On monday sent to her some panicked (paniced?) letter, because the doček at Mariška's is all of a sudden an unknown, hundred combinations changed.
Since the early morning I strain my eyes and prick my ears, and as if to spite me my folks keep coming and going, traffic. Learning philosophy and pretending to be not waiting. Granma went to supermarket, so when I heard the gate and then door, I thought it was her so I didn't react, but then
- hey Grakula!
And here they are, Rudolf and Beate. I jump to greet them, still in my pants. The talk goes straight from where we left off half a year ago. When they rested a bit, let's go to Veca and Sneca, he promised and we all know how sensitive they get when they get the impression that they were neglected. Drank some komovica there (see loza). Came back to my place, they lied to sleep, I did some maths then went to school. There it was more than boring. In the evening sat at home, Veca and Sneca came, watched the slides. Little heaps of garbage, they don't visit in three months, now every day. Even Tejka wanted to come in the morning to wait for them, but at least she asked, and I just said "at a neat time", she got it and took it as an insult and said she won't come. These two learned quite a good serbian, kudos.
On thursday we went downtown in the morning... or was that some other day. He brought me a couple of books (simplified "Jekyll & Hyde", and "Hair" screenplay), and something to shave with. How do you change the razor on this? You don't. What is it, immortal? Nope, use it 5-6 times then throw away. (was it the techmatic, which I remember using the next year)
Beate and Rudolf were waiting in the school lobby, where they ran into the dežurni, who wrote in the log "been two tourists from Düsseldorf, wife asked for toilet". Seems she didn't find it. Then went to Tejka, they had vinjak and I rum. Stuck there quite long.
On friday Dženk dropped by about the records (he bought some). The two hopped to Belgrade. Had a written in russian (4+) and maths (3+), could have done better but couldn't remember some formulae.
At school Radisav wanted to engage Z. (of DC-99) and me to shoot one of the professors play the Deda Mraz to professors' kids (didn't happen). Got 5 in sociology. Doing fine, just a couple more to fix. In the evening their bus was late so I met them on my way home. They went to Veca and Sneca.
Mariška said the doček is on, everything ok. Then something like they have too many (what, frajers, gals, both?) and there's six of me (us, Rudolf, Beate, Dženk with trailer), and then I see she's inviting me more or less pro forma, so I say we can do at home.
Ate at home in the evening then went to Veca and Sneca to pick these two. When we got to kinta there were strange changes: admission is charged. She was in a bad mood, mad at Mariška for complicating the doček (she can't stand her anyway, she said before), she misunderstood my quip about feeling older - as if I was complaining instead of bragging. In the disco it's too tight and noisy, it's only 28th and many are already celebrating. We all go to Veca and Sneca. Their folks are away, and they are trying to host the two as much as they can, for they'll be returning the visit in a couple of weeks. So they'll sleep there. I drove her home, we set the time for saturday evening, I came back to pick Beate (she needed to get a few things for the night) and then walked her back to 25. maj, then had a couple of komovica with Rudolf. Sat with them until half two.
Went there again in the morning, having no idea what to do at home. They had the tennants from the garsonjera (garcon... something, a small apartment, sized like a hotel room with a tiny kitchen). Didn't quite have lunch, just nibbled some half baked potatoes and salad, played some records... Been to downtown too. Taught Beate how to say "na vr brda vrba mrda" and "ture bure valja, ture bure gura, bolje ture bure valja neg što ture bure gura". Then we were late for lunch, so we hitched NMN (Veca and Sneca, that is, we walked).
At school they first didn't want to get in. Then I went to the class, then down again to get them, they weren't certain but eventually came to be guests at Sonja's class. Mandža's birthday, there was booze, Sonja kissed him. Hilarity, I couldn translate barely a quarter. Then more booze on the break, Mjedac was drunk as a butt, started simmering Beate. "I am a serbian Bosnian" mixed up with seven german words and layers of russian. Biologian wouldn't have them on the class but let me go; so did Marko Bozon later. I was at just one class that day but got written nowhere. One of the classes we sat out at Prleski (he remembers the place), baklava & boza. Later went to Trpeza, cakeshop in the basement, me Beštara there. Grne also came along and invited us to visit him. In the evening they went to Veca and I had a date. Bad mood again, as in "why did these two come here to ridicule this poor country".
On sunday we made it to Grne's. He did a private concert for us, acoustic solo. In the afternoon we just got up to go, when there comes Dženk with cash for the records, which went into doček instead. Drove him to ruža, then went to her. She received us nicely, though she was silent, something again. She avoids speaking german, because what oma taught her is alti švobiš, banatian. Rudolf said the only two places where he didn't have to say "you too?" was here and at my place (that's his trick to pretend to have misheard a drink being offered). She braided his hair and so set up he simmered oma to let her come with us to the sea next summer, of course male and female tents, no sex at all... Didn't seem to buy it, made a condition that if she passes all exams... I think they'll just send her to uncle in Germany.
Went to my place then and finally opened that double deck of cards which was waiting for three years - dad cleaned the third year, finally passed maths. Played half a dozen hands and then Stan and Olie were on TV and concentration lapsed. Beate wanted to go downtown so we had a walk. (... 45 words...) Then I drove her home.