An Uncommon Family

by Christa Polkinhorn

  Anna grinned. “You’re funny. I don’t know, Petra, I think I’m just hopeless when it comes to relationships. Perhaps I’m just meant to be on my own. Taking care of Karla is more than fulfilling . . . most of the time.”

  “Well, I’ll have to leave it up to you. Anyway, we’re done and you look gorgeous once again. I just think it’s a pity you want to keep your looks all to yourself.” Petra lifted the mirror and turned Anna’s chair, so she could take a look at the back of her head.

  “Thanks, Petra, I love it.” Anna got up, looked in the mirror again, and shook her head a little. She liked what she saw. “All right, thanks, and I’ll think about your love advice.” She paid and gave Petra a hug.

  Petra shook her head and smiled. “Picky, picky.”

  Chapter 41

  There was a knock at the door. “It’s open,” Jonas called, then regretted it. He was expecting Karla, but it could also be his next-door neighbor. She had been coming by with treats for him, but he suspected there was another motive for her kindness. She wanted to snoop around to see if his “lady friend” was here. Jonas was tired of coming up with excuses as for why Anna wasn’t a frequent visitor anymore. He was relieved when he saw Karla. He motioned to her to quickly close the door. There was a squeaking sound of someone turning the doorknob in the apartment across from his. He suspected Mrs. Schatz was waiting behind the door, peeking through the peephole.

  Jonas put his finger on his lips, signaling Karla to be quiet. Karla grinned and they both stood in the hallway, waiting. Sure enough, they heard the door next door open and then close again.

  “Frau Schnüffler?” Karla asked. She knew that Mrs. Schatz was a busybody and called her “Mrs. Snoop” once in a while.

  Jonas nodded and they both laughed, then went into Jonas’s studio. Karla put her portfolio down, walked over to the coffee table, and picked up an invitation for Jonas’s next opening.

  “Can I have one of these to give to Anna?” she asked.

  “Sure, go ahead,” Jonas said.

  “That way you don’t have to send her one.”

  Jonas peered at her. Her voice sounded a little awkward and her face was flushed. She must feel the slight estrangement between him and Anna. “I’m not sure she’ll come, but go ahead and give it to her.”

  He watched as Karla took the invitation, then dropped it a couple of times before she managed to shove it into her portfolio.

  “Anything wrong?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, why?”

  “Just wondering. Anyway, I thought we should do something different today. What about going to the zoo? It’s a nice day and we can do some drawings of the animals and the landscape there. It’s good practice.”

  “Yeah, that sounds cool.” Karla’s face lit up.

  “Good, let’s go.”

  Karla gathered her portfolio. “Jonas?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you like . . . love Anna?”

  So that’s what’s bothering her. Jonas took a deep breath. “I like Anna very much, yes. Why do you ask?”

  “But . . . do you love her?” Karla’s facial color deepened. She stared down at her hands, then looked up again.

  “Karla, what brought that on?” Jonas asked, instead of answering her question. To be honest, Jonas didn’t know how to answer her. Yes, he loved Anna; at least he thought he did. Lately, however, Anna’s distance didn’t exactly engender loving feelings in him.

  “Just . . . I feel . . .” Karla struggled with words. “You don’t see each other much anymore. Ever since you just up and left on my birthday.”

  Jonas sighed. Obviously, Karla couldn’t be brushed off with a quick, noncommittal answer. “Well, let’s just say we had a slight disagreement. I told her something about my past she didn’t like. Anna has very high moral standards and it is sometimes difficult to live up to her expectations. Does that make sense?”

  “Yeah . . . but what did you tell her?”

  “It’s a long story, Karla, and I don’t want to go into any detail. There was something going on in my family that I should’ve told my wife. It doesn’t matter anymore what it was. What matters is that I didn’t tell her. And Anna felt that was cowardly and insincere, and she was right. But people make mistakes in life and sometimes that’s difficult for Anna to accept.”

  “Do you think you’ll get back together again?” Karla asked.

  “We’re not apart, really. I’m sure we’ll remain friends. And, Karla, don’t worry about what happens between Anna and myself. It has nothing to do with my feelings for you or Anna’s feelings for you. We both love you very much. Okay?”

  “Yeah, but it was so much better when we did things together . . . and I think you guys should get married,” Karla blurted out.

  “Whoa. You’re moving fast.”

  “Fast?” Karla peered at him. “You’ve known each other for years.”

  Jonas chuckled. “You have a point there. But you know, people can be friends without getting married.”

  “Yeah . . . but . . .” Karla fiddled with her portfolio. “I think Anna loves you.”

  “Oh yeah? How do you know? Did she say anything to you?”

  “Yes . . . kind of.”

  “Aha.” She’s such a bad liar. “What exactly? And if you keep pulling on that string, you’ll rip it off.” Karla dropped the string of her portfolio.

  “It’s just, I can tell . . . when you say something nice, she blushes.” Karla gave him an embarrassed look.

  Jonas suppressed a smile. “So, she didn’t say anything directly about loving me?”

  “Well . . . not directly, but . . .”

  “Karla, you can’t force these kinds of feelings. You’ll understand when you’re a little older. Things develop at their own pace. Don’t worry about us, okay? And let’s go and do something fun.”

  Karla nodded and picked up her art portfolio. They took the streetcar to the zoo. The white-and-blue tram made its way up the hill above the center of Zurich through the more expensive neighborhoods, the so-called Zürichberg or Zurich Mountain area. It wasn’t a real mountain but rather a wide slope from which one had a beautiful view of the city, the lake, the woods behind it, and the mountains in the background. Although the Zürichberg was no longer the exclusive residence of the rich, the old villas still dominated the landscape and gave the area a feeling of subdued elegance. At the last streetcar station, everybody got off and walked the short stretch to the entrance of the zoo.

  The Zurich Zoo, one of the best known in Europe, had been extended and modernized over the past years. It had been reconstructed with the health and well-being of the animals in mind. All areas had hiding places so the creatures could have some privacy from the peering eyes of the visitors. It wasn’t uncommon to walk through part of the park without seeing many animals.

  Karla’s favorite animals were the monkeys. They seemed to love human contact more than some of the other species. They were always present and did their performances and antics to the delight of both children and adults. There was a wide variety of them, from the huge, frightening-looking gorillas to the smaller, faster breeds.

  Jonas and Karla watched amused as three baby monkeys jumped from stone to stone, hissing at each other and fighting. All of the sudden, the mother walked down the hill and separated the three, slapping and scolding them with a loud, shrill voice.

  In the following area, a whole family of monkeys sat peacefully together: male, female, and a baby on the mother’s breast. They sat quietly and looked straight ahead, as if posing for a family photo.

  Jonas caught Karla staring at them intently. He put his arm around her. “Want to draw them?”

  She looked at him as if she had just woken up from a dream, then nodded. Jonas took out his camera and snapped a picture of the monkey family. “In case they move and get up. That way we can finish the drawing later at home,” he explained.

  They sat down on the bench and began to sketch the trio. Fortunately, the th
ree sat together long enough so they were able to draw a rough outline. After a while, the male stood up and walked away.

  “He’s bored; he’s going for a beer or for a chat with his male friends,” Jonas said jokingly.

  “No, he’s not,” Karla said, giving him a playful push. “Only humans do that.”

  “Hmm, you may be right,” Jonas said.

  “They’re a nice family, aren’t they?” Karla said, giving Jonas a wistful smile.

  “I agree.” Jonas took a deep breath. That’s what you need, instead of a father thousands of miles away, a dead mother, and an aunt who may be a little too cold and distant . . . although she is very loving around Karla. I wish it wasn’t just around Karla. He shook his head, as if to disperse the thought.

  Chapter 42

  Karla’s hand trembled as she put the card with the invitation on the coffee table in the living room. “Invitation from Jonas for his exhibition,” she said to Anna, who had just come home from the bookstore.

  “Thanks,” Anna said, paging through the small pile of mail next to the card.

  “Aren’t you going to look at it?” Karla asked.

  “In a minute,” Anna mumbled, then picked it up.

  Karla’s heart beat in her throat. Is she going to notice?

  Anna read the card, gave a quick smile, and put it down again.

  Karla took a deep breath of relief. “Are you going to the opening?”

  “Yes, perhaps,” Anna said and picked up another piece of mail.

  “It would be fun,” Karla continued.

  Anna looked up. “Yes. Well, you can go for a little while even if I can’t make it. It starts at . . . let me see.” She picked up the card again. “Five o’clock. That’s still early enough. You can go after school.”

  “I want you to come, too,” Karla said. “I don’t like to go by myself.”

  “Well, I’ll see. I might go.” Anna looked at the card again and wrinkled her forehead. “That’s odd,” she mumbled.

  Karla’s heart skipped a beat. She picked up her school backpack and headed for her room. “Homework,” she said.

  “Okay.” Anna still read the card. She shook her head, and put it down again.

  In her room, Karla sat on the bed, listening to Anna moving around the living room. Did she get suspicious?

  Karla and Maja had taken a long time trying to figure out what to put on the card. They had argued for about an hour. Maja, of course, wanted to put a least one gushing phrase on there. Karla voted against it. They finally agreed on the following:

  Dear Anna. I would really love it if you came to my vernisage.

  I think of you a lot.

  I miss you.

  Love always, Jonas.

  The door opened. Anna stood in the doorway. “When did Jonas give you this?” she asked.

  Karla glanced at her, then averted her gaze as Anna peered at her. “When I had my last class,” she said. Her heart pounded.

  “Hmm. Did you see him write the message? Was he in a hurry?”

  Karla looked at her puzzled. “No . . . I’m not sure. Why?”

  “Just wondering.” Anna closed the door again.

  Karla sighed and tried to calm her heartbeat. She pulled out her books and sat down at her desk. She only had to review a chapter in her geography book for the lesson on the following day. She couldn’t concentrate, though. After rereading the first paragraph several times without understanding a word, she sighed and pushed the book away.

  All of a sudden, the whole plan with Jonas’s personal invitation sounded stupid to her. Even if Anna believed that Jonas had written the invitation, she might ask him about it or thank him for the personal note. And then what?

  Karla picked up the phone in her room and called Maja. She was afraid and upset and needed to talk to someone.

  “Yes?” Maja answered with a yawn.

  “I think we did something stupid,” Karla said.

  “Why?” Another yawn.

  “Are you asleep?” Karla asked.

  “Not yet. I’m reading this boring chapter on history. It puts me to sleep. You know, about the Stone Age. I mean who cares about the Stone Age? But what did we do stupid?”

  “The thing with Jonas and Anna.”

  “Why? Did she read it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And? Did she notice anything?”

  “I hope not. I’m just worried.”

  “You’re such a scaredy-cat. It’s going to work; you’ll see. Is she going to the opening?”

  “She said she might.”

  “Well, so what are you worried about?”

  “What if she says something about the message and Jonas says he didn’t write anything?”

  “Oh, for God’s sake. They won’t talk about some stupid message. If she goes, Jonas will be happy, and they’ll talk about pictures or whatever.”

  “Perhaps you’re right.” Maja’s confidence made Karla feel a little better.

  “Just relax. And don’t worry. Anyway, I have to go back to my dull Stone Age. We have a test tomorrow.”

  “Okay, bye.” Karla pushed the disconnect button and put the receiver on her nightstand. She went back to her geography book, but her ability to concentrate hadn’t improved much. She sighed and got up to check what Anna was fixing for dinner. The kitchen was empty; there was a bunch of broccoli, some lettuce on the cutting board, and pieces of chicken in a bowl. It looked like Anna was about to start their evening meal. Anna sat in the den, talking on the phone. She laughed at one point. Was she talking to Jonas perhaps? Karla sat down on the sofa in the living room, trying to hear snatches of conversation. At this moment, Anna stopped talking and hung up the phone.

  “Who were you talking to?” Karla asked.

  “Verena, my friend from the bookstore. Why?”

  “Just . . . curious,” Karla said. She was both relieved and disappointed; disappointed because she somehow hoped Anna and Jonas had had a pleasant conversation, and relieved because she had been worried that Anna might have brought up the invitation to the opening.

  After dinner, Karla helped Anna wash the dishes. Afterward, she tried to read the geography chapter again, and this time she was able to concentrate a little better. Later, she worked on a painting in her artist corner in the den while Anna was taking care of some paperwork. At nine o’clock, Anna leaned back in her chair and stretched.

  “I’m getting very sleepy,” she said, yawning. “I think I’ll turn in early today and read a little in bed. What are you going to do?”

  “I’m getting tired, too. I just want to finish the watercolor, so I can let it dry.”

  “Okay, sweetie, sleep tight. I’ll see you in the morning.” Anna kissed Karla and yawned again.

  Karla added a few more strokes to her painting. It was a still life with a series of colorful fall leaves, an orange, an apple, a cluster of grapes. She glanced once more at her picture and smiled. She hoped Jonas would like it. She closed the paint box, gathered her brushes and the glass of water, and washed everything in the kitchen sink. On her way to her bedroom, she picked up the invitation to the opening again and then she saw it. She gasped. There was a spelling error in the message. Vernisage . . . that’s not right, is it? Karla dropped the card on the table and went to the bookshelf. She pulled out the dictionary and paged through it. Sure enough, it was vernissage with two s’s. Stupid Maja. And Karla hadn’t even noticed it.

  She felt fear crawl over her skin, giving her goose bumps. Had Anna seen it? She must have noticed and Karla didn’t think Jonas would have made a mistake like this. Was that the reason Anna had asked her if Jonas had written it in a hurry?

  Karla grabbed the invitation and took it with her to her bedroom. Perhaps Anna wouldn’t look at it again. She knew the date and the time of the exhibition, if she decided to go. Karla undressed, brushed her teeth, and crawled into bed. However, she couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. She tossed and turned, worrying about the outcome of this whole charade. “I
knew it was a stupid idea,” she murmured.

  When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed of being in Jonas’s apartment. Jonas sat in front of his living-room table, sorting through a whole stack of invitations with messages on them. More and more kept flying in through the window and landing on the table.

  The following morning, Karla felt like she hadn’t slept at all. She sat at the breakfast table bleary-eyed and yawning.

  “I hope you’re not coming down with something.” Anna put her hand on Karla’s forehead. “You look pale.”

  “No, I just didn’t sleep well,” Karla said, then took another sip of milk.

  “Are you nervous about something? Do you have a test today?”

  Karla shook her head. “No, just a bad night.”

  “All right, I hope you feel better. I have to leave a little early today. So don’t forget to lock the door when you leave. We’ll have spaghetti carbonara tonight. Your favorite.”

  “Oh, good.” Karla forced a smile and waved as Anna darted out the door. She finished her cereal and put the bowl into the kitchen sink, then went to her bedroom to gather her schoolbag. She picked up the invitation on her nightstand, glanced at it again, shook her head, and dropped it into her bag.

  Chapter 43

  The exhibition took place in a modern two-story gallery with large windows and perfect lighting. Jonas and the owner were still busy setting up the table with the refreshments when the first few guests arrived. It was fifteen minutes before the official opening. A few of Jonas’s close friends took the opportunity to chat with him before the place was swamped. Jonas was a well-known artist not just in Switzerland but in Europe and overseas. Some of his work was even represented on postal stamps. In many of his paintings, elements of two of his favorite artists, Picasso and Georges Braque, were visible.