Biene’s New Friend Angelika
Biene wrote this post.
It didn’t take us long to overcome our initial shyness, and we started to get to know each other during recess. Towards the end of the week, Angelika asked if I would be allowed to visit her on the last day of the school week. We could walk together to her place, and her dad would drive me home at night.

My parents had no objections, and on Saturday, after early dismissal, we walked together to her home. It was a long walk to an unfamiliar part of town. There were lots of trees and beautiful yards. In Germany, most people do not own houses but live in apartments. Angelika stopped at a big cast-iron gate and opened it with a key. We walked through a long garden path to a big house with many windows. A slender young lady opened the front door. She had raven black hair and pale blue eyes. She kissed Angelika on the cheek with a gentle smile and then greeted me. I hadn’t expected Angelika’s mother to look so young. She served us some delicious little pastries in a bright sunroom. The delicate cakes looked like the ones I had longingly admired in the window of the fancy pastry shop in town. Finally, I tasted these small fruit tarts covered with strawberries and topped with whipped cream.
Frau Janzen asked me many questions about my family, interests, hobbies, and school. She had a gentle voice and kind eyes. After our refreshments, she showed me all the rooms in the beautiful house, and I was reminded of our big, wonderful home in Gotha, which we had lost. Our room at the Old House where we lived now was about the size of this sunroom.
Let’s hear it for friendships.
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Good you found a friend and were welcomed to her house in such a friendly manner. However, it must have hurt a bit, to be reminded of the loss of your old home.
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It is always wonderful to make new friends. It sounds like you got quite a warm welcome to the house. Getting to taste the pastries you had seen in shop windows must have been quite a delight. Although you could not go back to your old house, you got to enjoy something better, a new friend and warm welcome!
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I am curious whether Angelika has remained a friend across the years and the ocean.
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Ich hatte keinen Schulfreund!
War oft einsam, wenn ich vom Gymansium nachhause kam.
In der Volksschule zuvor hatte ich auch niemanden.
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What wonderfully evocative memories. Biene’s writing brought back memories from my childhood too.
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