I think the ice in the drink is a remnant of the Kaiser spending time in the States. But other than that, using ice in drinks is rather uncommon in Germany (outside of cocktail bars and American fast-food franchises.)
Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread III
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
I thought of that, at the same time there is how the drink in question is served and its origins in San Francisco, CA.
Part 119, Chapter 1982
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Eighty-Two
9th May 1970
Plänterwald, Berlin
Without Kiki’s presence, her cottage just seemed cold and empty, completely unwelcoming. All the doors and windows had been locked. Even so, pains had been taken to make sure that Nella and Nan knew that anything interesting and/or dangerous had been removed so they had no reason to enter it. As if their mother having been lecturing them about respecting boundaries, particularly those of their older sister were not already enough.
Even so, Nella had wanted to see for herself and had peeked into window of the ground floor of the cottage on a Saturday morning. Only to see that all the furniture had been covered and that most everything else had been packed away because Kiki wasn’t expected back for weeks.
“Did you see anything?” Mirai asked excitedly as they walked away from the cottage with Rauchbier and Weisse running ahead of them.
“There was nothing to see” Nella replied, “Kiki is gone and everything interesting went with her.”
Mirai just smiled as she walked with Nella and Nan down the footpath. For her this was all an adventure, exploring the wooded grounds around the Winter Residence with them. Nella and Nan knew better by now though. The property’s borders were defined on three sides by tall fences and with the River Spree being the fourth. The gates were carefully watched by the First Foot. Their parents let them wander freely within the grounds because there was simply nowhere to go and that eventually they would wander back to the main house. Nella also suspected that they were being shadowed the entire time they were outside but had never been sure about it.
When they entered a clearing, they saw that an old swing hanging from ropes that were tethered to a stout tree branch high overhead. Nan figured that it was a relic having been put up by children who had played in these woods before the fences had gone up. She had speculated about if they wanted to ever come back and if they would want to be friends. Then Nan, being herself, had forgotten the whole matter beyond it being a random thought every once in a while.
“One of you push me” Mirai called out as she climbed onto the swing.
“You need to learn to do it Mirai” Nan said sharply. That was another thing that Nella had noticed about Nan. In that place that Nan had been before, which she refused to talk about even though Nella had been there when she had woken from her nightmares, she had supposedly been forced to do everything for herself. Frequently, she told Nella, now Mirai, to do things for themselves and that they should never depend on others.
Nella gave Mirai a push, just enough to get her going before going and joining Nan who was sitting on a log moving damp soil around with the toe of her shoe.
“You shouldn’t have done that” Nan said, “She has to learn.”
“Learn what” Nella replied, “What makes you like this? I helped her because she’s basically my little sister, it’s the right thing to do.”
Nan looked like she was about to say something, then she paused of the long moment before she said, “Mirai is actually your niece.”
“And?” Nella asked in reply. When Mirai had been born, Nella had been the same age that Mirai was now and at the time she had been a bit confused about how her family had fit together. She had always treated Mirai like a sister as opposed to her half-brother’s daughter because her half-siblings were all so much older than she was, and they had always been close. Watching Mirai’s blissful expression as she was on the swing made helping her worth it in Nella’s eyes. “And you didn’t answer the question.”
Nan had always managed to change the subject whenever her past came up, but over the last few months she had been acting weird. And Nella had finally had enough of it. Nan hesitated for a few seconds before blurting out, “People are either evil or else they die, so you shouldn’t count on them.”
That wasn’t Nella’s experience at all. “I don’t encounter too many evil people” She said, “I know your mother died, Momma said that it was a terrible accident…”
“She was murdered while trying to save me!” Nan said her voice rising, “And encountering evil people… YOU SEE ME EVERY SINGLE DAY!”
Mirai had stopped trying to pump on the swing, she stared agape at them as momentum died and she slowly came to a halt.
“Who told you that you were evil?” Nella asked, while she was still trying to wrap her head around what Nan had just said. Had Nan’s mother been murdered? No one had ever said anything to her about that.
“How could I not be?” Nan asked in reply, “Half of me is of him, they told us in Science Class.”
If Nella wasn’t bewildered before, she was now. Was Nan saying that because her father was evil, she was too?
“Exactly who are we talking about here?” Nella asked, “I don’t think that is how works. If your father was…”
Nan bristled when Nella said that causing her to trail off.
“Don’t you dare call that man my father” Nan snapped, “He was a monster who held my mother as a prisoner and what he must have done… he…”
Nella didn’t get what Nan was getting at and why she couldn’t say it.
9th May 1970
Plänterwald, Berlin
Without Kiki’s presence, her cottage just seemed cold and empty, completely unwelcoming. All the doors and windows had been locked. Even so, pains had been taken to make sure that Nella and Nan knew that anything interesting and/or dangerous had been removed so they had no reason to enter it. As if their mother having been lecturing them about respecting boundaries, particularly those of their older sister were not already enough.
Even so, Nella had wanted to see for herself and had peeked into window of the ground floor of the cottage on a Saturday morning. Only to see that all the furniture had been covered and that most everything else had been packed away because Kiki wasn’t expected back for weeks.
“Did you see anything?” Mirai asked excitedly as they walked away from the cottage with Rauchbier and Weisse running ahead of them.
“There was nothing to see” Nella replied, “Kiki is gone and everything interesting went with her.”
Mirai just smiled as she walked with Nella and Nan down the footpath. For her this was all an adventure, exploring the wooded grounds around the Winter Residence with them. Nella and Nan knew better by now though. The property’s borders were defined on three sides by tall fences and with the River Spree being the fourth. The gates were carefully watched by the First Foot. Their parents let them wander freely within the grounds because there was simply nowhere to go and that eventually they would wander back to the main house. Nella also suspected that they were being shadowed the entire time they were outside but had never been sure about it.
When they entered a clearing, they saw that an old swing hanging from ropes that were tethered to a stout tree branch high overhead. Nan figured that it was a relic having been put up by children who had played in these woods before the fences had gone up. She had speculated about if they wanted to ever come back and if they would want to be friends. Then Nan, being herself, had forgotten the whole matter beyond it being a random thought every once in a while.
“One of you push me” Mirai called out as she climbed onto the swing.
“You need to learn to do it Mirai” Nan said sharply. That was another thing that Nella had noticed about Nan. In that place that Nan had been before, which she refused to talk about even though Nella had been there when she had woken from her nightmares, she had supposedly been forced to do everything for herself. Frequently, she told Nella, now Mirai, to do things for themselves and that they should never depend on others.
Nella gave Mirai a push, just enough to get her going before going and joining Nan who was sitting on a log moving damp soil around with the toe of her shoe.
“You shouldn’t have done that” Nan said, “She has to learn.”
“Learn what” Nella replied, “What makes you like this? I helped her because she’s basically my little sister, it’s the right thing to do.”
Nan looked like she was about to say something, then she paused of the long moment before she said, “Mirai is actually your niece.”
“And?” Nella asked in reply. When Mirai had been born, Nella had been the same age that Mirai was now and at the time she had been a bit confused about how her family had fit together. She had always treated Mirai like a sister as opposed to her half-brother’s daughter because her half-siblings were all so much older than she was, and they had always been close. Watching Mirai’s blissful expression as she was on the swing made helping her worth it in Nella’s eyes. “And you didn’t answer the question.”
Nan had always managed to change the subject whenever her past came up, but over the last few months she had been acting weird. And Nella had finally had enough of it. Nan hesitated for a few seconds before blurting out, “People are either evil or else they die, so you shouldn’t count on them.”
That wasn’t Nella’s experience at all. “I don’t encounter too many evil people” She said, “I know your mother died, Momma said that it was a terrible accident…”
“She was murdered while trying to save me!” Nan said her voice rising, “And encountering evil people… YOU SEE ME EVERY SINGLE DAY!”
Mirai had stopped trying to pump on the swing, she stared agape at them as momentum died and she slowly came to a halt.
“Who told you that you were evil?” Nella asked, while she was still trying to wrap her head around what Nan had just said. Had Nan’s mother been murdered? No one had ever said anything to her about that.
“How could I not be?” Nan asked in reply, “Half of me is of him, they told us in Science Class.”
If Nella wasn’t bewildered before, she was now. Was Nan saying that because her father was evil, she was too?
“Exactly who are we talking about here?” Nella asked, “I don’t think that is how works. If your father was…”
Nan bristled when Nella said that causing her to trail off.
“Don’t you dare call that man my father” Nan snapped, “He was a monster who held my mother as a prisoner and what he must have done… he…”
Nella didn’t get what Nan was getting at and why she couldn’t say it.
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Oh shit. Talk about how a little knowledge can be dangerous. Poor Nan. Charlotte is going to have her work cut out for on this one. If I were her, I'd call in the von Mischners', specifically Ilse, for back up.
As for Nan's sperm donor, I don't think there is a Hell in the entire multiverse hot (or cold) enough for that evil little shit.
Part 119, Chapter 1983
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Eighty-Three
10th May 1970
Plänterwald, Berlin
“I am worried about Annett” Charlotte said looking out the window at the girls who were playing in the back garden. “I am sure you understand why.”
Kat nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. Charlotte had just gotten through telling Kat what Antonia had told her the night before. How Annett had learned how heredity worked in Science Class and her genetic connections were impossible to sever. She had also caught on to the implications of her own existence. How the man who had kept Annett’s mother like livestock must have forced himself on her. Annett had drawn all sorts of conclusions because she wasn’t stupid. However, as Kat knew full well, the emotional response often overrode intellect with most people. Annett was no exception and her reaction to figuring out she had that connection to that sort of evil was one of fear and revulsion, of herself.
“What are we going to do when she learns the full truth?” Charlotte asked, “How she wasn’t the only experiment and what happened to others?”
“We discussed this” Kat said, “We figured that by the time she figured it out on her own, she would have enough emotional maturity to be able to handle it. Remember?”
“I fear she is faster on the uptake than we thought she would be” Charlotte replied, “We might need sit her down and explain everything and to make sure reaches the right conclusions.”
“That would amount to controlled demolition” Kat said, “The last thing we need is for Nan to have survivor’s guilt on top of everything else right now. We need to wait for her to be in a better frame of mind.”
“I also can’t help but feel that monster getting his brain bashed out with a mattock was entirely too good for him” Charlotte said fiercely, “It was entirely too fast.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Kat smiled grimly. Foolish men underestimated mothers, few more so than that man who had held Alina Pfenning captive for a decade after beating her into compliance. His decision to cut his losses, something he had expounded on at great length in his notes and start his experiment anew had been a step too far for Alina. It had caused her to grab the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon and end him and his wife right there. Kat’s opinion was that the incident was an instance of true justice in a world where that was a rare thing. Not that Alina had enjoyed it long. The daughter of her captor, Gudrun, who seemed to share her father’s twisted beliefs had killed her and Nan had witnessed the whole thing.
“I don’t necessarily disagree with that” Kat replied, “But sometimes you need to accept how things are.”
“Annett has come so far” Charlotte said, “And I hate what this is doing to her and how I cannot protect her from it.”
Inglewood, California
They were getting a lot of looks from curious motorists as they rode back to the Armory. A vehicle like the M113 was not an uncommon sight in this area but a column of military vehicles always drew attention. Sitting atop the APC gave him a commanding view of the cars on the street. They passed a wood-paneled station wagon. The children in the back were looking out the windows at the Army vehicles in awe as their exhausted looking parents sat in the front seats, ignoring them as one of the children started hitting the other for blocking his view. It looked like they had come from the beach, Ritchie had many memories of similar trips with his family.
“No dancing girls for us this time Sarge” Walt said as they approached the gates of the Regimental Headquarters.
“Were you expecting anything different?” Ritchie asked to Walt, who just shrugged. He was one of the three Davis brothers who had somehow contrived to get into the same Platoon. Walt was clearly the brains of the family, with Sam and Rick pretty much following his lead. That was why Lieutenant Abbott had made Walt a Corporal while his brothers knocked about as Specialist 4’s, though Ritchie was still trying to figure out what exactly their specialty was. Walt tended to lord the fact that he had the two stripes while his brothers had the Specialist patches sewn to their sleeves. Ritchie might have told him that it was a distinction without much of a difference, but he saved his breath. The 160th Infantry Regiment of the 40th Division was something of a tradition in the Davis Family. Their father had been Sergeant when it had deployed to first Hawaii and then the Philippines as part of the “Trip wire” force that had been sent just in case the Germans or Japanese considered doing something stupid.
The day before, Ritchie had been called in by the Captain and was informed that his promotion Sergeant First-Class had come through, then he had been told to get back to work. That meant that he now had a second rocker to go with his Sergeant’s stripes. That also meant that the Brass were intending to promote him to First Sergeant when the opportunity presented itself. That made quite a contrast from him still being still being in the probationary period as a Police Officer.
They had been conducting drills in a part of neighborhood near the airport that had been slated for demolition as the area was set to be redeveloped. A hotel complex supposedly, though Ritchie couldn’t imagine much else could be located there with the constant noise of the airport. John Casey had once told him that the thoughts of policy makers could be read in what they were ordered to practice. Well, Ritchie’s Platoon had just spent two days practicing urban pacification in the event of civil unrest. It was sort of ominous if that was what they were thinking about in Sacramento or City Hall.
10th May 1970
Plänterwald, Berlin
“I am worried about Annett” Charlotte said looking out the window at the girls who were playing in the back garden. “I am sure you understand why.”
Kat nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. Charlotte had just gotten through telling Kat what Antonia had told her the night before. How Annett had learned how heredity worked in Science Class and her genetic connections were impossible to sever. She had also caught on to the implications of her own existence. How the man who had kept Annett’s mother like livestock must have forced himself on her. Annett had drawn all sorts of conclusions because she wasn’t stupid. However, as Kat knew full well, the emotional response often overrode intellect with most people. Annett was no exception and her reaction to figuring out she had that connection to that sort of evil was one of fear and revulsion, of herself.
“What are we going to do when she learns the full truth?” Charlotte asked, “How she wasn’t the only experiment and what happened to others?”
“We discussed this” Kat said, “We figured that by the time she figured it out on her own, she would have enough emotional maturity to be able to handle it. Remember?”
“I fear she is faster on the uptake than we thought she would be” Charlotte replied, “We might need sit her down and explain everything and to make sure reaches the right conclusions.”
“That would amount to controlled demolition” Kat said, “The last thing we need is for Nan to have survivor’s guilt on top of everything else right now. We need to wait for her to be in a better frame of mind.”
“I also can’t help but feel that monster getting his brain bashed out with a mattock was entirely too good for him” Charlotte said fiercely, “It was entirely too fast.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Kat smiled grimly. Foolish men underestimated mothers, few more so than that man who had held Alina Pfenning captive for a decade after beating her into compliance. His decision to cut his losses, something he had expounded on at great length in his notes and start his experiment anew had been a step too far for Alina. It had caused her to grab the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon and end him and his wife right there. Kat’s opinion was that the incident was an instance of true justice in a world where that was a rare thing. Not that Alina had enjoyed it long. The daughter of her captor, Gudrun, who seemed to share her father’s twisted beliefs had killed her and Nan had witnessed the whole thing.
“I don’t necessarily disagree with that” Kat replied, “But sometimes you need to accept how things are.”
“Annett has come so far” Charlotte said, “And I hate what this is doing to her and how I cannot protect her from it.”
Inglewood, California
They were getting a lot of looks from curious motorists as they rode back to the Armory. A vehicle like the M113 was not an uncommon sight in this area but a column of military vehicles always drew attention. Sitting atop the APC gave him a commanding view of the cars on the street. They passed a wood-paneled station wagon. The children in the back were looking out the windows at the Army vehicles in awe as their exhausted looking parents sat in the front seats, ignoring them as one of the children started hitting the other for blocking his view. It looked like they had come from the beach, Ritchie had many memories of similar trips with his family.
“No dancing girls for us this time Sarge” Walt said as they approached the gates of the Regimental Headquarters.
“Were you expecting anything different?” Ritchie asked to Walt, who just shrugged. He was one of the three Davis brothers who had somehow contrived to get into the same Platoon. Walt was clearly the brains of the family, with Sam and Rick pretty much following his lead. That was why Lieutenant Abbott had made Walt a Corporal while his brothers knocked about as Specialist 4’s, though Ritchie was still trying to figure out what exactly their specialty was. Walt tended to lord the fact that he had the two stripes while his brothers had the Specialist patches sewn to their sleeves. Ritchie might have told him that it was a distinction without much of a difference, but he saved his breath. The 160th Infantry Regiment of the 40th Division was something of a tradition in the Davis Family. Their father had been Sergeant when it had deployed to first Hawaii and then the Philippines as part of the “Trip wire” force that had been sent just in case the Germans or Japanese considered doing something stupid.
The day before, Ritchie had been called in by the Captain and was informed that his promotion Sergeant First-Class had come through, then he had been told to get back to work. That meant that he now had a second rocker to go with his Sergeant’s stripes. That also meant that the Brass were intending to promote him to First Sergeant when the opportunity presented itself. That made quite a contrast from him still being still being in the probationary period as a Police Officer.
They had been conducting drills in a part of neighborhood near the airport that had been slated for demolition as the area was set to be redeveloped. A hotel complex supposedly, though Ritchie couldn’t imagine much else could be located there with the constant noise of the airport. John Casey had once told him that the thoughts of policy makers could be read in what they were ordered to practice. Well, Ritchie’s Platoon had just spent two days practicing urban pacification in the event of civil unrest. It was sort of ominous if that was what they were thinking about in Sacramento or City Hall.
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It is going to be a long road with Nan as she grapples with the whole Nature vs. Nurture dynamics to make her understand that it is not as simple as she is making it out to be.
Nan needs to understand that her mother was a good person and that should more than compensate for the actions of the sperm donor.
To combat the inevitable Survivors Guilt that Nan may feel later when the whole story about her is told to her, she should be told how her mother was strong enough to protect her unlike the others who did not make it out.
It is 1970 and two of the most iconic movies of the American cinema of the Seventies will not be made: "Patton" and "M*A*S*H" which also means that the long running television series "MASH" won't be made unless it is a German show...
Nan needs to understand that her mother was a good person and that should more than compensate for the actions of the sperm donor.
To combat the inevitable Survivors Guilt that Nan may feel later when the whole story about her is told to her, she should be told how her mother was strong enough to protect her unlike the others who did not make it out.
It is 1970 and two of the most iconic movies of the American cinema of the Seventies will not be made: "Patton" and "M*A*S*H" which also means that the long running television series "MASH" won't be made unless it is a German show...
Oh I think there’s room for a comedic MASH with the tone of Hogan’s Heroes, with Kiki as the doctor-warrior-princess who hates being a princess. I think Parker and Richie could pitch quite the idea to the TV studios.
Two versions:
The German one, where the world weary medics are just trying to patch up everything in sight while trying to remain sane. They are, in equal parts, awed, charmed & terrified by the aforementioned doctor-warrior-princess. Mainly from her (perceived) habit of shooting hostiles attacking the field hospital (or her) and then immediately saving their lives. Occasionally, special forces types & relatives of the princess from around the world show up to provide comic relief and/or intrigue. Of special note are the recurring characters of the Luftwaffe pilot, who is dating the princess (he keeps buzzing the hospital to let her know he's in the area), and the American special forces unit, who are either attempting to spy (badly) on the princess & attached KSK unit, trying to provide assistance to the KSK or both.
(Cue Kiki protesting that "I'm not like that!" while everyone around her glances sideways at each other. Kat & Emil both offer their condolences & offer advice on how to turn a profit from the exposure.)
The American one, where a special forces team travels the world providing aid and advice to America's allies, rescuing Americans in distress from dastardly foreigners and having suspiciously frequent encounters with a German princess, who JUST HAPPENS to be in the area, and whose activities either assist or hinder the heroes mission. Cue a mission debrief where a mysterious superior casually mentions that this seems to be a habit among certain Germans; they "go on vacation" and then all hell breaks loose around them.
The truly weird part is that both of them happen to be the same show...
Part 119, Chapter 1984
Chapter One Thousand Nine Hundred Eighty-Four
15th May 1970
Tempelhof, Berlin
Sophie had her bookbag in the basket of her bicycle and was peddling home from school by herself. Normally, she would be with Ziska, but her friend had gone to have her leg worked on. Apparently, Ziska had been damaging her good left leg because the visits to the Orthopedist twice a year had not been enough to keep up with how fast she had been growing. So, it was either make additional appointments or else be prepared to walk with crutches at all times. According to Ziska, the latter might happen anyway just because the Doctors didn’t want her to damage the tendons or cartilage. They had gone to the school library to look up exactly what that meant, and Sophie remembered the terminology used in a medical textbook. There had also been a book that had given them details on the deformity that had caused Ziska to lose her right leg below the knee. Sophie had asked Ziska why she had wanted to look that up and she had told her that she was curious.
For Sophie, the whole thing was a reminder of how she couldn’t stop time. She had told Tante Kat about how she was almost comfortable how she was having just turned eleven. Growing up seemed like it would just mess things up for her again. Kat had just smiled and said that Sophie should wait until she was her age. Kat said that she would be turning forty-eight in August and that adolescence wouldn’t be the only time her body would go through major changes. She needed to accept that some things were just inevitable and as difficult as that would be, there would be a lot of good things in her life in the future. Then they had ended up talking about lessons she was still doing with Frau Haas and the other friends beyond Ziska who she had made. Mostly Lina and Ilona from school. Lately they had started talking about how they were looking forward to spending this summer in the Spreewald again. They had wanted to know if Sophie was coming too and she had no idea. Much to Sophie’s surprise, she found herself asking Kat if she was going to the Spreewald…
Sophie was thinking about that as she got off her bicycle and walked it down the alley between the back gardens of the row houses. On one side was Stratus Straße and on the other was Cumulusweg where she lived at number five. The Hirsch house looked a bit forlorn as Professor and Frau Hirsch had taken an extended vacation to the Caroline Islands after they had found themselves unexpectedly in the spotlight after Ben had finally married Kiki. After putting her bicycle away in the shed next to the garage, she walked into the back door of the garden floor and was greeted by the smell of cooking food and the sound of the washing machine going full tilt.
Darya was sneaking a look at a fashion magazine in the laundry room where her grandmother couldn’t see her. Darya gave Sophie a conspiratorial wink as she passed, and Sophie smiled in return. Darya spent the mornings going to the Free University studying Economic Policy and Business Administration followed by afternoons working for Petia as the household’s Junior Maid. That seemed include a great deal of time spent playing hooky as well. Once Sophie had gotten to know Darya, she had discovered that the Russian woman was a lot of fun. Completely unlike her Grandmother, who ruled over Tante Kat’s household with an iron fist.
Entering the kitchen, Petia saw Sophie enter and fixed her with a stern stare. “The circus is upstairs this afternoon” Petia said, “Your Aunt told me to tell you to eat and start your studies at the dining room table until they leave. There is soup and bread.”
Since Kat had been appointed to be the Elector of Berlin, she had needed to work out several compromises with the City and State Governments. It seemed that in the past Tante Kat had held their leash because of either substantial money or favors they owed her. Having Kat in this position meant that the relationship had just become reciprocal. In a city with five million residents, there were a lot of competing interests and they had woken up recently to discover that they had a Queen of sorts. Though it could be argued that they had her all along and didn’t realize it. What Petia called the circus was what happened three days a week when Kat allowed representatives into her house to try to argue their case as it were. Most of them were thrown out in fairly short order. It shouldn’t have been a shock to learn that one of the University’s Law Schools had been keeping track of which arguments Kat found most persuasive and were offering their services for a premium, but she had not been amused.
Taking the tray that held the bowl of chicken vegetable soup and heel of bread that Petia had prepared for her. Sophie entered the formal dining room that was a key part of the garden floor. She saw that Marie Alexandra was already in there.
“Remember, I will be more than happy to find work for a foolish girl who decides not to do her studies” Petia said to her. Sophie knew from bitter personal experience that she meant every word of it.
15th May 1970
Tempelhof, Berlin
Sophie had her bookbag in the basket of her bicycle and was peddling home from school by herself. Normally, she would be with Ziska, but her friend had gone to have her leg worked on. Apparently, Ziska had been damaging her good left leg because the visits to the Orthopedist twice a year had not been enough to keep up with how fast she had been growing. So, it was either make additional appointments or else be prepared to walk with crutches at all times. According to Ziska, the latter might happen anyway just because the Doctors didn’t want her to damage the tendons or cartilage. They had gone to the school library to look up exactly what that meant, and Sophie remembered the terminology used in a medical textbook. There had also been a book that had given them details on the deformity that had caused Ziska to lose her right leg below the knee. Sophie had asked Ziska why she had wanted to look that up and she had told her that she was curious.
For Sophie, the whole thing was a reminder of how she couldn’t stop time. She had told Tante Kat about how she was almost comfortable how she was having just turned eleven. Growing up seemed like it would just mess things up for her again. Kat had just smiled and said that Sophie should wait until she was her age. Kat said that she would be turning forty-eight in August and that adolescence wouldn’t be the only time her body would go through major changes. She needed to accept that some things were just inevitable and as difficult as that would be, there would be a lot of good things in her life in the future. Then they had ended up talking about lessons she was still doing with Frau Haas and the other friends beyond Ziska who she had made. Mostly Lina and Ilona from school. Lately they had started talking about how they were looking forward to spending this summer in the Spreewald again. They had wanted to know if Sophie was coming too and she had no idea. Much to Sophie’s surprise, she found herself asking Kat if she was going to the Spreewald…
Sophie was thinking about that as she got off her bicycle and walked it down the alley between the back gardens of the row houses. On one side was Stratus Straße and on the other was Cumulusweg where she lived at number five. The Hirsch house looked a bit forlorn as Professor and Frau Hirsch had taken an extended vacation to the Caroline Islands after they had found themselves unexpectedly in the spotlight after Ben had finally married Kiki. After putting her bicycle away in the shed next to the garage, she walked into the back door of the garden floor and was greeted by the smell of cooking food and the sound of the washing machine going full tilt.
Darya was sneaking a look at a fashion magazine in the laundry room where her grandmother couldn’t see her. Darya gave Sophie a conspiratorial wink as she passed, and Sophie smiled in return. Darya spent the mornings going to the Free University studying Economic Policy and Business Administration followed by afternoons working for Petia as the household’s Junior Maid. That seemed include a great deal of time spent playing hooky as well. Once Sophie had gotten to know Darya, she had discovered that the Russian woman was a lot of fun. Completely unlike her Grandmother, who ruled over Tante Kat’s household with an iron fist.
Entering the kitchen, Petia saw Sophie enter and fixed her with a stern stare. “The circus is upstairs this afternoon” Petia said, “Your Aunt told me to tell you to eat and start your studies at the dining room table until they leave. There is soup and bread.”
Since Kat had been appointed to be the Elector of Berlin, she had needed to work out several compromises with the City and State Governments. It seemed that in the past Tante Kat had held their leash because of either substantial money or favors they owed her. Having Kat in this position meant that the relationship had just become reciprocal. In a city with five million residents, there were a lot of competing interests and they had woken up recently to discover that they had a Queen of sorts. Though it could be argued that they had her all along and didn’t realize it. What Petia called the circus was what happened three days a week when Kat allowed representatives into her house to try to argue their case as it were. Most of them were thrown out in fairly short order. It shouldn’t have been a shock to learn that one of the University’s Law Schools had been keeping track of which arguments Kat found most persuasive and were offering their services for a premium, but she had not been amused.
Taking the tray that held the bowl of chicken vegetable soup and heel of bread that Petia had prepared for her. Sophie entered the formal dining room that was a key part of the garden floor. She saw that Marie Alexandra was already in there.
“Remember, I will be more than happy to find work for a foolish girl who decides not to do her studies” Petia said to her. Sophie knew from bitter personal experience that she meant every word of it.
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@Peabody-Martini
I have one question: when the City of Greater Berlin (Groß-Berlin) was formed in 1920 it had 4 million inhabitants. Despite the Second World War also happening in this TL wouldn´t it be probable that the population of Berlin is between 8-9 million people instead of only 5 million?
By the way, I love your story!
Thanks Greta
I have one question: when the City of Greater Berlin (Groß-Berlin) was formed in 1920 it had 4 million inhabitants. Despite the Second World War also happening in this TL wouldn´t it be probable that the population of Berlin is between 8-9 million people instead of only 5 million?
By the way, I love your story!
Thanks Greta
ferdi254
Banned
5 mio would be the high end. Germany has come out of a lot of small states and so there always has been more than one big center. The UK and France have gone the centralised way centuries ago.
Germany as of today has 3 towns with more than 1 million people (Hamburg rapidly approaching 2) and also the Rhine Ruhr area with 10 million people.
Also the Southwest is part of the European banana which makes for relatively high population density. 5 mio in 1970 is a stretch because nowadays growing from 3 to 4 has given rise to several headaches.
But basically the reason is Germany is not like France with Paris or Province it has a lot of very vital areas.
Germany as of today has 3 towns with more than 1 million people (Hamburg rapidly approaching 2) and also the Rhine Ruhr area with 10 million people.
Also the Southwest is part of the European banana which makes for relatively high population density. 5 mio in 1970 is a stretch because nowadays growing from 3 to 4 has given rise to several headaches.
But basically the reason is Germany is not like France with Paris or Province it has a lot of very vital areas.
And while Kat says she doesn't want the power and responsibility of being the Chief Puppet Master of Berlin she is not going to give it up anytime soon. Berlin has transformed itself in to one of the most "International" of cities with Poles, Korean, Japanese, Russian and other ethnic and nationalities forming their own neighborhoods.
Berlin has world class museums with the military museum being one of the most visited museums in the world and the Berlin Zoo is one of the best in the world.
Kat has been a big part of it with the Templehof redevelopment project becoming the model for other cities, the Television tower was controversial when being built but is now seen as the iconic symbol of Berlin, the Alexander Platz Farmers Market is a must visit for tourists and is a source of income for smaller farms dealing in specialty items for the international foods that Berlin is increasing famous for.
With the new Tegal redevelopment project coming on line soon it will boost Berlin technology industry and on weekends certain streets will be blocked off to form a Grand Prix race track to be used by both auto and motorcycle racing clubs.
Berlin has world class museums with the military museum being one of the most visited museums in the world and the Berlin Zoo is one of the best in the world.
Kat has been a big part of it with the Templehof redevelopment project becoming the model for other cities, the Television tower was controversial when being built but is now seen as the iconic symbol of Berlin, the Alexander Platz Farmers Market is a must visit for tourists and is a source of income for smaller farms dealing in specialty items for the international foods that Berlin is increasing famous for.
With the new Tegal redevelopment project coming on line soon it will boost Berlin technology industry and on weekends certain streets will be blocked off to form a Grand Prix race track to be used by both auto and motorcycle racing clubs.
Would BMW field an all woman team with a certain person as the principle driver? Might even have an interest from Kaiser Louis for auto racing.