Airport Terminal. Hour to flight. Goodbye Mannheim. For now. I’m tired. Might sleep on the plane. Back hurts. Left hand side. Think from when I helped that fit girl with her bag on the stairs. Typical. The gate change is welcome. Little girl screaming her head off at the last one. Was starting to grate a little. Can’t wait to get home. Longest I’ve ever been away from England. From home. Ready to go back now. I miss England. Two more tic tacs. Save the rest for the plane. To suck on during take-off. Not convinced that’s even effective. But I’m not buying anything else. Can’t afford it. Four pounds ninety for a Cheese and Tomato Sandwich. Fucking criminal. I’ve started to fantasise about food. It’s only since being a student that this happens. When you’ve spent your day eating toast and pasta and sauce, I guess it’s no surprise that food becomes so romanticised. I started the day watching a video on how to make Mini Egg Cheesecake. And now I’m watching a two-layered Pizza being made. Who needs porn hey?
Met Christina’s family last week. Somewhere out in Hessen. Birkenau. But not like the Auschwitz-Birkenau. Though that was what I kept thinking every time it was mentioned. That’s amazing though. I sat at the table of two German grandparents who were kids during the second world war when my own grandparents were kids on the “enemy” side. I think that’s fascinating. Shows just how much the world can change even in a human lifetime. Things come around. Everyone is basically the same. I think they liked me. Christina said they did. I did as much as I could without really understanding most of what was said. Occasionally something would be translated to me and I would chip in. And I smiled a lot. That’s key. The place was lovely. The house was amazing. The setting picturesque. Took Christina’s dog for a walk with her. Through the forest. It was lovely. Though also an ideal murder spot I feel. We didn’t see for a soul for miles. But it was wonderful.
Anyway. Stop. This is reflection time. Was the term a success? Definitely. Fun? Definitely. Best part of my life? Maybe. Think of Christina. Said goodbye to her yesterday. Kept it short. Clean. Unemotional. She was on the brink. I think. Goodbye to the tram. The same stops. On repeat. Like a greatest hits soundtrack. Know the words by heart. Goodbye to the Christmas Markets. The wurst. The lights. That delicious Reibekuchen thing. My god that was good. Goodbye to the coffee shops. Goodbye to “Eine Cappucino Bitte.” For now. Goodbye to Schloss. Goodbye to Chaplin. Goodbye to drunken nights. Waking up and not remembering them. Auf Wiedersehn to that. And then no doubt hello again soon. Twenty-five minutes to boarding. I wonder what it’ll be like at home. I want to sit in my chair. In my lounge. With a proper fucking cup of tea. Maybe looking at a fire. If Mum and Dad get it in time. Chat to my family. Tell them about Christina. They’ll love that. See James and Pip. Go for a drink in an English pub. And then come back refreshed and ready for more. What else has Mannheim got in store? What else has Europe got? Hopefully I can afford to go on another trip. Prague. Nuremberg maybe. Plenty more to come. This is only a pause in my Mannheim experience. I just hope the second act is as good as the first.
George F Brown 