| News Release: it was a disruptive time between | | | | forward as she found the room and opened the |
| the winter of 1959, throughout 1960, and the | | | | door, smiled at Adam as she laid her suitcase on |
| spring of 1961. Elvis Presley was in the Army, in | | | | the bed, as if to say, the adventure of the |
| West Germany; Antarctica was agreed by the | | | | weekend is about to start, let's not draw back |
| 12-nations who had claims on the continent, to | | | | from each other. |
| use it wisely, and only for scientific reasons, no | | | | [The Ski Lift] "We must have climbed a mile?" said |
| nuclear testing. Then the 1960-Olympics started in | | | | Adam, stopping to rest by a farmyard fence; |
| Rome. It was the year Nikita Khrushchev banged | | | | two cows came up to the wooden fence, with |
| his shoe at the United Nations on his desk; and | | | | two big bells tied around their necks, Adam was |
| Castro addressed the United Nations as well, | | | | leaning against the fence. |
| asking for support with Cuba's "struggle" against | | | | "How charming," commented Adam, satirically? He |
| the United States. The Soviet Union put the first | | | | walked up the path a little further, toward the |
| man in space, Yuri Gagarin; Pablo Picasso, at age | | | | farmyard; two little boys came running down the |
| 79 marries his model, Jacqueline Rogue, 35-years | | | | path towards him, and two cows followed along |
| old, 42-years his junior...and the author of, "Cold | | | | side them, along the other side of the fence. It |
| Kindness," had his first poetry published in his High | | | | was as if one boy ran after the other, and the |
| School newspaper journalism class; and within nine | | | | cows just followed. They were twins. |
| years, he would be in West Germany. | | | | "Guten Morgen" said one of the two blond haired |
| Towers and Rain Drops | | | | boys, the one by the name of Cody. |
| Two hearts never seem to beatthe same, | | | | Said Carmen with a perfect pitch to her voice, as |
| andtwo minds never dream alikewe are towers | | | | if it was a soft flute playing (wanting to know |
| left alone it seemsfighting for our lives. | | | | where is the ski lift): "Wo ist...der Schilift?" |
| If only the sunwould remain out, meltthe ice | | | | Said Cody with an impetuous smile, "Er ist...gehen |
| away,then we could live above the cloudsand | | | | Sie... geradeaus... (go straight ahead)." |
| watch it rain all day. | | | | Carmen looked straight in back of her, where the |
| We are but drops of rainyou know...evaporating, in | | | | boy was pointing: ah, she could see it now. |
| the sun--most people know how to mix, it | | | | "Gandige Frau..." said the boy, "wie heissen sie?" |
| seemswhile others flow as one. | | | | "Carmen," she said, was her name, to the boy. |
| --dlsiluk | | | | And she explained that Adam was her American |
| Inside the Dieburg Tower | | | | friend. |
| Introductory Chapter | | | | "Aha..." said the boy with a bright smile again. |
| Winter in Garmisch | | | | Then with slow and broken English, the boy |
| [1959] | | | | commented, "He's...my cow sir, isn't...he big?" Adam |
| She stopped the car on the road, it was full of ice | | | | looked at them, "H...mmm, they are big and |
| and snow, the road leading into Garmisch that is, | | | | healthy looking cows are they not?" Possibly it |
| Garmisch, Germany; Carmen's right forearm | | | | was a statement-question, but the boys both |
| resting on Adam's arm for a moment; in the | | | | looked up and understood most of what was |
| distance ascending into the sky were the ski | | | | said; then they looked at each other, and were |
| slopes. The wind was whistling around the car | | | | indifferent to it, as if they were holding back a |
| windows and the pine trees were swaying, it was | | | | laugh. |
| a chilly winter's morning. The mountain pass had | | | | Both boys now looking at Adam, Cody said in |
| to be made by car or bus; no trains could make it | | | | English, "My name is Cody, and he's my brother |
| through the pass only around the mountain, and | | | | Shawn, we live there (pointing to the house up |
| within a certain distance of the areas ski resort. | | | | the path)." |
| She stopped the car, rested the motor, there | | | | Carmen thanked the boys in German, saying: |
| was a lodge behind them, about a mile back down | | | | "Danke," as the two boys stooped under the |
| the road; and just beyond the pass ahead of | | | | fence and ran towards the cows at which time |
| them was the village (or town-let), called | | | | the cows started to run, and then all of a sudden |
| Garmisch, a ski region, a wintry haven for all of | | | | the cows stopped turned to them (the cows, |
| Europe; and a simple old tourist village the rest of | | | | stopping and turning about) the boys jump back |
| the year. | | | | and laughed. |
| Everything was shinny white, in the frosted | | | | Said Carmen to Adam, "They are quite interested |
| weathered morning sunbeams; so much so, it | | | | in Americans I think, they took a shine to you |
| was almost blinding you could say; thought Adam | | | | Adam," Adam didn't say nothing; it was more of a |
| staring with his sunglasses on. Adam, he was | | | | statement he thought, than a question. |
| Carmen's American boyfriend. He was discharged | | | | "Nice boys, cute blond hair, just like little Germans. |
| from the American Military Armed Forces in | | | | Anyhow, do you mean we got to walk all that |
| Europe, about a year earlier, and had gotten a job | | | | way over there, I mean we've been walking for |
| as a manager at the local Babenhausen Military | | | | two hours, I think, or is it three [?]" He looked at |
| PX--and for the most part, he seemed to brave | | | | Carmen, she didn't say a ward, I suppose nothing |
| the elements of this trip without much difficulty. | | | | to say, then finished his thoughts, "It's just a little |
| Carmen looked at him, a brief smile, a comforting | | | | ways now." Having said that, they started to |
| intake of air, and drove forward through the pass. | | | | transverse over to the area the boys had pointed |
| "Is this Garmisch?" asked Adam with a vibrant | | | | towards. |
| blow to his diaphragm, trying to absorb its wintry | | | | Then she got thinking: perhaps she was a ting cold |
| wonderland beauty. | | | | hearted, she should ask how he is doing, and |
| "Yes, yes, but it's not quite the way I remember | | | | asked, "How are you doing Adam?" |
| it to be, it was long ago you know when I was | | | | "I suppose all right, I'm a bit fatigued, I mean, I |
| last here." | | | | mean, I only rested, not slept but an hour at the |
| They now had driven closer to the village where | | | | hotel. And this long walk, and the long ride up |
| they both could get a better view of the whole | | | | here, don't you German-Jews ever get tired?" |
| countryside, a breathtaking panorama--; for a | | | | She smiled; not saying a word, figuring it was a |
| moment, a fairytale moment you might say, | | | | rhetorical question at best. |
| Adam was taken back, a bit awe struck from its | | | | Adam, at the present, took off his jacket, he had |
| beauty; then as they drove a little further they | | | | a sweater under that, and a wool-shirt to boot, |
| were in the village itself; a little quaint Bavarian | | | | and a cotton undershirt under all that, and as a |
| Village by the Alps. | | | | result, he was starting to overheat. |
| "The hotel is farther down," Carmen instructed. | | | | Now, noticing Adam quite exhausted, Carmen |
| Adam looked over his shoulder, out of the back | | | | (shaking her head) stopped, said with a humbling |
| window, it was a long ride from Dieburg and the | | | | voice, "You can wait here, I'll go check and see if |
| incline was steep and slippery, he was adjusting. | | | | we can ski." |
| "Happy to have made it up here in one piece;" he | | | | Adam [brooding] "O--No--no, I came all this way |
| commented. | | | | here, walked all this distance, no need to stop and |
| Carmen burped out "We'll have to cross this small | | | | rest a few hundred yards from the site now." It |
| bridge ahead of us," turn to look at Adam's | | | | was more like a quarter mile, but the mannish |
| expression, then added "...the hotel is right beyond | | | | part of him--the Id was the driving force, although |
| that (pointing straight ahead)." Adam noticed a | | | | not destructive at this point, and it was a little ego |
| stream went under the bridge she was pointing | | | | involved, that is, which got its demand from the |
| at, and all the way (seemingly) through the village | | | | Id, I suppose, thus, he felt in control; in any case, |
| up to some farm pastures towards the | | | | he--the mannish part of him was not going to |
| mountains. | | | | allow the female species to have the upper hand. |
| Said Carmen hesitantly, but with pride, "This is | | | | --Said Carmen to the husky, beer bellied man in |
| lovely country in the spring as well as summer: | | | | the green ski-lift hut, sitting down operating some |
| streams and forests all mesh together and give | | | | gears, occasionally looking through a window in |
| out many shades of green; and as you can see, | | | | front of him, and Carmen to his side, "Wo kann |
| most of the houses still have that old Bavarian | | | | ich eine Fahrkarte kaufen? (Where can I buy a |
| architecture." | | | | ticket?)" |
| "I see," said Adam. | | | | "...Hier Schatzi!" (here darling) said the burly |
| "Across the bridge is the hotel," commented | | | | German, watching several ski-lifts going higher and |
| Carmen. | | | | higher up the mountain, threw the sparse wooded |
| "And where exactly is the skiing area?" Although | | | | area. "Zwei..." (he said, implying she needed two |
| in Adam's brain, the whole area could be | | | | tickets, as he looked, or tried to look, deep into |
| considered, for it was all mountainous. | | | | her bottomless and blue beautiful eyes; Adam |
| "There, over by the big hill, mountain I mean, you | | | | catching his gaze, the German paying Adam no |
| can't see it fully, got to get a little closer, but it's | | | | heed. |
| over a mile run down those smaller slopes | | | | Carmen responded in German: "Bitte...vielen dank" |
| alongside, there are several you know. We'll be | | | | (please, thank you much). |
| able to see it closer later; the mountains all kind of | | | | Carmen was catching her breath, said to Adam in |
| blend together, as you can see." | | | | a low tone, "Three Marks for a ride, three each, |
| As Carmen pulled up to the hotel, Adam cleaned | | | | that's close to a dollar!" |
| his sunglasses a bit. At times, things were so | | | | "Swell," said Adam [suddenly], "let's go for a ride." |
| bright, it was blinding, therefore, he rubbed his | | | | "Guten Tag," said the man--he now pointed to the |
| eyes, shut them for a moment. The snow was | | | | ski-lift they were to go on. |
| heaped up several feet high along side the hotel. | | | | Adam saying in English, as if to impress Carmen in |
| Carmen parked the car. This was their first trip | | | | the fact he understood a little German, and very |
| together; they had only known each other going | | | | little, "And good day to your sir...!" |
| on a month. | | | | "Are you able to ski?" asked Carmen, realizing |
| "There's no bellboy here," said Carmen. | | | | how exhausted she was, and he seemed even |
| "I see the ski-lift now," the young man said, | | | | more so. |
| tucking in his shirt as he got out of the car, | | | | "We shall see once we get to the top." I think he |
| grabbing the two suitcases in the backseat. | | | | was thinking if she would, he could, but if she |
| "Perhaps we can ski this afternoon," Carmen | | | | gave a little hint she was tired--well, I suppose he |
| explained, walking into the hotel. "The weather is | | | | could go along with anything to get a long rest |
| perfect for it," it being twenty-five degrees out. | | | | back at the hotel; anyhow, that was his answer. |
| "How many folks are skiing do you think?" he | | | | He sat back tight against the ski-lift as it ascended |
| asked, pointing now at the ski lift, way in the | | | | up the mountain; Carmen by his side, the seat |
| distance, or where he thought it should be, | | | | was made of wood, the rest was made out of |
| although a configuration, shadow of one was | | | | steel. It was all painted green, like the woods |
| noticeable. | | | | around them; under him were some twenty feet |
| "Perhaps (she paused to look about, think before | | | | of air, and accumulating more the higher they |
| saying another word)...conceivably about one | | | | went of course. Adam gripped his hands tight |
| fourth of the normal folks that would normally | | | | onto the sidebars of the lift attached to the seat. |
| come on a holiday or weekend, you know today's | | | | Being somewhat fatigued, his eyes started to |
| only Thursday, we got a few days before the | | | | close. Carmen noticed that; she nudged him to |
| rush starts." | | | | wakeup: reinforcing the fact he needed to hang |
| "Great, great, I don't like its crowded now, or will | | | | onto the side of the seat's side-bar. |
| be, in particular." | | | | "To ski down this mile run is nothing," said |
| "Do you wish to ski as soon as possible?" she | | | | Carmen, "if you are not tired that is; but if you |
| asked. | | | | are--tired like me or more so, you--you could |
| "Depends, ah, depends on what we have to do | | | | possibly break a leg." She was a much better |
| now I suppose!" he said aloud not realizing he was | | | | skier than he, and Adam knew it, and so hearing |
| being overly loud; overcompensating for being | | | | that, he took in a deep breath of air and thought |
| tired I'd expect. She did a double-take on him | | | | on what she had just said a moment ago. On the |
| when his voice had exceeded her calm zone. | | | | other hand, Carmen knew that men seldom |
| "Yes, yes, I hear you...!" the young woman said. | | | | listened to women when they sounded |
| "But we should eat a fine, if not resilient meal | | | | competitive, or she felt they could outdo them, |
| first, rest a bit, and go later on towards early | | | | so she added: "I'm more tired than I had |
| afternoon--we'll be fresher and not so...(she | | | | previously thought," and although she was tired, |
| hesitated, lost her thoughts, said), you know, not | | | | she could have skied a few hours more without |
| so loud please." | | | | much effort. But for the most part, this was the |
| "I've forgotten I'm hungry, and I didn't mean to | | | | best she could do with a warning for him, in |
| be so sharp, I suppose I'm just ornery from being | | | | allowing an escape path for his ego; thus, let him |
| tired, it does that to me some times," said Adam. | | | | do as he pleased with this kindest escape clause, |
| [Inside the hotel] "Guten Morgan," a voice said | | | | she had done her best to create. |
| behind a counter, noticing Adam as an American | | | | "Yes, yes, I understand," he said with eyelids half |
| he changed his language to English: "My name is | | | | open. |
| Koln, do..." before he could finish his statement | | | | "Yes, I see you do," commented Carmen. At the |
| Carmen interrupted. | | | | same time Adam started tapping with his fingers |
| "I am Carmen Schmidt; you should have our | | | | on the steel bar next to him. |
| reservation here?" | | | | Said he, "How do I determine if I'm too tired or |
| "A moment...bitte...please (he corrected himself | | | | not, or how have you determined you might |
| back to English)," Koln said as he thumbed through | | | | be...?" |
| some reservation cards: 'hmmm,' came from his | | | | Carmen [interrupting] "You are not deaf, are |
| mouth. | | | | you?" |
| "Ya... (a pause) Ms Carmen R. Schmidt, and...dd, | | | | "No," said Adam wiping his brow. |
| of-course--your guest..." (He said with a reluctant | | | | "Well, I'm telling trying to tell you we both |
| voice, or so it seemed). | | | | are--tired, but if you're not going to listen we'll |
| "Yes, that's me," replied Carmen. | | | | both break a leg together--go ahead, I'll risk it |
| "Kabine sieben," said the desk clerk [Room seven], | | | | also, otherwise we can turn about and go back to |
| adding in English, "...second floor, I see you'll be | | | | the hotel; I mean we got three, or is it, two days |
| here just three days..."Es ist schon" [fine], "...it's | | | | [?] anyhow, we got more than enough time to go |
| good skiing weather," he smiled and gave her the | | | | skiing, it's no big deal, as far as I feel, we do not |
| key, trying to readjust his earlier tentative sneer. | | | | have to push ourselves beyond what we know is |
| Adam knew many German's knew English, or at | | | | not safe"; having said that, they both got off at |
| least conversational English, he himself knew a | | | | the next stop and jumped on the returning ski-lift |
| little German, enough to get a meal, a beer and | | | | and back to the hotel, not even stopping to |
| an occasional date. And both Germans and | | | | warm-up. |
| Americans tried to use what little they knew; | | | | --When they got back to the hotel, they sat at a |
| either out of respect, or simply for the | | | | table, the bar area was behind them with stools |
| recognition of knowing it. | | | | and a few guests lounging about, but practically |
| "Danke," said Carmen as they left the counter | | | | the whole place was empty--for the most part, |
| area, heading toward the main lobby, down the | | | | perhaps four or five other people were present. |
| hall, Adam saying: "Tschus"[by]; then asked | | | | They stayed for a few hours talking and drinking. |
| Carmen: "What is the 'R' for?" | | | | A man and his ten year old boy were both |
| "I told you I was a German-Jew, it's my father's | | | | playing violins with German, Bavarian traditional |
| last name, Rosenbaum, is that a problem?" she | | | | festive cloths on. |
| said with a higher defensive voice. | | | | As the waiter came up to take their order |
| "No, no-oo... (a pause) not at all; what's a Jew got | | | | Carmen quickly took charge to order, "Ich |
| to do with anything anyhow? I mean, I'm | | | | moechte zwei Stueck Brot, ein Kruegel Bier, und |
| Russian-Irishman, American--big deal." | | | | ein Glas Wein...danke. |
| She didn't look his way, just asserted herself | | | | |