exhaled and stated, “Wow, Dieter! Please don’t kill me, I just got here.”
“I am sorry Cameron, I was so happy to see you again!” Exclaimed a joyous Dieter.
“How are my daughter and grandchild?” Stated Dieter without missing a beat.
“Just fine and they will be here in a few weeks. Ingrid and Jennifer will be flying out as soon as we lease our home in Dixon. Meanwhile, if you don’t mind, I will be your guest until they arrive and we get ourselves situated here.” Replied Cameron.
“Ja naturlich.” (Yes, of course) Replied Dieter in German.
“I am sorry Cameron, do you still speak German?” Asked an inquisitive Dieter.
“Klar! Dieter.” (Of course! Dieter) Replied Cameron in a matter of what tone.
“It’s like riding a bicycle, once you get the hang of it, you will never forget how to pedal.” Continued Cameron, trying to use the occasion to regain his composure and breath.
Just then an ebullient and lovely Kate walked in. Kate was a statuesque six-foot tall brunette. Although in her late-seventies, she still was a beautiful if introverted woman. Kate was a few years older than her husband, and never let him forget it. Dieter had married her during WWII and they had produced five beautiful children. Kate was a very talented chemist and worked for a giant German industrial concern in the field of toxic research. Although way past retirement age, she loved her work and still worked two days a week. Kate greeted Cameron in a friendly manner, but did not seem to be as happy as Dieter to see him. Cameron had always wondered why Kate was not as forthcoming as the rest of the family. He assumed that it was merely a reflection of her personality and left it at that.
Dieter showed him his guest room and made him at ease. Cameron unpacked and lay down on the bed. It did not take long for him to pass out on his extremely comfortable bed. His long trip and strenuous drive had exhausted him. He quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, fourteen hours later, Cameron woke up to the smell of good German coffee and freshly baked bread. Cameron quickly showered and walked downstairs to the warm and friendly kitchen.
“Guten Tag.” (Good morning) said Cameron. He was almost immediately answered with a chorus of “Guten Tag, Cameron.”
“Well, I slept like a dead person. I was so tired, I did not even have a dream last night.” replied Cameron, as he sat down to the table.
Kate had made several loaves of fresh bread, and everyone was greedily wolfing down the delicious bread and coffee. Cameron stared across the table and saw that only two of the kids were still there. Both Peter and Lizbet were eagerly eating their breakfast. They greeted Cameron, but seemed more interested in finishing their meal. Cameron enthusiastically joined them and quickly finished his meal. After breakfast, Dieter invited Cameron into his office and happily exclaimed, “I hope you don’t mind if I get involved in your business, but I knew that Ingrid would feel more comfortable in her own house, and I started looking around for you?”
Cameron asked? “What do you mean?”
“Well, as you can imagine there are not many homes for sale in our village. There is actually only one house on the main street for sale. Das Haus is near the northern part of the village and has over three acres of land for sale. The house itself is fairly new by Niedergeyer standards, it’s only one hundred-ten years old. However, it was heavily damaged in the last war, and it also has a very interesting history.” Stated a smiling Dieter, as he looked at Cameron.
“Well Dieter, it sounds like a good idea, but I cannot possibly decide to buy anything without Ingrid being here? That would be tantamount to committing suicide.” Replied Cameron, as he slowly put his index finger to his forehead and pretended to pull the trigger.
“Yes, I know what you mean, but the owners want to sell immediately due to health reasons, and the property might not be for sale by the time Ingrid gets here. We have to act quickly. Why don’t you call her after we go and visit the property today?” Asked Dieter.
“As a matter of fact, if you guys don’t buy it, I might just buy myself.” Said Dieter, as he stood up.
“OK, I don’t have a problem with that, but I know Ingrid. I doubt if she will agree to buy anything without being here, but I can try. After all, we are not planning on staying more than a year or two, and I don’t know whether or not we should buy a house.” Replied a somewhat skeptical Cameron.
“Ja, OK Cameron. Let me call them and make an appointment for later on this afternoon. You guys can decide after you have seen the house.” Stated Dieter as he picked up the phone.
“OK, everything is set for this afternoon at three. I think you will like it, although it will take some work to make it ready for you.” Answered Dieter as he put the phone down and stared at Cameron.
“What do you mean work? Asked a curious Cameron.
“The house was damaged during the war, and it needs some modernization. A new roof, heating system, three new bathrooms, kitchen, insulation throughout, painting, windows, a new entry way, landscaping, but other than that, it’s a great bargain!” Replied Dieter with a smile.
“OK, but that sounds like a whole bunch of work? Don’t you think?” Asked Cameron, his mind racing to imagine the condition of the house.
“No, are you kidding? This property is the only one on the main street, and it has a beautiful view of the hills behind the house. It has over twenty fruit trees and a cellar. They only want one hundred and fifty thousand dollars! Can you believe that? If we don’t act soon it will be gone, and you will be sorry. Don’t worry, I will help you get it in shape, and for another sixty or eighty thousand, you will have a home worth five or six hundred thousand dollars, maybe even more? I am confident we can get all the work done in less than three months.” Stated a confident Dieter.
“Well, since you put it that way. I guess, I will have to accept your recommendation and speak with Ingrid.” Cameron thanked Dieter and called his wife Ingrid.
After an extensive conversation with Ingrid, he finally got the approval to make a deposit on the home, but she insisted on having the final remodeling and decorating choices. Cameron was amazed at the fact that she had agreed. Usually, Ingrid was very set in her ways and not so easily convinced to do things without extensive research and investigation. Later that afternoon Dieter drove Cameron to Das Haus. As Dieter slowly drove up the main street of Niedergeyer, Cameron could not help but wonder about the history of this very ancient village. The village could trace its roots to the Roman era around 100 A.D. The Romans had installed a large brick and pottery factory in the village. The VII Roman Legion built a fort in the village and it remained there for several hundred years. They had even imported grapes and grew them for wine. As a matter of fact one could still see the wild vines growing in the woods today.
The village consisted of many very old “Fachwerk” style homes (massive oak beams for framing and filled in with mud, straw and twigs. One Catholic church, five pubs, a bakery, grocery store and butcher shop, and not much else. Many of the homes had large metal numbers affixed to the front of their doors showing when they were built. Cameron was amazed at the dates, 1472, 1561, 1611, 1727 etc. It seemed as if the average age of a home was around the sixteenth century. The church was actually built around the tenth century and there was one building still standing that was even older. He could not help but notice the numerous bullet holes and shell fragments which still
