The Wall Crossers

Following our Common Star

At the door, as we are waiting for Edvard to pull the Peugeot up to the curb , Elke hugs and kisses Anja goodbye. They talk in low tones in German for a moment—holding each other's elbows and smiling affectionately.

The party goes on in the great room. I lean forward to look again through the doorway and across the room—our chairs have already been removed.

I bring my gaze back as Elke comes to me, eyes sparkling, exuding vanilla and a lovely scent that is no doubt purely hers. I close my eyes briefly and breathe in, drink in, the power of her. I open my eyes again and she cups the back of my head with her palms, leaning in and kissing me sweetly.

She pulls back and drops her hands to grasp my upper arms. I say to her, "Elke, why did the women all say to me Thank you for protecting us?"

She raises her right hand to smooth my cheek and moves and holds this hand to behind my ear, says, "Olivia, you are here willingly to defend our dreams... and our lives. All of us here on this island in a stormy sea. We love you for that."

Anja is beaming at me with a look of pure adoration, like she is so happy I belong to her.

I think for a few seconds and then say, "And Elke, why did the men all tell me Move heaven and earth?"

She drops her hands to grasp my hands and says, "Olivia, you and those like you shine new light on our dreams to make them bigger, and encourage us to take action in our own lives... to do whatever each of us can do... by following the selfless actions of these few. Move our Heaven of dreams with action on Earth."

Anja adds, "Crossing the Wall? Reunification?"

Elke looks at her with a loving look, and replies, "Yes, that and much much more."

Then Elke looks into my eyes again, giving my hands a loving shake, and says as with finality, "Each sacrifice is worthy—moves us forward... toward the dream... Yes that, and much much more." She steps back and Edvard walks over to help us into the car.

I realize I have a large tear coursing down my face as I step away from Elke, who now in my mind seems like a prophet for her nation—a nation, a dream, she too defends and advances forward ardently into the future.

Edvard is helping Anja into the passenger seat, on the driver side. I turn once more... Elke is waving and calls to us, "Was auch immer das ergebnis sein mag, es bringt uns voran!"

I wave back to her and climb in the car. I close my door. Edvard closes Anja's. Anja and I shift to the center, to be close together, and I ask her, "What was that... what Elke said just now... what did it mean?"

As Anja, leans forward to better see Elke, to wave at her, she answers me, "What she said, it means Whatever the outcome, it moves us forward."

Edvard pulls the car away from the mansion and we depart for the few-minutes ride to Grossziethener Strasse, following our common star. We three: she and me, toward this stranger whom I desperately fear.

Carried along with almost no choice now, inevitable—toward our appointed place and time: a platform built on the West side looking out to Brandenburg East Germany across the Wall, as we are minutes away from the first morning of the new year.

As we drive, I break our silence, "Anja, that woman, Patrizia, at the party?" I look to her and she looks at me and nods, remembering. "When I went to the girls' room, she followed me, pushed me inside and locked the door and kissed me."

Anja raises her eyebrows, but says, "That was nothing—she kissed me too."

"On the lips."

"Olivia, in German families, we even kiss our kids on the lips. You know that. And Patrizia kissed me on my lips too. She just thinks of you like... family"