I
"I guess this meadow is too big for to be alone..."
Sitting underneath a cool shade of a tree in the middle of a meadow, flipping through pages of a book, was Gretchen Gottshcalk in a form of little girl, reading a book undisturbed. Occasionally fixing her glasses which frame is oversized for her face. There is nothing to disturb her reading in this place, in this meadow. If anything, the cool wind breeze and the sounds of leaves blown away are very pleasant, giving a sensation of solitude and calmness.
Nobody came to this meadow except her and few other people. The reason is neither because it's far from the town nor because it may become dangerous when the night falls. The meadow is the private property of Lindemann family. Lindemann family is a very influential family in the town of Nordlingen. They have facilitated the economy and the development of the town for few decades back. Though very influential, Lindemann family is not, in fact, the one who governs the town. It is said that they did not even have a slight interests in politics. But it can be assured that Lindemann family does have a connection with the government. Lindemann family owns a large estate right next to the town. It is also the place of their farm. The farm and estate is the only thing Lindemann family actually owns, they did not have any other properties in the town.
Nordlingen itself is a small town in Bavaria, Germany. The basic economy there is farming, but the most popular product of Nordlingen is its beer, brewed by a local brewery that turns big by help of the Lindemann family. There are also numerous speciality shops from tailors to blacksmith, making the town is pretty much self-sufficient. Another thing that might be somehow interesting about Nordlingen, is its town wall that separates them from outside world. Wild beasts are often spotted outside, so the wall actually protects the town rather than confines them.
Gretchen Gottschalk was born in this town, the same does with her lifelong friend, Lynette Lindemann. The two, despite social status differences, are very close.
Gretchen's mother passed away in the process of delivering her, leaving her with her father, Gerhardt Gottschalk. Because the lacks of woman figure, her upbringing became more of a masculine. That is until she met her lifelong friend for the first time, Lynette Lindemann.
Gerhardt is a freelance investigative journalist, usually working for the local newspaper, sometimes for big nation-wide or even corresponding with foreign newspapers, and he is often went out of town at the time Gretchen was able to take care of herself. He often travels to other big cities in the German Empire, such as Berlin or Munich; but he also travels to other countries and big cities in Europe, such as Paris, Vienna, or Rome. As a freelancer, he is often hired by certain people to investigate numerous issues. One of his frequent employer was Lukas Lindemann, the current head of the Lindemann family and also Lynette's father. Gerhardt was hired by him so often they became close friends in the process. It is also said that Gerhardt multiple times saved Lukas' life by investigating crucial matters for him. Aside from a hefty sum of money as payment, Lukas is often invites Gerhardt and her daughter for dinner. At those times, Gretchen met Lynette and they became good friends.
At primary school, Gretchen was considered as a prodigy. She excels at mathematics and her grades were outstanding. But that did not bring any good for Gretchen except few praises from her father. Her classmates envy her, her teachers despise her, and she was secluded from her peer group. She did not have any friends in school and was constantly bullied. The cause of the bullying was not only from her exceptional talent, but due to her boyish upbringing. She was rejected by the boys and exiled by the girls. The only friend she has is Lynette, whom at that time went to the middle school.
After school ended, Gretchen and Lynette often played or read books together at the Lindemann family meadow. Lynette had a more ladylike and elegant upbringing. She wore nice feminine dresses in comparison with Gretchen's boyish shorts and shirt outfit. At times, when Gretchen is immersed in her reading, Lynette would create a flower necklace or headband for her. When Gretchen accidentally fell asleep, Lynette would put her head on her lap and patted her. For Gretchen, Lynette was a big sister figure, a female figure that was missing from the earlier part of the life.
"Hey, Lynn... can you promise me something?" Gretchen one day said
"Hmmm? What is it, Grace?" Lynette replied
"Would you promise me that we will be always together?"
Lynette smiles, and then kisses Gretchen on the forehead.
"Of course, Grace, I promise"
"Really?"
"Yes, I promise that we will be always together"
"Forever?"
"For now and ever"
The two girls vowed to be together forever and not to be apart.
Gretchen hugs Lynette tight under the cool shade of a tree. The tree and the only tree in the meadow witnessed the supposedly unbreakable vow.
"I love you, Lynn" Gretchen muttered
"Mhm... I love you too, Grace..."
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II
Rip.
Gretchen noticed that tearing noise.
"Aw, damn it, not again…"
Her long coat got caught by a pointing nail out of a lamp post while she's walking and it tears it a little.
"What's wrong, Grace?" Lynn returned to her as she noticed that Gretchen was stopping behind her.
"My coat got stuck on a nail and torn again…" Gretchen answered as she's showing a small tear on her coat.
"Oh my, how unfortunate…"
"How many times did this happen already?" Gretchen sighs.
Lynette examines the tear closely
"It's not that bad, Grace. It's only the outer layer, the lining is fine, I can sew it again for you if you want."
"Really? Appreciate that, Lynn. Then I guess I don't have to take it to the tailor shop to repair it like the last time…"
"You're welcome, Grace. I can manage a small tear like this…" Lynn smiled "…then let's hurry go back to the flat."
Gretchen and Lynette hurries back to their flat. They were on their way home after classes in the first place anyway. Not long after, they quickly arrived at their flat building. Lynette looks for her sewing kit soon after they entered their flat. She usually kept it in a drawer.
"Here, give my your coat, Grace��� Lynette asks after taking out her sewing kit
"Ah, here…" Grace handed her coat
Lynette sits down on a couch by the window to get a better lighting. Diligently, Lynette starts to sew and repair the tear on Gretchen's coat. She chooses the thread with the same colour as the coat; she also pays attention to the thickness of the thread since the coat is actually made of quite heavy wool material.
Gretchen sits at the bed, watching at Lynette sewing her coat.
"The coat is quite old isn't it? I remember that this coat was used to be worn by your father…" Lynette said as she sew
"Ah? Oh, yeah, that's right, that coat was my father's…" Gretchen answered
"…I see, no wonder you really cherished it"
"Hmmm, I guess so, I mean he did give it to me and whenever I wore it I feel a lot more comfortable…"
"Hahaha, yes you did Grace, you've always been wearing this coat every year from the start of autumn to the middle of spring..."
"…yes, yes I did."
Gretchen stands up, walks to the window, and gazes into the street below.
"It has been years since he's gone…" she said, with a melancholic tone
"…I believe it's been four years already…" Lynette said
Gretchen sighs again.
"I remembered it quite clearly…" she muttered
"…" Lynette did not say anything back, because she remembered what happened back in those years.
"For four years, back at those times, it was quite a depressing time for me…" Gretchen mutters again
"…I'm sorry Grace…" Lynette said
"…ah, it is okay Lynn; I'm quite over it, ahaha…" Gretchen chuckled, but her tone indicates a little bit of irony.
Lynette did not answer again. She remembers it very clearly. How she did the worst thing she ever done to Gretchen.
Roughly six years ago, in 1892, Lynette is informed by her father, Lukas Lindemann. That she will depart for her university. She was sent to Paris, France, to study at the University of France.
Lynette never heard about it, let alone agreeing to it. But she remembers what her father said.
"Lynette, you must know your place. As a daughter of a powerful family, you need to pay attention to your upbringing. I never oppose your friendship with Gottschalk's daughter, but for this once, you need to do this for your own sake."
She cannot detest her father.
She decided not to tell Gretchen about her departure, fearing she will not be able to withstand the sadness. While she knows that it will only be temporarily, she promised her not to leave her. Yet now she need to broke it.
Days until the departure, Lynette agonized every single day. She was forced to choose the impossible. For her, promise is a promise, no matter what.
She left without any notice to Gretchen. Little she did know, her decision is a big mistake.
For about a year, no contact was ever made. Lynette tried to send few letters, but no replies are coming. Only after that, replies from Gretchen starts coming.
While they did make up, that did not relieve the pain of betraying Lynette have. Because she remembers everything until this day, the pain still stings her heart every now and then.
But, it was just her side of story during those years. Few years later, in 1894, the letter stops coming again. It was actually the year Gretchen should graduate from school, but not news of it reaches Lynette's knowing. Not until Lynette graduates and returned to Nordlingen will she knows what happened to Gretchen.
Lynette continues to sew while those memories flash in her head. After a long while of silence in the flat, she finished repairing Gretchen's coat.
"Here you go, Grace…" she gave it to Gretchen, who still gazing at the street.
"Ah, thank you very much, Lynn…" Gretchen noticed, and then took the coat from Lynn.
She examines the stitching. The stitching is very neat, with little irregularities. At a glance, nobody will notice that part was torn and sewn back before.
"Your work is wonderful; I could never stitch as neat as this!"
"No need to flatter me, Grace, it's only a small thing" Lynette smiled
"Hahaha, I'm not even trying to flatter you, you know?"
"Now, now, be sure to take care of that coat, alright? It's what makes you remember of your father after all…"
"Yes, Lynn, of course I will"
Gretchen took a glance at the clock on the wall.
"It's almost dinnertime, are we going to cook or should we go to the Haifisch?" Gretchen asked
"Hmmm… as a compensation for repairing your coat, could you make me delicious Käsespätzle of yours?"
"Eeeh, do we have the ingredients though?"
"I remember there are some cheeses left in the food storage"
"Oh, alright then, I'll make some for tonight…"
Gretchen took off her jacket, rolled up her sleeves, and then put on a cooking apron. She proceeds to the small kitchen they have in their flat and then begins to cook for their dinner.
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III
There was this one time when Gretchen was still a little girl, she tagged along with her father during his work. He was supposed to document a sport game played by Englishmen living in the city of Dresden. The sport game was called 'football'.
Gretchen was only ever saw indoor gymnastics as sports and never saw an open field game like this before, except for cricket. The game was strange, but fascinating. Maybe she will tell what she saw today to Lynette later when they go back to Nordlingen.
What she saw that day was a group of men kicking around a ball in a large grass field. The grass is very neatly trimmed. Everything is even, creating a seamless view of a large field.
It was a perfect analogy for the existing school system in the German Empire.
Gretchen was smart, too smart for someone her age. She enrolled in the Realgymnasium, a secondary education that differs from ordinary Gymnasium. In ordinary nine year terms of Gymnasium, students will be taught Latin, Classical Greek or Hebrew, and one other modern language. But in Realgymnasium, they additionally taught science and mathematics aside from the mandatory Latin and modern language. Gretchen was one of the only few girls accepted in the Nordlingen Realgymnasium, it was a big deal back then, to even think she did not came from a rich or powerful family.
It's normal for boys to receive such high education. The same applies to girls from royals or rich family for their prestige. But why would a girl, which dresses like a boy, enrol in such a prestigious educational institute?
Gretchen received financial backing from Lindemann family, of course, as a token of a lifelong friendship between the families. But that does not mean she did not encounter any problems. While she did formally accepted in the Realgymnasium, she never was actually welcomed by the social environment.
"Who did she think she is, waltzing around in this institution?"
She was shunned by the boys, for being a girl in general.
"A woman should learn her place! Why do you need a secondary education? Women belong in houses, taking care of her family!"
She was bullied by the girls, for wearing boyish clothes and did not come from an influential family or social background.
"What is she trying to do? Nobody is being impressed on how she dresses! She is clearly not educated properly as a woman! It is to be expected for someone with no classy background though."
She was discredited by most of her teachers for being too smart for the school's average standards. Only few of the academic officials sympathized with her, but they also soon turn their back against her when the social pressure starts to reach them to for supporting her.
"Don't be too conceited, Gottschalk, even though the head of Lindemann family sponsored you here. You're still nobody when it comes to yourself."
Gretchen always ranked at the top when it comes to science and mathematics. The headmaster was always acknowledging her talents and ability. But the board of academics is pressuring to expel her due to reasons of 'creating instability between her peers'.
"…I'm terribly sorry Miss Gottschalk, but even I don't hold absolute power in here…"
Thus, in the mid-autumn 1893, Gretchen was expelled from the Realgymnasium.
Being expelled without any even-handed reason, Gretchen left the Realgymnasium without any diplomas or certificate. Then was another despair moment for her. With Lynn far away from her, there is practically no one for her to lean her exhausted self to. But being raised in a masculine manner, she puts on a strong face, while she is actually feels miserable deep inside.
Her days of misery did not end up there. Not long after in the cold winter months of early 1894, her father, Gerhardt is departing for yet another assignment out of the country. Gerhardt was always serious about his job, so he departed with no slight reluctance.
The day her father ready to depart, Gretchen hugged him and cried. It was probably the very first moment Gretchen ever showed her father her deepest emotion.
Even though, it was futile. Gerhardt still departs, even after hugging his daughter like she never before after all these years.
"I don't know how I could make you remember me when I'm gone. You must be always miserable every time I left you for work. I'm sorry, Grace, for being an insensitive father…" Gerhardt said
"…I did, and I always did. But I know that you're doing this for my sake, so I can't complain about it…" Gretchen replied as she tries to hold back her tears
It was a cold winter month and they are outside. Gretchen chased after him out of the house without any adequate insulating clothing. He can see her daughter freezing.
Gerhardt takes off his greatcoat, and then covers up his daughter's freezing body.
"I've always been wearing this coat. It's old and worn out, but probably this is the only thing you can associate me with when I'm far away…"
Gerhardt hugs his daughter again
"…I'm sorry, but I need to go now…" was his last words whispered into Gretchen's ear
He kissed her daughter's forehead, he let go his hug, grabs his bag, and then departs. As he getting far from his house, he can hear Gretchen shouted.
"Promise me you will come back!"
He only replies it with a wave, without looking back.
As soon as she can't see her father's silhouette from afar, Gretchen holds onto her father's coat, and then returns to her house. There, she cried again as she hugged her father's coat. She realized it a long time ago, but she never let it up before today. She loves her father very much.
Gerhardt never comes back since then.
She was left alone in misery, but after weeks of endless tears and sleepless nights, she's back on her feet. She starts to study independently from the books she already bought that were intended to be used at the Realgymnasium.
Of course the matter of her expulsion did not being left unattended by her financial backer, Lukas Lindemann, the head of the Lindemann family. As much as he was enraged at the Realgymnasium, where he is actually a huge sponsor and donator, he decided to pull some strings through his vast connection. He managed to convince the President of Ludwig-Maximillians University in Berlin to accept Gretchen with special conditions. He also asked the Headmaster of Nordlingen Realgymnasium to write a special recommendation letter.
Thus in spring 1894, Gretchen enrols in Ludwig-Maximillians University and moved to Berlin. She did not waste the opportunity given to her. She studied diligently, soaring her talent and ability in mathematics. Though she still received some discrimination, her academics environment was a lot better than what she endured back in Nordlingen.
With her excellence and special treatment, she completes her study only in three years period, graduating in 1897 in the age of 19. She majored with Bachelor of Science degree in physics.
She returns to Nordlingen and reunited with Lynette, her lifelong friend and big sister figure, who already completed her studies a year before her in 1896. Even though Lynette did graduate in 1896, she returned to Nordlingen only few months before Gretchen because of some sort of family affairs.
When the two met each other for the first time in years at the Nordlingen train station, Lynette leaped and hugged Gretchen on sight.
She then whispers to Gretchen's ears
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything..."
Gretchen only smiled and hugs her even tighter
"It's alright Lynn, I have forgiven you…"
"I promise I will never leave you again, I won't break my promise again, whatever happens…"
As the two girls reunited and Lynette recommencing her promise, Gretchen gains herself confidence and optimism to face whatever happens in her life.
Both then almost immediately decided to move to Zurich. Gretchen got accepted in the Zurich Eidgenössische Polytechnische Schule, or the Polytechnikum without any hassle. Meanwhile Lynette enrols in the University of Zurich, continuing her studies from history she studied back in Paris, now concentrating on archaeology instead.
Gretchen hasn't heard anything about her father yet, but she's assured that he's just busy somewhere doing investigations and is well. She believes that one day, either her father is coming home, or she will be the one who will come after her father.
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IV
"Thank you for the meal. Your cooking is superb as always, Grace!" Lynette said as she wipes her lips with a napkin
"Ahaha, don't exaggerate it Lynn, we know that you're a better cook than I do…" Gretchen replied
Gretchen stands up and then starts to clean the table
"…that might be true, but I was trained as a need due to my background. Elegance of whatever the reason that is, is what shapes my cooking, but your cooking is different…"
"Different? Well of course, given by it, but what do you mean?"
"My cooking skills are trained to follow an already established standard, so you will find it no different with other gourmet cooking in fancy restaurants…"
"…well, I suppose that's pretty obvious"
"But you, Grace, are cooking by yourself, for yourself, so you develop a unique kind of taste that is not defined by any standards, it is completely different"
"Wow, thank you for the compliment, I guess…" Gretchen thanked as she wash the plates "…I never really think when it comes to cooking; I just do what I feel as right, that's all…"
"Really? Then that would make you even more amazing, Grace"
"Ahahaha, you're exaggerating. Cooking is just like any other consumable items that we can taste. For someone who does not keen to coffee as me, like you for example, would not be able to tell which coffee beans that are the best. Let alone for someone that is not familiar to coffee, even between coffee lovers will engage in a live-and-death debate when it comes to the best coffee"
"So you are saying that when comes to things like these, everything is just a subjective opinion?"
"Well, yes, basically"
Gretchen puts the last plate on the shelf, dries her hands, and then sits back on the dining table
"Let me tell you something Lynn, while there are things that are absolute worst, there are no such thing as absolute best. A charred burnt egg is an absolute bad for everyone, but nobody would be able to come up with the best sunny side-up for everyone. One would prefer more salt, other prefers more pepper, and some other prefers scrambled egg…"
Lynette leans her body a bit towards Gretchen, showing that she's all ears
"Why? Because, like I've said few days ago, human perception is always distorted, or rather, in a neutral tense, affected by external factors."
"I see, and then I, having an aristocratic upbringing, have different perception than you, who have a rather different upbringing"
"Exactly"
"But then again, there is something that is called as consensus, no?"
"True, even in science, the acceptance of what's scientific and not sometimes are based on consensus. Theories that are inherently challenging the predominant consensus will often shrugged as not scientific, or at the very least, contains errors that deems it as invalid as a theory"
Lynette nods.
"Hmmm, but that makes me curious…"
"What are you curious about, Lynn?"
"In general, most of the time we would stick between a false dichotomy of majority and minority as if they are black and white, right?"
"I suppose so, socially speaking…"
"Right, because that is how I grow up with, I was kind of trapped to see people divided into two groups. Those are us, the rich people who held status in society, and the commoners, like you and your father for example. But these two are very normalized and generalized"
"…and then?"
"There are unique people, who do not fit between the generalized stereotypes between these two dichotomies; I'm really curious and eager to meet one of them…" Lynette smiled
Gretchen realized what Lynette actually means.
"Ah, I get it… you want to meet Kriemhild, my research partner?"
"That's right! How sharp of you, Grace!"
"It's pretty obvious. I guess I did describe her as a weird person, huh?"
"You did tell me that she resembles a witch, Grace"
"Well, that was meant to be hyperbolic, but I guess that's one word to describe her. What are you going to do anyway?"
"I'm intrigued by what you've said about subjective taste of food. I think I'll make something, make you both eat it, and I want to hear the opinions on it."
"Hmmmm, well that sounds interesting. Let's see if we had the chance to do it…"
"I will look forward to it!"
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