“Dann bring ich dich hin,” Hansi said, opening the door for her.
“Okay! Wunderbar.”
It was only a twenty minute walk; Eva didn’t need a ride. She feared she’d feel rushed with Hans there. A few months ago, she wouldn’t have even mentioned Maggie or any obligation. She would have just gone wherever he wanted to take her, gladly. Imposing her life on him was not her norm. She comforted herself with the fact that at least she was going to Maggie’s. And maybe they could set up a date to have lunch or to see each other again soon. It was not a waste, no. Even if it was going to be a brief visit.
Hans drove without asking directions. When Eva gave him the address, he said he knew.
“Wie kommt das? Dass du die Adresse von meiner Nichte kennst?”
He smiled broadly. “I met them both, the day they were visiting you. While you were getting ready, I was downstairs, they came down.”
“Yes, but you know where they live?”
“Warum nichts? Tom is an enterprising young man. He won’t be fixing the apartment forever.”
Eva was shocked. How could they be in contact without her knowing it? It seemed a horrible secret for Maggie to keep from her. She was angry at her niece, and at Hans. But she said nothing. The way he kept stealing glances at her with that smile on his face, she didn’t want to give him any more satisfaction. His love of secrets she put up with, but this time it was too much.
Hansi parked the car.
“Kommst du mit?” she asked, as she opened the door to let herself out.
“Warum nicht?”
They walked toward a modern four-story, Soviet-style apartment building—built in the 1960s like Eva’s, only smaller—on a corner of a quiet block. On the sidewalk in front of the building next to Maggie and Tom’s, dark-skinned children played with a ball. As they neared, Eva saw how unwashed they were, how young they were to be alone on the street. No doubt both of their parents, not to mention uncles and aunts and grandparents, were slaving away at some low-level job for a pittance. The buildings on the other end of the block were boarded up, except for the one at the very end; it was a shell, having been burned down. Arson. So common no one even thought twice to investigate. Another crappy building gone? Good.
There were no buzzers, no names near the front of the door. Eva felt nervous and clutched the bag of pastries tightly. The front door was ajar and, before she could do anything, Hans pushed it open and began walking up the stairs.
It was dark; there was a light in the hallway, but not a bright one. This comforted Eva. Sometimes her building didn’t feel well lit, though it was a fine building, fine enough. Sometimes a light in the hallway would be out for weeks before it got changed. So here was a light. That was good sign.
Each floor had two doors. On the second floor, one of the doors lay wide open, revealing an abandoned apartment. On the third floor, Hans stopped and started banging on a closed door that looked newly painted. In fact, Eva could smell the strong, chemical odor of fresh paint. This warmed her more. They cared. They’d been painting.
“Sie werden noch schlafen, vermute ich,” Hans said, and Eva looked at him harshly. Then he pounded on the door even more.
“Es reicht!” Eva said. The noise embarrassed her, angered her. Although she wasn’t sure anyone else lived in the building.
Hans turned to her. She’d angered him, but just then Maggie opened the door, in loose pajamas, her hair tousled, her face without makeup and badly scarred. With makeup her skin had always been rough looking, but without it, Eva now saw, her complexion was even worse.
“Eva! Hans. What are you doing here?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.
“I came to visit. I brought pastries,” Eva began, nervously. “I wanted to see you. Perhaps I should have called, but you know how I rarely use the hall phone. And you are so close! I knew you didn’t work on Saturdays and when we spoke last you said I could just stop by anytime.”
“Come in, come in.” Maggie ushered her guests in. “I think it’s about time we bought you your own phone, Tante Eva. Come. I’ll make some coffee.”
The apartment was enormous—they had the whole floor. They must have had a wall knocked down. It was clearly two apartments put together. The smell of paint was strong and the walls were fresh white, blue, and lavender. The far wall, facing the back of the apartment, appeared to be an unfinished mural of some kind. A big mattress lay on the floor near the mural. The sun shone brightly on the white sheets that lay about. They had woken her, that was for sure. She herself often slept this late. She couldn’t judge.
“Tom is sleeping in the back room,” Maggie said, nodding toward a closed door at the far end of the apartment. “He got in very late last night. So he didn’t want to bother me.” She said this delicately, as if she were appreciative and yet embarrassed as well.
“Your apartment is lovely, Maggie. And you painted it. It’s beautiful, really,” Eva said. There wasn’t a lot of furniture, but that didn’t surprise her. They hadn’t been here long. Maggie started making coffee on a portable electric burner.
“We don’t have a proper kitchen set up yet. So as you can see, this is how I make coffee. But Tom is very good at that sort of thing. He’s working on it.”
“Ja, and I am helping him get a good price on a stove and a refrigerator,” Hans said.
Eva stared at him in wonder. Then she turned to Maggie, who began walking back into the darker part of the flat, carrying a tray with coffees.
“Here, sit down
