It was too early, for those who had already gone to sleep and were waking up, but not for him who had been up all night; it was too late for him. He spent that whole night wondering if it really would be a good choice to leave that place: because of that same place that he was now being forced to let go of that he had changed. He did not change simply because he wanted to do so, but the circumstances had done so; fate did. When his mother woke up and saw that he was sitting there, she asked:
- Did you sleep?
- Not at all.
- Why?
- I'm thinking about my departure.
- You know it is no longer your choice to go or not, don't you?
- Yes, I know. Otto ducked his head and stared at the floor. - But I can't understand why.
- Look at all those people you helped. Look at everything you've been able to do.
- So where did I go wrong to have to leave? What did I do to make you want me to leave?
- You are not going because of what you did, but you are going because I believe in your potential. If you were able to do all of this without any preparation, imagine what you can do if you are prepared?
- Do you really believe I can do more?
- I believe so, as long as you believe in yourself.
Ann left the room and left Otto thinking to himself, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep, in a deep sleep. In this sleep he had a dream, and in this dream his father appeared to him:
- Congratulations son! I have seen everything that you have been able to do.
- I'm afraid to take the next step.
- Do not be afraid, for your path is illuminated by your own wisdom. You helped a lot of people there, now other people in other places need you. Your task is over there. One door opens when another closes. You have to close this door and finish this cycle, so that new doors are opened.
- Should I go?
- Listen to your heart.
- Thank you dad.
Otto hugged his father and felt the affectionate caress of that hug, he woke up hugging the pillow. He ran to warn his mother:
- Mother, I am decided: I am going to study in the capital.
- At last! I was already getting distressed. Let's get your things ready, we don't have much time for that.
- I have everything ready to go, mother. I'm going today, because I know that if I stay longer, I won't have the courage to go.
- I asked your uncle Göthe to take you.
Otto said goodbye to his mother and his friends, all those who worked together with him on the farm. He went to his uncle's farm, who asked:
- How was it there? How was the farewell?
- Difficult.
- It seems that it is a lot of the Heisenberg family. Your grandfather had to say goodbye to the family because of the first war, your father and I because of the second and you because of ...
- The third!
- No, because of your future.
The landscape change was drastic and rapid. In a few minutes, Otto could see how things were changing from the countryside to the city: little by little the farther houses were giving way to houses closer to each other, even where one was literally on top of the other. Ponds gave way to drained yards, dirt roads gave way to paved roads that went straight to the highways. People's clothes changed, the closer they got to the capital, the more dazzling they became, dirty caps gave way to top hats, muddy boots became clean and shined shoes. They came to an old building, with the Goethe Institut Schuler written on it. Otto knew that this was his destiny, he embraced his uncle and left. Everything was very new and he did not know how to act.
"It will be more difficult than I thought." - He thought.
He knew he needed a friend, someone he could talk to, someone who could help him. This didn't take long to happen, he got a friend right on the day he arrived at school.
When he said goodbye to his uncle and went to school, he saw a very beautiful girl, so beautiful that she walked about three meters looking into her eyes, and only stopped when she tripped over a rock and fell. She ran to help him, he had hit his head on the floor.
- Are you okay? - She asked offering her hand to get up.
When he turned his face to her, they looked deeply into each other's eyes and she knelt next to him:
- My God! You're bleeding!
He had cut the eyebrow.
- Come, I'll take you to the campus hospital.
He couldn't say anything, he could only look at that beautiful girl. She joked:
- Don't you say no?
- Yes, I do.
- Are you a stutterer?
- No -no. I'm a little embarrassed, you know?
- Why?
- I just got back from the field.
- Damn it! There it is very beautiful! Where do you come from?
- I come from a place called Westfalen.
- Swear? I was there almost a year ago!
- Really? Our! My lack of education, I didn't even show up! My name is Otto von Heisenberg. And you?
- My name is Liv Uggla Heisenhell. When my mother went to Westfalen, it was with the intention of meeting a mr. Heisenberg too.
- Is your mother called Helga?
- Yes. How do you know?
- I have a good memory. I was that mr. Heisenberg. I have a wine and juice farm. To Erstaunlich Weinbeere.
- That's where Mom went. But like, is the farm yours?
- Yes, since my father passed away I took over.
- My mom won't believe it, she spoke so well of you.
- I liked her a lot too. Can I ask you something?
- Yes, you can. What?
- I need help getting used to this place. Everything is new to me.
- A farmer afraid of a university?
- I'm not afraid, but did you see how they look at me?
- And did you see how you looked at me?
- II looked at you like that?
- Hey, the stutter is back!
- I'm not a stutterer, I'm nervous.
- Why?
- You have many unanswered questions. Going to help me?
- Stick with me and I'll help you.
- Paste on you?
- It's slang. It means you must stay by my side.
- I can do this forever and ever.
Liv looked at him, a little disconcerted.
- Was that a courtship?
- II have to go.
They had already finished repairing Otto's face and he got out of there faster than the thought. Liv thought that boy was very different, and if she had never heard of him before, she would have had the same impression she had: she thought he was incredible. Not that he was the most beautiful boy, nor the richest, but something about him delighted her. But she knew that it was very difficult to find beauty and intelligence in the same place. Ordinary girls prefer beauty rather than intelligence, because they know that ordinary boys are better able to see than to think. Something about that boy knew he was more capable of thinking than seeing. Maybe it's because I didn't see that stone out of place and fell, or maybe something else; but that he was different, he was.
Classes started and Otto went to his class. She was very happy to know that her first one would be shared with her new friend. When they placed the students in their proper places, Otto and Liv were even more happy. The teacher said:
- I want everyone in pairs. I speak the name on the call list and they join. Aachen and Aashaft. Bemmittelt and Bezirk.
So the teacher spoke up to the letter H, that's when she said:
- Heisenberg and Heisenhell.
Otto and Liv looked at each other, sat down together and he said:
- Better than sharing the class with you, is sharing the table with you.
- Thank you. You don't have to be such a gentleman or compliment me so much after all, nor am I that pretty. Look at Morgana, over at the next table, who is prettier than me!
- If there is someone more beautiful than you, it is certainly not in this world, but in the heavens, because it must be a copy of you next to Our Lord.
Some girls heard this and said:
- Noossa, taking compliments from the caipirão!
- Don't worry, Otto, they don't even know what they're talking about.
Otto really didn't give a damn, and he couldn't, because he was too busy paying attention to his classmate. Half of the applied mathematics class passed and Liv asked:
- What do you study?
- Administration. Is that you?
- Marketing.
- When I have a new company, I call you to do my marketing.
- There can be a good partnership between us!
The class ended. They made an appointment to take the classes they had in common together. That friendship only increased. Otto started to become more famous, as he proved to be very intelligent and people discovered that he owned a farm, that is, he had money. There was a day when a girl who, from the day he started studying, snubbed him, until the day he discovered he had money and possessions. At lunch, when he and Liv were talking, she asked to sit down. - What do you think, Liv? Have a problem?
" No." She replied like that, but Otto could see in her eyes that she didn't approve of anything.
- Sit down ...
- Morgana, nice to meet you. - She said sitting up. - I hear you are very smart.
- They say that.
The three looked at each other. Liv had something to say, but she didn't want to say anything. Morgana did not know what to say, but Otto wanted to break the silence and asked:
- Morgana, have you ever heard a story called "The King's Rings"?
- I don't think so, how is it?
At this point, Liv started to gather her things and said:
- You'll excuse me, I'll leave them to themselves. It seems that there are many subjects.
- Liv, have you heard this story?
- No. - She was dry.
- Then sit down, please. You will like it, you can be sure.
- How do you know?
- I know you. - He said that and took her hand.
Because of Morgana's reaction, that was not a good thing, as she was slightly flushed. Otto continued:
- They say this is an Arab story. I heard it when I was younger. It is said that there was a king who was very careful with his rings and yet, one day he kept two different rings together: one made of iron and one made of gold. The iron ring, which was engraved with the king's insignia, went to the gold ring: "Are there any insignia on you too?" And the gold ring replied "no." The iron ring asked again, "So, I'm better than you, aren't I?" The gold ring, very calm, asked: "Iron, have these insignia engraved on you changed your nature?" "No." answered. "Does the fact that I don't have these badges take away the golden nature?" "No" the iron ring replied. "So, who is more valuable? Think about it!" Do you understand Morgana?
- Honestly? Do not.
- Well then! When I got here, everyone was treating me like I was the iron ring, but as soon as they discovered my possessions, my surname, they quickly started treating me like I was the gold ring. The horizon is in the eyes and not in reality.
- Are you telling me that I am wanting to be your friend out of interest?
- And why would it be? We are at the end of the first semester, and today is the first time that he talks to me, and look that we share three classes a week.
She was at a loss for words. Otto excused himself to get up and said:
- Do you know all the times you called me a hick in the living room, speaking in French?
- What are you talking about?
- La langue francese cest non extrangére por moi.
- Do you speak French and never speak to me? Liv asked.
- You never asked me anything. And Morgana, I want and I can be your friend, but that's it. And remember one thing, the world would be much better off if everyone strives to be better as much as they strive to look good.
Saying that, Otto offered his hand to Liv and they left the cafeteria.
- Otto! With each passing day you are wiser. Where are you going on vacation this semester?
- I am going to the country, I am going to my farm, I have a lot of work and I miss my mother a lot. Is that you?
- Maybe I will go to France, because my mother wants me to train my French.
They talked and when evening fell, Liv called Otto and asked:
- Are we going to dinner at a restaurant today?
- Like you and me?
- No, my mother too.
- Ah! Yes, I do.
Each went to their scheduled class and they were both surprised to see that despite the short time, they missed each other. They had a lot in common, and his presence was very good, and he felt the same about her presence. When the appointment was due, the two arrived on time and Otto was already waiting for them. He said:
- You look beautiful Liv!
- My daughter told me that I had a surprise, but if I knew that the surprise was you, I would have arrived a long time ago.
- Didn't you say who would be your company for dinner?
- Of course not, Otto! If I said it wouldn't be a surprise.
- It seems then that I am important to you!
- You taught me a lot, my friend.
They talked throughout the dinner and at the end, Otto asked Helga:
- Where will you be in the next two weeks?
- I'm going to rest in France. I want my daughter to practice French too.
- And for that she has to go to France?
- I think so. Here in Germany it is not very common to see people speaking French.
- Mom, did you know he speaks French?
- Yes, I did, my daughter. We have already spoken in French, and in English as well.
- Otto! You didn't tell me you spoke English. What else can you surprise me with.
- I'm younger than you think.
- I think you're 19 .
Otto had a problem: his appearance. He was not too ugly, but he was mistreated by life, so to speak. He worked for a long time under the sun, rain, snow. He really looked much older than he really was.
- I am 16 years old.
- I can't believe it!
- It's true, daughter.
- Damn it! Excuses. But you're not even 16 years old. Why are you so ...
- Old man?
- Yeah, more or less.
- This is a very long story, a story I want to show you.
- What do you mean?
- I have an invitation for you two: how about spending these two weeks at my house?
- It would be quite a rest. - Helga said.
- And besides, I'm still going to practice my French.
They finished their dinner speaking in that language. During the conversation, Otto corrected their pronunciation a few times.
- You are very smart. I am very happy to see you close to us, I am glad for the invitation you made to me and my mother to spend these two weeks at your home. What I can't understand is how you know so much at such a young age. Where does so much intelligence come from?
- I don't know how to explain it, but you can be sure that it has something to do with the things I went through.
- I remember your story, it really wasn't easy.
- As they say, man does the middle and the middle makes the man.
- You talk like an older man, you dress like an older man. You are ....
- Charming. - Helga said - was that what you were going to say?
- Mom? - Liv was embarrassed.
- Then I'll leave you alone. Daughter, we'll see you in two days and Otto, I trust you.
Otto was very happy about the dinner. When Liv's mother left, he called:
- Liv, are we going back to the institute on foot?
-It's kinda far, isn't it?
- About 15 minutes on foot.
- Then let's go.
Otto paid the bill, didn't let it pay and didn't even want to share it. He said:
- I'm the son of an Englishwoman. She taught me to be a gentleman.
And that he really was. They walked to the institute's campus. The weather was fine and he made a point of talking about the constellations and the stars:
- That beautiful star that is shining high in the sky is Alfa Ursae Majoris, better known as a polar star.
- I love astronomy! Do you also understand this wonderful subject?
- I studied a lot about astronomy, at home of course; I know quite a lot. Do you want me to teach you what I know?
- If you are willing to teach, I will be willing to learn. I like the legends.
- The ancient legends of the constellations?
- They did. I love!
Otto told one or two legends, always stopping to show a star or celestial object in the sky.
- I loved our dinner, thank you very much for your company.
- You're welcome. You are the one who is a pleasant companion! Do not forget that in two days I will be there on your farm.