Chapter 912Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6g1lTCZ7Xf
Saturday - 09.08 The Farmers' Meeting
The shock was still in our bones when we arrived back at the farm.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmIDqEixBM
Hassan was as white as a sheet and hadn't said a thing since he got off his horse. It made me sad to see him like that. I wanted him to laugh, to be his friendly self, the one I would trust blindly at any time.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFJwDnHehd
Nila was also quite pale. She leaned against the window and watched the world go by. Her brown eyes gleamed suspiciously. She repeatedly pressed her lips together and only straightened up again when the truck turned onto the narrow alley.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JMYRlbimS
Why? What had happened? Nobody had done anything to these people! Hassan hadn't done anything to anyone! Anger boiled up inside me. This was so unfair!12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3GJlyLyqM
David took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it comfortingly on my thigh, as if he could feel how much was churning inside me.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAU8Y2AhUf
I immediately grabbed his hand, as if it were an anchor. His palms were rough, but warm and familiar. It was like a sign. No matter what happened out there, we two would stay together.
As soon as the truck pulled up in front of the stable and we started unloading, Oleg hurried out.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmcH3hGD7N
"Why are you back already?" His eyes flickered worriedly between us. With every face he looked at, his expression became more serious. Finally, he put his hands on his hips and stood in the middle of the stable door. "What happened?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0xc7ZbPv4M
Hassan shook his head and tried to push past him with his bay horse by the hand, but he hadn't reckoned with our stable master.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLqv5FK2Ig
Oleg grabbed the lead chain and grabbed Hassan's shoulder with his other hand. "I want to know what's going on here first!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCifF7KNQJT
David approached them. His shoulders were tense and his jaw was clenched. "There's been an incident. We'll talk about it later."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOWvliPePb
Oleg looked at me, but I just nodded. I wouldn't tell him anymore. I couldn't without becoming abusive or simply bursting into tears.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDww4HCalZ
Oleg stepped out the door slowly and reluctantly. Like a submissive Labrador who'd just been slapped, he lowered his head. "Bad?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz3ZCIvMo6O
David nodded, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "Times have changed." He rolled his jaw and paused for a moment before turning around and helping me unload.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI6gASI4UQl
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The atmosphere remained awkward. The horses were back in the pasture, and Oleg had pushed David and me into the house.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7nGc9AGJD
We sat at the dining room table. Coffee was steaming in white ceramic cups. Pola had baked a cake, which sat untouched in the middle, and fresh flowers from the garden had found a place in a tall glass vase in the middle of the table.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqDttNrjaH
It was quieter than it had been in a long time. David and I just stared at the tabletop, as if we were still trying to figure out what had just happened. Oleg and Pola looked at us. Like children hoping their parents wouldn't tell them any minute that Grandma had died.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRBPzczCQXf
I cleared my throat. "Hassan..." No. I couldn't do this!12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuL4bpTZYd3
Pola grabbed my hand. "What? What about the boy?" Concern reflected in her eyes, and her lower lip trembled.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnahB9rs7A3
"He was racially abused and then eliminated from the rankings, despite a flawless round. He didn't do anything wrong." David turned his cup between his palms and exhaled heavily. "I don't like this!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH36RTiBB4h
"Who does!" Pola let go of my hand. Her voice rose. "Who was that? Who do I have to bury in the woods?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsOaze3WSbt
"It was the entire audience," I managed harshly. My throat tightened. With all due respect to Pola, she wasn't about to slaughter an entire crowd.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4elNVWkcT
She snorted. "Where is he?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDWHTZlMah
"In his apartment. Pola, he needs time for himself. He really didn't look well!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZUwJ2Hnu7P
But Pola didn't think about listening to David for even a second. She reached for the knife. Inevitably, I held my breath, but she merely cut the cake. With a serious expression, she awkwardly heaved a piece onto the plate in front of her, stuck a fork in the middle as if she were about to spear the piece, and strode off tensely.
We watched her in silence. Oleg stirred his coffee and then rose noisily. "Going to watch the horses," he murmured as he left, and so David and I were suddenly sitting there alone.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgfl3FmfTp4
I searched for David's hand under the table and took a shaky breath. "What happens now?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYR3zDFKFqP
He shrugged, but didn't look at me. He should say something hopeful! Now! Something that made me think I'd just imagined it. But he remained silent.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeYjtGBRJN3
Tears welled up in my eyes. If this was just the beginning, what would happen next? Professional bans? Deportations? Or were they already picking up the first people?12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lLExpuA15
My chest tightened. My throat burned, and I blinked hard to fight back the tears. Crying wasn't a solution!12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFWlBiiPm5
Then Life came just inside David. Wordlessly, he pushed his chair back far enough so he could pull me into his arms. My cheek landed gently against his white tournament shirt. I would leave a makeup stain, but that didn't matter. He touchingly stroked my back, kissed my hairline, but seemed so distant that everything felt soulless.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMMTeKLwCq
I wanted that us against the world feeling! I wanted his calm, his passion! Not this! Not this mechanical thing.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7XOO1A0ep
"We have to go to the farmers' meeting," he finally said, harshly and still distracted.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMK6ourhP2
"Why?" I wrinkled my nose. What were we doing there? It was really just a regulars' table. People were drinking, chatting, and cursing everything and everyone.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2be8qw1nwQ
David lifted his shoulder and pushed me away. He looked me straight in the face. "If we don't go, then we'll duck. We have to go, and above all, I want to know what the hell that was today!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd9yn1EJGeZ
And then he found the answer? He wouldn't even find that in an all-knowing crystal ball! I frowned and was about to protest, but he smiled at me so disarmingly that I shut up.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡturYUs7ytf
"Are you coming with me?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKMr3AmGnNr
I nodded. I couldn't leave him alone at an event like this. Afterwards, we'd be banished from the village, or whatever seemed right, if David started. "Of course!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qio8aKeHm
He placed a hand on my cheek. He gently ran his thumb over my cheekbone. "Please don't cry. We can't change it, and the fact that we went was already a strong sign."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzCOOs9NNG
"But it doesn't change anything. David, I feel so helpless!" Tears immediately welled up in my eyes again.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NKFE9ROhD
He nodded understandingly. "I know. Me too. We have to keep going, and that means figuring out who is friend and who is foe."
That was probably the main reason we were going to this meeting.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0paxbGmji1
It was already dark. Most of the farmers had been in their fields until an hour ago. Harvest time, after all.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7H3pb1Jc3
A few street lamps illuminated the alleys, and the cobblestones shimmered as if they were damp, even though they were worn.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtTjAfRh6K
People were already standing in front of the village pub, smoking. Their eyes burned on me. David greeted them with a nod. Uncomfortably, I shrugged my shoulders and grabbed David's arm to cling to him.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMbVxNjgw1
We climbed the wide stone steps. The air became warmer and stuffier. Loud chatter penetrated the night air through the open door.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJhvWJFQoc
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A warm light burned in the pub. Udo stood behind the bar. In his mid-60s, with a beer belly and as chubby as a smoking man.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgPugljFU3
"Farmers' meeting?" he barked at us. "Front left."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1zttQ9aVJ
David just nodded and pulled me into the adjoining room.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpFATHmgbZf
Rows of chairs stood in front of a small screen. It wasn't very crowded yet, and the few people present didn't look up when we arrived. It smelled of beer and stale cigarette smoke. The floor was slightly sticky under our shoes.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXAGVN2xPd
We sat on the left, in the third row. I hadn't let go of David. He didn't seem to mind at all.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dFa7mQxhT
It must have had something to do with going to the pub in his home village with a blonde clinging to his arm. Not many men would complain, I'm sure.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Gd8Yrq2VF
More and more people arrived. I only knew a few people here and there. Sabse's father was the only one who greeted us warmly, and you could see that he would have liked to sit with us, but then other older farmers beckoned him over.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7wzzu4TQA
I closed my eyes. What was I doing here? I didn't belong here, did I? I earned my money with the horses, not with the farming that fed us and them.
Someone tapped on the microphone. I opened my eyes again and sat up straighter. Bodo Greifwälder stood at the microphone and smiled worldly at the group. His checked shirt didn't fit well, and his jeans were a bit too tight on the thighs. He stood hunched over the microphone and cleared his throat. "Now, if everyone could just calm down."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhE47z8qM4
A presentation was projected onto the screen behind him. "It's great that so many of you are here today. I saw that even David Behrend made himself comfortable for once."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEQYbcqK1D
Laughter and glances in our direction.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZnxbodxnW
David just rolled his eyes, but a blush rose in my cheeks and I wanted to duck away.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJYXdHQlLV
"Today we want to talk about the future of the village and village agriculture."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiKbs63oMq
Oh dear. I sensed something bad!12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyUnJtfnfg
"I've prepared a little presentation. Well, actually, it was Moni, but she's at home with the children now."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuo504iB4f
More laughter.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGEc2BIRLQ
"So, yes... we already have the overview. Item one today is the harvest forecast, item two, and we really need to talk about that, our seasonal workers, and item three, the upcoming village festival and what we as farmers can offer there."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWUwrATtXO
Seasonal workers. Did this start the same way as at the tournament?12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhDDjMjutw
David had also tensed up at the word.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1D40hxLGL
"Yes, so the forecast is good. So far, this year has been really good. The wheat yield has always been very good, but this year," Bodo made a dismissive gesture. "We don't know what to do with the stuff anymore. I spoke to the cooperative and they're not accepting anything anymore. So we have to find a solution."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51lk2yFy8E
I sighed quietly and let my gaze wander. Why did I care about yields?12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc4BsOkwHM
Men, men, men, and then a young woman who... stared at me? Yes. She was staring at me, and not in a particularly friendly way. Oops. When had I offended her? I don't think I'd ever seen her before. I would have remembered that long brown hair and that cute heart-shaped face.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqUiSY3QbD
She didn't look away either. Okay, so I now had something like an arch enemy without doing anything?12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBiGkgxqip
David nudged me. "Can they get to the point for once?" he whispered.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZAYdh80Ag
"Hmh?" I looked away from the woman and looked at him. "Yes, that would be nice!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0QsXBwUfK
"What are you staring at?" He leaned forward slightly and now also looked in the direction of the young woman. Immediately, he inhaled sharply and looked away again. "Great. Käthe is here too."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtA4Q4jtEk
Oh, that was Käthe? No wonder she was staring at me like that! I would also stare at my ex's new girlfriend like that if I were her! "She hates me!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnWeXmOQWF
David shook his head. "She hates you n..." He looked in her direction again. "Yes, she hates you!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLUjMWcDbp
Was this something I could ignore, or should I expect a vendetta? She shouldn't be acting like that! She and David hadn't been a couple for three years when we met.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Upp3yv9KA
"Good, we've settled that!" Bodo again drew everyone's attention. "Let's talk about the guest... er, seasonal workers." He paused. The microphone crackled. “Unfortunately, that’s where the trouble starts.”
