Читать книгу Czechmate - Michael Condé-Jahnel - Страница 13

“I think it would be great if you came over as well.”

Horst had returned to Hamburg after a year in Canada. I was about to finish a three year import-export apprenticeship. Horst had been a year ahead. We were close, thick as thieves. The idea of following my friend’s footsteps had some appeal – and yet.

I had to admit, to myself at least, that entrepreneurial risk taking was not my middle name.

“That’s a huge step”, I offered cautiously. “If it doesn’t work out, employers here aren’t going to wait to welcome me back with open arms.”

Horst grinned.

“Sounds just like you – worrying about what you’ll find on your return before you’ve even decided to go….”

“Well, then tell me, where is the pay-off?”

“Over there you get back what you put in. No more, no less. It doesn’t matter your age, your heritage, your religion, often not even your education.”

“How is that different?”

“C’mon, buddy, look around you? The guys on the golden throne here are ‘von’ this and ‘zu’ that – as if blue blood equals managerial skill.”

“There are a few, I’ll admit. But not enough to void career advancement for us ordinary souls.”

Horst had his pitch carefully laid out.

“Then what about the army of guys just below them. Early middle-age with years to go to pension.”

“What about them?”

I didn’t see it coming.

“You mean you haven’t noticed that every second one is either a ‘Master’ of this or a ‘PhD’ of that? The professionals pushing out the privileged on their way up the creaky ladder.”

“Well, that’ll open up some room for us.”

I had recovered partially at least.

“Sure, if you wanna hang around in your present job for the next ten years…”

And so the banter had gone back and forth during Horst’s ten day return to the city. With every passing day, the appeal of leaving home, perhaps for many years to come, had grown on me. I had felt smothered in my parent’s tiny apartment without my own room. The steady physical presence of both parents, the ridiculous curfews, the total lack of privacy. Other than being the son of Hedi and Walter, I knew little about myself.

Horst’s words kept ringing in my ears.

When I told my parents that I was leaving in a few weeks, their lack of total surprise was unexpected. Sure, mother cried and there was some resistance from my father. But nothing I couldn’t handle. After all, the employment contract was only for a year and the company had offered a return airline ticket. Same terms Horst had started out with a year earlier with them. Except now he had decided to stay in Canada, a fact I didn’t mention to my parents.