T’was a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place perhaps you’ve seen in your dreams. It’s a small peaceful village west of Germany. It’s a small village a population of one thousand; there are two stores and train tracks and animals abound. Everyone around was very cheerful, everything was seemingly perfect, the village was peaceful, and nothing ever happened; however, one year a mistake was made and was paid for in the long run with two lives. The lives of two men, Gilbert Beilschmidt and Roderich Edelstein… there was a time when both men were both cheerful, the happiest in all of Germany.
However, those men are both long since passed by the time you hear this tragic tale of these star crossed lovers. Our tale takes place in the late fifties, when homosexuality was frowned upon; but do you think that that is going to keep our lovers from seeing each other in secret on weekends? They were too in love to care about prison or to be stoned to death. They truly thought each other were more important to have something so petty like prison to keep them from dating and being together.
The fact that they could both get thrown into prison if the police found out about what went on between our two lovers; didn’t seem to bother them they didn’t care, love makes people do crazy things. However, their growing relationship soon failed, collapsing between the both of them, one mistake, one simple letter made up of twenty three letters, making up four words sent by one man about one woman.
The one thing that ruined everything between the two protagonists was a mistake, everything was a mistake gone terribly, horribly, wrong. It ruined both of their lives and the lives around them. Years of guilt and pain, so many days, days that turned into months, months into years. Two years to be exact, lives ruined relationships torn apart, all because of one goddamn letter. I’ll say it once; think before you act or you may make the worst mistake of your life… it will haunt you for the rest of your life.
I say, if you don’t know the story of Roderich Edelstein and Gilbert Beilschmidt, I think it’s time you’ve begun.
