June, 2004 - Nr. 6
You won’t believe what happened to me! I came home one night to my room, (you know I have a room in just about every major city in Germany by now… and thank God for so many good friends!) and I found a parcel in front of my door. I opened it and pulled out a Teddy bear! For me? Gee… please, don’t do me any favours…!!! No note or letter accompanied the parcel and there was no address on it. Someone must have hand routed it.
All
night I tried to think who would send me a bear. Actually I had no idea.
Then I tried to remember why people give bears to other people, especially
to grown up people. I could only think of lovers trying to be cute, other
than bears for children as toys.
I looked at my life and that I was pretty lonely because of my lifestyle. Living all over the place, never really having time to grow roots somewhere was normal for me and I did not mind… much…Kind of like a sailor in the old days, I thought. What was the saying? A bride in every harbour? Myself, I have a lot of acquaintances of the female variety, but nothing steady and exclusive. No wonder!
All the while I was packing my small suitcase - I was off to Berlin the next morning - I kept wondering who could have sent me the teddy.
I know that you are a big teddy fan and just recently told me about having given away another teddy to a lady you know, who was widowed a few years back. And I also remember that you told me that there was initial protest from those quarters: No, not me! I am not a teddy person! Never had one, never needed one! Sounds just like me.
It later turned out that the situation changed quite a bit. The teddy was welcome after all.
Lonely people and people that are alone, they need a teddy, that is what you had said.
And then I suddenly remembered. You had sent me a photo on the spring of teddies in the garden being rained on by apple blossoms, and one of teddies and a cat. I further remember thinking that moms never think of their children as grown up.
Anyway, I have not figured it out yet. I am speculating that an old flame sent the bear to me in sympathy… after all; I just lost the closest thing to a steady girlfriend. I just was not around enough… and long distance relationships are not for everyone.
And then I thought that may be you…? That is why I allowed myself to take the damned bear to bed with me. But I swear, I will not take him with me to Berlin or anywhere else…he has to wait right there until I come back to just that room! That is what I thought.
And the next day when I arrived in my room at Kalles Haus there was a bear sitting on my bed! The same one! Or a look alike!
Is this a conspiracy, or what?
Mom come on, help me out! Did you do this to me?
Answer me quickly!
Your exasperated son,
Martin
