The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, shielded by two bodyguards, went to her limousine, got in and took a seat in the backseat. In one of the back shelves always had to be original chocolate chocolates, because, as the Chancellor said `so that at least the palate gets good news from time to time ‘.
It was a dull and hazy morning. Nobody said anything. They started. All you could hear was the sound of tires on the asphalt that was still wet from last night’s rain. The silence was unusual. Unusual than usual.
The chancellor quietly studied her olive moleskin on dates and handwritten entries. She liked that. `Nobody can listen to notebooks, and if necessary I eat it up ‘, it always splashed out of the mouth of the Federal Chancellor in a good mood.
After a while the chancellor cleared her throat.
“Tell me, this is not the way to the airport …”
Your bodyguards did not answer. A short break was on the program. A full week of skiing holidays in the Swiss town of St. Moritz. Her machine was waiting at the airfield.
A light drizzle set in. It looked like it would rain more heavily soon. The Chancellor and her companions wore thick coats. Their compact shapes made the interior of the limousine look very narrow. Outside, a strong wind was coming up.
“Driver,” said the Chancellor, “I think you are going in the wrong direction.”
The driver did not answer. The others stared straight ahead.
“Listen,” said the chancellor, “maybe someone tells this man how to get to the airport …!”
“We’re not going to the airport!” Said the bodyguard to the left of the chancellor.
“We are not going to the airport?” Asked the Chancellor.
The bodyguard was silent. It began to rain more heavily. The driver turned on the windscreen wiper.
“Listen, what’s that for?” The Chancellor asked. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s been raining for two weeks now,” said the bodyguard in the passenger seat. “Really depressing. May I be happy when I finally get into the sun. ”
” Yes, me too, “said the driver.
“Something is wrong here,” said the Chancellor. “I demand that you tell me instantly ….”
“You do not have much to ask for here,” said the bodyguard on the right of the Chancellor.
“Is that supposed to mean …”
“Exactly,” said the bodyguard.
“But not an assassination …?”
“Hardly. Something like that is out of fashion long ago. ”
” But, what should then … ”
” Please. We have our instructions. We can not talk about it. ”
They drove for several hours. It rained without interruption. Nobody said anything.
“So,” said the bodyguard to the left of the chancellor, “now make a loop down there, and then we go in. Nobody chased us. This rain was just right. “
The car made a loop and then turned into a narrow dirt road. The road was softened, every now and then the wheels spun, slipped away, then grabbed and the car drove on. A man in a yellow raincoat was waiting for her. He held a flashlight in his hand and directed her into an open hall. It was an abandoned Soviet barracks; the barracks building was half hidden behind trees. The bodyguards got out of the car.
“Get out,” said one to the Chancellor. The Chancellor accepted the request. The bodyguards took them between them, although there was no one to be seen for miles, except for the man with the yellow raincoat and flashlight.
“I do not understand why we can not do it right here,” said the man in the yellow raincoat. “On the tour of the boss it is definitely risky.”
“She wants it but so,” said one of the bodyguards. “You know how she is. She has always relied on her sixth sense and she is clever. And now all the more. ”
” Miserable cold today. Do you have time for a cup of coffee? I’ve done
some . ” ” Nice of you. War’ne long drive. Hopefully everything is clear with the second car, right? ”
” Of course. Double and triple checked. Actually, we are actually ten minutes early according to the plan. Therefore my suggestion with the coffee break. You know how much she’s punctual. “
“All right, let’s go in.”
They took the chancellor in the middle and went into the hall.
“They sit down,” said one of the men to the chancellor.
“Good coffee,” said the man in the raincoat, “hand-ground.”
He walked around with the pot and poured the cups full. Then he poured himself one and sat down. He threw his headgear on the stove. He kept the raincoat on.
“Ah, that’s good,” said one of the bodyguards.
“Milk and sugar?” One asked the chancellor.
“Yes, that’s right ….”
It was tight in the old car, but they all found their place. The two in the back seat had taken the Chancellor between them again. The car kept skidding on the muddy dirt road, but they made it to the main road. This trip was again very monosyllabic. Then one of the bodyguards put a cigarette on.
“Damn, I just can not
stop smoking!” “Well, you just can not get that off again. Do not worry. ”
” I’m not worried either. I’m just annoyed with myself. ”
” Well, forget it. Today is a big day in German history. ”
” God knows, yes! “Said the one with the cigarette. Then he inhaled deeply and delightfully …
They parked in front of an old pension. It was still raining. They sat in silence for a few moments in the car.
“So,” said the bodyguard in the passenger seat, “now get them out. Everything okay. There is no one to be seen. ”
They went shoulder to shoulder with the Chancellor through the front door, then up two flights of stairs. They stopped in front of the door with the number 14, and one gave the agreed knock.
The door opened and the men pressed quickly through with the chancellor. The door was closed again and locked from the inside. Inside, two men and an old lady were waiting. The men were in their fifties. The old lady sat in the middle of the room in a rocking chair. She wore an old dress, old stockings with running stitches, cheap and already worn shoes, which have long seen no shoe polish. Her hair was tinged with a slight blue cast. She seemed well over 80 years old. She smiled…. and her eyes were still the same; also the nose, the chin, the forehead, the special mouth, the tinted hair, the same glasses …… her face had hardly changed.
“Welcome, Madam Chancellor, or should I greet you with a warm ‘friendship’? I had to wait a long time. On history, on science … and on you. Today everything comes together, my love, as planned … ”
The Chancellor stared at the old lady in a rocking chair.
“Great God! You … you are … ”
” Aha, so you have recognized me, my dear! Some of our compatriots have jokingly pointed out our similarity. Of course, they were too naive to even think that I was … ”
” But, you are … “
“Of course, my dear, I moved to Chile after I was released from office as Minister of Education and was also expelled from the Party, his time. Because we wanted it that way! Of course I always had contact. You know, I’ve really been very patient. The science was always on our side, but we had to help the story over and over again … we wanted the right woman. You are the right woman. The other candidates were all useless, and all men … ..
And too far from my political philosophy … .You are a woman and are far better in line with my political ideas. I’ll make it easier for you. However, as I said, I had to do a little bit of the wheel of history … and my advanced age … you understand … ”
” Are you saying …
?? ” ” Yes, Chancellor Schroeder was ‘asked’ for the vote of confidence. We made him an offer he could not refuse. We hardly had to help with Kohl, but in her good election results with her appointment as Federal Chancellor, I had to make a `good word ‘to my friends. Much earlier, by the way, Senior Möllemann has noticed something of us and smelled directly Lunte. Well, you know what happened to him … “
“But what are you going to do with me? I was told that I should not be killed … ”
” May I acquaint you with my two doctors? Dr. Goy … .Dr. Völkner … ”
The two gentlemen nodded politely. The Chancellor smiled tormented.
“But what should happen to me?” She asked.
“Patience, gracious ones. I have yet to talk to the two gentlemen. Erich, what about the doppelganger? Did everything go well? ”
” Yes, very well. We spoke on the phone. The doppelganger arrived punctually at the airport. She announced that the flight was postponed to tomorrow due to bad weather conditions. She’ll take a little walk instead … she said she likes to go for a walk in the rain …. “
“And on?” Asked the old lady.
“The doppelganger is dead now.”
“Good. So to work. Today is a crucial day …… for science and history! … ”
The bodyguards led the chancellor to one of the two operating tables. They asked her to undress. The old lady went to the second operating table. Dr. Goy and Dr. Völkner put on their surgical gowns and tied their mouthguards … ..
The firmer and younger looking woman rose from her operating table. She put on the clothes of the Federal Chancellor and then went to a man-sized wall mirror. She stopped for a good five minutes. Then she turned around.
“It’s really a miracle! Not even surgical scars are visible! I congratulate you, gentlemen! How did you do that? … ”
” Well, “said one of the doctors,” we’ve learned a lot, Comrade Minister … ”
” STOP! Remember, gentlemen, that from now on you will never talk to me like that again …. until the time comes … until I say it …. and until then high German is spoken! am now the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany! ”
” Sure, Chancellor! “
The Chancellor now raised her hand and felt her puppet wrinkles.
“Yes, I must say, before that I was prettier …”
The two gentlemen smiled.
Then she asked, “What about the old lady?”
“She’s sleeping now,” said Dr, Goy. “She will not be back in 24 hours. All traces of the OP are eliminated. We could leave now. Only, I would strongly advise us to take care of this woman …… ”
” I tell you, she can not hurt us anymore. No, she should suffer as I have suffered! ”
She walked over to the bed and looked down at the old woman. An old woman over 80 … with tinted hair ….
“Tomorrow I will be home. I wonder how the professor will be pleased with me as I fulfill my marital duties, “she said with a short dry laugh.
“Well, I’m sure, Comrade … oh, I apologize! I am sure, Chancellor, that he will be pleasantly surprised by you! ”
” So let’s go. The gentlemen doctors first. Then the others. Individually. We then change the cars as discussed. And then my first well-deserved night’s sleep with my professor …! “
The old woman woke up. She was alone in the room. An escape was possible. She got up to look for her clothes, and as she passed the wall mirror, she saw a very old woman in it. NO, she thought, OH MY GOD NO !!
She raised an arm, the old woman in the mirror raised an arm. She took a step forward. The old woman in the mirror took a step towards her. She looked down at her hands … they were old and wrinkled, dotted with age spots … they were not her hands! And the feet … those were not her feet! That was not her body!
“My God,” she said. “OH MY GOD!”
This voice. Not even her voice had kept her. They had the vocal cords exchanged. She touched her neck, her head. No surgical scars. She put on the old woman’s clothes and hurried down the stairs. She knocked on the first door. The door opened and a sympathetic old lady stood there. “Yes, Mrs. Feistermann?” She said. “Mrs. Feistermann ?? …. you hear, I’m the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany! We are in a state of emergency! ”
” Well, so Mrs. Feistermann! I’m not kidding, but this … ”
” Do not do that! Where’s your phone ?! ”
” Where it always is. Just to the left of the door … ”
She grabbed the cordless phone.
“Woman … er, so, how is the address? And tell me the number of the taxi company! ”
” Nana, Mrs. Feistermann, you know the address. You live here for quite some time. You’re starting to look a bit odd today, Mrs. Feistermann. And on this occasion I would like to say something else … ”
” Yes? .. what? “” I would like to remind you that today your monthly payment is due again. She always wanted to pay in cash, but then please on time, Mrs. Feistermann! ”
” Woman … now tell me finally how this is the address! ”
” Well, Königsberger way 19 … .as if you did not know that! “
“Yes,” she said into the phone, “Taxi? I want a car in Königsberger Weg No. 19. I’ll wait for you there. My name? My name? …. Well, my name is Feistermann … “Going to the
Federal Chancellery certainly has no purpose, she thought. They have already shielded that … I’ll go to the biggest newspaper. I will tell them everything. I’ll tell the publisher everything … what happened …
The other nurses made fun of her. “Do you see the old woman there? That looks a bit like the former Education Minister of the GDR, only that she looks much older. Was not she called MISS EDUCATION, or the Blue Eminence? The toned hair still has it. What was her name? Was not she also associated with the President of the State Council? Anyway, when she came in here a month ago, she said she was the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. That was a month ago, and now she does not say it that often. But newspapers read them, really in hugh quantities. I’ve never met a person who was so obsessed with newspapers. However, she really understands a lot of politics. Guess she has her crack. Too much politics! “
The food gong sounded. Everyone rose except for an old lady.
A nurse came to her.
“Mrs. Feistermann?”
No answer.
“Mrs. Feistermann!”
“Oh..yes?”
“Lunch, Mrs. Feistermann!”
The old lady got up and shuffled slowly into the dining room ….