2

“It was three weeks ago, on November twenty-third, at around five-thirty in the afternoon. That was the first time I met Ralph.” Jørgen recounted. Since he had started, he felt it was necessary to tell the whole story—— it would be best to dispel the security department’s suspicions all at once.  Because heaven knew how many more days he’d be waiting here.

“I was waiting for the six-fifteen evening flight to return to my hometown, Hannover. He subconsciously looked around before continuing. “It was here. In this seat. I finished reading a copy of the Der Spiegel magazine. When I put the magazine down, I saw Ralph sitting across from me.”

He stopped, somewhat at loss and unsure of how to continue.　

The man took out a paper box from his pocket, drew out a cigarette and passed it over.

Jørgen looked at him, startled, “Smoking isn’t allowed in the airport.”

“I know. This is an e-cigarette. You seem like you need one to calm your nerves.”

Jørgen accepted it without another word.

“I also have two of these at home,” he said. “The doctor told me I need to stop smoking. But I think these things are absolutely ridiculous.” He took two deep drags from it.

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Gqvla y obkzl, bl prsjl.

Vzyu – Ózyqwa Gadyzep – Lsv Gzsdl

“Fka, es usw clzklhl kd zshl yv qkapv pktbv?”

Mbl xyd alrzkle kd y raynvknyz, alyzkpvkn vsdl, “Waydjzu prlyjkdt, R esd’v alyzzu clzklhl kd kv. Tsolhla, vbyv pllxp vs cl y rsrwzya pwcflnv xyvvla okvb pnalldoakvlap yde dshlzkpvp.”

“R dlhla alye dshlzp.” Køatld alxyajle. “Mbl zypv xshkl R oyvnble oyp clqsal xu xkeezl pnbssz lmyx.”

Tl vssj ydsvbla byae eayt sq vbyv vbkdt obknb zssjle lmynvzu zkjl y nktyalvvl.

“Jwv vblal olal sdzu vos rsppkckzkvklp qsa xl vbyv eyu. Okvbla R yexkv vbl lmkpvldnl sq zshl yv qkapv pktbv, sa R yexkv vblal oyp psxl jkde sq plnalv prlzz obknb Syzrb bye rzynle sd xl, qypnkdyvkdt xl vs vbkp eyu, kvp kdqzwldnl dsv byhkdt zsspldle kvp takr sd xl kd vbl pzktbvlpv ——yde vbkp qllzkdt obknb kv’p tkhld xl, okzz zypv qsa y zkqlvkxl.

“R pyo Syzrb obld R rwv esod vbl xytygkdl kd xu byde. Tl osal y osad rzyke pbkav. Rv oyp hlau nzlyd cwv schkswpzu wdkasdle, qsa kv oyp hlau oakdjzle. Tl pxkzle yv xl yde ypjle vs zssj yv vbl xytygkdl.”

“I handed it over to him, but he only held it in his hands while continuing our conversation. All the way to the end of our conversation, he never turned a single page. Clearly, he was only looking for an opening to talk to me. ——I must admit, the moment I confirmed this, I was so elated, I felt like I was on cloud nine.

Pause – Ólafur Arnalds – Not Alone

Play – Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið

“The cover of the magazine for that issue was of Goethe. Ralph began telling me of the joke about the two left feet*¹*There are quite a few notes about Frankfurt in this chapter:

The joke about the two left feet: Refers to Goethe’s most well-known portrait. (Goethe in der römischen Campagna), painted by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, housed in Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. Most people, including me, who have seen the portrait , think Goethe has two left feet. and Goethe’s former house. I had lived in Frankfurt for so many years but had never thought to go explore anywhere.”

“But that day, I listened to him tell the entire story of Faust ——I had never been so fascinated while listening to a story.” He paused, and with a dreamy air, he gently uttered,
　　
　　„So etwas hab’ ich nie gesehn.“**² **This comes from Faust. In the first part, Faust met a young lass, Margareta (also called Gretchen). He fell for her and spoke this line ——This line of German is very difficult to translate, the general meaning of it is: This girl, she is more lovely than any I’ve ever met. (This is only a general meaning, only when you read this in German can you have that kind of captivating feeling.)

While listening to him speak, I was plotting how to get him to sit with me on the plane. I was familiar with the person in charge of the Lufthansa branch in Frankfurt and it would only require a word from me to change cabin seats. Except, I didn’t know how to bring this up without exposing my intentions to him. ——Back then, I was like an idiot. I kept rearranging the words I wanted to tell him, over and over. But no matter how I rearranged and pieced them together, they all sounded ridiculous. Luckily for me, the airport announced the cancellation of our flight before I had the chance to speak. I never thought the announcement of a flight delay could make someone so happy.

“My new friend cheerfully accompanied me to the taxi stand, then bid me goodbye. I asked him, ‘Won’t you come with me?’”

“‘Ah, no,’ he told me with a smile, ‘Lufthansa only arranges for first-class passengers to stay overnight in Steigenberger³ Steigenberger: A well-known hotel chain, with one located in the heart of Frankfurt and another by the airport.. I don’t know what they’re planning to offer us. It’s probably just a blanket.’”

“I forgot what I told him. It was probably ‘Please come with me.’ or something along those lines. At the time, I was too agitated and my mind was devoid of everything except his response. When he opened the car door and sat down at my side, I hid my knees with my briefcase after noticing they’re shaking.”

“We took the taxi into the city. It was still morning. We took a walk around the old town and saw the Fountain of Justice⁴

Fountain of Justice with Goddess Justicia: Refers to the fountain in Römerberg. In the center, there is a statue of Justicia, the goddess of justice (in other words, the law), holding a balance in her left hand and a sword in her right.

—— Ralph told me he used to dream of becoming a judge like his father. I asked him where his father worked as a judge, and he told me he worked in Bern. This astonished me as his German was impeccable. There wasn’t even a hint of a Swiss accent.”

“‘I attended high school in Frankfurt. For the first two months, almost no one could understand what I was saying.’ Then with laughter in his voice, he continued, ‘But in my second year here, I was mistaken for a local while out in the street.’”

“Afterwards, he gaily began describing the small town of Bern. I had been to Switzerland at least twenty times, but only to Zurich. My impression had been that a capital city would be about the same no matter where it was. But Ralph told me Bern was the cutest capital in the entire world.”

“‘You’d realize it right off the bat after getting off the plane. Our airport is very small. Most of the time, you’d have to get off the plane and walk across the tarmac yourself. Then, you’d pass through a security check even if you were only transferring flights. ——It’s completely unlike this colossus, Frankfurt Airport.’ That was what he had explained to me.”

“‘Bern is a very small city. Just about everyone knows each other. When summer comes, everyone goes swimming in the Aare River. There are many sunbathing spots by the river. One of them was conveniently facing the city hall for government employees to enjoy the view.’ He recounted all of this to me with great delight. ‘From the city, you could see the snow-capped mountains and forests. The streets are very narrow and labyrinth-like in their complexity. There are many one-way streets and roundabout exits. After entering, outsiders often find themselves lost.’”

“In the restaurant, we ate Grüne Soße⁵Grüne Soße (Green Sauce): A sauce made of 8 different herbs. Legend has it that it was invented by Goethe’s mother. The traditional way of eating it is with boiled eggs and potatoes., boiled eggs, and potatoes. We also ate Handkäse⁶Handkäse: Cheese made from what’s left after skimming the milk. Along with cider, they are local specialties. and drank cider. He spoke of Bern, of exploring the forests on the mountain as a child, and of snowboarding. I also told him about my experiences. The year he came to attend high school here in Germany, I dropped out of the University of Hannover and opened my own trading company. The primary investment came from my father. In the second year, I moved the company to Frankfurt and have been here since then. ——Compared to his story, I felt my story was very mediocre.”

　　Pause – Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið

The gray-attired man suddenly began speaking and asked, “Did Ralph not tell you where and who he works for?”

Jørgen answered him, “No. He seemed to be a computer engineer in a small company but I didn’t ask what company he worked for.”

He looked suspiciously at the other party. His instinct told him he had raised those questions with ulterior motives.

“Do you… know the person called Ralph?” He asked probingly.

The man declined to answer, and asked in return, “Were you with him the entire night?”

“Yes. The entire time.” Jørgen replied. “He spent the entire night with me at Steigenberger.”

Play – Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið
　　

Memories of that night flashed through his mind. They walked into the lobby, received the room card, then rode the elevator to the top floor.

When they walked into the elevator, Ralph was still laughing and talking. Yet, as the elevator began its rise up, he gradually quieted down. Jørgen laid his gaze upon him and felt an uncontrollable impulse. ——Moreover, he knew the other party was distinctly aware of the same desire. Dimly, he felt as if he was caught in a turbulent river current, being pushed toward a single direction… And at the bottom of his heart, there was a hissing, as if warning him. Even so, he couldn’t hear any of it.

Couldn’t stop it.

He opened the door and the two of them walked in. They embraced each other without turning on the lights; as if a chasm had opened in the riverbed and water trickled through the crack. They kissed in the dark, tearing at each other’s clothes, not even making it to the large bed.

They made love on the carpet. The water which trickled through the crack in the riverbed turned into a waterfall, pouring down on their bodies and thoroughly soaking their body and soul.

Pause – Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið

Author Notes:

*There are quite a few notes about Frankfurt in this chapter:

The joke about the two left feet: Refers to Goethe’s most well-known portrait. (Goethe in der römischen Campagna), painted by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, housed in Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. Most people, including me, who have seen the portrait , think Goethe has two left feet.

Steigenberger: A well-known hotel chain, with one located in the heart of Frankfurt and another by the airport.

Fountain of Justice with Goddess Justicia: Refers to the fountain in Römerberg. In the center, there is a statue of Justicia, the goddess of justice (in other words, the law), holding a balance in her left hand and a sword in her right.

Grüne Soße (Green Sauce): A sauce made of 8 different herbs. Legend has it that it was invented by Goethe’s mother. The traditional way of eating it is with boiled eggs and potatoes.

Handkäse: Cheese made from what’s left after skimming the milk. Along with cider, they are local specialties.

**This comes from Faust. In the first part, Faust met a young lass, Margareta (also called Gretchen). He fell for her and spoke this line ——This line of German is very difficult to translate, the general meaning of it is: This girl, she is more lovely than any I’ve ever met. (This is only a general meaning, only when you read this in German can you have that kind of captivating feeling.)