Chapter 34 Comrade
"Sam, YU, I'm so glad to see you," Professor Österreich beams at them.
"You're looking much better, YU. I'm glad Sam came to check on you on Friday. That's true friendship. True comrades stand by each other. Go through thick and thin. Yeah, not everyone is lucky enough to find a true friend in the one life we've been given," Österreich says, patting his friend Dieckmann on the back.
"Well," Dieckmann replies, "Not everyone is so pleased about it when true comrades always stand up for each other. How often have you quarreled with your wife because you rushed to me. As if I were a child with a cold who couldn't manage on his own," Dieckmann laughs and pats Österreich on the shoulder.
Both laugh heartily and reminisce about their student days.
Österreich had married the love of his life after graduating from high school. Then, when he met the self-confident and smart Dieckmann in the first semester of their psychology studies, he found his second mental half.
The man from the North Sea coast who understood his thought processes.
They became friends and studied the old masters of psychology together.
And because Dieckmann was never willing to let a woman's loving care into his life, Österreich always worried when he fell ill.
Dieckmann's entire family lived in Emden, the largest city in East Frisia on Germany's North Sea coast. He was the first son of four brothers and a sister and decided to leave home after graduating from high school.
When he told his parents that he was going to study in Berlin, a world collapsed for the family. His mother cried and did not want to let go of her firstborn.
But Dieckmann could not help himself.
The urge to discover a new world far from the tides he knew, to free himself, to explore and to show his life new paths, overrode the secure feeling of family care.
And it was to be Berlin. The city of torn hearts.
A long, all-suffocating wall still divided the city in 1976. It drew its deep claws through the whole of Germany, tearing the country in two.
Separated families, friends, thoughts and ideologies.
And in Berlin, the small heart of the country, the Wall ran silently and dangerously through the streets.
Divided West and East, paths, landscapes, desires.
The pain of being torn apart also raged in Dieckmann. He had to leave. And in the torn heart of Germany, he had to face his own identity.
He began to study psychology at the Free University of Berlin, then still West Berlin.
And that's how he met Bernhard Österreich. The small, young man with glasses, who upset the professor with his impatient questions during the lecture.
Made him smile and smirk.
A man who clung to him and followed him everywhere.
They became friends and went through their educational journey together.
Went through the liberation blow of the fall of the Wall in 1989.
Saw the united hearts embrace.
Bravely fought with the hardened ideas and exclusions of the Germans against their own new found German comrades.
East and west. North and south.
No compass direction posed an obstacle.
Österreich and Dieckmann remained inseparable.
And Österreich's wife, a petite beauty, had to learn to accept over time that her husband did not see only her and their two common daughters on the high pedestal of his life. Manfred Dieckmann was always on this pedestal.
And when he fell ill, Österreich lost all control over a prescribed morality. He rushed to his Manfred. Stayed. Took care of him in a caring way. For days. Without looking back. He stayed by his side.
And grumble.
Why Dieckmann did not finally look for a loving wife. Why he remained alone. Why he only allowed himself the feeling of having his own family through his nieces and nephews.
And when Sam came into Dieckmann's life and softened his closed heart, Österreich breathed a sigh of relief.
At last his Manfred could live through the effects of a father's love.
Admittedly, he overdid it.
Bragged about Sam.
Wanted to show him off everywhere.
Protecting him from the little minds that discriminated against him because of his roots.
His Sam. The brilliant Sam Lin. His son.
The Sam who now also found the comrade of his life.
In today's Berlin. The colorful shining city.
Diverse people, diverse wishes, free dreams.
In the green city of free thinkers. Old, squiggly contemporary witnesses meet modern, free visions.
In the capital of Germany, Sam and YU find each other.
"I'm all shook up. We were really worried. YU, why don't you get in touch with me? You promised me, didn't you? You may not be able to imagine it, but I can't sleep peacefully if you're not feeling well," Österreich addresses his concern to YU.
Professor Dieckmann puts his hand on Österreich's shoulder.
"Now calm down Bernhard. Sam was there after all. Let them explore their new found camaraderie first." he reassures his friend and then addresses the two attentive looking young pupils:
"Sam, YU, Bernhard and I have had a long discussion. It's about your research, Sam, and about your friendship. Please, let's go turning in somewhere. I am hungry. I'm sure you are too. Over breakfast, we'll share our thoughts with you," Dieckmann says and receives joyful encouragement from his Österreich.
Before Sam and YU can respond, Dieckmann explains the process:
"We're going to go ahead now. I'll send you the location, Sam. I know a gorgeous restaurant in Schöneberg. We can make ourselves comfortable there and enjoy fine delicacies," Dieckmann says, taps Österreich on the head, laughs and heads for the door.
Österreich is jolted out of his thoughts by Dieckmann's knock.
He curses briefly, indicates a kick in Dieckmann's backside and follows him to the door.
Sam and YU stand in the kitchen with astonished eyes and see two 63 year olds teasing each other as they leave the apartment.
Sam squints over at YU and hears his own heart pounding at him.
YU senses the calling gaze and turns his longing eyes to Sam.
He gives him a sly smile before coming running and jumping on him from the front.
Sam flinches and is just able to catch him.
As YU hides his face against Sam's neck, he hears Sam's sexy, deep voice ring out:
"Well, turtle, show yourself again. Don't worry. These two are really great people. We're lucky to have them by our side."
"Mhmmmm, I'd rather be alone with you though.", YU's pout tickles his neck.
Sam hears himself chuckle. A sound of delight that doesn't usually escape him.
"You do know you're riding a horse on its back, right?" grumbles Sam.
"A nudibranchre is the same from all sides. I just want to snuggle up to your naked body and make you slime.", YU whispers and starts to glamour Sam's neck.
Sam's breath catches in his throat.
He notices it clearly.
Notices the effect YU has on him. How much he is losing himself. How much he wants to belong to his comrade.
"YU," he hears himself pleading, "wait, we have to get ready. Please, wait. YU."
YU reluctantly separates himself from the delicious taste of his skin. He looks drunkenly into Sam's eyes, kisses him on the mouth, and smiles.
Sam looks at him with his heart beating wildly.
He feels a wistfulness as YU gets off of him.
YU takes his hand and pulls him behind him.
"Then let's go take a quick shower," YU says, giving Sam a seductive look.
And Sam's entire body begins to tingle as he sees the familiar drive in YU's eyes.
He lets his comrade pull him after him like a balloon fluttering in the air.
In swirling, hot excitement, his feet escort him into the wet pleasures of the water playground.
His companion leads him into the wet arena of his needs crying out for satisfaction.