Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

The rumbling continued at regular intervals. From the high shore they spotted groups of men throwing heavy, round discswith a short stick on top skidding along the tracks. At each throw the frozen lake thundered like a big drum."Oh," said the innkeeper, "they are playing Stockschiessen."Checkered cloths on the heavy tables, antlers on the wall, the Gaststube, the guest room of the inn was overheated.Nourishing smells wafted from the kitchen. Out of fear that someone might contract pneumonia while being engaged inthe serious task of eating, all windows were tightly closed.Konrad laughed. "This is what they call gemütlich in Upper Bavaria. But you will see, the food is reell, hearty andplentiful."They ordered Kalbsnierenbraten, Rotkohl and Semmelknödel, veal-kidney roast with red cabbage and bread dumplings."With your permission, may I be so free and ask whether the young lady is from Italy?" inquired the stout innkeeper whiletaking their order. "My wife comes from near Merano and still feels homesick, nobody speaks Italian around here."Konrad explained that Alexandra came from Georgia, a far away country in the mountains of southern Russia, nearPersia.The man wiped his hands in his apron and apologized disappointed. "I asked because the young lady has dark hair andsuch deep blue eyes. These only exist in the one valley in the Adige where my wife comes from."Solicitous he called his wife from the kitchen to admire their rare guest from Persia. She almost did have Alexandra’sblue eyes!As they drank their beer, they watched the guests. Groups of men in local costumes sat drinking beer after church. At along table gathered a large family, four sets of parents with their diverse children, presided over by a lean, old patriarch.Apparently they were celebrating grandfather’s birthday. Everybody was talking animatedly, and Alexandra once againobserved how familiar this scene was.The food was good and plenty as Konrad had promised. When they had finished, the innkeeper’s blue-eyed wifereturned with two deserts."This is a surprise. It’s on the house," she explained, "the Herrschaften may not know this dish, it’s Dampfnudel inHimbeersosse, my specialty." Steamed dumplings in raspberry sauce.The Dampfnudel, a white, indescribably airy hemisphere that would fill a hand surrounded by a sauce of preserved, wild,red raspberries was out of this world. Konrad carefully placed a raspberry on top of his dumpling and made the sauce rundown the globe."The dénouement of the Virgin!" He laughed, and attacked the culinary work of art with his spoon.Fortified and reassured by the good meal and friendly people they decided to walk across the lake to Uffingen and therecatch the evening train home.The sun was already low when they passed their island. The shadows grew longer, and the high mountains becamefurrowed by deeply etched contours. Slowly the stark black and white landscape of the morning took on colors in thewaning light. Tinges of mauve and purple in the shadows, and green edges around the yellow-tinged snow fields. A thinmist hung over Murnau. Still no wind.They passed through another cleared rink where the people of Uffingen skated. For a while they watched a game ofStockschiessen. Like in the Italian Bola the object was to land one’s disc as close as possible to a red-painted markerdisc,except the pieces were much more mobile on the slippery ice than Bola balls, they would careen for long distancesif merely touched by one of the heavy missiles. On every shot the lake rumbled in descending eddies of sound.As the sun went down and the graying shadows overtook them, a biting cold descended onto the lake. Shivering, theyhurried towards the village.A riotous display of orange and red raced across the peaks, the end of the day. With the last light a flock of cawing crowsdescended into the bare trees at the small railroad station only to be scared back into flight by the whistle of theapproaching train.They had just walked into their apartment when Clara called. She and Joachim had returned from Berlin. To Joachim theconditions in Russia appeared ominous. Konrad suggested that they take a taxi immediately. Alexandra would prepare asimple German supper, dark bread, butter, and cold cuts, after which they could talk into the night.When the Bredows arrived, Clara peered into Alexandra’s face, then hugged her relieved. "For heaven’s sake, you lookgood and relaxed. What did you do?""We went to church to repent our sins!" Alexandra said with a laugh. "No, we spent some six hours in the sun walkingacross snowed-in Staffelsee near Murnau, watching people skate and play Stockschiessen. It was a most beautiful day.We, too, just arrived home.""Did you have a long talk?""We hardly spoke. It was good to be silent and just listen to each other. We are well, the sun did it."They sat down and over supper a serious-faced Joachim began. "Chaos rules Russia. Nobody is in control of the driftinggovernment. It seems that everybody including the left-wing Socialists were caught completely by surprise by this hugedemonstration and the massacre of people."105