60. Reunion
On the first day in July, we boarded a bus that took us through Hungary to Vienna. We were careful not to use a phone again. We were convinced that our email addresses were monitored as well as Rachel’s and Jeremy’s. Any form of telecommunication was dangerous. We knew that Rachel was going to attend the summer courses at the Music Academy. So, we checked the course hours to find her at the academy. After a heated discussion, we decided that I would go alone to seek her out. Martin wanted to come but Pearl and I feared he would get entangled in the many layers of his feelings and do something reckless. Martin, of course, vehemently denied that and could only be persuaded when I brutally reminded him of his phone call to Rachel that had made our staying in Scotland impossible.
We chose a hostel in the 2nd district near the Prater. I walked from there to the academy in the 1st district. I had to go to the academy three times before I saw Rachel. When she left the academy building on the third day, I followed her to the nearest train station and boarded the same train as she did. The seat next to her was empty and I sat down.
“Hi, Rach, what are you up to,” I asked casually.
“Nick! What are you doing here?”
“Please! Keep your voice down.”
“Is Martin with you?” Rachel asked in a low voice and looked around.
“He’s in Vienna, yes.”
“I want to see him.”
“He wants to see you, too.”
“When can I meet him?” Rachel asked.
“Soon. Is Jeremy with you?”
“Yes, why?”
“I need to talk to him.”
“Nick, what on earth is going on?”
“We’ll tell you, I promise. Just one more question.”
“Yes?”
“Has anyone contacted you after Martin called you?”
“Yes. Two men came to White Haven and asked about you and Martin.”
“Did they come after Marts called you?”
“Yes. One day after he called me.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That I didn’t know where you were and where you were headed.”
“Good.”
I looked around in the car and found an old man in a frayed hat staring at us. Then I saw his cane and realized he was blind and didn’t know he was looking at us.
“There’s a restaurant in the 2nd district, a big pizza place. It’s called Tony’s Pizzeria. Meet us there at 8:00, both, I mean, you and Jeremy, OK?”
“Will Martin be there?”
“Yes.”
Pearl, Martin and I arrived a few moments before 8:00 at Tony’s. I saw Rachel and Jeremy before they saw us. They were sitting at a good table. They could watch the entrance and were close to the emergency exit in the back. Rachel saw Martin and, throwing all caution to the wind, stormed off to fling herself around Martin’s neck. He put his arms around her and kissed her.
Jeremy’s face fell together into a lump of misery. He rose from his seat and reached for his bag. I walked up to him and said:
“Jer, please don’t leave. I need to speak with you.”
“Did you know about this?” he waved his hands in Martin’s and Rachel’s general direction. They had stopped kissing but were still holding hands.
“Jer, everyone with eyes and a brain knows they are in love.”
Jeremy sat back down in his seat, crestfallen and downtrodden.
“You’re right, Nick. I’ve been hoping against hope.”
Pearl came up to him and said, “Hi, I’m Pearl, Nick’s girlfriend.”
I tried to hide a smile. Her words were music to my ears.
“Hi, I’m Jeremy, nice to meet you.” His eyes lit up at the sight of her.
We ordered pizza and drinks. By the time we had finished our pizzas, Martin and I had told Rachel and Jeremy everything.
Jeremy put down his knife and fork.
“And why are you sharing this with me?”
“I need your help, Jeremy,” I said.
“So, you have found proof for the Riemann hypothesis.”
“Nick needs you to check his proof.” Martin addressed Jeremy for the first time.
“You don’t say,” Jeremy snapped.
“Jeremy, I’m sorry,” Martin said.
“What for? That Rachel gave me false hope?”
“I never gave you false hope!” Rachel protested.
“What about this one time when you kissed me?”
“You kissed Jeremy?” Martin asked.
“Just this once. He was begging me …”
“I wasn’t begging!” Jeremy protested.
“You actually kind of were, Jer. And that … I mean, don’t you get how unattractive this is?”
I could see the ax splitting Jeremy’s heart.
“Other girls would like that kind of dedication.”
“Jeremy, I …”
“What are you going to do now?” Pearl asked in our general direction, saving Jeremy from another blow to his heart.
“I’m going to help Nick with whatever he needs help with,” Jeremy said struggling for composure.
“Are you free during the day?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m assisting Mrs. Conway with her summer courses at the mathematical institute.”
“Mrs. Conway is in Vienna?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think I can ask her for help?”
“She would like that.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Jeremy wrote down the address of the institute and left.
Rachel stayed on and we ordered desserts. Martin looked content with his decision to commit to a real person instead of living his love life vicariously through the heroes and heroines of old novels. Rachel was euphoric that her patience was finally rewarded. They made the nice couple I had always thought they would.
The waiter offered us free spirits with our desserts, and we accepted them. It was after midnight when we finally left the restaurant, all a little tipsy. Martin and Rachel started making out the minute we were outside the restaurant.
“Oh, get a room!” I said jokingly.
“Where?” Martin asked.
“You can come with me,” Rachel offered. “I’m staying with an old lady near here. She’s almost deaf.”
“Make her scream then, I mean Rachel, not the old lady!” I said jokingly. Martin blushed. Rachel grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
Pearl and I left, waved them goodbye to explore their newfound romance, and went to our hostel to explore our own.
Copyright by Ines Strohschein, Berlin 2022