Nightmare in Bremen (part 2)
Bremen, Germany: 2003
Juni walked towards the director’s office at the psychiatric museum and knocked on the door.The director opened it and recognized her.
“Frau,” he said, shocked, “do you need something?”
“Well, I wanted to come see you. Is that okay?", Juni asked.
“Um...Juni, today isn’t a good day. You see, I’m with someone right now.”
“I’ll just wait,” she said.
The director, whose name was Andrew, leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Frau, my father is in my office.”
‘Thomas? He’s still alive?”
“Yes. Now, if you’ll please excuse me...,” Andrew said and politely tried to close the door.
“Please, let me in,” Juni said.
Andrew sighed and said, “Okay Frau.” Then he opened the door to let her in. When the Briton walked into the office, she sat down next to an old man with a cane. The man wore a brown fedora hat, two-piece suit, and looked to be in his 70s with gray hair. Looking at him didn’t diminish the memory of the 21-year-old who had brutalized her in 1954. Juni remembered how strong Thomas was in his youth, but thankfully old age had already caught up with him: the cane was an indication that he needed help walking, and she hoped that he already had arthritis. That would be the icing on the cake!
Andrew looked at the two nervously because the two in the room together was like mixing oil and water. At first, he hesistated to tell his father that Juni was in the room, fearing the worst. However, he couldn’t ask her to leave as that would be rude. Finally after a short while he told Thomas, “Father, this is Juni. She wanted to see you.”
Thomas turned to his right and saw the old woman. He was shocked and asked, “Juni, is that really you?”
“Well you should know,” she said, “after all, I’ve never forgotten about you. To me, you’re still a bastard. How many other women did you rape and brutalize after me?”
Thomas was angry and asked his son, “How could you let her in here? She’s a psychotic!”
“Well it takes one to know one,” Juni said, “oh and by the way, why don’t you tell your son about the humiliation you put me through?”
The director was about to intervene when the phone rang. He picked it up and said, “Kaiser Wilhelm Psychiatric Museum. This is Andrew.”
Whiel he was talking, Juni and Thomas began arguiing loudly. The arguing was disrupting the conversation that Andrew was having with his wife Elsa. She heard the arguing in the background and asked, “What’s going on over there?
“Hold on,” Andrew said. Putting his hand over the mouthpiece, he exclaimed over the arguing, “Excuse me! Excuse me! I’m on the phone right now!”
The arguing didn’t stop, and he opened his desk drawer and got a whistle. The director blew it loudly, and that’s when the arguing stopped.
“Thank you. That is much appreciated,” he said.
Andrew resumed the phone conversation with Elsa and asked, “Now, what were you going to tell me?”
“Andrew, I need to go to the hospital because my contractions have started.”
“Okay, I’ll be home right away and we’ll go to the hospital”, the director exclaimed.
“Hurry!", Elsa exclaimed.
“I will! Bye dear!", he exclaimed and hung up.
“I need to take my wife to the hospital,” Andrew said, “and I need to leave now.”
“Is your wife sick?", Juni asked.
“No, she’s going to have a baby,” Andrew said, “oh and by the way, try not to kill each other while I’m gone.”
The director rushed out and closed but didn’t lock the door. Soon after he left, Juni exclaimed, “I can’t believe that you’re going to be a grandfather!”
“I already am one. This is going to be my third grandchild.”
“I’m still shocked. The last time we were together, you were only 21 and now you’re a grandfather with another one on the way.”
“Yes,” he said, “I can’t believe that myself.”
There were a few moments of silence, and then Thomas asked, “Juni, do you remember when this was still hospital and I hypnotized you?”
“Yes,” Juni said.
flashback, 1954
Thomas grabbed both of Juni’s wrists, pushed her down on the floor, then got on top of her.
“Get off of me, you bastard!", the Briton exclaimed, “what are you doing?”
“I’m going to show you who’s really in control,” Thomas said.
“By trying to rape me?", Juni asked-still struggling.
“No,” Thomas said, “through hypnosis”. Then his voice took on a slow, monotonous tone:
“You are getting tired...ever more tired...you are sleepy...you are so sleepy...so unbelievably sleepy. You would like to sleep...so deep sleep...you are tired..so tired and sleepy...you hear my voice...and your eyelids are getting heavy...so heavy. You can hardly hold them open...you are so tired...and sleepy.”
Juni tried desperately to stay awake and he continued, “Your eyes are tired...and sleepy...so tired and sleepy..so heavy...you are tired and sleepy...your eyelids are getting heavy...so heavy.”
She stopped struggling and Thomas said, “Close your eyes.”
Juni closed her eyes and he said, “You sink ever deeper into this restful, hypnotic sleep. You are so rested.”
“I am so rested,” she said.
Thomas turned her face to the side and licked it, as well as her neck. Then he turned her head back to the original position and kissed her lips while her eyes were still closed. Juni responded to the kiss in kind, and soon they were kissing passionately. Afterwards, he undressed her and ravaged her body on the hospital floor.
There was noone around to stop him.
“Ohh...how horrible that memory was!", Juni exclaimed, “I remember it so well! I was struggling and you were on top of me. Soon, my eyes closed and everything went black. My body went through the most uncomfortable sensations.”
“I was raping you again. I just lied about it,” Thomas said.
It was then that Juni slapped him hard across the face. The old man was taken aback by the blow but didn’t retaliate.
“Thank you,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because I deserve it.”
“You certainly do,” Juni said.
“You’re the first woman who’s ever slapped me,” Thomas said.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well I certainly feel better now,” she said, “and it makes up for everything you put me through in the past.”
“Juni,” Thomas said.
“Yes?”
He leaned over to her, held her chin and kissed her gently on the lips. She was surprised but then said, “That’s the best kiss I’ve ever had from you.”
“Why?", Thomas asked.
“It’s the first time that you’ve ever kissed me decently. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Thomas said.
Andrew came back into the office and said, “Well, I just came back from the hospital. My wife just had a boy.”
“That’s wonderful!,” Juni exclaimed, “Congratualtions! What’s his name?”
“We haven’t decided yet, but he’s the cutest thing ever!", the director exclaimed. Then he asked, “So how have you two been getting along?”
“Just fine,” Juni said, “Thomas and I have had time to catch up on old memories.”
“Are you and my father going to have a better relationship in the future?”
“Well, we’ll work on it,” Thomas said and smiled. The he gently squeezed Juni’s hand and the old woman smiled also.
There was a knock on the door and the director opened it. A young German man was at the door and said, “Excuse me, but I have an appointment with you.”
“Oh yes, you must be my 3:00. Wait just a few minutes while I finish up in here.”
“Okay.”
Andrew closed the door and said, “I’m sorry. Someone has an appointment with me and I need to meet him now. I must say that I’m happy that you’ve both resolved your differences, and I hope to see you both again in the future.”
“Actually, I plan on returning to England this month. I haven’t been back there since 1945.”
“Fifty-eight years?", Andrew asked-shocked.
“Yes, and I look forward to seeing the old country again. Perhaps you and Thomas can visit me in London.”
“Well I certainly will,” Andrew said, “and perhaps you can meet my wife and new son.”
“Glad to hear it,” Juni said. Then she said, “Well Thomas, we need to be going now. After all, your son is a very busy man.”
“Okay,” Thomas said and followed her out of the office, using his cane to support him.
The director smiled as they left. “Good luck you two,” he thought.
Then he let the young man in and closed the door.