My German Lover : Part 14, chapter 1

"What a dreadful day"

Lutz knew it was no longer possible to further delay the serious talk he had to have with Klara... So that morning, he walked over to her house and, as he rang the door-bell, he took a deep breath!

Moments later, Klara's mother opened the door, and Lutz gave her a very nice smile...

"Oh, Hi! Mrs Milch... How are you? Is Klara here?", he asked...

"Good morning Lutz... I'm so glad to see you. Please, do come in... How are you? You're more handsome than I remembered", she answered, smiling...

"Thank you Mrs Milch... I'm doing fine!"

"I'll call Klara: She's upstairs..."

"Thank you..."

Klara came downstairs and saw Lutz sitting in the living-room...

"Did you come to present your excuses?", she asked him...

"I beg you pardon?", Lutz calmly answered, although his heart was pounding...

"...Yes! For the way you acted the other night, at Will's house... and yesterday... You prefered going with your friends than seeing me..."

"Oh, I see Klara... (...) But please, do sit down... I would like to have a friendly chat with you..."

As she sat she said:

"Well now, I'm waiting for your excuses!"

"...About the other night... the only problem is... I don't see what I did wrong...", Lutz said, carefully choosing his words...

"You were drinking like a beast!", she answered.

"It's true I was going to have my second glass of Champagne. Yes. If that's what you call drinking like a beast... But you know what Klara? I think that if you left like you did, without even thanking our hosts, it has nothing to do with the fact I was about to have a SECOND glass... (...) I think you were frustrated because I had refused to obey your command...", Lutz replied...

"I told you not to accept that glass of Champagne..."

"...Yes..." Lutz answered, taking his time before saying: "You see Klara, I'm in the Wehrmacht, and I've been through a lot over the past year and a half... And I have no choice but to obey my Superior's orders... But you're not one of my Superiors, and I'm not at your command. Now, you're a big part of my life, and I do love you... But you see Klara: My life doesn't stop with you. I love my family... I love my friends... As I said, you're a big part of it all... and I like that... But I will not drop all the other parts of my life because of you. And I will never yield to you control over my life!"

As Lutz kept looking at Klara, he could see she was stunned! He didn't care about that, and continued saying:

"Now yesterday... it's true... I've spend the day with my friends. But you were most welcome to come along with us, and have some fun. Instead, you chose not to come. Why? I think I know why! It's because you didn't want me to be with my friends! (...) You know Klara that I'm here for a few days... and that we'll have plenty of time to be together, you and me... But yesterday, it was Paul's very first day in Berlin, and we wanted to show him the City... Don't you understand that?"

"...Oh, that Frenchman... with his Champagne..."

"I see you don't like him..."

"No!"

"But you don't even know him..."

"I don't need to know him: I don't like him, that's all!"

"And I know you don't like Will either..."

"I've never liked that guy..."

"And you've been rude with his mother yesterday, on the phone..."

"She's stupid!"

"I see. But whatever you think about her, she was kind enough to invite you and your family to join all of us for her Christmas Eve party..."

"... Do you think for one second we're going to go? I've told my mum that was out of the question! We'll have our own small party here, and I expect you to be here with me..."

"But my family has already accepted Mrs Von Rundstedt's invitation...", Lutz said...

"So what? Let them go, if that's what they want..."

"(...) If I follow your thinking... I would be here with you... while my family -that I haven't seen for a year and a half- would be on the other side of the street, at Will's house, celebrating Christmas without me... Is that it?"

"...Yes! If you love me like you said, I expect you to be here with me!"

"I see..."

Lutz kept silent for a few minutes, then he slowly rose, stared at Klara for a few seconds, then said to her:

"I'm sorry to tell you that Klara, but I won't be here for your "small" party! I'll be with my family and my friends over Will's house. And if you really love me, you'll be there too, with your parents... Should you decide not to come, that will tell me a lot..."

"We won't be there Lutz! And that's final!", she shouted.

"...I hear you. You don't have to scream at me, you know. I'm not deaf! (...) What else can I say Klara? I guess there's nothing else to say... and I'm sorry for that, really..."

"Are you breaking up with me?", she defiantly asked...

"No...", Lutz gently answered... "I don't need to: You've already done that! (...) Now I think it's better for us to go our seperate ways... cause it won't work for the two of us. And I wish you all the luck in the world: I do hope you will find happiness, Klara, I really do!"

Hearing that, Klara took one of her mother's china vase and throwed it against the fireplace...

"I've seen Scarlet O'Hara last year doing that in "Gone with the wind"... nice film... but sorry Klara: It doens't work with me!", Lutz said, grinning...

"Oh You! I hate you..."

"...Have you ever loved me Klara?... Oh, and don't bother: I'll find my way out..."

At that, Lutz left Klara and walked the short distance over to his home. He felt heavy-hearted, but also relieved...

He gave Will a call...

"At what time do you intend to leave to drive Paul to the New Chancellery?", Lutz asked his friend...

"At around 13h00... Why?"

"I'm going with you... Will you be wearing your uniform?"

"Of course... But... I thought you were suppose to have a talk with Klara today...", Will said...

"...Yeah! I just did! And I'm a free man now..."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell you all about it later... And I'll be at your house on time!"

"Fine..."

Of course, Will ran to the kitchen, where Paul was having a coffee with Ludwig and his mother, and he told them what Lutz had just told him...

"I feel sorry for him..." Paul said... "But I think Klara was not the right... person... for Lutz!"

"No, she wasn't...", Will's mother said.

"Anyway... Lutz is old enough to know what's best for him...", Will replied...

"I'm sure it won't take long before he meets someone else in Paris... I'm quite sure he never did anything with Klara: I'm sure she's frigid!", Ludwig said, laughing...

"LUDWIG!", his mother shouted...

"...What? Hey mum... Lutz is young... he's very good-looking... I don't think he's going to be all alone for very long, if you see what I mean...", Ludwig answered, grinning...

"Well... You're too young to talk about those things...", she answered.

"Poor mum! We're no longer in 1920 you know! I'm fifteen... Do you really believe I don't know about all those things?", Ludwig replied, laughing...

"I'm going to have to wash your mouth with soap...", she said...

"Yeah yeah...", Ludwig answered, laughing... "Just try to put your hands on me..." he added, while running out of the kitchen, laughing his heart out...

Once Ludwig had left, she said:

"I don't know what we're going to do with him! He's growing to fast... and I think your father and I have lost the touch. We're getting too old for that... I wish you were here Will, to talk some sense into him..."

"Perhaps next summer, he could come to Paris and spend some time with me... You know mum: It's not easy for him to grow up with two women... you and Karin... I know you're doing your best, and I know dad is doing his best too... but nevertheless, it's not easy for Ludwig... And most of the time, dad is at his office... Oh, I don't blame him... but you know how it is..."

"Ludwig? In Paris? But... Where would he stay? With Lutz and you? You work all day long... so most of the time, you're not at your flat... Ludwig would stay there all alone? All day long? I don't think so!", she stated.

"Oh... But during his stay, Will could move to my house... and Ludwig could stay there with us. I have a good staff, and a good Chef... And most of the time, when I have to, I work from my study at home... so Ludwig would never be left alone...", Paul answered, smiling at Will's mum...

"...Well... maybe... I'll have to talk to your father about that. And anyway, we have lots of time before us to think about it, don't we?", she answered...

"Yes mum...", Will answered, giving his mum a kiss...

"You're a good son Will... You've always been!", she said, smiling at her handsome son.

"Now if you will excuse me", Paul said... "I've got a shower to take, and I've got to get dress. Remember: I have a NICE party to attend at the Neue Reichskanzelei!!!"

Later, when Paul came down, wearing his black full dress with a nice bow-tie, they all looked at him and Will's mother said:

"My God Paul! You're so handsome... If I weren't married, I would marry you right now..."

"No chance mum: I would marry him first!", Will said, laugning...

They all laughed. Then Lutz got there and minutes later, the three friends left for the Neue Reichskanzelei...

The traffic was heavy on WilhelmStrasse... but eventually, they reached the Neue Reichskanzlei, where guards checked Paul's invitation, as well as the identity of the other two in the car.

Seeing all was in good order, the guards stood at attention and shouted:

"Heil Hitler! Welcome to the Neue Reichkanzlei!"

"Heil Hitler!", Will and Lutz answered, being German soldiers. Paul remained silent.

"I can't believe I'm here!", Paul nervously said, as Will was driving the car through one of the big gates...

"Oh... It's just for a few hours... You'll live to see the end of it, don't worry! And remember: We'll be waiting for you..."

"Thanks guys... I really do appreciate..."

Many cars were slowly making their way inside the Court of Honour, driving bumper to bumper... and when they neared the flight of stairs leading to the main entrance, Lutz said:

"Shit guys: Look at the two big nude statues over there..."

The three friends looked at the statues of two well muscled Greek Gods, cast in bronze...

"I wish my mum could see that... she would be flabbergasted!", Lutz said, grinning...

Minutes later, Paul got off the car...

"Wish me good luck guys... I'll need it!"

"I love you Paul... You're not alone here: I'm with you!", Will answered...

Paul walked his way up the flight of stairs to the main entrance, over which stood a very large sculpted Nazi eagle...