Strife Between Neighbours

Ben swept past his father without looking at him and exited the home. Otto smiled bitterly. He’d be back when he cooled off and realized he had no place to go and needed food and shelter.

Ben paused outside the Hoffmann home briefly and then on impulse he strode to the front door and knocked loudly.  It was late and he hoped someone would answer the door despite the lateness of the hour. A puzzled Hans Hoffmann eventually opened the door and gazed at Ben in alarm. It was obvious Ben had taken a serious beating, and he noted the clutched bag of clothing with him. He opened the door and beckoned him inside.

“What’s going on Ben, you look like you need to be in bed with those wounds. Does your father know about this?” Ben nodded and Hans sighed. The Krause family had been friends forever and Hans didn’t want to get involved but it was obvious he couldn’t leave Ben outside, so he waved him in and pointed to their lounge. Ben sat painfully.

“Mr. Hoffmann I won’t keep you long and I apologize for the lateness of the hour, but could I have a brief word with Clara before I leave.”

“Ben, I think you should tell me what’s going on and why you’re in this condition.”

“My father gave me punishment with his belt because I told him I was in love with your daughter Clara, and this was done in front of my siblings Uncle Hoffmann. I feel so humiliated so I’ve left home and will be looking for accommodation tomorrow, but I won’t stay for more than a few minutes here if you allow me to see Clara.”

At that moment Emma Hoffman appeared from the hallway adjusting her dressing gown curious as to who would be calling at this time of night. She gasped as she saw the condition Ben was in and sped to see if the abrasions on his arms held up as a defence against the belt needed attention as blood was beginning to seep out and Ben was holding them out in front of him to avoid spoiling the Hoffmann’s lounge. She rushed to the back room to get water and soothing creams to treat his wounds along with some bandages shouting at her children to remain in their rooms as she found them peering through half opened doors to their bedrooms. She was soon back and working on the wounds while Ben protested feebly not wanting to be a trouble to his neighbour.

Hans sat thoughtfully as he watched his wife at work muttering soothingly to the young man as she applied her remedies. If Otto had done this, it was compromising their friendship having their son in the home. He and Otto had been friends from childhood growing up with their mothers and siblings in these same houses they occupied now while their fathers worked far away in the logging trade with relatives only returning occasionally to see their families were OK and producing new offspring. He knew Otto sometimes had a short fuse if aroused but they’d never had a falling out all these years.

But the Krause children had been in the Hoffmann home since birth intermingling with his own children and he looked on them all as a single unit. He loved Mia as more of a sister than friend and Otto as a substitute brother now his siblings were scattered far and wide. Hans tossed up in his mind if he should return with the boy taking him home and bringing harmony back to his friend’s home but realized that wouldn’t be wise after this boy’s ego had been bruised so badly at age nineteen and old enough to be thinking of marriage.

He was not averse to the idea of Ben marrying his daughter if that was her wish but if Otto was making other arrangements that would certainly cause a rift between the families. Little did he know that an anxious Otto had crept out in the dark to watch his son disappear down the street and turn into the Hoffmann driveway. He watched for some time to see if the young man was granted entrance and seeing him invited in went back inside and sat in his chair fuming. Mia found him asleep in his chair the following morning and silently went about preparing breakfast for everyone fearful of what would happen when he woke up.

Eventually he awoke and joined the assembled family at the breakfast table. He pronounced a blessing on the food and then held up his hand to get their attention. He looked at the children.

“I do not want to see or hear of you children associating with the Hoffmann children in future is that understood?”

The children looked at each other in surprise. The Hoffmann home had been their second home, and it was like one big extended family with the Krause and Hoffmann families one united unit. They sat dumbfounded as their father turned to their mother.

“Mia you will no longer visit in the Hoffmann home and see our children are not there either. Hans will no longer be an uncle to you children and Emma an aunt or sister to you Mia. Is that understood?”

He began to eat indicating they should also eat then go about their business.

Mia completed her tasks that morning with tears in her eyes. She was beginning to lose respect for her husband and had noted the smouldering anger in her children as she sent each one off to work and school. She knew her children would continue to communicate with the Krause children, and she’d turn a blind eye to that. She’d have to continue her relationship with Emma very carefully from that time forward. Her husband had been late in leaving for his work which was highly unusual, and she feared having to communicate Otto’s instructions to Emma and her children if they should come to the home as they usually did each day.

But Emma did show up mid-morning to see how Mia was coping with what had transpired the evening before and filled Mia in on what had happened at their home after Ben left.

Ben was planning to leave his job and go inland with loggers who he’d got to know on the job as his employer at the warehouse supplied loggers and miners in those remote settlements in British Colombia. Hans had permitted Ben to talk with Clara on the understanding he’d leave next morning after Emma had attended to his wounds and patched him up with a supply of creams to aid in the healing process.

Ben had asked if Clara would be willing to wait a couple of years for him to return as he was hoping to save enough from the hard work of logging which paid well to come back and marry her, and she said yes. Hans thought that lengthy period would give the two of them enough time to think about Ben’s proposal and see if they wanted to proceed and get married at the end of two years. If they did Hans would then decide if he could bless that union.

He knew that this could potentially ruin his long-term friendship with Otto who he looked on as a brother. But he wanted his children to marry those who had a genuine love for them and not an arrangement between families which may result in ruin for the children he loved if they were found to be incompatible.

Mia listened to Emma with appreciation and told her she and the children had been instructed not to mix with the Hoffmann’s in future, so they had to be very careful not to be seen when they were in contact. Mia knew Clara and Gisela were like sisters and worked in proximity and it would be impossible to control their meetings, but she’d warn Gisela to be very careful as her father also worked in the city and rarely paused for his lunch during the day but may check on his daughter from that point forward.

Hans decided he’d not ignore contacts with his friend Otto. They occasionally had to visit each other’s workplaces as a necessary work-related activity and Hans would act as if there were no rift between them. The occasion arose on the second day after Ben left Vancouver. Otto had been surprised when informed at Ben’s workplace he’d left the city and proceeded to logging areas with some of the visiting loggers getting supplies. A wave of sadness passed over him as he’d fully expected Ben would return home and apologize asking to be received back home and agree to the marriage proposals Otto was working on. This was his eldest son and heir, and it was unthinkable there should be a permanent rift between them, but stubborn Otto was too proud to inquire about which logging area his son had gone to hoping someday it would all be resolved and his son would come home and submit to his father’s plans.

So, Otto found an excuse to do business with the place Hans worked to see if he could discover anything of his son’s whereabouts. He approached the counter where Hans supervised coldly and placed his order waiting for Han’s to raise the issue. But Hans refused to acknowledge any rift between them and cheerfully went about directing the gathering of all things asked for and going on with the banter friends usually shared between them. He even inquired if Otto would like to come over in the evening with his family and enjoy a meal together as they often did. Otto was nonplussed at this friendly approach and decided to bring matters to a head. While the workplace was not the place to be raising issues between families, he had to get it off his chest.

“Hans, I saw you sympathizing with my son when I had to correct him last evening and while we obviously have to do business together it seems we can no longer be friends so I can’t accept your invitation and have instructed Mia and the children not to come to your place anymore.”

Hans looked up in surprise.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Otto. We’ve been friends from childhood, and I’ll always open my home to you and your family if you change your mind. I found a wounded boy at my door and had Emma clean his wounds and allowed him to sleep on the lounge that evening to recover. I’d feel a similar obligation to any of your children or Mia for that matter if they were ever in trouble and needed help and certainly would do it for you, my brother. My home will always be open to any of you if you need help, but I’ll honour your instructions and inform my family.”

To be continued.

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