What Happens in Deutschland STAYS in Deutschland
Vier
Wiebke walked slowly down the church aisle that led to Brigitte’s coffin. She hung onto Marco’s arm tightly for support and moved her feet slowly forward. This process took a long time, for her feet were like lead weights due to her sorrow. When they reached the open casket, she looked down at her older half-sister, who had been all dressed up for the occasion in a black cap-sleeved gown. Her purple hair lay neatly on her torso, and her face was extremely serene.
She felt Marco’s hand tighten around her fingers. She turned her face up to his to see him biting his lip, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. What were once dazzling orbs of clear blue had become a stone-gray color. Wiebke could never fathom how Marco had such emotion toward her sister when he had not known her long. Anyone who saw his reaction to the sight of the lifeless woman before him would be inclined to believe that the two were committed. However, they only had gone out a couple of times.
Suddenly, it dawned on Wiebke. Memories of past conversations flooded in all at once and nearly knocked her over in overwhelming realization.
“Marco…?”
“Yes?”
“You and my sister…you knew each other before we came to Germany, didn’t you?”
Marco raised his eyebrows.
“What would make you think that?”
“Well, when we realized that we had the wrong luggage, Brigitte was very calm about the whole thing. Almost as if she wasn’t surprised. Are you following me?”
Marco nodded, a tiny smile spreading across his face.
“Also, I had been trying for months to get info on her love life, but she was always elusive about it. She once, however, described her perfect man, and when I met you, I noticed every feature she said in your face. You were her perfect guy.”
“Continue.”
“All the hints she dropped on MySpace were about you. All the hours she spent on the phone after I fell asleep were with you. The person she met at the airport two weeks before we left for Germany was you!”
Marco chuckled. “Well, I see you have it figured out. Brigitte and I have been an item for two years. We met when I was a guest in her German class back when she was studying it. We hit it off quite well, and we maintained communication along with occasional visits. The visit before last, I had asked her to marry me. We were going to elope in my hometown of Munich, and just when we were thinking finances were going to be an issue, Dagmar conveniently won the lottery. Now, Brigitte never planned to ask Dagmar for help, but when Dagmar offered a trip to Germany, all we had to do is plan out everything perfectly. She suggested Munich as a destination. We planned out the whole luggage mishap. It was to be perfect.
“The evening we went out is the same evening that we wed. Also, the same evening that she died.” Marco’s voice cracked. “I feel like the unluckiest man on the planet.”
“Why didn’t Brigitte just tell us?”
Marco took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes.
“She wanted it to be a surprise.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense why she would keep such a thing a secret! God, she’s so STUPID!”
Marco shook his head.
“Not stupid; different. She was very different.”
Wiebke was so angry at her sister, yet she still felt sadness of her death. Sure, Brigitte’s swerving after a shiny object on the Autobahn was extremely retarded, but she never meant to put anyone into harm. She made that clear by committing suicide out of her guilt. However, Wiebke still found Brigitte’s suicide to be selfish and cowardly, and for that, she could never forgive her sister. Her sister was married and had other friends and family who loved her, but she had to go and kill herself so she wouldn’t have to face those people with her stupid actions.
“I thought you were cooler than that,” Wiebke muttered to her sibling’s corpse.
She turned on her heels and walked right out of the funeral home.
DICTIONARY OF GERMAN WORDS
Schwarzwälderkirschtorte: Black Forest Cherry Cake
Torte: Cake
Schwester: sister
Oma: grandmother
Mutti: mom
Was im Teufel?!: What the devil?!
Tchüssi: goodbye
Jugendherberger: youth hostel
Du meine Gute!: oh my goodness
Mittagessen: lunch
Es tut uns leid: we are sorry
Shwarzwald: Black Forest
She felt Marco’s hand tighten around her fingers. She turned her face up to his to see him biting his lip, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. What were once dazzling orbs of clear blue had become a stone-gray color. Wiebke could never fathom how Marco had such emotion toward her sister when he had not known her long. Anyone who saw his reaction to the sight of the lifeless woman before him would be inclined to believe that the two were committed. However, they only had gone out a couple of times.
Suddenly, it dawned on Wiebke. Memories of past conversations flooded in all at once and nearly knocked her over in overwhelming realization.
“Marco…?”
“Yes?”
“You and my sister…you knew each other before we came to Germany, didn’t you?”
Marco raised his eyebrows.
“What would make you think that?”
“Well, when we realized that we had the wrong luggage, Brigitte was very calm about the whole thing. Almost as if she wasn’t surprised. Are you following me?”
Marco nodded, a tiny smile spreading across his face.
“Also, I had been trying for months to get info on her love life, but she was always elusive about it. She once, however, described her perfect man, and when I met you, I noticed every feature she said in your face. You were her perfect guy.”
“Continue.”
“All the hints she dropped on MySpace were about you. All the hours she spent on the phone after I fell asleep were with you. The person she met at the airport two weeks before we left for Germany was you!”
Marco chuckled. “Well, I see you have it figured out. Brigitte and I have been an item for two years. We met when I was a guest in her German class back when she was studying it. We hit it off quite well, and we maintained communication along with occasional visits. The visit before last, I had asked her to marry me. We were going to elope in my hometown of Munich, and just when we were thinking finances were going to be an issue, Dagmar conveniently won the lottery. Now, Brigitte never planned to ask Dagmar for help, but when Dagmar offered a trip to Germany, all we had to do is plan out everything perfectly. She suggested Munich as a destination. We planned out the whole luggage mishap. It was to be perfect.
“The evening we went out is the same evening that we wed. Also, the same evening that she died.” Marco’s voice cracked. “I feel like the unluckiest man on the planet.”
“Why didn’t Brigitte just tell us?”
Marco took a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his eyes.
“She wanted it to be a surprise.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense why she would keep such a thing a secret! God, she’s so STUPID!”
Marco shook his head.
“Not stupid; different. She was very different.”
Wiebke was so angry at her sister, yet she still felt sadness of her death. Sure, Brigitte’s swerving after a shiny object on the Autobahn was extremely retarded, but she never meant to put anyone into harm. She made that clear by committing suicide out of her guilt. However, Wiebke still found Brigitte’s suicide to be selfish and cowardly, and for that, she could never forgive her sister. Her sister was married and had other friends and family who loved her, but she had to go and kill herself so she wouldn’t have to face those people with her stupid actions.
“I thought you were cooler than that,” Wiebke muttered to her sibling’s corpse.
She turned on her heels and walked right out of the funeral home.
DICTIONARY OF GERMAN WORDS
Schwarzwälderkirschtorte: Black Forest Cherry Cake
Torte: Cake
Schwester: sister
Oma: grandmother
Mutti: mom
Was im Teufel?!: What the devil?!
Tchüssi: goodbye
Jugendherberger: youth hostel
Du meine Gute!: oh my goodness
Mittagessen: lunch
Es tut uns leid: we are sorry
Shwarzwald: Black Forest
♠ ♠ ♠
Once again, another seemingly morbid story XD