What Kind of House Did You Grow Up In (Chapter 3)

The four bedroom apartment was the last place we lived in Germany.  My Grandma and Grandpa Brugger were given the Master bedroom and it was a good thing because Grandma got really sick.  I realize now that this illness - that paralyzed her for almost 6 months, probably caused her great pain for the rest of her life.  I was not very charitable about her aches and pains in my early teenage years and thought she was complaining to get attention.  Grandma and Grandpa ended up staying with us a year because my mother was not going let Grandma get on the plane unless she could walk.  Grandma was walking with braces on her legs and two canes but she was walking. 

Marianne and I got a set of phones in this apartment that were basically 'Princess Phone' walkie Talkies.  We thought we were the coolest people on earth because we call each other from one room to the other and pretend we are princesses, Cruella DeVille, the sister from White Christmas, etc.  I guess because our mom was sick so much - we had it in our head that you played 'Big Lady' in bed.  So whenever we used the phones, we had to be propped up on pillows and lying in bed.  It makes me laugh to think of that now.

I remember lying on the floor on the gold rug that Marianne has in her house now - and listening to classical music on Dad's stereo system.  Marianne and I had been taking piano from Frau Berner and I did not like her.  I realize now that because of my dyscalcula, the notes would float and change places - but we had no concept of that then.  I would practice (Mom would not let us NOT practice) and then Frau Berner would come and accuse me of not practicing and praise Marianne for how well she had practiced - when in truth we had both practiced.  I decided to play the violin.  Frau Berner helped my parents find Herr Schwarkopf (that means literally black head and he did have black hair!) who also happened to be the first chair violinist at the symphony orchestra in Frankfurt.  I loved playing the violin and quickly learned that one line did not float around like 2.  Playing the violin with Herr Schwarzkopf was one of my happiest memories in that apartment.

It was in the apartment the I found out JFK had been killed.  It is interesting how I found out because it is kind of like the movies in old neighborhoods where people are yelling from balconies.  That is exactly how my mom and I were told.  We are coming home from a Primary activity and someone yelled to Mom from across the street, then someone else came out on their balcony and started talking about it.  My head was whirling and at that point I just remember this cacophony of sound.

The next summer we moved to Silver Spring, Maryland.