Playing Hostess (10/7/1983)

Friday, October 7, 1983
I was busy all morning and at 12:00 went to my room to eat lunch. I hadn’t any time to get nervous, but was preparing to spend the next hour doing so, since I was expected to pick up Jan & Kirby’s friend, Kent S, at 13:30 from the train station. But at 12:30 I got a phone call, and it was him! He was already here in Biel! Panic! I ran to put away my Piepser/beeper and hopped in the car to drive to Jan and Kirby’s apartment to check the plants (still wet) and to find a note to me. I ran out reading the note and drove to the train station, surely taking the long way! There he was, standing where I had told him to, with average height and build as Kirby had told me, and brown hair and a beard as Kirby had told me. Kent surely recognized the dark green Rabbit before the driver, although Kirby had sent him a photo of me. He put his suitcases in the back seat and climbed in, taking off his sunglasses. The beautiful eyes, just like Kirby told me! Pale blue and fringed with dark lashes. But then I had to concentrate on driving us to Jan & Kirby’s apartment. We arrived and I showed him the double lock on the outside, and let him in. He barely glanced at the note to him from Kirby. He said he wasn’t tired, so I took him upstairs to introduce him to the landlady, Madam V, in stumbling French. She was so sweet and he was so nice! Back downstairs, Kent asked if I needed to go back to work. I told him not until 17:00, but actually I had other things to do! Kent wanted to go for a walk, so he changed clothes and we were soon on our way. We walked over to the hospital and to the Personalhaus/staff residence so I could drop off my note and newspapers from Jan & Kirby. We left, passing Lucette from the laundry. We walked into the old town, then down Nidaugasse. Back along Zentralstrasse to Mühlebrücke. There was no bus, so I hoped he didn’t mind walking farther. (Later it turned out to be unnecessary to worry!) Back into the old town and beyond to Migros to let Kent buy something to take to the apartment to eat. We returned to Jan & Kirby’s place where I  left him at the gate, and hurried back to work. I got a message that our Wien/Vienna tickets were ready. I saw a patient of Jan’s, did notes, and did a second coat of varnish on the platform swing. Then I had to escort Ali’s mother downtown to Migros where we learned the language courses (French) didn’t begin until January, and they were geared for people who already spoke German. I took her shopping, and we ran into Jeanette from the CP Station. We walked to the Evilard funicular where Ali’s mother bought my ticket. In Evilard, she wanted to go on alone to Fr Dr Jo D’s house. So I took the funicular down to Beaumont and walked to the Personalhaus/staff residence.

Funicular ticket

It was almost 18:30 and I was to call Kent between 18:00 and 18:30. I called and he was ready to go to dinner. We were to meet at the corner in 5 minutes, so I had to run upstairs to put away my groceries and then run to the corner where he was already waiting. I felt awful being late again (although earlier I wasn’t expecting him at 12:30!). We walked downtown and went to the Vieux Ville/old town to have fondue. I ordered tea and Kent had two beers. I wasn’t at all hungry, but ate more than Kent. He didn’t eat very much and we actually left bread and fondue cheese! Kent added up the slips to figure the bill and we split the cost, leaving 29 CHF/$14. I had explained to Kent about the Nidaugassefest, and he had asked if we could see what was going on with Marsha’s drum corps. Marsha wanted me to be sure to bring him down anyway, so we walked down to the Swiss Pioneers stand, and it was a dead night. We sat with Marsha and a bearded guy, and Ruth D, Barbara S, and Schwester Susanne were hanging around as well as other club members. Marsha bought Kent a beer and the bearded guy talked our ears off. He spoke English okay, but what was he talking about?
Marsha had to go to the restroom and Kent went with her, I had to smile because suddenly I knew how Ruth must have felt! Mistrust! Jealousy! I knew that Marsha was surprised that she wasn’t asked to meet Kent at the train station, since she is the more outgoing one. They were back quickly and Kent and I left, passing a large crane lifting heating ducts or something to the top of the building. A small crowd gathered to watch the highlight of a Friday evening! Kent said he just wanted to walk. It was great to walk along in the dark and talk of anything, or even nothing. It reminded me of Buffalo where the best conversations took place during night walks. Maybe I do miss the States more than I think!
We walked up through the old town and along Juravorstadt, past the Catholic church and farther where it becomes Reuchenette-Strasse. There was no sidewalk, just the yellow-striped area on the right side of the road. Cars zoomed past. We turned up Pilatus-Strasse and then we turned right at Schützengasse because Kent still wasn’t tired! We walked through Ried and back past the sheep of the Tagesheim/boarding school. We walked towards Jan & Kirby’s place, parting at Sonnhalde. We agreed we had a nice evening and we seemed to want to do something the next day together, since Jan & Kirby would not be back from Yugoslavia until Sunday. We left it that Kent would call when he woke up. He asked if I woke up early. Sure, I said, thinking of Jan & Kirby, Marsha, and jet lag! I got home at 22:00. Wow, what a nice guy!