Begin Again

Date/Timing: 18 April 2006
Setting: in and around TU Berlin campus; Berlin, Germany
.
Hermann sulks in the front seat, bag of books and notebooks and pens tucked in the footwell.
„Meet me here at seventeen-hundred,“ Father commands as he pulls the car to the kerb, „and don't forget your lunch with Dietrich at noon.“
„Yes, Father,“ mumbles Hermann as he levers himself out and grabs his rucksack.
Father grunts; Hermann shuts the door; Father drives away.
Hermann sighs, resettles his bag, and starts his limp toward his first lecture of what promises to be a very long day.
He finds the auditorium easily enough and claims a seat on the aisle in the back row near an exit. A moment to tuck away his cane, a few more seconds to fish his supplies from his bag and arrange them on the writing surface, and he still has ten minutes to kill before the lecture begins.
He sighs again.
The other students eventually file in.
Hermann picks up a pencil, doodles a Penrose triangle in the margin of his notebook, idly watches the others chatter among themselves.
He's mid-way through an impossible cube when the lecturer arrives.
Professor Doctor Becker is young and enthusiastic and definitely knows his material, but, unfortunately, it's material Hermann mastered the previous semester at Manchester.
Hermann flicks his eyes around the room.
No one's watching him.
With a small smile, he flips to a clean page and puts pencil to paper.
- 18 Apr 2006
Berlin, Germany
Dear Edan,
I'm sitting in my first lecture at the TU and it's nearly a reprise of Doctor Jones' class. I'll have to talk to the registrar about that. I probably should've checked the course descriptions /before the start of the term, but I just couldn't face it.
I suspect the rest of my schedule will be similarly dull as my father, of course, chose my classes for me and he's likely underestimated my abilities. Again. -
Hermann frowns. He digs in his rucksack, extracts his schedule, skims. Stifles a groan.
- Dear God, he's signed me up for /his Introduction to Robotic Design course, not a single physics or mathemathics lecture, /and the minimum number of credit hours.
No way in fucking Hell.
Registrar, here I come. 
More positively, one of my language tutors, Doctor Schulte (Russian) has agreed to continue working with me evenings. That should provide some diversion from this mess.
In any case, I'd rather be with you.
Gardening, cleaning, and painting would be a welcome change of pace. 
I hope you've mellowed toward the tasks and are finding a Scottish spring to your liking. All the fresh air has hopefully been helping you catch up on your sleep, as well.
Has there been any further word from Rhys on your collective search for lodgings for the next term? I'm exceedingly curious to know what your living situation will be.
Mine will undoubtedly remain the same for the foreseeable future.
Well, except Father has dismissed Mrs Schwartz (again) and hired Mrs Krüger (again), so the quality of meals should improve. Mrs Schwartz is a wizard with cakes, but feeding two young men is not her strongest suit. Mrs Krüger, however, seems determined fatten us up like beef cattle. (Bastien loves her for it.)
Speaking of Bastien, he thanks you for the birthday greetings you included in your last letter. -
Motion all over his peripheral.
The other students are packing up and Professor Doctor Becker is erasing the board.
With a sigh, Hermann gathers his things and trails the flow of traffic from the auditorium.
He has an hour before he's to meet Dietrich for lunch so he shuffles to the nearest library, finds a table near a window, digs out his laptop, connects to the wireless network, emails the registrar's office for an appointment, then picks up his letter where he left off.
Time and words and pages fly by.
He stops to shake out his hand, checks his watch—eeps and rushes to finish.
- I'm running short on time before I have to post this note, so I must say goodbye for now.
Pass my greetings and best wishes on to your family, Trinity, Rhys, and Vigsai.
417.
With love,
Hermann -
He folds the pages, tucks them in a folder, wakes his laptop.
The registrar will see him that afternoon.
Right in the middle of Father's lecture period.
Hermann smirks, dashes off a reply, gathers his things, and sets out for the café.
He finds no sign of Dietrich, but Sabine sits at a table along the wall, nose in a textbook and cup of tea at her elbow. „Good afternoon,“ he greets.
„Hermann! Sit, sit!“
He eases himself down, settles his rucksack between his knees.
„Dietrich sends his apologies, but something came up at the hospital and he asked me to meet you instead. He suggests saying 'It was pleasant' if your father asks how lunch was.“
Hermann fiddles with the menu.
„How was your first lecture?“
He shrugs.
Sabine hides a smile in pouring Hermann tea. „Must be a relief to get out of the house at least.“
Hermann smiles a laugh.
She tops up her own cup, sets down the teapot. „I have something for you.“
Hermann's heart flutters.
Sabine passes over an envelope.
- Dear Hermann,
This /should get to you about the time your lectures start, if the pattern holds, so good luck and may they be hard enough to keep you interested! -
Hermann snorts.
- I'm doing alright but Fen-fen's losing a thumbnail thanks to the fact she's utterly /useless with a hammer. She's vowed never to touch one again. 
I'm giving her a month.
Well, maybe "alright" is a bit of an overstatement. I managed to get one of the worst sunburns of my life—in bloody /April!—working in the back garden. Ginger might be honest Scottish colouration but it sure as fuck /sucks for working under the sun. It hurt to /move for nearly /four whole days. All the aloe in the city couldn't help.
This may be part of why I stargaze, yea? I get to be outside at a time there's no chance of getting burned.
Stars! That's right! I've got my summer job lined up! The city Science Center's hired yours truly to lead tours through the planetarium starting the day after the semester ends. I've got a job using my education!!! (I strike a heroic pose.)
And Fen-fen said it would never happen.
Rhys has been too busy to talk to me (some friend!), but Iggy's been chatty. Dr Marsh called her /again, this time offering her a summer research job (with pay!) and a TA job for next term. For some reason, she's still only /thinking about it. Do you have any idea how fast I'd jump at a chance like that? Sonic boom, seriously.
And now Mum's yelling that I'm supposed to get my ass downstairs so I can help her move the sitting room furniture. Again. Apparently the sofa needs to be against the /other other wall.
Love to Bunny and the rest of your family (except your dad, of course).
425 days to go—and they can't go fast enough for me.
With everything I have,
Edan 
10 Apr. '06
Glasgow -
Hermann takes a deep breath, eases Edan's letter back into its envelope, slides it over to Sabine.
She picks it up, holds it gently. „Do you have anything for me?“
Hermann nods, retrieves his letter from his bag, and offers it.
Sabine accepts. „Where am I sending it?“
„Manchester, please.“
She tucks it and Edan's note into her purse. „Are you hungry?“
„/Starving.“
„A bowl of soup, maybe? They serve a great, huge vegetable stew.“
„That would be lovely.“
„I'll be right back.“ Sabine pushes off, heads to the counter.
Hermann sighs, stares at her purse—and the letters inside—with an aching heart for a moment. Then he digs out his laptop, connects to the free wifi, and searches for better courses to fill his schedule.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Lars
Category:Lars (ficlet)
Category:Edan
Category:Edan (ficlet)
Category:Rhys (mention)
Category:Bastien (mention)
Category:Trinity (mention)
Category:Vigsai (mention)
Category:Sabine
Category:Sabine (ficlet)
Category:Dietrich (mention)
Category:Fenella (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Dona (mention)
Category:Celestial Mechanics
Category:CM: Apoapsis
2006 04 18