Saturday - 09.08 The misery takes its course...
David next to me tensed noticeably. His gaze darted around the front rows, as if he expected a commotion to break out at any moment.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZxehuCXDK
I, too, held my breath. Trouble... How could trouble possibly start? I'd always known these people to be nice and respectful whenever I'd met them. But hey, maybe I was wrong.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVkQ3jAg5Q
Bodo cleared his throat. He lowered his head and fished index cards out of his pocket. Well, that looked great!11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwD8fcggNBM
"Uh... yeah... how do you start something like that? I'm not right-wing. I want to emphasize that. But..." Uh oh! That started well! "I also have to say, I find it uncomfortable right now!"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaYqVOytDz
Someone coughed in the front rows. Otherwise, there was dead silence. We all stared at the stage and just waited.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNzRhNjGtu
"We've received complaints about stolen items, broken doors, and harassment." He bit his lower lip and looked tensely down the rows. "Within our board, we've therefore decided to advise all of you to lay off your, um... guest—no! seasonal workers and have the employment office assign you German workers."
He wasn't serious! My jaw dropped, and it took me a moment to fully comprehend what he had just said.
I wasn't the only one who'd taken a moment. Sabse's father jumped to his feet. "Great suggestion! Really well thought out!" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I need my Poles, Romanians, and Bulgarians! They do a great job, they're warm-hearted people, and I can't imagine they've done any of the things you're accusing them of!"
Another farmer jumped to his feet. "I saw them on my tractor the other day! Brand new John Deer! I wouldn't trust them!"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyB4WlhBx1
"My God, they're just as interested as the village youth! There's nothing to it! Or did they try to take your key?" Sabse's father slowly turned red, and a vein visibly pulsed in his temple.
Another farmer from the front row stood up. "Come on, Ulli, don't be so stubborn! If the National Socialist Party takes action here soon, they'll have to go anyway. It's better that way!"
And that was apparently the missing nail in the coffin, which made David jump up violently. Anger blazed in his eyes, and his hand trembled as he let go of mine.
"You're all crazy!"
A faint "finally someone says it!" was heard behind him, otherwise there was silence.
"This new right is only making everything worse! Do you have any idea what kind of people these are? Do you have any idea what kind of country they actually want?"
"David, sit down, boy!" Bodo tried to intervene, but he had no chance. David was already too much in his element for that.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1lpZzqIIc
"We're all going to bleed dry! Where will the new workers for our farms come from? Hmm? Where will the financial means come from so you can cultivate your fields if you can no longer export your grain because of the trade embargo?"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunonko6K2Z
"Now, calm down!" one of the farmers grumbled from the front. "That's all your parents' talk!"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFqvZ2viUP
Murmurs of agreement.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6vc5YYhVd
"That's way too big for you, boy. A few more years of experience..."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJaxUEZeJc
David leaned forward. One more word and he would pounce on this farmer. I grabbed his wrist. Better safe than sorry.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ZWvFuSUh6
"No. It has nothing to do with experience! What you're saying here is fascist nonsense!"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPwLxq8tvY
The murmuring grew more indignant.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrj8xkpoFHF
"Are you calling me a Nazi?" the second farmer hissed. Oh shit! The guy was standing pretty straight now and narrowed his eyes aggressively. "You clearly weren't taught any manners as a child, but what do you expect when your own mother would rather save the world and you're raised by a Polish woman? This is what happens, people! Do you want your children to be as bland as our dear David?"
David made a move to the side to get out of line, but I held him back. "Sit down!"
"Listen to your blondie. It's better, boy!" I heard Mimi say. Blondeie! Phew! Thanks!
David narrowed his eyes and took a sharp breath. There she was again, the time bomb about to explode at any moment. "Are you telling me you have a problem with Pola?" He sounded dangerously calm, but his hand was shaking. Shit! He gallantly ignored Mimi's comment.
The silence became oppressive. Everyone waited, waiting for the farmer's answer. But he said nothing. He simply stared at David like an angry garden gnome.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt3AjW5imw
"She hasn't hurt any of you! How often has she offered you coffee? Brought you cake? Invited you to eat when you mowed our meadows or brought hay? How often have you
Did you come to Oleg when you had problems with your horses because you wanted his knowledge? Nila and Hassan didn't do anything to you either! They were always friendly! Berti, who brought your Lilly home the other day because she fell off her bike? Nila! Most of you drove past! Your double standards..."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbB0XLHEYnZ
No! He absolutely couldn't say that now! I quickly stood up and grabbed his arm so hard it must have hurt.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxlASfT786
"Sorry. We're leaving." I smiled, trying to be friendly, and then dragged David out of the room behind me.
This double standard was getting on my nerves too, but looking around, this could quickly get us into trouble, or at least onto the radar of people whose radar I didn't want to be on.
As soon as the hall door closed behind us, David snatched his arm from me and, after a brief hesitation, rushed out of the restaurant.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOVE8gB1C8
The bartender peered out from behind the counter with raised eyebrows. You could see he was enjoying the show.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllc9HGgTR5
I hurried to catch up.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuUQvMbbFgL
"Now stop!" I cursed, almost tripping over one of the cobblestones.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CjUNSn8Px
"What was that all about?" David was still practically sparking. His voice was trembling and his cheeks were flushed. He stood tensely in front of me in the streetlight, his jaw working.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3QWGhN5GU
"David, you could have killed us!" It was only a matter of time before everything to the left of the new norm was persecuted. "Calm down!" I took a step toward him, but he immediately took a step back.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubfO3DsZqz
"I never thought you, of all people, would stab me in the back like that!"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uKP4VoQce
Stab me in the back? I'd just saved our asses! But okay, if that's what he wanted to believe. Gladly, then I was the bad guy!11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKv1FDove28
"I think it's just as shitty. I can't stand hearing all this nonsense anymore, but I don't get so worked up!" I tried to catch his eye. "David, they've run out of arguments. Haven't you noticed? If you explain it to them, but politely, then maybe there's still hope. That's the only reason they got personal."
David snorted. His body was still shaking with tension. "You can't explain anything to them anymore. Ever since this whole thing with the subsidy cuts, these idiots have been beating down their door!"
He was right, damn it, but giving up wasn't an option! I took another step toward him. This time he didn't back down. "I don't know what we're supposed to do, but..." I took a shaky breath. "But this is just putting ourselves in danger! Did you see who was sitting there? If we want to change something, we'll have to be subtle, otherwise we'll soon be on a hit list."
David bit his lower lip. His eyebrows slowly furrowed, and then his shoulders slumped. He lowered his head in resignation and wrapped his arms around me.
His heart was still beating far too fast as I put my ear to his chest and closed my eyes. We had to be one, otherwise we'd only make ourselves more vulnerable. Then the courtyard, as a protected space and an idyllic place, would be ruined.
The pub door slammed behind us. Quick footsteps approached. I tensed. If it was one of those idiots and he wanted a beating, I'd claw his eyes out myself.
"Good points, David." Sabse's father stopped next to us. "They're all delusional dreamers. Truly unfair!"
More footsteps came closer. David let go of me, but kept a hand on my hip.
"Unbelievable, the debates going on in there!" The village priest suddenly stood before us. "This has nothing to do with charity! It's a shame that such debates have to be held. Very brave of you, David!" He smiled and bowed his head, visibly impressed. "I'll bring this up at the service tomorrow."
David blinked, confused, but nodded. Probably more out of overwhelm than anything else.
The pastor gallantly extended his hand to me. "Petersen. We don't know each other yet. You must be Johanna. Word gets around fast around here."
I laughed nervously. Great info! "I... uh... well, I don't go to church often either, but it's nice to have met you." But I wouldn't go to church more often because of it now either.
Petersen laughed. Deep laugh lines formed around his crystal-blue eyes, which had a piercing quality, and he placed a hand on my forearm. "Don't worry. I don't blame you. I haven't seen David since his confirmation either. As long as you believe in loving values in your heart, everything is fine."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zdvzIhlx5
Okay... Whatever loving values were.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQE86RSlWi
More and more people came out, nodded to us, and disappeared silently into the darkness.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1w3EZPZmal
Sabse's father zipped up his jacket. "Should I drop you off at the farm? And you, Pastor at the rectory?"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ULbHw35wX
We nodded hesitantly after a brief exchange of glances. David looked pretty worn out, and I, too, felt a leaden fatigue. The day had been more exhausting than expected! Things could only get better!11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcaAIXhAAiA
Even though David looked calmer, something in his eyes told me that something was bubbling inside him, slowly taking shape.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQKEopslxQ
