Kim came far. So her parents have said.

That one day she would be found living and Study in the City of Dresden was a big surprise to all. Even to herself but most the her Mom and Dad.

She’s been a wild child. Running off with ‘the love of her life’ when she was 16teen. Living from day to day. Dressed in what ever the donation containers along the street would spit out. Eating what ever she could effort with the money she got from begging on the streets for it.  Growing quick into a pot smoking, beer drinking, dog owning Punk cliché. With the hair in all colours and no tolerance for the capital spending, nine to five working, profit making citizens.

But then she changed. All of a sudden and from almost a day to another. She signed up for university, found a share house to move into it and even got a part time job to finance her new way of living and the cloth she would by from time to time. Over where the days of begging and hanging along the streets.

Her Parents couldn’t be any prouder. Not that only for a while they gave up to believe her daughter would ever make it to something more than a big mouth, but also have non of them ever got the chance to go to university. Coming from poor families and being the first generation after the second-world-war, born into the GDR  and raised by rules and walls. There was not much for them to go to or choose from. Both found a job in the Power station a few kilometres out of town. Her Mother would do the laundry, her father build the Boiler. The pay was quite alright but the ways to spend rare and limited and so it came that they saved a bit up by the time Kim was born. It wasn’t until November 1989 that the Wall came down and her parents started to invest her savings into funds.

The years went by and Kim showed major success in her study. She became one of her classmates best with outstanding results and an constant involvement of extra work. Although it wasn’t always easy as she lived with a few music students who also took a lot proud into there studies and played the instruments daily and long. One couldn’t be at home and understand each other in a simple conversation by all the music. Thats when her Parents decided to spoil her daughter for doing so well. From the money the have invested over the years they would build her a little piece of land just outside of town with a good connection to public transport and build her a little MicroHome. One you could move around and with all the luxury from upstairs-bedrom to downstairs- kitchen-dining area a home comes along.

The surprise was a huge success. The tiny house was perfect for her. Beside the fact that it was just gorgeous she now didn’t needed to leave the house and find a cafe and spent money to have a place to study. This little hut of living was hers and she loved it all the way. Of course. Who wouldn’t. And so it goes that Kim stayed home for the next month and finished off another semester full of top results and best grades.

In the meantime winter moved in and with it, so they call it in Germany, the 5th season. Carnival was here and on its peak. And just in time with the semester break. Three days of dress ups-parties, friends and dance would fallow before it would be send off to the next year.

This was a great chance for Kim to finally have a housewarming to her closest friends. Her boyfriend Mike would also come along. It was set to be a pre-drinks thing fallowed by an out and about all night long with little stops here and there on all sorts of parties.

And so it goes. Shortly after 9pm her best friend Tina came over fallowed by her Mike and a handful others. It was cosy in the Micro home even tho the space was on that amount of people limited. Some spend most of the time outside smoking and drinking while Kim and Tina still couldn’t decided what to wear and thanking there time to get dressed. By 10pm all of them found themselves in front of the home sharing a joint and drinking up as it was time to hit town.

Kim and Mike didn’t get along so well anymore. She had changed but he still felt the same. He wouldn’t understand her new way of living and wouldn’t live with her. But this was fine with Kim as she was tired of him complaining about her new way of living and quite enjoyed the space. He teased her all the times, called her a nerd and didn’t like her friends. He never really did, but now as they all got there shit together even more. The relationship became more a single life to the both of them as a life together. It was only a questions of convenience that they still be together. Being used to each other for so long. The idea of splitting and the unknown of how it would be alone scared both of them more as the happiness it would bring along with such ending. Beside, Kim did not really have the time and headspace at to sort it.  And so once in a while one would make the effort and spend the evening with the other and there unlike friends.

When the crew hit the first party, an old barn, Tina run into an old friend of hers. His name was Thomas and he moved to Town a couple of semesters ago to study philosophy. Mike hated him instantly.

He was a tall guy with dark curly hair and deep blue eyes. He was a happy person and he smiled a lot. Kim only noticed because she liked his smile. The little dimples he got on each cheek when he did and the way it made his eyes glow. Thomas ended at the barn by himself as his friend drunk already way over his limit and needed to send off en route home with the next taxi. So he joined the group.

At the Bar he would run into Kim and both found out to have a lot in common. He was funny and made her laugh. As her favourite song came on she tried to drag Mike the dance floor dance. He refused. It was to mainstream to him to dance it. The by then lightly drunken Kim lost her temper and told him to fuck off. Before they could get lost in an never ending argument the group moved on. Kim ahead Tina, Mike stayed in the back.

From the distance Mike watched how Kim would have a blast with Tina and Thomas. He also saw the way Thomas looked at Kim and he didn’t like it at all. What happen to Mike and Kim he wondered. When did everything change and why did it? Where the things not great the way the used to be. In a life together on the streets, without rules and all the freedom they had. Now all what Kim had on her mind was this stupid school and responsible boring things with responsible boring people. He couldn’t sense at all what she likes about it.

But he loved her.

He lover her wild way of getting things done. The strength she had when she wanted something. And how sexy she looked in the morning. Has he never loved anything more as looking into her eyes in the morning. He didn’t needed change. He was happy the way things where. He himself had no intentions to change a thing. And now this Thomas guy comes along and looks at her the way people look at the ‘new’ Kim. He has no idea how wild she used to be. Has no idea how Mike and Kim together would steal beer and tequila before the night would start. Had no idea how much she hated that kind of guy only a few month ago.

Mike had enough.

Before the group would enter the next Bar he grabbed Kim’s arm and pulled her to the back. She nodded to Tina to ensure she was ok – as if she needed too, thought Mike. The group entered the bar.

While freezing in the cold and jumping from one leg to the other Kim waited impatience for Mike to get in. He told her he wanted to end the night and go home. Back to the Micro Home and back with hers. Through the window Kim had her eyes on Thomas who was talking to others. She denied. She wouldn’t go home with him. He could go but She wouldn’t come. He didn’t needed to wait for her as she wouldn’t return to him the way they would part. There wouldn’t be a happy ending to this no more. The life of both have changed, she wasn’t happy anymore and it was time for both to except.

As she stand half way in the door to the Bar she throws the keys to him. ‘I won’t be home till tomorrow just leave the keys under the rock when you leave’ she said shut the door and left.

As the sun came up Mike walked along the streets lost and on its own. Drinking tequila and beer he stole of the shops the night before. He didn’t understand why the things had to change….

 

photo-credits – urbancowboys.tumblr.com – story by Jacqueline Kappl