In order to cope with all the tasks, I had no choice but to skip a music rehearsal every now and then in order to prepare for the exams with my study group.
When I entered our rehearsal room in the clubhouse as usual on Wednesday evening after a long break, no one was there. I immediately noticed that the drum kit was still covered, and the double bass was missing. I waited. Finally Rudi, the drummer, appeared.
When I asked what was wrong, he answered, sobbing, ‘Walter is dead.’ I didn’t understand and cluelessly inquired, ‘What do you mean Walter is dead?’ Dejected, with a trembling voice, he told me that our accordion player had had a fatal accident.
Rudi only knew what people were telling. Allegedly, Walter had played his accordion for the wedding-eve party of an acquaintance. Towards morning, on his way home, he had such an unfortunate fall with his bicycle that he lay between the bicycle path and the road in the tall grass, but with his upper body on the roadway.
In the morning twilight, a car driver is said to have seen the fallen man too late and therefore ran over him with the car. For Walter every help had come too late, he died still at the place of the accident. Rudi knew nothing more. Fred, Walter’s brother-in-law, could have enlightened us, but he had preferred to pick up his double bass secretly from the rehearsal room.
In doing so, he made it clear that he and his family did not want any contact with the combo members. My visit to Walter’s wife was also unsuccessful. According to the neighbors, she had disappeared to her mother with an unknown address.
It looked as if we and especially I was held partly responsible by the family for Walter’s death. Probably because I had persuaded Walter to play music at ‘Herzklopfen kostenlos.’ Anyway, with Walter’s death the chemistry combo ceased to exist, and nobody believed in a new beginning.
Life went on. The hectic pace of completing the semester exams on time and successfully completing the lifeguard course provided plenty of distractions. Gradually, the mourning for Walter faded. Our sports teacher did not promise too much and kept his word. It turned out to be a wonderful long summer on the island of Usedom, and fortunately without any special incidents.
Marga and little Andreas spent three relaxing weeks on the beautiful Baltic Sea beach. Andi even learned to swim a little. To top it all off, I was spared the autumnal harvesting duty, because the lifeguards were contractually obligated to the municipality until mid-September.
The second year began with the usual delay, because all the students had to vacate their rooms for the expected fair guests. This did not affect me; my attic room was too shabby. 𝓣𝓸 𝓑𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓭…
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