Chapter 7:
It was now November, and back in Dusseldorf snow had already begun to fall. People were busy buying Christmas presents, while the men went out at night after work to have a drink and listen to live Christmas music. One of those men happened to be 31-year-old Wolfgang Klink, who was spending a Friday night with some of his co-workers at a bar in Downtown Dusseldorf. And while they listened to people sing Christmas melodies up on stage, Wolfgang and his friends drank alcohol shamelessly and celebrated their biggest sales ratings for that year. And while the oldest Klink thought the success was all due to him and charming charisma with customers, his two co-workers only acted as if that were the case. They knew the truth behind it all, though.
Wolfgang Klink was the biggest procrastinator that ever walked the earth. He always assigned his projects and business pitches to others underneath him, while he kicked his legs up on his office desk either drinking expensive alcohol or inviting different women in and flirted with them in hopes of climbing up the ladder that would eventually make him Assistant CEO. Work was merely a game for him, and that's exactly how he played it. Never made any contributions to business meetings, never let another person pitch an idea to him once he had a 'vision' for an advertisement, constantly talked on the phone with a friend of his and exchanged gossip with each other, spent a third of his income lavishing up his already overpriced office; Wolfgang Klink was an egotistical playboy who only had his job still because his boss was terrified of upsetting the legendary General Otto Klink by firing his son.
As the three continued to drink and laugh obnoxiously, a young woman in her late 20s came up on stage towards the microphone and wore a flowy white dress. Her name was Monika, and her eyes were a dark ocean blue, her long golden hair as bright as rays of sunshine. She had a slim figure and could have just about any man she wanted. She turned back towards the band and waited for them to start playing before she began singing a few numbers.
The minute she opened her mouth and started to sing, the voice pulled Wolfgang's attention away from his friends, spotted Monika on stage, and could practically feel the hearts floating in his brown eyes. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen with the voice of an angel. Forgetting all about his drink, he left his spot at the bar and was magnetically pulled to the stage, finally coming to a halt when he was backstage and watching her from off stage.
Monika noticed someone from the corner of her eye near the end of her first number and went into a very brief state of shock when she saw Wolfgang. It almost just as quickly faded, and she gave him a flirtatious smile. The sight of the handsome man almost gave her a boost of energy, and she finished her first song with a bang, receiving a standing ovation as a result of her performance.
She sang about three more numbers, Wolfgang quietly watching in awe as she performed. His heart fluttered like crazy, his limbs were tingling with attraction, he knew right then and there this was the one. This was what true love felt like. It excited him. It sent adrenaline shooting throughout his blood veins, and as he watched Monika walk off stage and approach him, he thought he would explode with joy.
Monika gave him another flirtatious smile and almost modeled herself for the businessman. "Well good evening there, gutaussehend. Who let you off your leash tonight?" She asked. (1)
The comment made Wolfgang chuckle. "No one keeps Wolfgang Klink on a leash, schön," he answered confidently. "I go wherever I wish to." (2)
Monika gave him a seductive look. "You have lots of confidence in yourself; I like a man that's not afraid of taking chances."
"You do now," Wolfgang remarked, straightening his tie. "Well then; why don't you and I take a chance at things and ditch this joint, huh? I know a nice little restaurant with lots of champagne and not a lot of people at night."
Monika gave him another seductive grin, then offered her hand to Wolfgang. "Lead the way, then, Herr Klink," she said.
Wolfgang kissed Monika's hand, wrapped his arm around her waist, then the duo headed for the bar's backdoor and walked out into the busy nightlife of Downtown Dusseldorf.
Wolfgang and Monika's relationship went from flirting and dates to moving in with each other and love making sessions in a matter of months. One thing escalated to another, and Wolfgang was soon ready to make the next move. He had a 'successful' career, lots of money and expensive possessions like an Italian car and suits; now he needed a gorgeous woman by his side to complete his 'stunning' image in society.
On New Year's Eve Wolfgang popped the question with an extravagant diamond ring as he and Monika watched a firework show. Monika immediately accepted, and by the start of the new year, they were already planning their wedding for early October. An extravagant church, the finest champagne, designer wedding dress and tuxedo imported from Italy, the more lavish and grand, the better. The wedding practically screamed Wolfgang's name. He just had to be careful that his father did not find out how much more debt it would drown him in. Because despite all the fancy things and expensive life he lived, there was an evil demon that lingered in the shadows wherever Wolfgang went: gambling.
It was his favorite pastime, but he had no control when it came to knowing when to stop. He went all in until his paycheck for that week had bled dry. But that did not stop him. He would start gambling things like watches, jewelry, his stocks, sometimes even drugs he 'borrowed' from his workplace. He kept going until he was so drunk that he could hardly see anything clearly and passed out wherever he was. How he was still able to pay his expensive apartment's rent and monthly car payments was a mystery sometimes even to him. But he did not surrender. He was constantly determined to win all the money he lost back one day. And when he did, he was going to live off of his money for the rest of his life, looking down at others beneath his level while he sat and counted his money daily.
It was the end of January, and Klink had come home for a week while Bertram's store was undergoing a small remodeling project. He was sitting on the living room sofa reading a book one night, his father sitting in a chair off to his right while reading the evening paper. Adala Klink hovered over the stove cooking something for a dinner party the Klinks were holding tomorrow evening, when the front door opened, and Wolfgang strode inside arrogantly and held out his arms in a grand gesture.
"Everyone," he called out. "Everyone, I would like to make an announcement. I am proud to announce that come this October, Monika and I will be getting married. Wilhelm, you'll be the best man. But uh, don't wear that suit; I never liked blue on you."
As Klink looked down at his navy blue suit and matching tie, General Klink rose to his feet and set the paper aside, Adala just as quickly abandoning her work and joining the group.
"Married," General Klink gasped, his expression growing both flustered and outraged. "You've known each other for less than two months, and you barge in here and announce you're getting married?!"
"Monika and I don't want to wait any longer than necessary, Pa. We've already got the church picked out and our outfits ordered and shipped as we speak. We're thinking of setting the date to October 6th; what do you guys think?" Wolfgang explained nonchalantly.
"Wolfgang Klink, I completely and whole-heartedly forbid this marriage from happening. You're practically marrying a complete stranger after dating for only a few months. We haven't even met this girl yet," General Klink stated firmly.
"She's the one, Pa. Trust me on this. And once we get married, I will be the spitting image of the perfect man with the perfect life. Money, success, a beautiful wife at my side…" Wolfgang approached the sofa and looked down at Klink, who was still staring at his brother in shock. "And uh, then we've got Willie here with a simple mathematics degree. Right, Bookkeeper?"
Klink narrowed his eyes at his brother as a long frown came to his face. "I'll have you know that I love my job back in Hammelburg, Danke," he remarked snippy.
"Right, because every man dreams of being a bookkeeper in a toy store. You could've been touring all around Europe as an adequate violinist had you not injured your arm during the war, Willie. Could've been living the life of luxury and fine champagne like your big brother here. And uh, let's see here. You've had what; two girlfriends now that used you only to get what they wanted?" Wolfgang scoffed and crossed his arms. "What an Idiot." He began to laugh hysterically, when Klink slammed his book beside him and rose to his feet, staring his older brother right in the eyes with his flaming blue ones. (3)
"Now listen, Wolfgang," Klink began, having finally had enough of all the put downs over the last 29 years. "I may not work for a big company, and I may not have thousands and thousands of marks at my disposal, but I nearly lost my life fighting for our beloved Germany in a world war and was a full colonel when I left the military. I graduated from the university with a degree in a field I enjoy doing with mostly As. I don't waste my money on useless gambling, and when I do find a woman to marry, at least I'll know that she loves me for who I am instead of for the money I get in each paycheck. If you don't consider those major accomplishments, then you clearly have a bigger ego than I suspected of you having."
Wolfgang gave a soft chuckle. "Oh, come on, Willie. I mean, I love you and all, but look in a mirror. Most of your hair is gone, you wear a monocle, and you do that weird hunched over walking thing when you're in a hurry to get somewhere. Maybe you'll marry a cleaning lady or a widow, but never someone beautiful like my Monika."
Though hot tears streamed down Klink's face, his raging eyes continued to flicker with white flames, grounding his jaw to keep himself from losing his temper. Not able to take any more verbal abuse, Klink stormed out of the living room past his brother and went up the stairs to his bedroom, the door closing with a loud slam behind him.
Wolfgang looked in the direction his brother had gone in, then turned back to his parents with a puzzled expression. "What got into him?" He asked, sitting down on the sofa and kicking his feet up across the piece of furniture. "Just trying to give him a little piece of advice is all."
"Wolfgang Klink," General Klink growled, marching his way to his oldest son's side. "How can you say those horrible things to your brother, when all you do is sit on your Arsch all day drinking and gambling?" (4)
"I do not just sit and drink and gamble all day. You should take a look at my stocks recently; I'm flourishing in marks right now," Wolfgang said, checking his fingernails.
"You also have police officers investigating your everyday activity and knocking on my door daily for questioning. You realize you're suspected of stealing money from your company's bank account?"
"I did not steal money from the company's bank account," Wolfgang remarked defensively. "I just borrowed a few grand is all."
"A FEW GRAND?!"
"And a little bit from my pension, too. But I'm gonna pay it all back when I finally win the jackpot at the casino one of these nights."
It was then that General Klink's face went completely red. He took the rolled up newspaper clutched in his fist and threw it on the ground, his temper taking control now. "Gott verdammt noch mal, Wolfgang, you're always doing these things! You never take any responsibility for your actions and keep trying to make yourself appear as this multi-millionaire tycoon that doesn't exist!" (5)
"Pa, when I win the lottery, all of those things are gonna change. Just you wait and see; I'll be the most successful Klink that goes down in history." Wolfgang looked out at particularly nothing, the dream vividly beginning to play out in his mind. A large mansion with servants and an indoor pool. A beautiful and devoted wife at his right hand side. A bank account so filled with money he would have enough to give every citizen in Dusseldorf 9000 marks each. It was alive and within his reach; all he had to do now was play the cards right and let fate take its course from there on out.
General Klink, on the other hand, found the delusional dream downright outrageous and almost comical, even. He scoffed and crossed his arms before speaking again. "Most successful Klink in history; you can't even stay in the military for four months without getting dishonorably discharged for some sex scandal!"
"Hey now, that was all Lucia's idea, and I would've gotten away with it had her pigheaded brother not started getting so nosy about it," Wolfgang remarked, quick to defend himself.
As General Klink and Wolfgang continued to bicker and argue, Adala could feel a migraine beginning to pound the inside of her skull with a hammer. She left the two men to continue arguing in privacy, while she went upstairs to check on her youngest son. She gently knocked on the closed door, opened it, and she found Klink sitting on the side of his old bed, his head bent down and buried into his fist. He was ready to give up. He was ready to just surrender and not get back up again.
Adala frowned as she saw how much her baby boy was hurting and sat down beside him, gently rubbing his shoulder for comfort. The only response she got was a silent and heavy sigh. Adala shook her head. "Do not listen to your brother, Wilhelm; you are very successful in life. You served in the Great War and nearly lost your life protecting Germany. You graduated from the university with good grades and in a subject you enjoy doing. You got your dream job simply by walking into a toy store and socializing with the little children there playing; not many people can say those things, baby," she told him encouragingly.
Klink shook his head and got to his feet. "Aw Mama," he began, walking over to the mirror on his wall. "It's not any of that; I know I have success when it comes to my career and education...it's the other thing Wolfgang said."
"What other thing? The whole thing about finding a woman to marry?"
Klink looked into his mirror and hated what he saw. A bald man with sad blue eyes and no love life ahead of him. He had been used two times now by a woman for personal gain, when he had foolishly believed it to be true love. Then there was the one time it was real. A woman with short blonde hair by the name of Annika. They had met during his time in Munich, and they were inseparable. He had never felt such happiness in his entire life. He even planned on marrying her once graduating from school...then his world came crashing down again. The night he had planned on proposing to her she had given him the most devastating news possible: she was moving away to Brazil to start her dream career as a model. Their relationship came to an end three nights later at the airport gate her plane would take off from. A final kiss goodbye and an exchange of 'I love yous' before she boarded her flight and vanished into the night sky. He had been resilient to finding love again ever since. Losing Annika was the most painful loss he had ever suffered in his life, and he was not sure his heart could handle that kind of grief again. It still made his heart ache tremendously, and it had been over a year now since they said 'Auf wiedersehen' to each other.
"Mama, look at me," Klink finally answered, shaking his head in shame. "I don't have dazzling dark eyes or a head of beautiful hair...I barely have any hair at all anymore...What kind of girl would want to spend the rest of her life with me?"
Adala rose to her feet, walked towards her son's side, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "No, you don't have dazzling dark eyes; you have big, beautiful blue eyes. Blue eyes that are filled with kindness and warmth. I don't get that feeling when I look into your brother's. You always want to help others and are kind to everyone you meet no matter what…" She fell silent briefly before speaking again. "You found real love once, you can find it again, baby."
Klink closed his eyes and hung his head to keep himself from breaking down. It took all his strength to fight the hot tears trying to spill over his eyes as he remembered his Annika. She had been beautiful inside and out. Her smile, her kisses, the way her perfume smelled, her laugh...God, what he would not give to hear her laugh just one more time. But she was gone. Thousands and thousands of miles away from him beginning a career she had dreamed of doing since a tiny little girl. He was so happy for her and proud of her great accomplishment. He was thrilled that she was doing something she loved and dreamed of doing for so long...unfortunately, however, it had meant leaving him behind in Germany. He would never find another girl like Annika again. And the knowledge of that killed him inside.
"I don't want another love, Mama...I want my Annika back." He let out another heavy breath to calm his emotions down.
"I know, Wilhelm...I know," Adala answered, wanting to take her son's pain away so badly. She rubbed his shoulder again. "Your soulmate is out there, my baby. She'll find you soon."
Klink looked back up at the mirror and let a single tear slip down his cheek. "Then why do I feel she's already gone?"
(1) gutaussehend - handsome
(2) Schön - beautiful
(3) Idiot - dork/idiot
(4) Arsch - a**
(5) Gott verdammt noch mal, Wolfgang - God dammit, Wolfgang!