The Wall
by Ulli

A few word at the beginning. I was a few days away from home and just arrived back to Munich when I heard in the news about Korea. For the first time in nearly fifty years could some families that was parted when the country was parted in north and south met each other again. Seeing this peoples crying when siblings met each other the first time after a those years reminds me to the reunion of my own country.

I think there is no way to let you know about how it feels to be part of something like this. In summer 1989 thing become worth for East Germany with every day. Many young people from East Germany went to the embassy of West Germany in Prague and Budapest to get a chance to leave East Germany. The situation was difficult. More and more people tried to reach the embassy. The people camped in the garden, afraid to leave the embassy and with it the chance to reach West Germany. Finally the made it. Czechoslovakia and Hungary opened their borders for East Germany people without visa!

For the government of East Germany it was a shock. Thousands of people left the country! They had to do something and started a meeting of the Central Committee of the SED for three day at November 08, 1989.

And that's the point where the story starts. I don't wanna bore you with details just try to let you know a day that's very special to Germans.

November 08, 1989 (at the afternoon)

Meg and Ben were on their way back home from the honeymoon in Venice and the plane was still waiting for the take off, when Meg hears the announcement that the flight stopped by in Berlin.

Meg: Berlin! I ever wanted to go there sometime.

Ben: That's what your mother told me once.

Meg: What do you mean? I never told her about that dream.

Ben: She told me about your chats with your grandma. (laughs) You must have been the only child in miles that listen to all her stories about Germany.

Meg: You would believe all the stories. But it wasn't only stories but her life! She lived in Berlin when the wall was built up, you know.

Ben (smiles): That's why I booked a few days in Berlin before we're flying back to Sunset Beach.

Meg: You mean we don't fly back today? We spend a few days in Berlin?

Ben nods.

Meg (kissing him all over his face): Your the best.

Ben (standing her attack with laughter): Maybe you could show me let what you're thinking about me.

Meg (smiles): That would be my pleasure.

Ben: Would you tell me a story from your granny?

Meg: Hmm ... let me see. She told me a lot about the time between the World Wars - it must have been every exciting living in Berlin that days. When they started to bomb Berlin they left the city and lived in the country till the end. They had to change the places often and went back to Berlin as soon as the war had finished. Their house had a damage but they could stay there. You must know that my granny and her mom had heard anything about grannys brothers, Rainer and Markus, and her father in month. They went back because they was afraid that the men of the family weren't able to find them if they're not "at home".

Ben: That was a horrible time. Everything had to build up again and so many families had lost their fathers, brothers, sons! Did Rainer, Markus and their father survived?

Meg: Actually, only Markus. Their dad had fallen at Stalingrad and Rainer, while he was on his way back home because of an hurt. They bombed the track. Granny had to struggle hard on it because he was her twin-brother and they was very close. But the years passes by and the citizens of Berlin had a lot to deal with So there wasn't much time to look back. For example when the Russians stopped the supplying of Berlin. So the Americans organized flight to Berlin to supply the whole city from air! Granny told me that the called them "Rosinenbomber". And 1961. The year when granny finally left Germany. Things had became more worst every day. Granny had have a boyfriend at that time how lives in the Russian sector of the city. One day at work she heard that the Russians build up a wall to their sector. She couldn't believe it. When she finished work she headed towards the flat of her friend, just to see how he tries to break through the improvised wall but stopped by soldiers. They took him with them and she never had heard about him anymore although she tried everything to get information about him.

Ben: There was so many people how tried to escape from the eastern part at the last minute. Swimming to the river, jumping out of the houses ..... many people lost her live at their tries.

Meg: It was really sad. From one day to the other the couldn't see their friends or also there parents or brothers or sisters anymore. After a while the western could visit the eastern people but there was no chance for the eastern people to visit their family or friends in West Germany. I'd rather like to see the wall and the different of both parts of the city.

Ben (smiles): And you will. I have a friend in Berlin. We will meet him at the airport and he will show us a lot of West-Berlin. He also has a contact in East-Berlin how will do some kind of a sightseeing to over there.

Meg: That's sounds great! Is he a German?

Ben: No, he is an English journalist. I hope he has new information about what's going on in East Germany.

Meg (rests her head at Bens chest): Berlin ......... I'm looking forward to it.

Ben (smiles, thinking about her promise though the night): So am I!

Ben and Meg leaves the security zone at the airport.

Steven: Ben?

Ben (he and Meg turns around to the voice): Steven, long time no see! How are you? May I introduce you to my wife? Meg, this is Steven Martin. Steven, this is Meg.

Steven: Nice to meet you, Meg.

Meg: Nice to meet you, too.

Steven: Have you had a good flight?\line Meg: It was great! We had to wait for the landing, that's why we so late by the way, and the pilot allows me to take a look out of the cockpit so that I had have a wonderful look on Berlin and the border.

Steven: So could see first hand why the inhabitants of West-Berlin feel special. An island in the middle of a foreign country - even if it is Germany too. But East Germany is so different to West Germany. You wouldn't believe it if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes. But let us go to your hotel and check in. (Smiles at Ben) You both need a good night sleep in front of the sightseeing tour tomorrow.

Ben (smiles back to Steven): I will take care that we\rquote re going to bed early.

Steven (laughs): I bet!

November 9, 1989 (in the morning)

Ben and Meg enjoy their breakfast at the hotel when Steven joins them.

Steven: Guten Morgen.

Meg: Good morning. Please, have a seat.

Ben: Hi! Any news?

Steven: Not from my site. I have two days off to spend them with you.

Ben: Fine, so where will you take us today?

Steven: I think we start with the Reichstag-Building if it's okay with you.

Meg: Isn't there a exhibition about the history from West Germany? I think that would be a good start.

Steven: Yes it is. So if you're ready we can go.

Hours later at around 8 p.m. they all sit in a restaurant waiting for there supper.

Meg: I don't think that I can do one more step! My feet .........

Ben: It was your decision to visit the KDW today. After all the sightseeing we've done .... they don't close every shop tomorrow, because you're in town I guess.

Meg (very low): Men!

Ben: Pardon me?

Meg: Nothing... I was curious of the KDW and it was worth to visit. What means KDW?

Steven: Kaufhaus des Westen. Isn't it a bit like Harrods, Ben?

Ben (smiles at Meg): Yes, it is. I guess if I wake up tomorrow missing Meg and my credit cards I know exactly where to finds them.

Meg (laughs): I get you for that!

While they laugh a waiter steps to the table.

Waiter: Mr. Martin?

Steven: That's me.

Waiter: There is a phone call for you. Please follow me.

A few minutes later Steven joins Ben and Meg again.

Steven: That was the agency. There is something going on in East Berlin. We don't know for sure, but perhaps the government of East Germany allows everybody to leave the country if they will.

Meg: You mean that they can travel to West Europe if they like to?

Steven: No, it only seems to be one way. If you leave you cannot go back. When we finished dinner I have do some calls.

Ben: If you have to leave to do your job .....

Steven: ...... no, no, no! I work in the financial part not politics, but I like to use my contacts to find out more if this is possible. And by now these are not more then rumors. So take it easy.

After the dinner Ben and Meg drink a cup of coffee while Steven does his calls. At the moment he comes back Ben recognize that something happened.

Ben: Turns out that it was more then a rumor?

Steven: At the news in the West German television the news speaker told that the people who wants to leave East Germany don't have to travel through an other country but could use a checkpoint at the German-German border. That is just about an hour ago and the I heard that people from both sides of the border in Berlin goes to the checkpoints Bornholmer Strasse and Sonnenallee. Do you mind if we go to the Checkpoint at Friedrichstrasse to take a look what is going on over there?

Meg: Of course not, I'd like to see it for myself. Whenever we saw the wall today it was a little bit weird. You know, everything is so unfriendly, cold - as this is the worlds end. Even if you see that there is something behind the wall.

Ben: I'd like to see this too. If this is reality ..... everything changes.

Steven: Fine, let us go to a bar near there and the news at 10:30 p.m. and then go to Checkpoint Charlie.

They leave the restaurant after paying the bill and drive to the bar.

Meg: I thought that there will be more people out there.

Steven: I think most of the people from West-Berlin haven't noticed by now that the border will probably be open. I think they do exactly the same as we do: wait for the news magazine on TV called Tagesthemen. Okay, there we are.

They enter the bar just when the news starts. Ben and Meg are quite while everybody is watching the news. They recognize how quite it is. Then they saw the first pictures on TV: people at the border, hundred of people standing at the Bornholmer Strasse waiting for the Trabbis (a typical small car in East Germany) shaking hands with everybody how passes by from the east site of the town, between laughing and crying. A man says into the camera: "I live about 150 meters from here. Just want to take a look how it is over here." A few people orders bottles of champagne and leave the bar with it.

Steven: The news speaker said that the border is open - now!

Ben: I cannot believe this! Let's hurry to the wall.

November 9, 1989 (at about 11 p.m.)

While they walk over the Checkpoint Charlie more and more people join them. They are all curious and excited. Ben is holding Megs hand. Even they get more and more excited. They could feel how welcomed the people of East Germany are in this part of the town. A lot of people from the other site come in there cars, others walk. Suddenly a woman hug Meg and she answers the hug. Somebody gives Steven a bottle of wine asking him to take a gulp of it. After Ben and Meg also took a gulp they give the bottle away to the people next to them. Steven looks at Meg with a smile while they both watch Ben who softly embraces an old woman which cannot stop saying "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!"

They make there way through the crowd. While Ben's looking around he notices a few people from West Berlin trying to go to the eastern part of the town. He draws Stevens attention to them.

Ben (glances at Meg): What do you think, Steven?

Steven: They sure try to reach the Brandenburger Tor. But you're not supposed to go there even if you l live in East Berlin. So I don't know how the police will react to this attempt.

In the meanwhile Meg noticed their discussion.

Meg: Please, Ben! I'd love to go after them!

Ben: Meg, I'd like to go myself, but it could be very dangerous. This place is very special and it is possible that they try to defend it with tanks.

Meg: But they opened the wall! Why should they do something dramatic like that?

Steven: I don't think that they call tanks for the defends of the place, but I know you're concern about Meg. Let's do it this way: If there is something happened that afraid us about our safety we leave, okay Ben?

Ben (with a sigh): Since Meg already decided for herself that she wants to go it's okay with me.

Meg gives him a big hug and kiss before she hurries in the direction of East Berlin.

Steven looks at Ben and laughs: That's what I call a woman!

When the trio passes the border they learn that the customs officer don't know how to react. They follow the other group through the streets till they all saw the Brandenburger Tor right in front of them. Behind it they see a few people on the wall and soldiers trying to get them down with water cannons. The whole group look at each other and suddenly out of nowhere they all started to go towards the Brandenburger Tor. The soldiers starts to get in line in front of it and look at the group which comes nearer. Nobody speaks neither the soldiers nor one of the group. Ben and Steven recognise that they are as confused how to react as the customs officer was. When they pass the soldiers nobody of them does anything to hold them away. When the whole group reach the Brandenburger Tor the soldiers start an attempt to defend it with water cannons too. But they soon give up on the attempt. As the people on the wall recognise the group at the Brandenburger Tor a few of them start to climb down the wall and join them.

Meg watches them and turns around: Ben, Steven, I'd like to climb on the wall.

They're both smiling at her and walk with her towards the wall. As soon as they reach it helping hands from the wall invites them to join the people on the wall. Ben and Steven help Meg before they also climb up the wall. At the top of the wall Ben pulls Meg in his arms and both look around in disbelieve, excited from what they see. It seems that all the citizens of at least West Berlin are celebrating the "fall of the wall". They look at each other, knowing that they both feel the same. What started for them as and adventure a few hours ago has turned out as something really big. For the first time they realise for real that everything has changed! They stand on the line between two countries which are supposed to be one in the future.

They start kissing, knowing that this is a whole new beginning for this country, this city and also for Meg and Ben when they are back home from there honeymoon in a couple of hours.

Note: This is story is dedicated to Europe. I believe in it as I believe in knowing about other countries and people how live in that countries will help all of us to live in peace and freedom. Pete, Vera, Minucio and Gosia if anyone of you ever will read this give a big hug to your children. Hope to see you soon.

I bought the name in the story form the soap opera Sunset Beach and from a real person how seem to drive his parents sometimes crazy. Even if I tried to put this story into the real events of the night of November 9th, 1989 this has never happened.

 

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