is working during the day and deserves assistance in the evenings and over the weekends and... ."

"That is exactly what I mean, you said the sack of rice in China was falling into the mud!"

"Are you mad?"

"Why...why do you say so?"

"Cannot you hear what I just told you?" shouted Irena lout for all to hear. The men stood still wherever they were standing. The waters of the River Elbe were pushed to the North Sea to cause rain in Ghana for cocoa beans to grow and bring good yield. "I was mentioning...oh, my God...", was Irena grabbing her hair to find some in her hand," you are going out of your mind...you are crazy...a fool. Yes, a fool that is what you are!"

"Me?" pointed Andrea to her chest. "Me, a fool?"

"Yes, you are a mad fool when you think I was talking about any such stupid sack of rice in China falling into the mud!"

"But...but that is all I was hearing you talking about!"

"I was sharing with you vital, important information about my friend at work...and...and...nothing else. Really important information!" insisted Irena and sat on her own motorbike ready to leave the place. The money for a car driving license was never there, nor for a car no matter how old, no matter how small.