02-01-2022, 01:54 AM
29.12.
The next morning, too, he only walked around the flat sullenly.
On the one hand, it was good that Norman was not at home now.
He certainly wouldn't have understood his father's mood, but on the other hand he could have distracted him a little.
It wasn't until the afternoon that the phone snapped Martin out of his brooding.
"Hello, it's Marilyn!"
"Hello, I'm glad to hear from you."
"I'm afraid I don't have much time. Robert has surprisingly taken leave until New Year's Eve. He says it's old residual leave, but maybe he doesn't like my walks. In any case, I won't be able to meet with you until New Year's Eve. It's a shame though, I really enjoyed yesterday afternoon. If I'm honest, I would have liked to have had a second helping."
She paused for a moment, "...But before I call it a day, I dropped something in your mailbox today. Bye..."
She had simply hung up. Had the teammate noticed that he had got into a difficult game?
Curious, Martin went to his letterbox. He took an envelope out of the tin box, turned it around and read: To a dear man!
Martin was happy about this "address" and enjoyed the feeling of being desired by a woman, by this woman.
Then he briefly stumbled. He had actually forgotten Ashley. In fact, he had hardly thought about her in the last few days. He was beginning to live again!
When he was back in the living room, he opened the envelope and took out a note and a ticket for the New Year's Eve event.
He would have taken care of the ticket today and now he was almost a little ashamed that his new girlfriend had already done it for him.
But then he read what she had written on the note:
"Got the tickets for my husband and me. Since there was a lot of traffic and I didn't know when you would get them, I wanted to be on the safe side and bought one for you as well. I hope you won't be angry with me for that. Besides, you can reserve seats and I took the liberty of reserving a place for you at our table."
"I'm really looking forward to it, Marilyn."
"Me too!" whispered Martin, putting the note and card in a drawer in the living room.
The time until the agreed meeting was difficult for Martin. He would have loved to go outside for once, to stretch his feet or just get some fresh air. But he was afraid of missing a call from Marilyn.
So he spent most of his time at home. Only once did he go out shopping. On that occasion, he also passed Ashley's grave.
He cleared the snow from the stones and then stopped, deep in thought. His son's dream came back to him and the coincidence that he had met a new woman at the same time. Wasn't Ashley supposed to be...?
"Nonsense," it flashed through his mind, "Ashley is dead and I'm not going to talk myself into the nonsense that Ashley had a hand in this."
But when he looked at the picture of his wife on the headstone, he thought he saw a mischievous grin. He shook his head until he saw the picture again as he knew it.
Obviously Marilyn was messing with his head.
Yes, it was strange how quickly, and especially how intensely, he had fallen in love with this woman.
Sure, she had a very strong resemblance to his late wife, that was itself a reason for this great affection. But yet, she was Marilyn, not Ashley!
Before turning away from the grave, he whispered softly, "I won't forget you, but I think a new life is beginning again now. I'm sure you're okay with that."
Then he trudged back to his car in the snow....
The next morning, too, he only walked around the flat sullenly.
On the one hand, it was good that Norman was not at home now.
He certainly wouldn't have understood his father's mood, but on the other hand he could have distracted him a little.
It wasn't until the afternoon that the phone snapped Martin out of his brooding.
"Hello, it's Marilyn!"
"Hello, I'm glad to hear from you."
"I'm afraid I don't have much time. Robert has surprisingly taken leave until New Year's Eve. He says it's old residual leave, but maybe he doesn't like my walks. In any case, I won't be able to meet with you until New Year's Eve. It's a shame though, I really enjoyed yesterday afternoon. If I'm honest, I would have liked to have had a second helping."
She paused for a moment, "...But before I call it a day, I dropped something in your mailbox today. Bye..."
She had simply hung up. Had the teammate noticed that he had got into a difficult game?
Curious, Martin went to his letterbox. He took an envelope out of the tin box, turned it around and read: To a dear man!
Martin was happy about this "address" and enjoyed the feeling of being desired by a woman, by this woman.
Then he briefly stumbled. He had actually forgotten Ashley. In fact, he had hardly thought about her in the last few days. He was beginning to live again!
When he was back in the living room, he opened the envelope and took out a note and a ticket for the New Year's Eve event.
He would have taken care of the ticket today and now he was almost a little ashamed that his new girlfriend had already done it for him.
But then he read what she had written on the note:
"Got the tickets for my husband and me. Since there was a lot of traffic and I didn't know when you would get them, I wanted to be on the safe side and bought one for you as well. I hope you won't be angry with me for that. Besides, you can reserve seats and I took the liberty of reserving a place for you at our table."
"I'm really looking forward to it, Marilyn."
"Me too!" whispered Martin, putting the note and card in a drawer in the living room.
The time until the agreed meeting was difficult for Martin. He would have loved to go outside for once, to stretch his feet or just get some fresh air. But he was afraid of missing a call from Marilyn.
So he spent most of his time at home. Only once did he go out shopping. On that occasion, he also passed Ashley's grave.
He cleared the snow from the stones and then stopped, deep in thought. His son's dream came back to him and the coincidence that he had met a new woman at the same time. Wasn't Ashley supposed to be...?
"Nonsense," it flashed through his mind, "Ashley is dead and I'm not going to talk myself into the nonsense that Ashley had a hand in this."
But when he looked at the picture of his wife on the headstone, he thought he saw a mischievous grin. He shook his head until he saw the picture again as he knew it.
Obviously Marilyn was messing with his head.
Yes, it was strange how quickly, and especially how intensely, he had fallen in love with this woman.
Sure, she had a very strong resemblance to his late wife, that was itself a reason for this great affection. But yet, she was Marilyn, not Ashley!
Before turning away from the grave, he whispered softly, "I won't forget you, but I think a new life is beginning again now. I'm sure you're okay with that."
Then he trudged back to his car in the snow....
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