Page 148 - harryDEC12_clean.iba

The grandparents are about to leave; I understand that Clara is really the dominant person in the family. She is Martha’s role mode everybody bows before her. As soon as the grandparents have closed the door (they go off by taxi, as they live not far away, conveniently for their age right next to the northern cemetery), Martha's father puts bottles on the table. Hard drinks: vodka, Schnapps, cognac, that is drunk diluted with juices. There is a lot of drinking, empty glasses are immediately refilled and it does not take long for the mother to nag her husband:
“You with your music - always away from home - you’re interested only in the skirts.”
"Stop talking such rubbish - take a look in the mirror!”
Martha intervenes, attacking her father:
“Will you kindly not behave like the proletarian that you are when I come with my husband on a visit - that’s so embarrassing!”
“And you, you imagine you’re something better just because you’ve married into Hamburg society - you are and will remain a ....“
He cannot finish the sentence. Martha has a go at him like a fury and pushes him onto the armchair, his wife helps her and he falls with the chair onto the floor, lays on the floor. Then I hear unarticulated yells, and like a mad rage he goes after his wife and slaps her on the face. Martha grabs him, and melee ensues between the three of them until I intervene physically. Martha scratches my face:
"And you keep out of this.”
This is the second time she does this and it really pisses me off. What the hell is going on!? I wonder and go into the bathroom to wipe the blood from my face. This, I think, is not unique, this is how it always is, how on earth did I get mixed up with these folks? How do I get out of it again? When I go out of the bathroom the atmosphere has grown even more agitated:
“I’ve known for a long time what type you are, or have you forgotten how you abused me when I was still a child?”
I hear Martha yelling.
“I’m going to bed,”
I announce - nobody listens. So I go into the next room in which a day couch has been prepared. For a long time still I hear the brawling next door, falling objects also make a din, until I go to sleep. I do not know when and where Martha sleeps. Next morning all act as though nothing has happened.
"Come back soon,”
147