Chapter 44 the meyers

The Meyers lived on the same street as me, not far away.I can't remember now how I met them.It may be because Tian Dewang lives there, I went to see Tian, ​​and thus I got to know him.After Tian left, there were also Chinese students living there, who came and went and became acquaintances. There is an old couple and two beautiful daughters in their family.The old man is very similar to my landlady, Mr. Opal. Both of them were fat at first, but they lost weight after starvation.The temper is exactly the same, honest, can't speak, and rarely speaks.When there are many people, I just sit by the side without saying a word; but there is always a simple and honest smile on my face.Such a person, one can tell at a glance that he will never lie or deceive others.He is also a small employee, busy with work and work every day.Later, I retired and stayed at home all day, rarely going out for activities.It is his wife who holds the power in the family.She was about the same age as my landlady, but they spoke and behaved very differently.Mrs. Meyer seemed livelier, more articulate, better at dealing with advances and retreats, and more sociable.As far as I know, she is also very friendly to Chinese students.The Chinese students living in her home have a very good relationship with her.She is also a typical German woman, she takes care of all chores in the family.She does exactly the same thing for Chinese students as my landlady.Every time I go to her house, I always see her busy, turning around inside and out.But she was always smiling, and I never saw her frowning.Their family is a very happy and happy family.

There is another reason why I have more contacts with their family.During the years of my doctoral dissertation, I wrote a manuscript in German that had to be typed clean before showing it to the professor; I neither owned a typewriter nor knew how to type.Due to repeated revisions, the amount of typing is very large.It happened that the eldest daughter of the Meyer family, Irmgard, could type and had her own typewriter, and she was willing to type for me.So, for a long time, I went to her house almost every night.Because the original manuscript was too messy, and the content of the thesis was weird, it was like a heavenly book to Imgard.As a result, I had to sit next to her while she typed, in case of consultation.In this way, I often work until late at night before I go home in the dark.

After I finished the exam, the task of typing the thesis was completely over.However, during the four or five years I remained in Germany, I wrote several more papers myself, so that until I left Germany in 1945, I often went to Irmgard's house to type.If there is any festive day in her family, entertaining guests for snacks and tea, I will be invited to attend.Especially on her birthday, I must go to congratulate her.When her mother made seating arrangements, she always had me sit next to her.At this time, there are fewer and fewer Chinese students staying in Göttingen.The few good friends who used to meet on Schiller Lawn on Sundays were gone.I am alone, and the feeling of loneliness strikes me from time to time.I would also like to go to Meyer's house to enjoy a little friendship, to find a little peace among the noise of war.This was very commendable at the time.I still remember it as if it was yesterday.

You can imagine what it must have been like for me to leave the Meyers and Irmgard under these circumstances. On September 24, 1945, I wrote in my diary: After dinner, I went to Meyer's house at 7:30 and typed with Irmgard.She advised me not to leave Germany.She is especially lively and lovely tonight.I was a little bit reluctant to leave her.But what can I do?No one like me deserves to love such a beautiful girl as her. On October 2 of the same year, four days before I left Göttingen, I wrote in my diary: When I got home, I had lunch and reviewed the manuscript. Arrive at Meyer's house at 3 o'clock and finish typing the manuscript. Irmgard is just reluctant to leave, so I don't know what to do.

The diary is the real record at that time, not my recollection today; it represents my feelings at that time, not my feelings today.It was with this feeling that I left the Meyers, and Irmgard.When we arrived in Switzerland, I wrote to her several times, but after returning home, we stopped hearing from each other.Saying I don't want her is not the truth. When I returned to Göttingen in 1983, I asked about her, but of course she was as unknown as a yellow crane.If she was still in the human world, she would probably be almost seventy years old.Now I am very old.There may not be too many people in the world who can still think of her.When I can't think of her, there will probably be no one in the world who can think of her.

1988