National Novel Writing Month Day 3 – Third Scene written: another excerpt
This is the third secene now, written on the 3rd day of the National Novel Writing Month my wordcount 1521 word out of 50k. I haven’t posted the 2nd scene yet, as the order of scenes is not clear yet. But on the timeline it is after Wulf, the german geologist, bumped into the man who rescued his life 50 years ago, but the very same man didn’t seem to have aged (Second Encounter).
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„After all those years, you couldn’t help but check on him?“, exclaimed the elderly italian woman.
„I was the one who saved him in the first place, Maria.“, respond the man with the grey, worn-out rain coat, „even it was 50 years ago for him. I couldn’t imagine he could remember me after all this time.“
„Come on, you know you look like the sculpture done by that Donatello six centuries ago! And my husband was infatuated with this sculpture since that day he saw it on our trip to my parents home. What do I say, for what I know – you ARE that guy, you stood model for Donatello!“. Maria-Grazia became more and more furious. Despite her being in her late fifties she retained all the energy of her youth, and all that energy was directed at the man standing in the corner of the church now.
„I asked Donatello to change the chin to make it look softer, furthermore that statue is much taller than me. As you said, that was in the 14th century, he couldn’t possibly have made that connection.“ The man was all calm and he stood motionless in front of Maria-Grazia, no expression revealing any reaction to the fiery woman facing him.
„Whatever you say, he did see you on Friday and he has definitely recognized you!“ – her voice was close to yelling at the man.
„You were asking me to safe his life.“, he said dryly.
„Yes, sure, save his life! But not to appear mysteriously in front of him 50 years later!“
„I wore a standard, grey rain coat bought in the KaDeWe five years earlier, I took every single measure to blend in and I chose a dark november day where nobody pays attention. I wanted to know how he was doing. And it was not the first time I watched him, unnoticed.“
„Unnoticed! Like the one time in 1989 at the western german embassy in Hungary?! You appeared on TV!“, Maria-Grazia exclaimed.
„I was just watching major historical events, it is part of my interests. The germans had a fascinating, peaceful way to reunite their country after 50 years of separation. And those eastern germans on holiday in Hungary seeking refuge in masses in the embassy of West Germany was one of the keys to the opening of the borders on the 9th of November of the same year. The best way to immerse was to become an eastern german running to that embassy.“
„Watching historical key events? You modified the document Krenz gave to Schabowski before that press conference on that day in November! So it was misunderstood by the public and the east german military and border police understood that the borders to West Germany was open! You have caused it, you have actively influenced history! And today happens to be the same day, exactly 10 years later!“. Maria was trembling of anger. „And now you appear in front of my husband, and let him recognize you?! My family was watching your kind for centuries and we tried to keep you safe from the world and the world unharmed by you. Until now successfully, but you start to make mistakes, which can lead to dangerous distortions in history.“
„Without me you would have never met your husband. He would have died in the river that day.“
Maria-Grazia was pacing around in the side of the cathedral, thinking. „So, what do you think we should do with my husband now? He is in that room over there, sleeping, after you knocked him out. And how do we explain to him that he is in Milan, not in Berlin?“