Today Ludwig had to go to the local supermarket. He wore a mask and took a pair of glooves the use later.
It was about a 10 minutes walk from his apartment to the supermarket. He was more than happy to walk and feel the sun on his skin. The fresh air was nearly making him tear up from joy. He missed the fresh air.
When he got to the market, he wore his glooves and pulled out a hand written list. He needed some bread, milk, tuna and rice. He gathered them as quick as possible.
He could feel some people's eyes behind his back, people who weren't applying the given restrictions from the authorities. They weren't using a mask.
Watching them made his skin ichy.
He paid the money and never looked back.
On his way back to his home, he took the longer turn. He walked through a green park and enjoyed the calmness. This sort of solitude was different than staying at home. This was pleasant.
His phone started to buzz inside his pocket.
His grandfather.
"Hallo?" He said.
"Ludwig, my son! How are you?" He heard an elderly voice.
"I am doing ok. How are you, papa?"
"I am playing chess with my friends." Ludwig chuckled when he heard his old man sound of cheerful despite the horror.
"Who are you talking to?" Ludwig heard another voice with an Italian accent. Roma.
"Ludwig- your blond grandson?! Send my regards. Roma, please let me finish this. Ludwig, your grandfather has always been like this! Ever since 1950s." Ludwig actually cracked a wide smile.
"Enough is enough, Roma. Let me talk to my son. Ludwig, stay safe. Don't go out that frequently..." there was a pause and his grandfather took a deep breath. "I watched the news. This is not good. Please, be careful and don't mix yourself with these new demonstration. It is unbelievable that they even injured a few of the policemen. Don't get caught with those people."
Ludwig had read somethings about the demonstration in Berlin. People had gone mad. Some of them even abused the restriction for their own stupid excuses.
He had watched a video of a woman, who refused to leave the area. She was wearing a insufferable Pikachu headphone and didn't listen to police. Each time the police tried to get closer she yelled and pulled a meterband.
Ludwig actually slapped his forehead and sighed in pain. This wasn't the right time for stupidity go onwards.
The people had to cooperate with the government. People lost their jobs. The economical inflammation was dangerously growing.
Still... some people only thought about their night parties... lame excuses.
"O'right Papa. Take care. I will call later." Ludwig hang the call and walked towards home.
On his free time, Ludwig liked to watch movies and learn programming. He also painted sometimes but his work wasn't as good as Nina. She painted everyday. Another reason to admire her. She said, it doesn't matter what someone will paint, it only matters if they can release their worries for a few minutes while working on their painting.
Ludwig followed that by heart. His painting wasn't perfect, but he liked them anyway.
Now, after a few hours of hard work and painting, Ludwig was lying down on his bed, facing the sky. Again, the stars were sparkling. He was talking to Nina.
"Don't you think it is really sad, that half of the star light we see at night in a big city is from aeroplanes?" He had asked tiredly while yawning.
Nina was quiet.
"It is." She said and they end the call. Ludwig fell asleep immediately.
When he opened his eyes again, it was still dark. His door bell was ringing. Ludwig was confused. Nobody was allowed to visit someone's house. He switched the light on and slowly paced his way to the front door. From the peephole he saw nothing. The bell kept on shrealing.
He cautiously opened his door.
"What are you doing here?!" He whisper-yelled at his friend. Mustafa.
"Shut up Ludwig, you donno what I am risking for you." Mustafa glared, before his eyebrows started to relax and he sighed.
"Ludwig, take this box of desinfections liquid. It will get very expensive and I know that you won't but any of them for 13, they were half of the price before this Corona shit. You can pay me later. Take it. Take these handmade masks, too. My sister made a dozen, you can have 3." Mustafa was holding them out for Ludwig. Ludwig was confused and too touched to move.
"Ach come on. I cleaned the packages with alcohol." Mustafa said sternly. Ludwig finally took them and looked up at Mustafa.
"Thank you."
Mustafa said nothing and just narrowed his eyes and looked at Ludwig. Finally he stepped back and went.
"Take care, Ludwig."
Now Ludwig was fully awake. He sat on his bed and opened the package of the handmade masks.
They were are bright blue. Mustafa had put his and his sister's initial on the lower left corner of the mask as MM.
Ludwig was shocked and astonished.
Two years ago he hadn't thought about becoming this close to Mustafa.
Mustafa was an Afghan boy with brown-blond hair and hazel eyes. They met eachother at school and by that time, Mustafa was attending the language courses of the school. His German was not understandable when he talked to Ludwig for the first time. Mustafa was a talented student. In two years, he learned how to speak English and German. Although he still had his problems, but it wasn't a big deal.
Mustafa and his sister, Maria came to Germany alone. They didn't want to come alone, but they had no other choice. They had lost their parents on their way to Turkey. They had to spend a while alone at refugee camps in Greece.
When Ludwig's grandpa heard their story, he took their well being upon himself, until Mustafa turned 18. He didn't want them to see the ugly side of the city. Maria was still underage, but they weren't struggling that much like before. Gilbert, surprisingly, volunteered to help Maria with her studies in German and English.
Now, Mustafa was a trainee in a medical field. He got paid monthly and that was enough for both if them. Before Corona, they visited eachother's house once in a while, or went to picnics.
Ludwig suddenly felt shame take over his body. He hadn't even tried to talk to them. This act of kindness sparked something.
He had to check on his friends more often.
we all like to read about highschool love stories of Ludwig and Feliciano. I do, too. But this time I want to take another path. i want this fanfiction to be as realistic as possible. Currently, nearly in every school in Berlin there are students who study language and I find it very interesting that most of them are getting along very well with eveyone, despite the language barrier. (I struggle too.)alot of people are voluneetering during Covid-19 pandemic. they help the elderly and make masks. Mustafa is one of them.there are people who take refugees in and help them like members of their household.let's say, Ludwig's family has done the same.stay safe and healthy.Blei~