Kai• ros | Julian Brandt

5.

Mondays are always hectic. Regardless of whether you are still just studying or hold a certain job position. God forbid if you do both in parallel.

The start of the new week was anything but pleasant for me. Diana fell ill after Friday's match. She had a high fever all weekend, and the only thing she was capable of, apart from constant complaining and sighing, was throwing used napkins all over the living room. Her apartment suddenly turned into a toxic zone. No one would get me further than to the front door. I hated germs. Whether those walking on the streets, read as - the majority of the general population, or those that attacked our weakened organism.

In short, Diana's illness meant only one thing to me. On Monday morning, in contrast to a heated mini-coupe, crowded public transport took me to work. You can only imagine the enthusiasm with which I started my working week. And I had no idea at that time what it had in store for me. I naively hoped that the overcrowded city line would be the worst thing on the list.

"Miss Carlotta," the smiling Mr. Wagner greeted me from afar. The guy probably never greeted me with anything other than a big smile on his lips since he found out who I really am. It was annoying at times. I would much prefer if people behaved casually in my presence. After all, I was an ordinary person, like everyone else.

"Good morning!" despite my grumpy mood, I smiled back at him.

I was ready to move on, stop at the canteen for coffee and something sweet, which would raise my mood from zero to a little higher, but fate obviously had other plans.

"Mr. Schröder asked me to send you to him as soon as you get to work."

I nodded with a sigh. Mr. Schröder, for friends Bastian, was my superior. However, why he summoned me to his office was a mystery to me. But I definitely did not count on anything positive. Who would anyway? If your boss calls you, there is rarely something good behind it.

So instead of sitting at my workplace with a mug of warm coffee, I headed straight to Bastian's office. As always, I found him with his head buried in papers.

"Information has reached me that you want to see me." with a gentle knock on the slightly open door, I peered in. "Whatever happened, it's definitely not my fault."

Bastian shook his head with a grin, "I don't know about anything. Only if you want to admit about something yourself." he joked with me.

"Then why am I here?" I wondered.

Bastian motioned to an empty chair. I took it as a signal to settle down. From this I deduced that the conversation that will take place between us will hardly last for a few minutes.

"As you know we have a game against Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday."

"We can easily skip these sauces and get straight to the point, Bastian. I am sufficiently informed about the schedule."

"Fine," he breathed. As if he knew that I would not be happy with what he would told me. "by some oversight, I have a shortage of people who could cover this trip. Vacations, some stupidity, illnesses. One with the other and simply," he hesitated for a moment, "tomorrow morning you are flying with me."

"And so we continue the established trend - a shitty start to the new week." I mumbled more or less to myself.

Don't get me wrong. I love my job. What's more, I love football itself. However, I enjoy it much more without work commitments. That way I'll be in constant swing. Available twenty-four hours a day for the entire duration of the trip. Not taking care of just a few of them, but the whole team.

Bastian heard my mumbling. He raised his eyebrows curiously, urging me to confide whatever was unspoken on the tip of my tongue. "Ignore me." I waved my hand. I neither needed nor wanted to burden him with my overly dramatic nature. "You'd better tell me the details."