Last night, the phone rang....

At six thirty p.m. My phone NEVER rings. Other than Peter calling, and his connection is still capped.

So I thought it was a polling place, or a wrong number, but no, it was my old boss.

I worked for her from 1976 until 2001. She owned the hotel until recently, and I believe she sold it to the Gang of Four.... Very family-oriented.

Now, just before I left 'Murka, there was this wild series on late night called SOAP, and one of the main characters was called 'Jessica'. Who had so many things going on in her mind, that these long convoluted sentences covering sixteen subjects came out, and if you didn't know the background, you were lost.


So I saw the parallel, and nicknamed her that.
And it had nothing to do with not understanding the language, believe me.

And not in a derogatory sense, but sometimes in exasperation.... 'What did she mean???'

She was always the woman juggling running a hotel, dealing with four children, and spending as much time as she could playing music. She was one of the last violin students of Anton Bruckner. Who was a fantastic composer.

She probably wouldn't have been so unhappy if she hadn't been burdened with running the hotel and just been able to concentrate on her music and family. And I think she was unhappy.....

If you are in someone's company at work for over two decades, you get to know them well.

But she is a strong woman as well. Some of her first memories are being driven out of what became Tchechoslowakia after WWII, and being 'auf der Flucht', fleeing.

And she probably hated having the added burden of running the hotel. But she always did one thing. She treated people working there as family, never got ruffled if you acted up a bit, and is warm-hearted.

And if you got into a bit of a scrape, she would help.

This is long-winded, because a few people who read this have met her, and I never clarified that.

She had a stroke about a week before Peter did, and mastered it. She is now gonna be 73, I blelieve... And in summer, she wanted to invite me to a dinner and a Haydn concert in a palace some ways south of here, 'because we never had a proper celebration for you.'

I was thrilled. And the day before, she called to make sure it was all fixed, and I was sick as a dog and had to beg off.

I was so sorry to have to disappoint her like that.

So last night, she called to find out how I am, and what is wrong. And that nearly ten years after she retired, hey. It wasn't curiosity, it was concern. So I explained, because at that time, I hadn't known what was wrong with me....

Whereupon followed a half-hour that I will never forget. It was extraordinary. Just everything right out in the open, and sometimes funny, and caring.... It was very comforting....

Am not going to go into the details, but at one point she asked about Peter, who also worked many years for her too, and I gave her some bare outline, and she said, 'You just made my blood run cold....' And she felt sorry for him, even though she thinks he is basically stupid about many things....

Especially the financial ones....

And at the end, I said, 'I was going to call you on Thursday'.... (It's her birtday, Dec.24th, a 'Christkind', as they call it here...) 'And I wish you health and everything good, and that the holidays will be wonderful for you.'

Most of her family will be here for her. Except for one daughter, who has seemingly gone off the charts for 'appalling behaviour'. Which I don't understand, fully, but do not wish to get into....

I know them all, including her late mother, father, sister.... and all the children and their children, and the 'family' feeling was always there.

What came after was pure 'Murka', and yes, they could be scurrile, and not want to just go for the jugular for profit, but they were a (sometimes) dysfunctional family.

And still got through things.

But it blew me away.

It's not about anything, really, but that call was really something else. Because it was in the tone, and caring, concern.... 'It's so cold, is it warm enough where you are?' 'Is your rent too high?'

And whenever I poked a bit of fun.... there was always respect. Over years, I think she had an affair. But so did her husband. Outside the marriage. And there was always this 'guy' who would call her around noontime. And if she were on the horn, I would say, 'Errm, Frau Doktor, the voice is on the line.... And it was a game between us.

(I can play naive like you would never recognise in real life....)

One day she went into complete hysterics after talking to the voice... so I went to the restaurant, got a double brandy, quietly set it down next to her, and said, 'I think you need this.....'

And never said another word.

So, zooming ahead twenty years, and we were at the Xmas party with the new people, and she had a bit much to drink, sang my praises, and added, 'Just so you know, there was never anything with the voice, but you were so nice.' No one knew what the hell she was talking about, but I did.

Respect. That is what it is about.

She knew what was happening between Peter and me, and she never ever said one bloody word, one way or the other.

Respect.

Sorry to go ON, here...

I guess that call was the nicest Christmas present I could have received....