The sun had yet to rise in eastern Berlin, but the time of day was an irrelevant matter when I chose to get up. My mouth was as dry as the Golbi desert and I had finally reached the limits of whirl winding in my sweat soaked sheets like a fire dervish in heat wrapped in cotton straight jackets. Peter, Annika, her robust friend, Zane and I left the house around 11. Before we left for the station, Zane bought a little blue lighter from across the street to spark with before, during and after our 8 hour bus ride to my little home town in the south-west of Germany, known as Beitighiem. A small little village, as the locals call it, of no more than 6,300 souls. We all boarded the train and as we did I pointed out five open seats in a row close to us, but Annika pointed to the back and lead the way triumphantly without even registering my suggestion. There was only four seats together where she lead us to, and so one of us would be the odd man out on the other side. This man just happened to be me, and how perfect too, because as I sat down the woman across from me immediately started handing me pamphlets about kitten rescues and such, her plastic bag was over flowing with them so I guess she thought it best to share. She spoke in such rapid high German, an advanced form of the language spoken mostly in the major cities, all of which was slurred by her missing teeth and overly salivating mouth, that I couldn't understood a thing she was saying. Finally after a good two minute rant with eyes locked on me like a cats while lurking its prey, and more pamphlets refused but left on my lap regardless, I informed her in English that my German wasn't good enough to understand her. I chose to do so in English thinking that this would dissuade her but it had the opposite effect. "Ahhh, English?!" She said with renewed vigor, she then rummaged through her purse, carelessly dropping a stack of pamphlets on the floor and then unfolding her wallet, which dropped a folded chain of something like 15 laminated coupons attached to it. She got closer and continued speaking her slither tung German with broken English in between. "My Son.." She said pointing almost violently at a faded picture of a man in his 20's, who it seemed to me, was no longer anywhere close to that age given her own, and they were very likely not on speaking terms, or so I assumed.She then showed me another picture, this one faded and torn, it was of an aged woman in a sun dress, somewhere in the streets of a big city, Berlin id imagine. "My mother..." She said, rather lamentably, with a far away look in her eyes which faded instantly as soon as the train stopped to let on more passengers. Her eyes flaring up at us and to the door, and back to us again. Time and space coming back to her she flipped to the last picture which was of her in a nurses uniform, probably not more than 10 years ago. "Me.. Me!" She said, with a wicked grin.While all of this was happening Zane and the others were quietly cracking up to themselves about whole affair. I was annoyed, yes, but for more reasons than having the privilege of being introduced to this pamphlet pushing tram sleuths family. The masala incident was still very fresh on my body and mind, also, given the veto of my choice to sit together unmolested in exchange for this, I was more apt towards cold and calculating looks towards our new friend than is usual for me. In any case, I took a deep breath and reached into my bag, handing her an apple I had bought earlier. "It's organic" I told her in German. By the look on her face you would have thought I had just helped her escape Auschwitz before her work set her free in less amiable of circumstances. She grabbed my hands without warning and shook them vigorously, thanking me three times with her twisted smile before blowing me a kiss, quickly standing and running out the door, leaving a trail of pamphlets behind her.Everyone had a good laugh as she left, except me of course, "the back is better huh Annika?" I said with a exhausted half hearted chuckle. We all got off the train, boarded another and after a few stops it was only us brothers. Finding our way to the bus depot we decided it would be wise to eat lunch before our long ride. We chose Andy's diner, a classic American copy cat establishment in the same building as the depot. I ordered a salad and potato wedges while Zane got linguini or something to that effect with a beer. Before we had eaten even 30% of our food we paid the bill, taking the wedges to go, without ketchup, which Zane quickly pointed out was a drastic error in judgment, and we ran out the door in hopes of getting good seats on the bus. When we got on board, there weren't any two seats in unison open to us, Not wanting to be separated I asked a lady sitting alone if she wouldn't mind changing seats to the other aisle where another man was sitting. Luckily for us, she easily accepted the offer and moved. We settled in and in moments the bus was on the way to Karlsruhe, the biggest town closest to Bietigheim. A few hours later we stopped at the expected highway robbery rest stop with prices so high they even give airports and amusement parks a run for their money. Three euros for a pack of gum and five for a half liter bottle of water? I think not good sir... Since we weren't interested in the rap fest going on inside, and we still had a full 45 minutes to kill before our bus continued on, we walked over to the children's playground and scaled the rope wall, crossed the chain bridge and sat together in the tower with the escape slide attached. Zane pulled out his little blue lighter and lights up his pipe. It was windy and pretty cold, so it took a few attempts. He hit it, then as he handed me the lighter It slipped from his hands down the slide and landed in the sand. I followed behind it and tried to hit the pipe, but it was a no good. Zane wanted to see it and as I handed it to him It slipped from my hands in between the chain bridge, again landing in the wet sand. For the next 30 minutes we tried everything to get it to light, eventually, with enough bangs against the towers frame it lighted, I hit it, and we boarded the bus. When we finally arrived in Karlsruhe it was 11pm, we took a taxi to Oma's which cost me €38.5 Euros. Oma said she would pay, but as we arrived I wouldn't hear of it. We all greeted for a moment and then went upstairs to sleep. After a few long painful days, Im glad to finally be in my home away from Home. ☺️