First time, at the Mediterranean sea! Part IV.
Where were we? Ah yes, getting ready to play football!
As it turned out there were exactly 11 Germans of the 22 that turned out to play so before I knew it it had been decided we'd play Germany against the world. Well, the world turned out to be me, two other Dutch kids, a couple of years younger than me, and some other nationalities I can't quite remember.
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The football game
We got the kick-off and the game was afoot as they say. I knew for the get-go that it was going to be a painful experience for me. Karl and his buddies took every opportunity to "oops" me. There came a point, I have no idea what the score was, that the ball was passed high towards the edge of the 16-meter box and I went for it. So did Karl, him defending and me attacking. While I went for the ball, he went for a head butt and hit me in the side of my head with the front of his. I went down hard and the activity ''leader' from the camping had no doubt that what Karl had done was intentional.
Even back then I could talk my way out of a lot of situations
When I could focus again she was railing against Karl about being tired of his shit and she was going to go to the Camping management to get him banned from at least all activities and preferably from the camping. I, slowly, walked up to them and stepped in between them, drawing attention from the activity girl. I began talking to her in what we like to call StoneCoal English. With that, we mean English but with a Dutch accent and grammar. I began explaining that she shouldn't be so hard on Karl, that he and I know each other and we always roughing it and so on. It took me five minutes talking but in the end, she relented and I got Karl off the hook.
Stick to German Karl. My German is better than your English!
When the soccer event was over (don't ask who won) Karl came over with his buddies and kind of got in my space, trying to intimidate me I thought. No one spoke except for Karl himself "Hey Dutch. Why did you stick me up?" he asked, obviously trying to ask why I stuck up for him, but failing.
I looked at him confused and replied. "Vieleicht kansst du besser Deutch reden mit mir. I glaube nicht dass du gerade gesagt hast wass du sagen woltest"
Now I know that for the German language-lovers that was an abomination, far from reasonably accurate German. But for Karl and his buddies, it was evidently a shocking thing to hear a Dutch kid speak German close enough for them to understand what I tried to say and they liked it. Whatever it was they were going to do or say was evidently out of the window and they turned and walked away.
Obviously not used to other nationalities speaking German-ish
Karl turned around for a moment to say "Ich habe mich in Bezug auf dich geirrt, du bist in Ordnung. Wir sehen uns!" and then turned back to walk away with his buddies.
Lisette
As soon as they were out of sight I sat down rubbing the spot on my head where Karl had connected and let out a moaning sound. From behind, I heard someone say "I don't get it. What's your game? What side are you on?" I turned around and saw two things. The first was Chryselle walking away, talking to some other girl I hadn't seen before. The second was that I was seeing it looking between a pair of women's legs. Following the legs up, I was surprised, or shocked really, to find out the position I was in afforded me a look at parts of her clothing I wasn't supposed to be seeing. So I kept raising my head, doing my damned best not to stop and linger my gaze at any particular point, which I admit was hard, until found it was Lisette standing over me with her hands on her hips and an odd look on her face.
The pain in my head helped me out at that moment!
I got up, wincing at the pain in my head, and while rubbing the painful spot looked at her questioningly. "You are the sister of the girl I was talking to yesterday..eeeh…Chryselle?" I asked. She looked at me for a moment with what felt like an appraising look. That moment gave me a moment to do the same and I realized that where her sister used her hairstyle and make-up together with the choice of outfit to emphasize her appealing features Lisette seemed to do the opposite.
"Yes, my name is Lisette. Can we talk for a moment?" she said, having come to some form of conclusion, judging by her expression. "Sure. Let's go to that place just outside the Camping, with the shaded area, and have a coffee or something." I said in reply and added "I'm buying" putting on my cutest smile.
She snickered, then laughed for a few moments before looking at me a bit seriously. "You have not had much experience talking to girls, have you. Let me give you a tip. That smile you just gave me… It doesn't work the way you think it does." she said. She then came to stand next to me and grabbed my arm. "But I will accept your invitation anyway. Let's go!" she declared and started walking. The tug on my arm as she did prompt me to start walking as well, a bit overwhelmed by her taking my arm and walking with me as if we were a couple.
We walked without actually saying anything but along the way I did notice some people staring at us, Lisette waving at some people and even saying some words in greeting to others. Didn't understand a word of it, of course, my French was as limited as it was.
Eager to please, suspiciously so!
When we got to the little cafe across the street from the entrance to the camping and had taken a seat in the shade a man who I thought at first was a waiter came up to us with a very welcoming and enthusiastic vibe.
"Bonjour mademoiselle lisette. Que puis-je obtenir pour vous et votre amant?" he asked as he got closer. She beamed a smile at the man and said "Bonjour Gilbert, tout va bien pour vous et votre famille? Je voudrais un thé aux feuilles vertes et..." Lisette then looked at me, obviously wanting me to say what I wanted to order. "Just a coffee and a paracetamol if you have any," I said. Obviously, the man didn't understand as he looked questioningly at Lisette who happily translated.
Funny how my memory works. But that is off-topic, just trust me this was what was said.
"Il prendra un café et quelque chose contre les maux de tête s’il vous plaît" she said and i swear the man actually clacked his heels saying "Bien sur mademoiselle" before he turned and started shouting at someone inside to get our orders done. It got done quickly too. In no time two steaming cups, one with tea and one with coffee, sat before us on the table and two pills on a little saucer next to the coffee obviously were the pain relief I asked for. Before the man, Gilbert, went back inside he addressed Lisette one more time.
"Bien sûr, c’est sur la maison. S’il vous plaît, donnez mes salutations à votre père." he said, bowed and then swiveled on his heels and walked away.
Tea, coffee, and 2 headache pills. Awesome start of.. what? A date?
I dropped a cube of sugar into my coffee and stirred it for a few seconds but kept looking at her as I did. She was scanning around, as if…checking something it looked like. When her attention got back to our table and me, she sighed a bit, in a way that said "so how shall I deal with you" before picking up the cup of tea in two hands and holding it before close to her face to smell it. "So, are you going to answer my question?" she asked with a slight smile on her face. Her expression almost seemed like some exciting game started at that moment.
A game, or an interrogation?
"I would like to, but I have no idea what you mean by 'my game' and which side I am on," I told her, looking her in the eye with my most sincere expression. "Maybe you should explain what games are going on and what sides there are. Maybe then I can tell you if I'm playing and if I am on any of the sides." I added. Taking a sip from her tea and then blowing over it to cool it down some more I couldn't help but feel like I was being appraised again before she put down her tea, leaned forward to look me straight into my eyes.
"So I am to believe that you came here with your family, just a mother, and father…no a grandmother and father by the looks of them, no siblings or pets, to spend your vacation. You do not know anyone from Karl's family or their entourage. Neither do you know who my sister and I are, or rather who our father is? You just happen to stumble across the bay yesterday by accident and happened to show up and participate in the soccer (it's the word she used, I'd never use it) event at the camping that Karl and his friends had signed up for by coincidence?" she asked.
Part V coming soon!
To be continued in the fifth episode of this series (never expected this to turn into this much of a story! Hope it's not too long!)
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