The Psychology of Love

Chapter 55 Tides

Chapter 55    Tides

"YU, I so wish I could calm you down now," says Professor Dieckmann as he drives along highway 24 from Sylt Airport toward Wenningstedt to his sister Jenny's house at 05:12 on February 20, 2022.

Professor Österreich is sitting next to him.

He has put his trembling hands together and seeks reassurance on his silent legs.

He feels the highest amplitudes of his just stormy sea of emotions within him crashing against each other.

Fear screams up the waters and scatters them all over his skin.

It tingles in droves on his body.

When the impact of his fear with the deep feeling of love sprays the sky with the most intense water droplets.

Scrapes tingle his body.

Fear and love mingle.

He worries about Sam.

About YU.

Is excited.

They will see each other again.

And then there's Manfred.

He will be there with Manfred.

And doesn't want to explain to himself yet why the tingling sensation increases almost unbearably when he imagines the moment when Sam and YU are finally united.

In the presence of.

Manfred and Bernhard.

In their presence.

They are allowed to be there.

Also feel, see, hear, smell, taste.

Österreich looks at Dieckmann and sees him looking at YU through the rearview mirror.

Dieckmann sees a still sitting YU with a deep gaze.

His still body is exposed to the tides of his wild heart.

His chest rises and falls in a rapid rhythm.

"YU, I want you to prepare to find Sam in bad physical condition. He has lost a lot of weight. Hasn't eaten for several days now. And probably not enough for quite some time. I was only able to get a brief sense of his mental state. He hears the outside world, but reacts only conditionally. He cried when I spoke to him.

He is in a state of denial.

For two weeks he has not spoken at all. And before that, hardly at all.

And now he is refusing any food intake as well.

Sam.

He's broken, YU. Please be prepared," Dieckmann explains, trying not to show the lump in his throat through his sound. He doesn't want to agitate YU any further.

If only he knew how he feels right now.

How much it tears him apart to find Sam in this state.

How much he hates himself for not recognizing the signs of Sam's deep depression sooner.

Why he hadn't listened to his gut when he made those phone calls.

Why? Why can't he turn back time?

YU perceives Dieckmann's inner storm.

"You don't have to worry, Manfred," YU's voice sounds in the car, charging the air with tension.