Battle of the Rhine

ah!He should have thought of it.America is big, New York is big, but it's no use escaping to Antarctica when you're hiding from someone.That's what old Mike said, and Michael has found out over the years that his father's words are right.Let's see!He's a stiff stone statue now, sitting in a cozy dining room with a band playing soft tunes - at least the band's presence adds luster to the high bill and makes you think "oh, I didn't waste my money" - Michael's brain was full of jumbled thoughts, and his sudden increase in blood pressure prevented him from coming up with an idea. After 25 years, smart old Mike is finally going to die!This was the only conclusion Michael could read from the silence of the dining table.

"'King'," but "Big Girl" still refused to let go of his poor comrade-in-arms, "Oliver called you 'King'...you remember Oliver? Oliver Bowman, he is the only one among us who knows Speaking German, he was the interpreter at the time. I remember you speaking English...you're a college student! Right?"

Michael regained some sanity in the smile of "Big Girl", "This is Anthony McWood," he introduced in a small, pitiful voice, "This is—this is—"

"Karl von Quincy." Quincy said coldly, "I remember you, Mr. McWood."

"He's 'Big Girl,'" Michael added, "don't care what he's called 'Mr. . . . '

"Damn it, shut your mouth." "Big girl" looked at Quincy's increasingly gloomy face, then at Michael, and finally, his gaze rested on the wedding ring on Michael's left hand, "Oh, so, He pointed to Quincy, then to Michael. "Did you guys meet in New York? Or in Germany? Let me take a guess—"

"'Big Girl,'" Michael stood up, "we—"

"I have something to ask you." The expression of "Big Girl" was unpredictable, and finally returned to calm.He actually smiled kindly at Quincy, "Old Mike has consulted about real estate, and I happen to have some data to give him." The real estate manager said without changing his face, "Come on, Mike, come with me to see Look, I found a place..."

Michael nodded at Quincy.They'd been together for so many years, he could read Quincy's expression.Quincy must be ashamed, angry, and desperate by now—Michael really screwed him over! "No, I didn't ask about the house," Michael said to Quincy, in English, "I'm not going to leave you and go back to America...you know, I'll be in Germany, with you, and we— "

"As you can see," Michael turned his head, uneasy, but resolute, "we're together. I'm sorry, 'Big Girl,' I lied to you, but—"

"Fuck, you old liar!" "Big Girl" cursed, but he was actually quite nonchalant. "It's nothing," he said to Quincy, "you don't have to, I'm a New Yorker, born and bred. I Saw, uh, a lot of things, so... last year, last year you know? On the news, 'Stonewall' over there—"

"Dad?" A girl came over, "Big Girl" glanced at her hurriedly, and immediately smiled, "Mike! Come, this is my Angel... Winora, come, this is your Uncle Mike, Mike , this is my daughter, the smartest little girl in the world."

"Big Girl" was so excited that she asked the waiter to put the table together.He pushed Michael to sit side by side with Quincy on the other side, and he sat on the other side with his daughter.Winora has sleek black hair and eyes very much like her father's.She was admitted to New York University, where she majored in literature. "I think it's more profitable to study finance," "Big Girl" did not hide her complacency, "But who makes her like it? I can't stop it, I can only follow her."

Talking about this topic, Michael also has a lot to say.Carl Jr. was going to study mathematics, and Michael didn't understand the meaning of mathematics at all.Quincy understood, he supported young Carl to learn some number theory, God forbid, the word "number theory" Michael had only heard of, never figured out the meaning. "Nowadays, adults follow the children." He looked at Quincy pleadingly, hoping that he would raise his eyes to agree, "Isn't it? I think we still have to give them advice... It's not good to just agree."

Ever since the table was assembled, Quincy lowered his head, ignoring anyone, and worked silently on the steak in front of him.He cut a whole steak into tiny cubes and piled them on the corner of the plate.From what Michael knew of the college students, Quinnessy must be mad at the moment, God forbid, he's still calm in front of so many people, and he didn't cut Michael's mouth with a knife - but when he got back to the hotel, he couldn't say no Ready.

"Okay." "Big Girl" cleared his throat, "Well, Carl, stop torturing the steak—"

Quincy raised his eyes and quickly glanced at the father and daughter of "Big Girl".Winora looked at him curiously, and "Big Girl" said, "This is... your Uncle Mike's good friend, yes, good friend, yes—that, sweetheart, you remember I told you , Dad, I almost died in Germany?"

"Remember, isn't that helmet still hanging on the wall at home?"

"Big girl" laughed, "At that time, it was your Uncle Carl who fought with me. I was on the Rhine River, and he was on the other side—he was a good fighter! Thanks to my father, I was lucky... ..."

Quincy blushed, which Michael suspected was a sign of his impending outburst.He stared at "Big Girl" in horror, but "Big Girl" winked at Michael—

"Are you a pilot?" Winora said cautiously, her green eyes full of interest, "I guess you must be a pilot!"

"Come on," "Big Girl" laughed, "You silly girl, don't think he's a pilot just because he's good-looking—"

Michael inexplicably remembered a dream he had many years ago, the dream of Victory Day 50 years ago, "Carl is a pilot, and he is too tall." He said, patting Quincy's stiff arm, "Isn't it ?”

"I can't fly a plane," Quincy said dryly, thankfully, although it sounded extremely blunt, "I'm an ordinary soldier in the Army."

"Nonsense, he's an officer." "Big Girl" said, "Honey, when you go to Germany, you have to take a good look at the river for me..."

"Are you going to Germany?" Michael asked, and Winora nodded, "I want to. I'm learning German, but I can't speak it very well."

From here, Quincy joins the chat.At ten o'clock, after drinking a bottle of wine, "Big Girl" pushed Michael away and paid the bill. "Fuck!" He dragged Michael to the door, where Winora was pestering Quincy, asking him about the University of Munich. "You old dog," "Big Girl" yelled, "you bastard! You bastard .

"I'm sorry," Michael confessed sincerely, "I lied—I didn't want to lose you as a friend, 'Big Girl.'"

"If you fucking call that nickname in front of my daughter again, we'll be doomed." Mr. Anthony McWood beat his comrade's chest and head, "—what do you think of me? I'm a New Yorker, What weird things haven’t I seen? I’ve noticed something wrong with you for a long time... Old Mike’s sweetheart, your eyes are wrong when you see him, it’s like a wolf seeing meat... You guy got divorced within a few years after returning to China , Is it for him? I went to Germany and never came back...it was also for him, right?"

"I love him," Michael admitted, "I can't lie to you anymore, even though I'm a man, I—"

"Okay, okay, it's disgusting." "Big Girl" sighed, "I just didn't expect you to be... But it doesn't matter, Mike, I think you are doing well, you are in a suit and tie, and you are an engineer …As a friend, I am happy for you! But one thing, you swear to the American flag, you have to tell the truth, you must not lie to me for the sake of dignity or something."

"I swear," Michael raised his fist, "I swear to the flag."

"Damn it," "Big Girl" hugged Michael's shoulders and looked behind him, "Damn you," he blinked hesitantly, "you two, who is the one on top?"

Michael blushed!Not because of alcohol. "I," he stammered after ten seconds of silence, "it's me, I can tell you this, it's me."

"Then I'm relieved." "Big Girl" murmured looking at the sky, "The honor of the United States is finally preserved—otherwise I will shoot you for treason, this is no joke."