A Breach In Berlin

One - Ein - Reminiscing and Returns

Unedited

2:00pm 13th July 2005, Berlin

THE STORY OF BERLIN

The large tail end of an airplane was in perfect view, situated in the middle of a bustling street full of tourists like us and Berlin natives, all of us going about our day's work. In our case, today was to learn more about the history of the city we were visiting. My eighteen-year-old brother, Felix, was making a bet with Dad on how many time he could discreetly perform the Nazi salute, only to get whacked over the head and told to behave. I laughed, and suddenly his mischievous eyes were on me, his blue iris' twinkling in the afternoon sun. Our mother, who had over heard Felix's conversation with our father, scolded him too, saying he shouldn't be talking about such things in front of his younger sister. I was sixteen and due to Felix's great interest in history, had for a long time now, known of the salute that would now get you in trouble. His response had involved the Hitler youth which earned him another whack round the head with Dads newspaper. In all honesty, Felix looked German. A head full of thick blonde hair and blue iris's fell perfectly into the stereotype we associated with the Germans.

For once on this holiday, the sun was shining and I finally got to wear a pair of shorts, one of the three I had brought with me. I hadn't packed well since the first week of this little road trip, it had rained relentlessly and I couldn't see a difference between Copenhagen and England. Beside the language and Copenhagen was ten time better than England in my eyes. So the sun was beating down on our shoulders, its rays already turning our skin golden. But what were our parents doing? Taking us inside.

The story of Berlin was an interactive museum that lead you through the history of the city, year by year. From the first establishment and how it came about its name, right till the Berlin wall being torn down and giving the city a fresh start to evolve into the liberal and cultural haven it was now. Felix and I raced ahead as soon as we were allowed in, skipping across illuminated floors and running through the curtains that separated era by era. Felix was a six-year-old in a eighteen-year-olds body. If I had chosen wisely, I would have stayed with Mum and Dad, taking my time to read about Berlin and expand on the little knowledge I had, but Felix wanted to read about the war which was a few rooms ahead of our parents. Felix weaved between the army uniforms, ones that seemed Napoleonic and varied from status to status within the army itself. He'd slip into the jackets, even though he wasn't supposed to, and hail me with a quick salute before going onto the next.

Felix would grab my hand, twirl me around and tug me along, giving me my own personal running commentary to the general history of Berlin he had already learnt, the majority relating to the World Wars. Who needed a museum when you had a history fanatic in the family?

A small cinema in the back corner was showing old German films that first hit the cinemas, along side a small set with an old telephone. Once I had watched the movie loop a few times, rolling my eyes and realising the wonder of the film industry and being ever thankful for its fantastic evolution, we moved on towards the small film set close by. I insisted on picking up one of the phones, while Felix picked up up the other.

"Hello? Who is this?" I spoke, raising my eyebrows at my brother who had taken to the plush red chair in the corner.

"Grace, its your brother! How could you forget me!" For an eighteen-year-old male who, from my expert spying skills, was talking to a new girl each week, he was the most flamboyant and dramatic boy I knew. But half of the act was just trying to keep me smiling.

"Oh I am terribly sorry, I just haven't heard your voice in the long time dearest! What brings on this call?"

"Father informs me you're to be married."