Chapter 44: Apologies and Explanations

Niki's head snapped to attention and she blurted out, "Hugo Fronek? That's the guy that kidnapped us today!"

Helga placed one of her hands softly on Niki's arm, "Oh, my dear. You must have been terrified!"

Her niece shook her head and grinned slightly, "Not really. We had Penny Hofstadter with us and she's not afraid of much, especially some goon who interrupts an outing with her friends."

The older woman smiled and replied, "You got free, I see."

"Thanks to Annelise."

Helga addressed her question to Helmut, "What did she do, dear? She paused in her questioning as their waiter brought their dessert orders to their table.

Her son responded in a happy voice as he attacked his ice cream, "Anna happens to be double jointed. It was fairly easy for her to loosen the ropes they were tied with and free herself and the others."

Niki began to explain further, "If it hadn't been for Anna, we might still have been tied up. But, it was Penny who led our revenge. We once took a self-defense class with another friend of ours, and she hadn't forgotten any of the moves. With Penny leading us, we made short work of Hugo and friends and headed home to get ready for last night's banquet."

Helga's eyes went wide as she asked her, "What happened to Hugo?"

Niki sampled her dessert and then replied, "Well, we left him tied up and unbeknownst to me, Penny called the police and tipped them off as to what happened and where Hugo and his henchmen could be found."

Helga took a bite of her strudel and then asked, "The police found them?"

Niki grinned to herself and continued, "Yep. And arrested them for kidnapping. It seems the slimeball is wanted for all sorts of nefarious deeds across Europe."

Niki's aunt's face showed true concern as she probed her niece further, "Will he go to trial?"

"Oh yeah. Me, Annelise, and Penny are all going to testify against him."

Helga's face suddenly brightened, and she inquired in an excited voice, "Do you think I would be allowed to testify as to what Hugo did to me?"

Niki thought for a moment before answering, "I don't know how the laws are here, but in the states, no. The statute of limitations would have run out. You can call and see, though."

Helmut joined the conversation by pointing out to his cousin, "Niki, here in Germany, there is no statute of limitations for murder, and for serious crimes, I think it is either twenty of thirty years. Hugo is wanted for many crimes, but perhaps your testimony would be welcome to the courts. I agree with Niki, Mother, call the local police and find out."

Helga looked shocked and touched at the same time as she answered him a barely-there voice, "You called me Mother, Helmut."

"Well, pragmatically speaking, you are. Also, after what you have told us, I can very well understand much of what you did. But why did you not keep in touch beyond that one card?"

His mother decided it was time to come clean about her lost years, "Son, it was very risky of me to do that much. I cleared it with your father first and he allowed it. However, Hugo must have gotten wind of it somehow and I was soon informed that any further communication with you would lead to nothing good for me."

"Then why did you get in touch with me now?"

Helga gave a long sigh and explained to her son, "I no longer cared what Hugo could, or would, do to me. I wanted to see you again much worse than I wanted to avoid any repercussions."

Helmut was speechless for a minute and then looked at his mother with greater understanding and managed a reply tinged with wonder and respect, "You risked your life to see me."

"Helmut, I have no real life without my son in it. Please forgive me for everything I have done to you."

Helmut reached across the table and took his mother's hand, "There is nothing to forgive. You were young, powerless, and scared. You are no longer scared, are you?"

Helga shook her head resolutely, "No. And I am no longer a child who is afraid of everything. Let them come for me, I don't care. I have seen my son again and that is worth everything."

The tears in Helmut's eyes began to spill out and run down his face as he squeezed Helga's hand and whispered, "Mother…"

Helga squeezed back and looked at him with love, "Son…"

"Mother, I don't want to lose you again. Ever. Please say this is a beginning and not an end. I will talk to Father about this. He was very cruel and unfair to you. I do hope I can forgive him."

Helga responded to his words kindly as she resumed sampling her dessert, "Helmut, he was also afraid of Hugo. And don't forget, I used him to escape my life in Milwaukee. There are no innocent parties here. But Kurt was an excellent father to you. He did what he had to do to protect you. I have nothing but respect and understanding for him, not anger."

Helmut thought a moment and then asked, "What about love?"

His mother pondered his question and then replied hesitantly, "Perhaps. Yes, I suppose that respect is some form of love. I never hated your father, I hated what my life had become. I think Hugo also bullied Kurt in some way."

"May I tell him that, also? He has never had a serious relationship since you left. Oh, there were girlfriends in his life, but none of them lasted very long. I can now see he was comparing all of them to you. Please say you will meet up with Father. I will come, too."

Helga thought deeply for a moment and then replied, "First, arrange a phone call. Then, if all goes well, I would love to see Kurt once more."

Helmut took a bite of his dessert and nodded his agreement with his mother's plan, "I shall do that today. Mother, I want the chance to get to know you, without the ghosts of the past haunting us."

Niki looked up from her crème brulee to remind her cousin, "Excuse me for interrupting, but didn't we say that if things went well with your mother, we would invite her to have dinner with all of us tonight?"

His face exploded in happiness as he exclaimed, "We did, we did! Mother, would you care to join us? Or do I call you the German, Mutter?"

Helga grinned at her son as she responded to him with, "Helmut, I really don't care. But I am American, not German. I'm just of German descent. I suppose either is fine. But I do love Germany. I must, or I would have left years ago."

Helmut scooted his chair back and prepared to rise, "Mother, let's leave and have some time alone, to catch up and get to know each other better. Niki, I hope you will understand."

His cousin smiled warmly at both her table companions as, she too, prepared to leave, "Completely! I'm going to go back to the hotel room and get some rest. I'm feeling pretty tired."

Helga shot her a concerned look, "Did that dinner run late last night? If so, I also feel bad keeping you from getting some rest. You too, Son.

Niki shook her head and replied, "No, Aunt Helga. The banquet ended at a decent hour. I've just been running on empty lately. I'm blaming it on jet lag."

Helmut threw her a mischievous look, "That is not the entire story, is it Niki?" He then looked toward his mother and explained, "Mother, she is pregnant with her second child."

His mother's hand flew to her mouth, "Oh my dear! I didn't mean to keep you here this long. I will wish you congratulations. I suppose your husband is overjoyed at this news?"

Niki smiled broadly and answered, "Definitely. And you didn't keep me from anything, Aunt Helga. It was wonderful to see you again and have everything turn out as it has. I can't wait for you to meet my husband, Sheldon and my daughter, Lori."

Helmut added enthusiastically, "And Annelise, and Penny, and Leonard, and well, I guess we will have to introduce you to everyone tonight."

Helga laughed at his excitement and rose from her seat, "I'm sure I will love meeting them all."

Niki also stood up, "I know you will. They're all good people. But for now, I'm off to my room for some much-needed rest. You and Helmut enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

"We will, darling. Oh, Nikita…"

"What?"

Her arm went around her niece's waist and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Do thank your mother for helping us get together. It wouldn't have worked without her. Give her my thanks…and my love."

Niki kissed her aunt on the cheek and assured her as she turned to leave, "I will Aunt Helga, I will."

Helga then linked her arm through her son's and steered him towards the door, "Now, my darling, let's go somewhere quiet to talk. We have some serious catching up to do."

"That we have, Mother, that we have."

All is well with Mother and Son. But how will the dinner with everyone else go? Guess what? You all will have a front row seat.