This is not how I imagined my pension E-Book

Edith Slapansky

• Herausgeber: novum pro Verlag
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 398

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Retired at last, think the women and men in these entertaining episodes. Finally being able to do what they want. But that's not as easy as some thought. Because now you have to structure your day yourself and give it a meaning. This throws many people off track - or sometimes even their partner. The stories are about money worries, quarrels, alcoholism, gambling and jealousy, and so on... But it is not unusual for couples to find a solution and often to get back together. But many a long-troubled wife takes advantage of the new freedom and frees herself from the yoke of marriage. These are stories that life writes.

Leseprobe

This is not how I imagined my pension

Alois and Rosa.

Rosa had been a spoiled only child since childhood, whose every wish had been fulfilled by her parents and who had never learned to do without. She had a totally exaggerated ego and had never gotten over the fact that her husband had once been unfaithful. In addition, Rosa was dragging around another old problem that had never been overcome: she had become pregnant very young. Of course, Alois was also solely to blame for this, because he had seduced her. She had also never forgiven Alois for forcing her to marry him. All these stopgap solutions made Rosa unhappy and dissatisfied. Her dreams and ideas about life had not been fulfilled, so she was constantly frustrated.

But Rosa was very fortunate to have wonderful parents who always stood by her side and took care of all her inconveniences. They had also lovingly taken care of their grandchild. The little one had been christened "Hildegard," but had only been called Hilde. She was the exact opposite of her mother: very modest and standing with both feet in the middle of life. Her grandparents loved her with all their hearts and had always replaced her mother, who had never known what to do with her.

In addition, Rosa suffered from the compulsion of excessive cleanliness, which could be very annoying. She was forever running around with a handkerchief or a cleaning rag in her hand to rid the door handles of the bacteria. Rosa even opened and closed the car door with a cloth. Hilde had been spared growing up in this hostile environment for children, thanks to her grandparents. Rosa also didn't like visits so that she wouldn't have to clean the whole apartment afterwards. Hilde was never allowed to bring friends home. The very thought that a stranger would use her toilet frightened her mother away. Hilde was allowed to do all these things with her beloved grandmother. She allowed her to bring as many friends as she wanted, which was good for her child soul. Her grandparents were a blessing to her. Hilde had spent most of her youth with them. The grandparents lived only a stone's throw from Hilde's home, so they were easily accessible at any time.

Hilde also had an intimate relationship with her father. He loved his daughter more than anything, which was a thorn in her mother's side. She saw her daughter as a competitor when her father paid too much attention to her daughter, and she saw her as partly to blame for her messed-up life.

It had all started when Alois had once been unfaithful to his wife many years ago. He had started an affair with a married woman from the same village where he and his Rosa lived. By chance, his wife had learned of the affair and in her wounded pride, she immediately wanted to divorce him and tell the betrayed husband about his wife's infidelity. Alois implored Rosa on his knees not to do it. "Otherwise we won't be able to be seen in the village. People will whisper and laugh behind our backs if you do," he said. "What do you mean behind our backs? You must mean behind your back and theirs. What have I got to do with it? You were unfaithful, weren't you?" said Rosa. She wanted her revenge without having the slightest pity for her husband.

"What does this woman have that I don't? Is she more beautiful than I am?" cried Rosa. "No! No! No way," Alois tried to reassure her. "Then why did you do this to me?" asked Rosa. "I don't know anymore, it just happened that way," Alois said meekly and agreed to do anything if Rosa would only not tell his ex-girlfriend’s husband about it.

After hours of debate, Rosa was finally ready to give up her vendetta. But she swore that Alois would not get away with it. He was to pay dearly for this misstep. That is why Rosa made tough demands on him.

First of all, he had to have his half of the house signed over to her, and in addition she forced him to do all the rough housework. In his difficult situation, Alois agreed to all of Rosa's demands so that she would finally give him peace. But after that, Alois' ordeal was to really begin.

Until his retirement, Alois worked as a civil servant for the railroad. Rosa had always been just a housewife. She loved her grandson named Leo more than her own daughter. Her relationship with her daughter had never improved since childhood. But Hilde had always gotten along well with her father. Of course, she did not know the story of her father's infidelity, so she could not know that her mother was the injured one and knew no pity for her husband. In the village, no one knew about her father's infidelity. Rosa would have liked to tell on her rival to her husband, but Alois had stopped her because he wanted to spare himself and the mistress the shame in the small town. Every time Rosa ran into said woman on the street, she was reminded of her humiliation and boiled with rage inside, which poor Alois then had to atone for. That is why Hilde could not know why her mother was so angry with her father. Unfortunately, she had once dared to protect him from her mother's vicious attacks. This infuriated her mother so much that she no longer allowed Hilde to spend the night in her former nursery when she came to visit. Her mother had legged it and told her to spend the night at the inn on upcoming visits. Hilde was speechless. She could not believe it, but it was true. Hilde, who had become a widow at a very young age, regularly visited the grave of her husband, who was buried in her hometown, once a month. Because she usually did this on weekends, she stayed overnight at her parents' house. Rosa had not liked her son-in-law either, and she would have preferred Hilde to have him buried in Vienna. However, Hilde still had the thought in the back of her mind that she wanted to return to her hometown in her pension and then have her beloved husband's grave near her. Unfortunately, her mother could not bear that anyone should show pity for her husband, when after all she was the injured party and he the author of the misery.

Rosa was a very beautiful and proud woman, self-confident, arrogant and always full of prejudice. Not for nothing had Alois sought comfort, love and a little recognition from another woman. To his chagrin, Rosa had found out. The consequence was her revenge, which lasted until today. Alois had also often thought of separation. But where should he go after nothing belonged to him anymore? Rosa had always been a housewife and received no pension of her own. Their joint finances had always been managed by Rosa. Now that everything belonged to her alone, so to speak, he was dependent on her. Rosa was certainly not happy with the situation either. But her pride did not allow her to reconcile with Alois. In her wounded vanity, she could not manage to jump over her own shadow. Rosa could not deal with defeat. She preferred to suffer alone, and both led a joyless life next to each other as a result.

Hilde had always tried to be equally kind to both parents. But even that her mother could not accept. Her father was very happy about every little attention from his daughter in his otherwise joyless existence. Unfortunately, her mother also felt that this was a conspiracy against her. To punish father and daughter, she threatened drastic measures and let it be known that she would change her will in Leo's favor. Leo was not at all sad about this. He was only twenty years old and naturally very receptive to the prospect of his grandmother's generous inheritance. Leo was also adept at courting his grandmother, and she was flattered and visibly thriving. In addition, she had held out the prospect of a new car for him if he passed the driving test the first time around.

With this suggestion, Rosa had managed to play mother and son off against each other. Hilde felt totally ignored and was even a little envious of her son, who had been so favored by her mother. To her chagrin, Leo only stood by his grandmother, which particularly offended her because they had always had a good mother-son relationship. Through money, her mother had managed to bind the boy to her. From Leo's point of view, this was understandable. What young person could resist such an offer. She was jealous that her mother was using a car as a lure to buy her grandson. But Hilde would not accept being passed over. That's why she made a surprise visit to her mother - without Leo. She really wanted to talk to her mother alone.

Since she lived in Vienna, the drive to her mother's was a good hour. On the way, Hilde bought pastries at a good pastry shop and hoped that, for once, her mother would be willing to make coffee for them both to go with the pastries. In a relaxed atmosphere, the mother might be willing to talk to her. Hilde wanted to tell her that she felt left out and that the disinheritance in favor of her son was unfair to her.

Nervous and with her heart pounding, Hilde stood in front of the garden gate and rang the bell. After a short time, the front door opened, which was about ten meters away from the garden gate. Her mother stood there and asked, "What are you doing here at this hour?" "I'd like to talk to you," Hilde replied, waiting for her mother to finally press the button on the garden door so that it would open and she could finally enter. But nothing happened.

Hilde held up the box of pastries, "I brought some cake for coffee and would like to talk to you about something - will you let me in, please?" "But I don't want to talk - and I don't want cake either. If you really want to talk to me, we can meet at an inn sometime, but not now," her mother said curtly, turned around and went back into the house, closing the door behind her and leaving Hilde standing quite simply in front of the door.

Hilde was not prepared for this. She was speechless. Hilde knew her mother, but she still didn't expect so much heartlessness. Tears ran down her cheeks. She hung the cake box on the garden door handle, went back to her car and sat down inside, crying. She sobbed heartbreakingly. She had to digest that. How could she treat her like that and just leave her outside the door? She had never been a loving mother. But this heartlessness surpassed anything she had ever done before. As she thought about it, she couldn't remember her mother ever being affectionate with her father.

Why had he actually signed over his half of the house to her mother? It was none of her business, but she was wondering and her dad was withering away at her side. What was the reason for this malice? What had happened that she didn't know about?

After a short time, Hilde had calmed down to some extent and drove back home. During the drive, she thought about how she and her mother should continue in the future. She was aware that she would have to handle her mother with kid gloves in the future, so that she would get her share of the inheritance and contact with her would not break off completely. Talking to her father alone was of no use at all. He had nothing to say anyway and did not dare to stand up to his wife. He could do nothing for his daughter. Hilde could not know why he put up with so much from her mother.

Since her father had had his half of the house signed over to his wife, he had been at her mercy. Hilde felt so sorry for him. But she could do nothing for him without upsetting his mother even more. He had to help himself. This condition had become unbearable for him in the long run. She had also noticed that her father had lost a lot of weight recently and was often not well. He also looked like that. Probably he had already resigned. The mother also expected too much of him. During the summer he had to saw and chop wood for the winter. They had no gas in the house and still heated their central heating with a boiler in the basement. For the rest, Rosa made sure that her husband was never bored and always found something for him to do. After all, that was the deal.

Rosa was responsible for cooking and cleaning herself, and she did it with dedication. When time allowed, she liked to go shopping in the town, dressed up nicely. Despite her age of sixty, Rosa was still a handsome, beautiful woman, which she was well aware of. If the shopping was bigger, Alois was allowed to accompany her as chauffeur and porter. Even in public, Rosa let her husband feel her dominance. All these humiliations left deep marks on him in the long run. Due to the fact that he had lost a lot of weight, he already walked quite bent forward and looked very old next to his wife. But this left Rosa completely cold, and Alois fulfilled his imposed duties with stoic composure.

After all these many years, Alois had become accustomed to the state of affairs and had given up hope of any change. But that Rosa was now playing the same evil game with her daughter made him even sadder. He suffered greatly from the fact that he could do nothing for her. If only he had known a way out to help Hilde. Unfortunately, he saw no possibility. His hands were tied and he had to watch idly as Rosa humiliated her daughter as well.

Leo had completely sided with his grandmother and always agreed with her on everything. He didn't realize how much he was offending his mother. They argued almost daily and hardly ever spoke a sensible word to each other. Since he still lived with his mother, it was unavoidable that they would run into each other. He even accused his mother that she was just jealous and did begrudge him his grandmother's inheritance. He did not want to understand that she felt left out as a daughter. He was probably still too young to be able to understand that. At the moment, all that mattered to him was the prospect of a new car, which blinded Leo to everything else. He was still too inexperienced to see through his grandmother's power games.

After several days of waiting, Hilde finally received an appointment with her mother for a discussion. She made her an offer to meet her for lunch at an inn on the weekend in the presence of the family, but definitely not alone. For better or worse, Hilde accepted her mother's offer. She no longer had any illusions that her mother was inclined to change anything in her favor. By now, Hilde didn't really care what her mother did with her property. She was tired of the quarrels. Hilde was not so much concerned with money as with principle.

On Sunday, the small family met in a somewhat nobler inn. Hilde found the meeting with her mother frosty. They hardly spoke at the table either, because no one really knew what to say. They also had nothing to say to each other. When everyone had finally finished eating, the mother took the floor over a mocha: "I have already had the will changed in favor of Leo, so that he will be the main heir after my death. That way you'll save paying inheritance tax twice, since Leo will inherit everything from Hilde once anyway." Alois agreed with his wife without any ifs or buts. Hilde knew that the mother had done a great job here again. She had prepared the father in such a way that he was always completely of her opinion and did not dare to contradict her.

That really said it all, and Hilde pulled herself together so as not to lose her composure: "Well," said Hilde, "I guess that's everything discussed, and the case is settled." "So it is," said her mother. Briefly and uncharitably, as was to be expected from Hilde's mother, she was dispatched because she had dared to criticize her for her mean treatment of her father.

On the return trip to Vienna, mother and son did not speak a single word to each other. It was just as well, because otherwise they would only have argued again. Hilde couldn't stop thinking about her poor father, who had to continue living with his mother and couldn't do anything about his situation. How long could he put up with his wife's spitefulness without going to the dogs? It was surely only a matter of time. The father looked haggard and worn out, while the mother next to him looked like life in bloom. She was positively bursting with health and self-esteem, while Alois wasted away.

But as is so often the case in life, things turn out differently than you think. And sometimes there is even a balancing justice. The coming winter was to be Rosa's undoing.

One morning the letter carrier rang Rosa's front doorbell for a signature on an official document. She pressed the connecting button from the garden gate and went to meet the letter carrier. Since it had snowed and Rosa walked too briskly and without looking through the fresh snow, she slipped on the path. The fresh blanket of snow had covered bumps that were Rosa's undoing. It literally tore the ground from under her feet. In the fall, Rosa still tried to find a foothold on a shrub, which unfortunately failed. She fell with full force on her right hip, so that she cried out loudly in pain. Despite the pain, Rosa tried to stand up, but she did not succeed. The letter carrier, thank God, had realized that something more serious had happened and called the rescue service on his cell phone.

Startled by his wife's outcry, Alois quickly came running to see what had happened. When he saw Rosa lying helplessly in the snow and noticed that she could not get up, he was very frightened. He quickly went back into the house to get blankets. There was no telling how long it would take to rescue her. Alois did not want to leave Rosa freezing on the cold floor. The rescue took almost half an hour, and meanwhile Alois held his wife's hand and tried to comfort her.

But despite the severe pain she was in, she was still able to grumble with Alois because he had put her hand-embroidered pillow under her head in the snow. Yet he had only meant well. Alois could never do anything right for her. Rosa always had something to complain about and, as always, he put away her vulgarities without a word.

When the ambulance finally arrived, Alois naturally wanted to accompany his wife to the hospital. But Rosa refused, because she did not want to leave the house unattended under any circumstances. "I'll have someone call which hospital they took me to," Rosa said as she said goodbye.

After Rosa was gone, Alois went to his neighbors, a little lost. He told them about Rosa's mishap. The neighbors had already guessed that something more troublesome must have happened after they saw the rescue standing in front of their front door. Alois was very sorry for his neighbors, which was visibly good for him, and he was also glad to have someone to talk to. Finally, he asked his kind neighbors if they would look after the house during his absence when he visited his wife in hospital. Of course, they gladly agreed to do so.

After talking to his neighbors, Alois immediately called his daughter and told her about her mother's mishap. Hilde was shocked when she learned what had happened. In spite of everything, however mischievous her mother was to her, she felt unspeakably sorry for her. After all, she was and always would be her mother. Hilde only hoped that her proud mother's accident had turned out reasonably well, so that she would not be left with any blemishes.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Already in the early afternoon Alois received a call from the hospital with the news that his wife was still in the operating room with a fracture of the neck of the femur. It would be better if he did not visit his wife until the next day, since she would not be responsive until then anyway. Alois passed this message on to his daughter, and they arranged to visit the hospital together the next day.

When Alois entered his wife's room in the hospital with Hilde, they were presented with a pitiful sight. Pale and small, Alois saw his otherwise proud wife lying in bed. Hilde and her father were both shocked at how helpless their mother appeared. She was unrecognizable. How would she cope? Father and daughter hardly dared to speak. Each of them took one of the mother's hands and stroked it lovingly. Rosa sobbed heartbreakingly, and the tears just ran down her sunken cheeks. "Mother, it will be all right," Hilde whispered in her ear, gently squeezing her hand. In their hearts, neither of them believed it, and their feelings had not deceived them.

On the fourth day after the difficult operation, Rosa died of heart failure. No one could believe that this woman, bursting with health and energy, was no longer alive. Least of all Alois. For him it was inconceivable that Rosa should suddenly be gone forever. He missed her, who had made his life hell for many years. Now that Alois was free of Rosa's dominance, he even missed something. It was probably the force of habit that Alois had resigned himself to.

Rosa's funeral took place only in a small circle of family, a few friends, neighbors and a few acquaintances. Rosa had rather avoided friendships. She had been the dearest to herself and had not tolerated any gods next to her.

After the funeral, Alois invited the mourners to an inn for dinner. During the conversation at the table, Leo made a tasteless remark in passing, which astonished the guests. "I'm going to sell my grandmother's shed anyway. Because I don't want to live out there at the end of the world, and I'd rather have the money anyway." The grandfather and Hilde were startled. That's right, the house now belonged half to Leo. His grandmother had named him as the main heir in her will. Hilde put her son in his place and said, "That statement is impious and is inappropriate on the day of the funeral!" And she could not resist pointing out to her son that he would have to pay her and his grandfather their compulsory share in the event of a sale.

Surely Rosa had never given a thought to the fact that she would die so soon and before her husband. In her desire for revenge, she had certainly acted rashly. She could not have known that her beloved grandson wanted to sell her beautiful house immediately, because he was only interested in money. Leo, of course, believed that he could now quickly turn the house into money because he owned the larger share of it. He forgot, however, that an inheritance tax and the payoff from his mother and grandfather would come his way if he sold. In the back of his mind, he surely only had the dream of quick money.

But what was he going to do with all that money? Was he going to invest it in securities, buy an apartment or even invest it in his great passion - cars? Of course, Hilde felt it was a sin to throw all that money out the window. But at the moment, she could not speak a sensible word to her son. All attempts failed. He was completely inaccessible to any reasonable suggestion she made to him.

In any case, Hilde made her father the offer that he could live with her if Leo should cause him problems. He certainly didn't want that. What was he doing in an apartment all day? He, who was used to life outside in nature. Hilde was still working and he would be alone in her apartment during the day. The big city was not for him. He wanted his familiar surroundings, nothing else. Hilde could understand that and agreed with him. "There's something to be said for transplanting old trees," her father said. That's why Hilde was worried about how she could persuade Leo not to pressure his grandfather to sell him his home. Surely he couldn't be as intransigent as his grandmother. Was he going to follow in her footsteps? A horrible thought. Hilde continued to rack her brains and had many sleepless nights because of her father. But she would not and could not think of a solution.

On the weekend Hilde went to her beloved father to spoil him with a good meal. He should also not feel abandoned by his daughter. Over dinner, they discussed how they could persuade Leo not to sell the house immediately. Alois, in fact, like his daughter, had been thinking during the long nights when he could not sleep, and had come to the following conclusion. "Look, your mother wanted to punish us and somehow she succeeded. Since Leo doesn't have enough money to pay us off, if he can't come up with the money, he'll have to wait until my passing to sell. In addition, there are two savings books with larger amounts from your mother's inheritance, from her parents, and in addition there were about a hundred gold ducats in a hiding place, of which Leo knows nothing. I knew that your mother had been buying gold ducats regularly for years for a rainy day. I will share this treasure with you so that you get your fair share of the inheritance. And you can take your mother's jewelry home with you," said the father.

Irmi and Fritz.

Irmi and Fritz were married for 40 years. He was a head waiter, she an office worker. Since the marriage had remained childless, they had been able to buy a house together. Unfortunately ... They had been having big problems in their marriage for years. Fritz was constantly unfaithful and she no longer felt like being just his servant, even in the pension. She had had enough and wanted to live separately from him in her own apartment. But until now she had mostly lacked the courage for this step. Fritz had always known how to lull her when things got critical. For example, he brought her a large bouquet of red roses, knelt down in front of her, and promised with a trusting look that he would do better. Irmi fell for this joke again and again because she believed in his promises. Of course, reconciliation had also had its charm. But usually his promises didn't last long.

When Irmi finally reached the longed-for day of her retirement, she wanted to end this tiresome relationship for good.

She received a sufficient pension so that she was financially independent. She also had a little savings. So she could afford a rented apartment.

A fierce argument was immediately the appropriate occasion to tell Fritz the truth, that she would move out of the house they shared. Irmi was even prepared to leave the house to him without making any demands on him.

Until now, Fritz had never taken his wife seriously when she threatened to separate. But this time he had the feeling that she was serious about the separation. Of course, this went completely against the grain for him, and he had no intention whatsoever of doing without her. Irmi was a wonderful housewife and cook. He had always been very spoiled by her. She washed and ironed the clothes and kept the house clean. He could come and go when he wanted, could have girlfriends as many as he wanted, and could pursue all his leisure pleasures undisturbed. And whenever he came home, he found a comfortable home and a wonderful meal.

In terms of finances, too, he had always done well with Irmi. He had hardly had to contribute to the household expenses. He was able to keep most of his income for himself. And now he was to lose all these advantages in one fell swoop. No, he vehemently resisted that. He would do everything in his power to stop her. To do without Irmi was out of the question for him!

In the meantime, Irmi had found a nice little apartment. When Fritz was once again absent for a long time, she had friends help her move her personal belongings from the house they shared to her apartment as quickly as possible. She had only taken a few pieces of furniture from the shared house that she absolutely needed for the time being. She could take her time with the rest of the furnishings, which she would have plenty of in the future. She had managed to move out quickly and without any problems without Fritz, thus saving herself a lot of trouble. When he came home, he would surely be surprised not to find her there. Irmi had chosen exactly the right time for her action.

Of course Fritz was more than surprised that Irmi was really gone. It was quiet in the house. He had been more or less caught off guard and could do nothing about the fact at the moment. But Fritz was sure that he would think of the right strategy, as always, to make Irmi stay with him.

Irmi had left a note in short words about her moving out and her telephone number. Fritz immediately dialed her new number and asked if she would agree if he stopped by for a visit. She said, "Yes!" He also immediately set out to visit her. After all, he was curious and wanted to know how big her apartment was. Of course, on the way he had bought a large bouquet of red roses, which had never failed to make an impression. When he arrived at her place, he showed his most charming side and even feigned understanding for her. He made her an offer to be of assistance at any time if she still needed help. She was very surprised by his willingness to help, because she did not know him like that. Suspicious of so much concession, she thought, "What is he trying to do?" But she put on a good face, pretended to be pleased, and said, "Kind of you to want to help me."

Now that Fritz had his foot in Irmi's apartment for the first time, he could get an exact overview of the premises. The apartment consisted of two nice rooms, a cabinet as well as a kitchen, bathroom, a small storage room and balcony. "Much too big for one person," he thought. Aloud he said, "Nice place you have here." "I am satisfied and very happy about my apartment," she replied.

"Besides, the distance from you is quite good for me. After all, we're not divorced. If something really changes in our relationship in the foreseeable future, we can still talk about this topic. Only at the moment I simply didn't want to anymore. I didn't want the constant waiting for you to finally come home from your tours." "In a way, I understand you. But you could have given me another chance and talked to me first before you rushed out," Fritz said. "How many more chances? Don't act as if you were the abandoned one now. I've always been the lonely one. We don't have to be angry with each other. But just being your maid is too little for me in the long run. Now I just want to think of myself for once, and I hope you understand that," she replied. Fritz showed understanding so as not to upset Irmi in any way. After all, he didn't want to lose access to her apartment and said goodbye to her in an exaggeratedly friendly manner.

As a head waiter, Fritz had always earned very well and spent just as much, but only on himself. In addition, he afforded himself expensive hobbies that cost a lot of money. He played tennis, bought expensive cars and also went here and there to bet on the horse racecourse. Fritz afforded everything he enjoyed, and that included women, of course. He also took part in sailing trips. Irmi had been on a sailing trip once, and that had been quite enough for her. Partying every day and always with too much alcohol. That had been too exhausting for her in the long run and no relaxation. Subsequently, they had preferred to vacation separately and Irmi had left with her friends. They had been in complete agreement on this point.

The fact that Fritz was also out for nights on end outside of vacation time and simply didn't come home for days on end was enough for her now after all these years. Unfortunately, in his profession, it was common to go out for a drink in other bars after closing time to have a good time. In that sense, they were basically running a marriage side by side. As long as Irmi was still working, she didn't mind being alone so much. But since she retired, she felt cooped up. After all, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life sitting at home waiting for Fritz. In addition, she had less money available than with a full salary and was no longer willing to help finance Fritz's expensive hobbies.

Irmi had taken over the main part of the household expenses. Fritz contributed only slightly. She was well aware that she herself was to blame for this division. She had let him get away with using almost all of his income for himself. But that was over now and she wanted to have her pension just for herself. She no longer wanted to help finance her husband and was proud that this time she had finally managed to put her threats into action. Her friends had also congratulated her on this step, saying, "You should have done this much sooner."

Irmi was in good spirits and felt very comfortable in her new apartment. She wanted to make use of her newfound freedom, but didn't really know what to start with. Of course, it was a change for her not to have to take care of anyone anymore. She was used to being alone. Nevertheless, she missed someone whom she could spoil. She thought of a cat that would keep her company. Without further ado, Irmi put this idea into practice and got herself a lovely cat from the animal shelter as a replacement partner.

Fritz called regularly to inquire about her health. He was always overly friendly, which astonished her a little. One day, when Fritz called her again, he asked if he could drop by for a visit. In fact, he wanted to ask her for a small favor. She immediately had an uneasy feeling and took a moment to think, she then said, "Can't you tell me right away by phone what you want?" " No, that's why I'm asking if I can come over." "All right, just come over in the evening," Irmi relented.

In the early evening Fritz came to her apartment. He had a large bouquet of red roses with him again. "Oh dear," Irmi thought, "if Fritz comes with roses, he's trying to make me feel gracious. What is he up to?" After greeting him, she asked him to take a seat in the living room already, while she went into the kitchen to get a vase for the roses. "You have it nice here," Fritz said as Irmi came into the living room with the roses in a vase and placed it on the table. "I see you've made quite a bit of progress with decorating in the meantime, too." "My friends Hanni and Gerda were a great help to me in setting up. But now I'm already curious what you want from me. If you're already coming with roses, it must be a very important request," she said. "You're right, and I hardly dare tell you. But I thought I could ask. In fact, I'm embarrassed to be honest. You see, I have major damage in the bathroom and I can't shower or wash because I don't have any water. That's why I thought I'd stay with you for a few days until the damage was repaired," Fritz said meekly.

"How do you imagine that? You have a lot of friends. Why don't you go to one or one of them? Surely some of your friends will let you stay at their place for a few days. But please, not at my place. Why else did I move out if you want to stay with me now," she replied. "I agree with you, and I understand you just fine. But because of the few days you could turn a blind eye for once. If it's a question of money, I'll gladly pay you a contribution," he said. "It's not about the money," Irmi became nervous. "What's the big deal if I stay with you for a few days? You hardly ever see me, I just come to sleep," Fritz said. She wondered if she should give in again. Her gut told her, "No." Instead, she automatically said, "All right, then come over here and stay in the cabinet for a few days. I'll fix up a cot for you there. But only for a few days - promise?" "Of course, only until the water damage is repaired. Irmi, you are a treasure." Fritz hugged her and thanked her with a kiss.

But Irmi was not comfortable with the thought that Fritz would live with her. An uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach told her she had made a bad decision. "Don't be so pessimistic. You'll get through the few days. Soon he'll be gone again," Irmi tried to encourage herself.

The very next day Fritz moved in with her, carrying two large suitcases. "Why do you need so much luggage for such a short time?" asked Irmi in surprise. "So that I don't have to keep fetching laundry to change into when it's dirty," Fritz said. "You could have washed a machine of laundry at my place in between," said Irmi. "I didn't want to bother you with that," he replied, thanking her for the courtesy. Fritz was delighted that everything had worked out so smoothly for him. Then she gave him another apartment and front door key, so that he could come and go independently of her whenever he wanted. In addition, she said, "You'll have to take care of everything else yourself, because I'm on the road a lot." "No problem, I'll manage," Fritz said.

Irmi spent most of her time with her friends. Now and then she also helped out at her former company. The extra money came in handy. She used it for furnishings in the new apartment and for a trip. On the whole, she felt that she had succeeded in making a new start. If only Fritz wasn't squatting in her apartment.

One fine day, when she was on her way home from her friends, she couldn't help thinking of their words. She had told them about his moving in with her, whereupon Hanni and Gerda said: "I hope you won't regret your good nature again.” It would only be for a few days until his bathroom was repaired, she had wanted to ease their concerns. When she arrived home, her cat was standing, as expected, behind the apartment door she had opened. To greet her, she nestled her legs. Pleased with so much love, Irmi took Pinki in her arms to caress her and went with her to the living room. Already when opening the door, it took her breath away. It smelled like stale cigarette smoke in the room. It seemed familiar to Irmi, like old times. Fritz had forgotten to air the room properly. The full ashtray still stood with the butts on the table and stank away. She was pissed and took the ashtray to empty it in the trash can in the kitchen. When she entered the kitchen, she saw that he had not put away his breakfast dishes either. Again, she was allowed to clean up after him - as she always did. When he came home, she wanted to have a serious word with him. How right her friends had been with their fears.

Fritz didn't hear from her for two whole days. Just as she was sitting comfortably in front of the TV with Pinki on her lap, he opened the door and said, "Hello, I am back." Irmi was not at all pleased and replied curtly with, "Servus." She was not in the least pleased to see him and thought, "I hope he'll be gone soon." Because she was already feeling taken advantage of again. Irmi put the cat in the corner of the sofa and turned off the TV. She really wanted to talk to Fritz and tell him what she thought. In the meantime, Fritz had made himself comfortable in an armchair and lit a cigarette with relish. This was the opportunity to confront him: "Fritz, I would like to ask you not to smoke in my rooms. Be so kind and smoke on the balcony or in your cabinet." Fritz was momentarily surprised, wanted to flare up, but thought better of it and slowed down to avoid an argument. After all, he didn't want to upset Irmi so she wouldn't kick him out. So he calmly replied, "It's okay, I'll just go out on the balcony to smoke." Irmi thanked him and asked casually, "By the way, isn't the repair in your bathroom almost done?" "Not quite yet, there are problems. That's why I'm mad," he replied. "Are you saying you'll be staying longer?" asked Irmi. "Could be," he said. "I'm not enthusiastic. I would ask that you get after it so that your bathroom is usable again as soon as possible. "What does a few days more or less mean to you, since we were married for over forty years? Why does every day suddenly matter to you?" asked Fritz. "I know it was a mistake of mine to take you in. I simply want to live my life for myself and not have to justify myself," said Irmi. "This is ridiculous, why are you treating me like this?" he asked. "What do you mean ridiculous? You're being unfair. Have you even given a thought to why I moved out? You were always out with friends and only a rare guest at home. You only miss me because you're used to me just being your housekeeper. But I have decided to give up this role. Please remember that - it's over," Irmi said energetically. "Now you are exaggerating beyond measure. We had good times and wonderful vacations too, have you forgotten that?" he said. "No, I haven't forgotten, that was also one of the reasons why I stayed with you for so long," she said. "But most of the vacations you spent without me and didn't miss me. I had to make do with my girlfriends, although the vacations with them were also very nice. As a partner, you failed completely. That's why I left. It doesn't make any difference whether I'm with you or here alone." "Let's talk calmly one last time. I'll do better and spend more time with you," he promised. "Why do you want to promise me something you can't keep? What you haven't been able to do all these years, why should it suddenly work? Let's end this conversation. It's not going anywhere. Besides, I'm tired and I'm going to sleep," she said. "Too bad," he said, "maybe you'll change your mind, good night!"

After this conversation, Irmi could not fall asleep. But she vowed to herself in any case to stand firm this time. Besides, she intended to go on a cruise with Hanni and Gerda, and under no circumstances did she want Fritz alone in her apartment during her absence. All these thoughts robbed her of sleep. She was annoyed with herself because she had been so stupid again and had given in. It also annoyed her that he always managed to lull her into sleep. At the moment he was smoking on the balcony and didn't leave anything else lying around, but she still didn't like the whole situation. She wanted Fritz out of her apartment again. After all, that was her right.

The next morning, after a sleepless night, she was greeted by a wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee. "Aha," she thought, "Fritz is leaving no stone unturned to change my mind again." But she was in no condition after the sleepless night to continue the debate of the night before and was unwilling to give in even a millimeter.

A little refreshed, after an extensive morning shower, Irmi went to the kitchen. When she entered the kitchen, she was greeted warmly by Fritz. He hugged her, pressed her against him and wanted to give her a kiss, but Irmi did not feel like it and said: "Please, don't do that.” "I only wanted to be nice to you. I had no idea that you didn't like me at all anymore," he said.

"It has nothing to do with liking, I want to spare myself that the old story starts all over again. By the way, I still need to talk to you. In two weeks I'm planning to go on a cruise with Hanni and Gerda, and I hope your bathroom will be ready by then," Irmi said. "In two weeks, definitely," he said. "Then I'm glad," Irmi breathed a sigh of relief. "Who's going to take care of your cat while you're away, anyway? If you want, I can look after her," he offered. "No need, my neighbor will do that. I've already worked it out with her. But thank you for your offer," she said.

Irmi was glad that everything would be resolved in the end. The only important thing was that Fritz had disappeared from her apartment before she left. According to his statement, that was also allowed to work out.

The day of departure was getting closer and Fritz still hadn't moved out. Slowly Irmi became nervous. To make matters worse, she couldn't find her passport. She had even toyed with the idea that Fritz might have had a hand in it. Immediately she dismissed the ugly thought and felt embarrassed that she had believed him capable of such an act. But she had already searched the whole apartment. No wonder such thoughts had crossed her mind. She would rather give up her vacation than let Fritz settle down with her. And so it came to pass.