“Tempus Imperfectum” by Al Song (part 2 of 3)

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You’re listening to The Voice of

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Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is the second of three parts of

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“Tempus Imperfectum”

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by Al Song, who is a musician,

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furry writer, and polyglot.

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The red kangaroo also assists as an editor at Thurston Howl Publications.

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He has been published in multiple anthologies including Fang 8 and Roar 9. “Tempus Imperfectum” was originally published in Tales from the Guild –

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World Tour by FurPlanet,

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and you can find more of his stories on FurAffinity and SoFurry. [if this is the second or third entry]

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Last time, [Lorenzo and Volker walked home

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and reminisced about their past

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and talked about their issues,

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but it seemed like something was still eating away at the otter.]

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“Tempus Imperfectum”

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by Al Song, Part 2

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of 3 The next Saturday morning Lorenzo carried his viola with him

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as he walked to Volker’s house.

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He checked his watch.

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It was five minutes before nine as he reached the driveway to the house,

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a one story abode that was larger than most of the others on the street.

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He knocked on the door

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and Volker’s mother answered.

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The tall, slender badger wore a pair of sweatpants along with a worn sweater

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and was holding a pile of towels.

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She gave a surprised look and said,

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“Oh, Lorenzo, Volker’s still asleep.”

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“Yesterday he invited me over for breakfast.

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I hope he told you,

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unlike last time,”

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the otter said, frowning at the thought.

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“He informed us,” she reassured him.

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“He said that I should come over at nine.”

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“Oh, you know Volker. He loves to sleep in,” she said and shook her head.

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“I guess that’s true.” “Come

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in. I apologize for his rudeness.”

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She stepped aside to let Lorenzo in.

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“I think I’m used to his antics by now.” “Well,

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Herr Farber called last week and said that Volker yelled at other students when they weren’t playing correctly,

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is that true?” she asked,

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her voice filled with concern.

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“Has he called you about that problem before?” he asked,

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trying to sound playful.

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“Yes,” she exhaled tiredly.

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“I swear someone’s going to get upset about his temper and it’ll be someone bigger than him.

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him.” Lorenzo’s voice rose in pitch.

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“He’s always been passionate.”

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“That’s one way to describe him.”

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The tall badger sighed.

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“Lately he comes home from school and he just wants to argue.

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Apparently asking him to consider a stable career field warrants an endless argument.

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The orchestra is just an after school activity.

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I loved gymnastics as a cub,

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but I knew I’d never become a professional athlete.”

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“He really cares about music.

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Maybe one day he’ll teach classes.

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classes.” The otter’s voice wavered.

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“If only he had your ability to plan things out.

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You’re going to make a wonderful math teacher one day.”

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The badger beamed toward him.

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Lorenzo started fidgeting his fingers.

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“Yeah, thank you, uh, that’s kind of you to say.”

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They walked down the hallway to Volker’s bedroom.

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The door had a framed picture of Volker in a tuxedo

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holding his violin and bow.

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Lorenzo loved how proud Volker looked in it.

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Lorenzo had the same one on his bedroom nightstand.

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“Volker!” she yelled through the door.

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“What!?” he yelled back.

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“Lorenzo is here!” she belted.

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“Okay,” he replied in a softer tone with a whiny hint of drowsiness.

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Volker was in a faded green t-shirt and white shorts when he opened the door.

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His fur was bedraggled and his clothes were completely covered in wrinkles.

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He rubbed his eyes.

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“Let me get ready first, okay?”

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“Alright,” Lorenzo replied.

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The stocky badger grabbed a towel

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and ran towards the bathroom.

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“I apologize again,” Volker’s

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mother said with another sigh.

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“You can start eating before him.

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The rest of us had breakfast already.”

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“Thank you very much, Frau Fiedler,

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but I’ll wait for him.”

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Lorenzo walked into the living room where Volker’s younger brother was watching television.

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He looked similar to Volker but was shorter and had a lip piercing.

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Volker’s father sat in an arm chair

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reading the news on his tablet.

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He wore a red dress shirt,

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a mustard tie, and black slacks.

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“Morning, Lorenzo,” Volker’s father said without looking up from his device.

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“Good morning,” Lorenzo replied.

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“You’re all dressed up.”

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“We’re heading to Tübingen to visit my sister today.

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I’m still waiting for Laura to finish getting ready.”

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“Tübingen’s a pretty town,” Lorenzo said with a smile.

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“Yep.” Volker’s father nodded without looking away from the tablet.

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Lorenzo looked over at the younger badger.

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He was dressed in black jeans with frayed holes along the knees

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and had on a black t-shirt with a British metal band on it.

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“How are you doing, Fritz?”

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“I’m watching TV,” Fritz replied curtly.

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“Don’t be rude, Fritz,”

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his father scolded.

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“I’m doing fine and I’m still watching

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TV,” Fritz groaned the statement like a complaint.

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“What are you watching?”

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Lorenzo asked, trying to keep polite conversation between them.

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The young badger sighed.

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“Something.” “Fritz!” his dad scolded. “Teen Krimis,” he replied exasperatedly.

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On the wall-mounted television was some program about teenagers solving crimes

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and having good old fashion adolescent drama,

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which actually meant problems fabricated by adults

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who thought they knew what teens were going through in the modern day.

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It was a little schmaltzy for Lorenzo,

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but it did manage to make him laugh at times.

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Usually the laughs were directed at the show rather than its jokes, though.

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Why did the criminal have to be Turkish?

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Why did the comic relief sidekick, who was portrayed as someone not very bright,

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have to be the guy with a badly executed Italian accent?

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Why was there only one girl in the main cast? These problems

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bewildered Lorenzo since it was the twenty-first century,

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but then again, the battle against unfair representations was still ongoing.

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He remembered turning on the television set when he first got into Germany

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and not understanding anything,

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so the internet felt like a sanctuary for him.

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He could read comics

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and the watch Italian television on his laptop.

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As his German skills developed

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he was able to watch television and read German newspapers and magazines.

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Lorenzo realized that

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he was reading significantly less in Italian,

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while his father mostly read Italian novels he ordered online.

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Volker’s mother returned,

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now wearing a yellow summer dress with green leaves sprinkled on it.

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She quickly began packing various things in a small suitcase for their trip,

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transferring her belongings from one tote bag with a beach theme on it

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to another with a forest scene printed on it.

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Lorenzo smiled at the feeling of being around this badger family.

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They were all off doing different things but he was surrounded by sounds and life.

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He was around people who accepted him,

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and he didn’t feel awkward being in this space.

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After another couple of minutes,

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Volker walked into the living room wearing a pair of jeans and a golf shirt.

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He gave a yawn and said,

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“Alright, let’s eat.”

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The table was covered in bread and a couple spreads.

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The bread slicer was parked on the counter still covered in crumbs.

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Lorenzo grabbed a piece of toast

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and spread some yogurt cream on it.

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He licked his lips at the sight of it and felt relief as he took a bite.

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“Oh, I almost forgot,

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my dad said he wanted to have lunch with both of us in Stuttgart today.

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Do you want to come along?”

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Lorenzo asked after his first couple bites.

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“Yeah, of course. Is it the same restaurant?” Volker asked as he spread some cheese onto his toast.

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“Yep.” “Cool, I love that place!” Volker grinned.

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His mother walked into the room as she threaded earrings though her perked up ears.

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He turned to her and asked,

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“Mom, can I go to Stuttgart today with Lorenzo?

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His dad wants to have lunch.”

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“I don’t see why not.”

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She shuffled through her purse and took out two twenty euro bills.

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“Here, have fun.” “Thanks, Mom,”

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Volker said with a cheesy smile.

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Lorenzo just gave him a look that read,

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I thought I was the one with a brown muzzle.

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Volker shot a defensive look back.

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“What?” “Nothing,” the otter replied, shaking his head.

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When they finished eating they got their instruments out and started to practice difficult sections in the pieces again.

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A couple minutes into the practice session

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Volker’s mom told him that they were leaving and that Fritz was going over to his friend’s house.

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At around half past eleven,

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they finished practicing and walked to the train station.

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After buying their passes from the old, rusted ticket machines,

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they bought some candy from a kiosk

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and waited for their train,

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sharing some Turkish delights

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and Polish chocolate covered marshmallows.

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Once their train arrived,

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they sat down in a section of empty seats

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and looked out at the quaint scenery.

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All the brick buildings,

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lush hills, and flourishing trees rushed by them

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as they headed towards the city.

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Upon reaching their destination,

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they left the train and walked up an escalator.

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The bright sun welcomed them out of the underground station

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to a busy street filled with shoppers and couples.

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There were tourists taking pictures

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and people avoiding the photographers.

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The two ambled towards Schloss Platz

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and then down a pedestrian street with stores and restaurants.

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They entered a clothing store with an abundant amount of sales,

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promotions, and signage.

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Walking into the men’s section,

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Volker noticed a t-shirt with

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Voglio una bella ragazza on it.

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“Look, it’s in Italian,”

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he said as he plucked it off of the rack.

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The shirt was a garish mess of sparkles with

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cacographic lines and colors scrawled on it.

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“That says, ‘I want a pretty girlfriend’ and it’s kind of gaudy,” Lorenzo replied.

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“Alright, I’ll put it back,”

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he said with a playful tone of defeat.

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“Why is everything in English, Italian, and French?

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Shouldn’t some of these clothes be in German?”

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“Having things in other languages is cool,”

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Volker said as he picked up a t-shirt with C’est la vie

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in a typeface emulating graffiti on it.

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They looked around a little more.

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Lorenzo tried on some button-ups and a few scarves

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while Volker tried a couple hoodies on.

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Volker finally decided on an olive green colored jacket,

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a scarlet t-shirt,

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and some plain white socks.

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He went up to the counter with a buck behind it.

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The cashier had on all of the latest trendy clothing

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including ripped denim,

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a trucker hat with indents on the sides for his antlers

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and a gaudy gold chain around his neck.

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Volker took out the money his mom gave him

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and some of his own and paid for the clothes.

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They left the store and walked to a small gelato shop nearby that was built into the

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façade of a shopping center.

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A kangaroo received his cup of gelato

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and skipped away past the two as they approached the counter.

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A young red vixen

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and a large black bear stood in the small space behind the display of gelato

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speaking in Italian together.

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They wore white aprons on top of their casual clothing,

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and had green and red visors on.

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“A scoop of strawberry, pistachio, and vanilla, please,”

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Volker said and placed a few euros on the counter.

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The bear scooped the three flavors of gelato into a cup

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and gently placed a spoon in it for the badger.

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“I’d like Tiramisu, Amarena, and Zabaione please,”

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Lorenzo said with a smile.

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“Are you from Italy too?”

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the vixen asked the otter switching to Italian.

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“Yes, I’m from a town near Bari.

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Are you from Rome?”

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Lorenzo guessed from her accent.

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“Yep, and so is my boss,”

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she said as she tilted her muzzle towards the bear.

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“I came here to study German history

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and I was lucky enough to find a job here.”

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She handed him the cup of gelato.

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Lorenzo thanked her.

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“Grazie mille.” “Di niente,” she replied.

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“You ready?” Volker asked the otter.

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Lorenzo grabbed a napkin and replied with “Si, andiamo.

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Oh, I mean, yeah, let’s go.”

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They walked back toward Schloss Platz.

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They passed a couple people with “Free Hugs” signs in English

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and they both gave a handsome wolf a hug.

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They watched a ferret and fox couple playing guitars.

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A cardboard sign

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propped in front of the guitarists read,

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“Need money for train fare to Vienna.”

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Schloss Platz was the largest square in Stuttgart

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and was surrounded by large shopping centers,

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museums, and a baroque castle.

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The pillar in the center had a statue of a fox with feathered angel wings

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along with wolf figures near the bottom of spire.

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The two fountains flanking the pillar

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had sculptures of various species under the spouts of water.

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The statues were weathered into a jade green tone from time

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and the elements.

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“The fountain on the left or the right?” Volker asked.

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“The one on the right,” Lorenzo replied.

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They sat down on the edge of the fountain

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and Lorenzo took off his white sneakers. The otter pulled his khakis up a bit and put both of his feet in the water.

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He happily kicked and splashed the water towards the center of the fountain.

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Volker sat facing away from the fountain

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and looked at the crowds of people.

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A couple of foxes were flying kites

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and many people had towels out and were relaxing under the warm sun.

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Another otter watched over her three cubs,

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who were playing in the fountain.

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The two fed each other gelato and

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made small talk. A few clouds drifted above the pair

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as they felt a slight chill in the atmosphere.

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Spring flowers bloomed

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and some of the people shed their clothes and fur.

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Lorenzo looked at his cup of gelato.

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The logo had an Italian flag crossed with a German one.

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It read, “Gelato Freddo.”

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Volker turned to him and said,

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“There it is again.

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Why are you sad?

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Is it the gelato?

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Is it because I woke up late?”

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Lorenzo realized that he was frowning at the cup’s logo and

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tiredly replied, “Volker, I just don’t want to talk about it.”

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He finished his last bite

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and put the cup down behind him on the grass.

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“Why can’t you just tell me what’s wrong?”

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Volker asked in a calm tone.

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Lorenzo remained silent

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and stared at the water.

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“You can tell me anything.

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You know that,” he continued with an understanding voice.

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“Okay.” Lorenzo released a big sigh

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and kept staring at the water.

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“Last week, I went to a deli to buy some cheese for my dad’s new recipe.

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There was an Italian fox

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who needed help because he didn’t speak German. So I assisted him with directions and translated things for him,

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and then we talked about Italy.

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There was an old person outside who yelled, ‘Go back to your own country!

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Why can’t you foreigners learn to speak German?’

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The fox had no idea what he said,

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and he kept speaking to me in Italian, and the elderly guy kept yelling mean things at us.

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I didn’t explain what he was saying because I didn’t want him to feel bad too.

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So I just said that the old guy was spouting nonsense.”

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“I’m sorry about that,”

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Volker said, giving Lorenzo a hug and kiss.

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“You don’t have to be sorry, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

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A couple of teenagers around their age

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noticed that they had kissed and walked up to them.

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A stout squirrel about as tall as Volker asked in a smarmy tone,

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“So which one’s the girl?”

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The rest of the small group laughed. Volker balled his paws into fists and stood up.

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Lorenzo tensed up and he turned his gaze back at the water.

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His whiskers faltered.

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The mother otter turned away from her cubs playing in the fountain

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and yelled, “Leave them alone!

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They’re not bothering you!”

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The squirrel and his associates backed off and walked away,

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remaining loud and obnoxious.

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“Thanks for that,” Volker kindly said.

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He turned to Lorenzo

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who looked like he was going to cry.

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“It’s no problem,” said the mother otter.

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“I have to teach my children that prejudice is wrong.”

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Volker checked the time on his phone.

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“Maybe we should leave.

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We don’t want to be late for lunch.”

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He helped Lorenzo up

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and the two disposed of their cups.

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Volker picked up his shopping bag

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and they started to walk in the direction of the restaurant.

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There were smaller boutique stores in the streets

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with less foot traffic.

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They passed cute stores and

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people wearing black sunglasses

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and incredibly fashionable,

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yet expensive looking clothing.

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The sun was still happily beaming at the world but as they walked

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Lorenzo was frowning the entire time.

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“Is it about those jerks?”

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Volker asked. “Yeah,”

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the otter replied.

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“But that lady stood up for us,

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isn’t that what’s important?”

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“But those guys still harassed us.”

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Lorenzo sighed. “Doesn’t it make you feel good

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that other people actually defended us?”

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Lorenzo sighed again.

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“I guess a little.”

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Volker countered with a smile.

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“Let’s just have lunch and forget about it, okay?”

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“Alright,” the otter replied.

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He tried to put on a small smirk, but it quickly faded.

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Lorenzo’s father told him when they first moved to Baden-Württemberg that the restaurant was a cross between a traditional pizzeria

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and a döner shop.

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The owner was an Italian hyena who fell in love with a Turkish fennec fox.

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They opened the restaurant together and it became successful.

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The building itself was aged

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but the business was relatively new.

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The windows and signage were free of cracks and smudges,

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and the interior decor didn’t look worn and weathered

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like most of the other older businesses around the area.

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When they arrived,

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Lorenzo’s father, Massimo,

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greeted them with a big wave from a seat on the outside of the restaurant.

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“Lorenzo! Volker!” he shouted.

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“Ah, mio figlio e il suo ragazzo. Come stai, Lorenzo?” “I’m okay,” the short otter grumbled.

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Volker turned to his boyfriend.

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“Wait, what did he say?” “He just

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asked how I was doing,”

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Lorenzo explained.

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“E tu?” the large otter asked Volker.

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“That means ‘And you?’ right?” Volker inquired.

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Lorenzo sighed. “Yeah.”

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“Oh, uh, good,” the badger answered.

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“Dad, can we just stick to German?”

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Lorenzo groaned. “I mean, for Volker’s sake.”

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Massimo nodded.

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“Alright, sure thing.”

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The two of them sat down.

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The patio was crowded;

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all of the other seats outside were taken.

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There was a table with a wolf family speaking in Greek

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and another table with a couple of teenage goats speaking Turkish and laughing.

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Other people could be heard speaking

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in Vietnamese and French at the other tables.

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“Alright, in German,

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how’s your day been?”

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Massimo asked. “I’m fine,”

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Lorenzo wearily replied.

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“I thought I already said that.”

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“Yeah, we had a great time in the city,” Volker said, trying to liven up the mood.

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“We went shopping and we had gelato.”

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“That sounds delightful,” Massimo said.

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An older tiger waiter walked out with a big grin on his face.

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“Massimo, come stai?”

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He and Massimo gave each other a big hug

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and kissed one another on the cheeks.

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“What did he say?” Volker asked Lorenzo.

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“He just asked how my dad was,” the short otter said glumly.

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“Oh yeah,” Volker said with a nervous chuckle.

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“It’s okay,” Lorenzo replied with a frown.

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He stared down at the menu while the waiter and his father talked.

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“What’s wrong now, Lorenzo?”

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Volker asked. “Nothing,”

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the little otter said, feeling upset at everything.

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When Massimo and the waiter finished talking,

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the three of them ordered. A while later the waiter came back with their pizzas and drinks.

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He placed a carafe of orange juice down and set a bottle of Apfelschorle and Sprudel next to it before distributing the pizzas.

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Lorenzo had ordered his favorite falafel pizza with tzatziki sauce and feta. Volker got a Margherita pizza,

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and for Massimo, one topped with figs,

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cashews, and various traditional Turkish spices.

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Lorenzo took a bite of pizza

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and smiled. He noticed that Volker was looking back at him and smiling at his countenance.

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“Feeling any better?”

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Volker asked him.

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“I guess,” he looked up with a slight grin.

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“Lorenzo, was there something wrong earlier?”

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his father asked him.

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“No, everything’s fine,” Lorenzo replied meekly

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and his joyous grin faltered.

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“Lorenzo, if there’s something wrong you can tell me.”

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“No, really, everything’s great,” he blurted quickly and turned his gaze toward his slice of pizza,

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timidly taking another bite.

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“Alright, if you say so,”

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the older otter said.

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He then turned to Volker.

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“What’s new with you, Volker?”

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“Besides the idiots in the orchestra, I’ve been pretty good.”

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The badger scowled,

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but covered it up with another bite of the pizza.

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“Thanks for lunch by the way,”

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he said between bites.

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“You’re welcome. I’m sure that you will all do fine.

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I know you and Lorenzo have been practicing a lot and that will help the rest of the group.”

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“Yeah, Lorenzo’s perfect at the viola,”

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Volker said, smiling at his boyfriend,

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“and he himself is perfect.”

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“Aw, that’s sweet. Young love,”

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Massimo said as he tilted his head and grinned at the two.

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Lorenzo looked down at his pizza again and blushed under his whiskers.

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“You could have said that in Italian,

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Dad.” “Oh, mi dispiace, Lorenzo.”

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“What’s that mean?”

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Volker asked. “He apologized.

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You can go back to speaking German now,” Lorenzo ordered.

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Massimo rolled his eyes.

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“The orange juice please, my sir.”

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Lorenzo pushed it despondently towards his father.

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Massimo grabbed the carafe,

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knocking over Lorenzo’s glass of Sprudel.

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It splashed on him and soaked his white shirt and khakis.

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“Be careful, Dad!” he yelled.

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“Mi dispiace!” Massimo tried to help but his napkin was already dirty.

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He reached into his backpack for a rag but accidentally knocked it over on its side as well.

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A couple miscellaneous items spilled out.

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A young mink was walking by and a pen rolled against her crimson high heel.

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Massimo called out to her, “Signorina, aiutarmi perfavore!”

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Volker handed Lorenzo an unused napkin and asked,

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“What is he saying now?”

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“He asked her for help,”

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the smaller otter said through gritted teeth

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as he patted himself down.

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“Dad, she doesn’t speak Italian!”

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Lorenzo shouted at his father.

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“Beh, ma--” his father sputtered, defeated.

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“Just speak German!”

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“Lorenzo, come on, don’t yell at your dad like that,”

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Volker said putting a paw on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

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All of the other customers including the mink were staring at Lorenzo.

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“I think that I’m done here,”

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Massimo said calmly with a forced smile.

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“It’s good to see you again, Volker.”

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“Is there a problem?”

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the waiter asked as he walked back outside to see what was happening.

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“No, we had a spill.

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May we have the bill now?”

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Massimo answered.

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Massimo quickly paid for the pizzas

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and left with a subdued,

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“Goodbye.” Lorenzo and Volker finished their meals in silence before heading home,

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Lorenzo’s stomach left queasy from the entire ordeal.

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This was the the second of three parts of

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“Tempus Imperfectum”

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by Al Song, read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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Tune in next time to find out how [Lorenzo and Volker deal with the aftermath of their sordid lunch date

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along with how their festival performance turns out].

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As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog.