Vision Ch. 06

Denmark & MM

I am wondering if we will ever arrive, two trains, another night spent somewhere in between and now a days drive up the coast. It's nothing like I anticipated. Dunes, there are sand dunes everywhere. There are houses submerged/built into some of the dunes. It's a surreal landscape.

"Looks like luck is with us today, " says Lulu, "there's plenty of sunshine after all. Weather pretty much kinda sucks here so there's never a guarantee for sun even during the high-season, which is what this is. "

Finally, there are the picturesque houses she mentioned, they're mostly yellow, some white with terracotta roofs. Despite it being high-season as she calls it, its very relaxed and quiet here. There are people strolling and out to lunch. There's water in the distance and even though its 69, there are people in bathing suits. Lots of German license plates says Lulu. It all looks Greek to me, don't know how she even knows the difference.

"Instead of Danish mostly German is spoken around here anyway, which is how I picked it up from Ma who picked it up from MM. "

"Lulu, I'm starting to think your head size has nothing at all to do with your hair, you just have a really large brain."

"Ha, Ha very funny, I know there's a compliment in that remark somewhere - at least there had better be - but I really would not go around casting aspersions at head size if I were you Dax." She looks over at me and gives a small shake of her head.

She finally pulls into the pebbled driveway of a large yellow cottage somewhat removed from the others.

"And here we are, at long last." She says.

We get out and stretch. Lulu looks at me.

"OK, man here we go."

The door opens before we knock. I just hope I am lucky enough to be with a woman this beautiful even in old age. Reddish brown, mostly white hair in plaits woven into and intricate updo. Same delicately strong bone structure and height as my Lulu, dressed in serviceable dark gray pants and a t-shirt.

She hugs Lulu tightly, all the while looking at me.

Finally stepping back, she takes a deep breath and approaches me. I hold out my hand to shake but she just looks at me with her hand to her mouth. Even the same mannerisms as my Lulu.

"MM?" says Lulu softly. "This is Dax. Remember I told you about him?"

Her eyes flash as she turns and snarls something in German at Lulu, who amazingly doesn't snap back or pull a face.

"In English maybe MM."

"I do apologize, Dax. I said I remember who he is. Or rather who you are. Its still quite a shock is all."

She finally takes my hand and shakes it; same firm handshake as Lou. Two of them. One for me, and one for Uncle Junius.

"You two must be hungry. At least she is, I know she is always hungry. Greediest baby I ever saw."

Lulu looks chagrined. "MM, please?"

MM has no filter.

"What? I don't lie. Its completely true. Look he's even laughing at it."

Lulu shoots me a look and MM waves her away and tucks her arm in mine.

"Go away now, there are trays of goodies for you in the kitchen on the left counter top, bring out the tea and the goodies from the right counter top into the salon. I am going to get to know your young man here. Come, Dax."

MM escorts me up a small flight of stairs to a sunroom at the back of the house. It overlooks half of a small greenhouse surrounded by more dunes and off in the distance one can see the ocean.

We sit and she gets right down to business.

"So, even though she is Fresser - you are in love with my Lulu-chen, yes?"

"Yes ma'am, I am very much in love with her. But Fresser?"

"Means - greedy-gut. Forgive me but meine liebchen speaks languages like me and indulges me, I don't speak much English these days."

She pauses staring at me again, before shaking her head and going on.

"So, you love her? You mean to marry her, yes?"

Uh oh, here we go. "I want to, but she is very stubborn. I have asked her, but . . . " I trail off wondering where the hell Lou is. I'm looking in the directions of the stairs when MM reads my mind.

"Don't give her another thought right now, she's in the kitchen probably eating a tray of sweets." She mimes a rapid eating motion with both hands and waves kitchen Lulu away.

"I know my Lulu, one day she will marry you. Period. She loves you deeply - bought you to the top of the world to meet me, this is a serious step. Ignore her hard head. You now have major ally, she gives you trouble - you call me."

I laugh outright at this and she looks at me eyes widening in amazement.

"I haven't heard that laugh in over 50 years. You not only look like my Junius, but you laugh like him too."

She peers at me, without turning her head she reaches for the side table at her left for a pair of glasses. With them on she regards me closely for several long moments.

"Almost just like him, except for the nose. You broke it, yes? More than once."

Another razor sharp woman. I can imagine Uncle Junius had his hands full too back in the day. What's scary is she's still a handful, at her age. This may very well be my future.

"So, he is alive, and well?"

"Yes, ma'am he is."

"He is unmarried still, yes?"

"He never married."

She nods and takes a breath and is quiet for a few minutes before calling out in German. I can make out her pet name for Lulu, who appears moments later, with a tray of tea and pastries and small things to eat.

MM takes an embarrassed Lulu in hand, wiping her mouth and brushing off a few crumbs. It's my turn to laugh.

We eat and have a wonderful chat with MM who regales us with tales of her travels as well as local tourist antics. She and Lulu have the same unconventional vagabond quality, tough but gracious, often picking up oddly devoted friends all over the place.

After a while, MM says she is ready to call the states and speak with Uncle Junius. Though its 8:35 pm here its only 2:35 pm in the states.

I speak to Pops first, who has already broken the news to Uncle Junius and braced him. Uncle Junius comes to the phone and we speak momentarily and I finally hand the phone to MM who takes it with tears in her eyes.

They speak quietly for many moments - Lulu and I look at each other and respectfully leave the room.

We are standing at the bottom of the stairs about 33 minutes later when we hear sharp words from MM.

"I wanted to marry you Junius. I asked you and asked you. You expected me to do what? Of course I married the man, he loved me, he begged me to even though he knew I was still in love with you. And I don't regret a single day of being married to such a devoted man."

Theres a pause as he responds.

"Junie please, your race, my race - creole, black, white . . . hell that was the least of it as far as I'm concerned. There's the fact that you were in fact already married - to the cause. Your goddamned cause that is still going strong after all these years."

Another pause. Lou and I look at each other and go up the stairs.

"Still stubborn, yes, yes I am and you are still a dogmatic, egotistical ass! Look you know where to find me when you calm down enough to talk. I love you too."

She hangs up and sighs with frustration and frowns to see us two standing there looking at her in shock.

"What? You've never heard older people argue before? Its just like when you two do it but with fewer words."

We eat and eat and drink and drink as we visit with MM for 4 days. Dilled butter and radish sandwiches, with several types of smoked fish, Hackbraaten (German meatloaf), pickles, pastries, chocolates, spiced Aquavit - the cardamom is a shared favorite between me and Lulu. Finally, MM kicks us out saying she has a life and we need to get back to ours.

She takes Lou by the shoulders. "Lulu-chen, I want you to keep this man. It will not be easy - he looks and seems much like Junie, very impossible possessive, but know that you have his complete and undivided devotion - it will be worth it in the end. Just last night I had a dream last night of the two of you driving two spring bulls across an open field of indigo."

MM efficiently bustles us out to the car, easily toting the heavy, goodies laden box she's prepared for us and giving strict instructions on the distribution of goods.

"Thank god Dax is here, I can now be sure everything makes it home without little mouse bites all over everything."

Lulu looks shocked.

"That's right greedy-smurfy - Len-chen told me how you ate most of the cheese and fish last time."

Lou starts to pout and fume and MM shuts her down.

"No retaliation liebchen, share with your brother and sister, yes? If I hear otherwise, I will put you on Kringle restriction for one year and you don't want that. My days are numbered you know."

"Yes Mormor." Says Lulu meekly. MM pats her hand.

Turning to me she says, "Remember what I said Dax-chen." She kisses me on both cheeks and busses my nose with hers. Lou gives us a suspicious look.

"Yes, ma'am I most certainly will."

"Stop with the ma'am business, call me MM."

"Thank You - MM."

She shoos us off - waving us away home.