“I don’t understand why we have to go through this,” Rainbow said with exasperation as they waited to see the judge. Present with her was Nadja, Hildegard, and a translator. “The courts decided I’m ready to face the real world. And like it or not I’m still an adult. So why can’t I be the one to decide where I live?”
“It’s just the way things are set up here in Germany,” the court translator, a young preppy-looking guy, said. “First they do a two-week placement, then it’s usually three months and then six months so long as there are no problems along the way.”
“So I could end up with some woman I barely know, however nice and generous she may be, for the better part of a year?” Rainbow asked incredulously.
“Don’t worry, sweetie,” Nadja told her. “That won’t happen. But for now, my mom is perfectly willing to take you in until you can come live with me and that will be in just a couple of weeks. I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you come live with me after the initial two weeks are up. Meanwhile, I’ll spend as much time with you as I can. It’ll be much easier on you until you get stronger to be in a ground-floor house rather than a fifth-floor apartment, even though there’s an elevator in my building. Plus, mom has a nice pool.”
Rainbow glanced at Nadja’s mother. She smiled reassuringly though only for a second. Then a more serious look returned to the older woman’s beautiful face. Rainbow turned back to Nadja. “Although it may be easier for me to stay at your mom’s at first, can’t I just go straight to you?”
“Oh, hun, I don’t think so. I’d love to have you, but we honestly don’t think the judge will go for that.”
Rainbow tried to hide her frustration and Nadja could see that it was a bit of a struggle for her. “Hey,” she told her with a conspiring wink, “I promise you’ll still see so damn much of me you’ll be sick of me in no time.”
“No chance there, but I do appreciate your mom’s help. Please tell her I don’t mean to seem so ungrateful.”
“She understands,” Nadja said, though she did speak to her mother in their native tongue a second later.
Hildegard smiled and said something in German she failed to comprehend.
“She said it’s no problem. She wouldn’t mind the company. She doesn’t know if you can be helped in the end,” she added with a roll of her eyes that her mother couldn’t see, “but everyone deserves a chance and she’s up to the challenge.”
“Oh,” Rainbow said, unsure of what to make of that one. “Well, I’ll be sure to try not to be too much of a challenge.”
Nadja chuckled and translated Rainbow’s words to her mother.
Hildegard eyed Rainbow with a half-amused, half-unsure kind of expression, and Rainbow wasn’t even sure she’d like being in the company of the beautiful woman with the flaming red hair.
She looked back at Nadja with her newly dyed auburn hair. Both mother and daughter were stunning and looked more like sisters. Both were dressed in dark pantsuits while Rainbow wore a pastel pink cotton dress that fell to her knees which Nadja had bought for her.
“Better than a funny farm or a group home, but it’s going to be kind of awkward living with your mom what with how little German I know. There were, believe it or not, a few people in the nuthouse that knew English.”
“That’ll just help you learn German faster,” Nadja said, maintaining her positive smile.
They were finally led into the courtroom to await the judge.
They sat on a hard, uncomfortable wooden bench with Rainbow between Nadja and the translator and Hildegard next to Nadja. Rainbow surveyed her surroundings. The courtroom, which was bustling with people, was similar to an American courtroom, only this one was larger and much older.
Nadja and her mother spoke for a moment or two, then after a pause in the discussion, Rainbow asked Nadja if she’d been in touch with her sister.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. We chatted on Facebook and she told me about more things from when you were little.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, “Did she tell you I pulled the gerbil’s tail off and asked her to tape it back on?”
Nadja laughed just as the judge entered the courtroom and everyone was ordered to rise.
Good God, Rainbow thought. He’s only a judge. Not God. Although Rainbow probably wouldn’t have risen even for Him. As far as she was concerned, He let her Carlos die and He let their home be lost. So He was no friend of hers.
When everyone was seated, it was business as usual for the stern-looking judge. One case after another quickly passed her by, none of which she could understand. She started to ask Nadja but Nadja quickly put a finger to her lips and shushed her. After nearly ten minutes of people’s cases being heard and decided, some seeming to be ok with the decisions and some not, it was their turn to approach the judge.
Nadja led Rainbow, who suddenly felt as weak as she had been weeks ago, to the front of the room. The translator and Hildegard patiently kept pace.
After the judge read from a file, he looked up and read her name and case number which the translator repeated. Then he spoke again.
“English is your native language?”
“Yes,” said Rainbow.
“Ja,” said the translator.
More German from the judge.
“How do you feel today?” asked the translator.
Rainbow thought a moment. “Physically or mentally?”
The translator spoke, causing a slight ripple of laughter within the room.
The judge spoke.
“Both,” said the translator.
“Physically I feel weak, but I am getting stronger little by little.”
The young man translated.
“Mentally, I guess you could say I’m hanging in there.”
Another ripple and then the judge spoke and the translator translated.
“I can’t make any promises as I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I don’t want to kill myself right now.”
Another ripple.
Damn, was she that funny?
The judge ordered others to be quiet and asked her to describe in her own words why she felt compelled to attempt to take her life.
“I lost my husband and our home in an earthquake back in California.”
He then asked why she came to Germany.
“Well, the plan was to visit cyber friends in Europe after visiting my sister and her family on the other side of my own country, and then I was going to die when the money ran out.”
“What made you decide to stop yourself?” she was asked.
“I didn’t. She did when she suspected I was up to something and had it checked out by the hotel staff,” Rainbow said, pointing at Nadja. She could see the smiles on Nadja and Hildegard’s faces as the translator spoke.
“What would you like today?” she was asked.
Rainbow thought a minute, unsure of how to answer that question. Finally, she said, “A burger and fries.”
The translator spoke and this time more than a slight ripple of laughter could be heard. Nadja, who was holding her hand to support her, squeezed it firmer as she giggled. Hildegard placed a hand over her mouth and looked down at the floor.
Once again the judge ordered everyone in the room to be quiet.
“Who would you like to be with was what I meant by asking what you would like today,” the translator translated.
“Her,” Rainbow said, pointing at Nadja and causing yet another flash of a smile from both her and her mother.
The judge asked Nadja to state her name and age and then she asked how they met. She was also asked about her living arrangements, income, work schedule, and social life, including if she smoked, drank or used illegal drugs.
After shuffling through her papers, the judge asked Rainbow what she’d done for work back home.
“I supplemented our income by writing books and entering sweepstakes.”
Next, she was asked if she had anything against staying with Nadja’s mother.
“Nein,” Rainbow said.
Then she was asked if they’d met before.
“Ja.”
The judged asked Hildegard similar questions.
“I’m a fifty-nine-year-old retired mental health worker,” explained Hildegard, “who also worked with those with physical handicaps. I was able to retire last year when I was awarded a sum of money in an insurance lawsuit.”
The judge then wasted no time on his decision as the translator spoke. “I realize you may be more familiar and more comfortable with Miss Keller. I also realize that you both speak English.”
Rainbow started to lose hope.
“Yet despite the language barrier between you and Miss Amsel and the fact that she only has one bedroom, Miss Amsel is home full-time, has a home with easier access, and admits she does not smoke. She has also worked with people who have shared similar problems to Miss Karson’s. I will review this case again in two weeks, but for now, I am placing you under the care of Miss Hildegard Amsel with your word that you will not attempt to harm yourself or anyone else and that you will continue with any medication prescribed to you and also continue with the physical and mental therapy in which you have been ordered to undergo to improve the chances that you can once again become an independent and healthy individual in society.”
Rainbow tried not to show her disappointment, the same disappointment she could sense coming from Nadja who raised a hand.
“Ja?” asked the judge.
Nadja spoke.
“Could she stay with me on weekends?” the translator repeated in English.
The judge hesitated a moment then said, “Weekends only and only if you can agree not to leave her alone for more than about two hours at a time. I don’t want her left alone by anyone for more than two hours during these first weeks, understand?”
Both Nadja and Hildegard nodded and expressed agreement.
“This is someone who’s not only admitted to not liking to be left alone for long but is still much too fragile at this time to be left alone for long periods of time. Even if someone is in the house with her and she’s in another room, she needs to be looked in on periodically. Is that understood and acceptable?”
The women again expressed agreement.
“Miss Hildegard Amsel,” the judge said in German, “do you agree to the terms and conditions of Rainbow Karson being released into your care and to provide her with shelter, food, and any transportation necessary to get to and from her appointments and anywhere else she may need to go?”
The translator spoke and then Hildegard consented to her agreement.
Rainbow tried to get a sense of how Hildegard felt about her being dumped on her, even though she agreed to take her for Nadja’s sake. But she was simply unable to get any kind of a vibe from the older woman.
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