I was happy like a little child because today I would meet Jasmin for the first time. We've known each other for almost a year from Facebook and invited her to Cologne. Of course I wanted to show her everything that makes my city so special and means something to me. Of course I picked her up at the main train station because she had come with a Bus. Days before I had racked my brains about what I wanted to show her. Of course, the most important thing was the cathedral. The center of our city and our first way. But entering the cathedral turned out to be difficult because a huge crowd had formed in front of the gates. At first we thought it was a street performer who was drawing attention there. But it was not like that. Loud laughter was heard mixed with the wailing of an individual. Somehow I was able to catch a glimpse of the event there.
"Somebody's getting beat up." I said, horrified.
Jasmin pulled out her mobile phone: "Then we'll call the police."
"It's all over by the time they're here." I replied and then briefly saw the face of the beaten man and my heart stopped beating.
"What is it?" Jasmine asked, seeing me freeze.
I took her aside.
"I don't believe it... That's Quasimodo..." I said to her and looked indecisively at the crowd.
"Are you sure?" Jasmin asked me in disbelief and looked at me as if I lost my mind. I turned away and pushed my way through the crowd. I screamed as loud as I could: "Stop!"
The guys who were beating Quasimodo stopped and looked at me. One approached me, there were three of them and they were obviously drunk.
"What do you want? Get out and don't spoil our fun!" said the guy in front of me.
Police sirens sounded and the guys fled. The crowd dispersed and now Jasmine came towards me.
"Respect. I would never have dared to do that," she said.
"You know... Nothing beats Quasimodo for me," I replied.
"Are you really sure? I mean... maybe you were just imagining it..."
I looked around and couldn't see him anywhere.
"I assure you I saw him! Maybe he's hiding somewhere."
"Where is he supposed to be?" Jasmin asked.
"I think there is only one possibility here...", I said and looked at the cathedral, "come on!"
So we entered the Cologne Cathedral. Actually, I wanted to show Jasmine around here a bit, but now I had a different priority. I looked into every corner until I suddenly noticed movement and a shadow. I slowly approached it. To the right of the altar, behind a pillar, Quasimodo crouched like a beaten animal.
I waved to Jasmine and she came to me. Now I slowly approached Quasimodo.
When Quasimodo saw me, he backed away from me.
"No fear." I said slowly, not sure if he could hear me.
I groped for his hand. Quasimodo looked at me and I was startled because his face was smeared with blood.
"I won't hurt you." I said.
"It's really him..." Jasmine said, kneeling next to me and handing me her handkerchiefs.
I immediately grabbed it and dabbed Quasimodo's face. He sustained a wound on his temple and forehead. I'm sure there were also a few bruises, but that was hard to see so soon after the fight.
"Thanks." Quasimodo said slowly. You could tell he wasn't used to speaking.
"Do you understand me then?" I asked.
"Yes. I read lips," he replied.
"Very well that makes everything a lot easier." Said Jasmine.
"I'm Regina." I said. "And this is Jasmine."
"Hello." Jasmine said and waved at him.
"Come on. Someone needs to look at this." I said.
Quasimodo backed away as if I was about to hit him again.
"No, I won't hurt you... I want to be your friend..."
"I don't need friends..." Quasimodo said with such bitterness that it made my heart ache.
"Do you know how you got here?" Jasmin asked
Quasimodo shook his head.
"Where were you before you found yourself here?" I asked.
"In Mountfaucon. I thought I would die next to my beloved Esmeralda... but then..."
"You ended up here." I finished his sentence.
I looked around hard. Sure, Cologne Cathedral was a cathedral, so it was the only place here that seemed familiar to Quasimodo. But... he couldn't stay here. There are no more bell ringers who used their physical strength to ring the bells. It was all done by machines now. But the world outside scared Quasimodo, after all he had suddenly landed in the future from the Middle Ages.
