Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf (5 page)

He stares at her and gets up: “Because they let me out that’s why I’m here. They let me out all right, but how?” How, he wants to tell it but chews on his twine, the trumpet is broken, it’s all over, and he trembles, and can’t cry, and looks at her hand. “What do you want now? Is anything wrong?”

There are mountains that have been standing for centuries, that have always been standing, and armies with guns have gone over them, there are islands, people on them, chock-full, all strong, solid business houses, banks, industry, dancing, dives, import, export, social questions, and one day there starts a rrrrrrrr, rrrr, not from the warship, the rumpus starts all by itself-from down below. The earth gives a jump, nightingale, nightingale, how beautifully you sang, the ships fly to the skies, the birds fall to the earth. “Franz, I’ll yell, let me go. Karl will soon be here. Karl will be here any minute. You started the same way with Ida.”

What is a woman worth among friends? The London divorce courts, in the suit of Captain Bacon, pronounced a dissolution of his marriage on the ground of his wife’s adultery with Captain Furber, a fellow-officer, and granted him £750 damages. The captain does not seem to have put too high a value on his faithless wife, who is soon going to get married to her lover.

Oh, there are mountains that have been lying quiet for myriads of years, and armies with guns and elephants have gone over them, what is one to do, when they suddenly start to caper, because down below there’s a noise that goes: rrrr, rumm. Don’t let’s say anything about that, let’s leave it alone. Minna cannot get her hand away from him, and his eyes look into hers. The face of a man like that is laid with rails, a train passes over it, see the smoke, it passes along, Berlin-Hamburg-Altona express, 6.05 till 9.35, three hours and thirty-five minutes, can’t do anything about it, the arms of a man like that are made of iron, iron. I’ll call for help. She screamed. She was lying on the carpet now. His stubby cheek against hers: his mouth greedily fumbles up towards hers, she turns away. “Franz, Oh God, have pity, Franz.” And-she saw it all right.

Now she knows, she is Ida’s sister, that’s the way he looked at Ida sometimes. He has Ida in his arms, it’s she, that’s why he has his eyes closed and looks happy now. And there is no longer the terrible fighting and this moping about, it’s no longer prison! It’s Treptow, Paradiesgarten, with a display of fireworks, where he met her and brought her home, the little seamstress, she had won a vase at dice shooting; in the hallway, with her key in her hand, he had kissed her for the first time, she stood on tiptoe, she had canvas shoes on, he dropped the key, after that he could not tear himself away from her. That’s good old Franz Biberkopf.

And now he smells her again, at the throat, it’s the same skin, the same odor, it makes him dizzy, what will it lead to? And she, the sister, what strange thing is happening to her? She feels from his face, from his lying still on her, that she has to give in, she defends herself, but a sort of transformation comes over her, her face loses its tension, her arms can no longer push him off, her mouth grows helpless. The man says nothing, she lets lets lets him have her mouth, she grows soft as in a bath, do with me whatever you please, she dissolves like water, it’s all right, just come, I know it all, I love you, too.

Magic, quivering. The goldfish gleams in the bowl. The room sparkles, it is not Ackerstrasse, no house, no gravitation, no centrifugal force. It has disappeared, it has sunk away, extinguished is the red deflection of radiations in the sun’s dynamic field, the kinetic theory of gases, transformation of heat into energy, electric vibrations, induction phenomena, the density of metals, of liquids, of non-metallic solids.

She was lying on the floor, tossing herself about. He laughed and stretched himself: “Well, go ahead and choke me. I’ll keep still, if you can do it.” “You deserve it, all right.” He clambered up, laughed, and spun around with joy, delight, beatitude. The trumpets are blowing, hussars ride forth, hallelujah. Franz Biberkopf is back again! Franz is discharged! Franz Biberkopf is free! He had pulled up his trousers, hobbling from one leg to the other. She sat on a chair, was on the point of bursting into tears: ‘Til tell my husband about it, I’ll tell Karl, they oughta’ve kept you there another four years.” “Tell him right away, Minna!” “So I will, I’ll get a copper right away, too.” “Minna, my li’l Minnakin, pull yourself together, I’m so happy, I’m a human being again, li’l Minna.” “You’re crazy, you are, they must have turned your head around in Tegel.” “You haven’t got anything to drink, a pot of coffee or something?” “And who’s going to pay for my apron, just look at it, all in shreds.” “Leave it to Franz, leave it to Franz! Franz is alive again, Franz is back again!” “Take your hat and beat it. If he meets you, and me with a black eye! And don’t let me see you again.” “Bye-bye, Minna.”

But next morning he came back again with a little package. She did not want to open the door, he wedged his foot in between. She whispered through the crack: “You oughta go about your business. I’ve told you that before.” “Minna, it’s only the aprons.” “What aprons?” “You can pick out a couple.” “You can keep that stuff you pinched for yourself.” “Didn’t pinch it. Go ahead, open that door, Minna.” “The neighbors’ll see you. Go away.” “Open that door, Minna.”

And so she opened the door, he threw the package in, and as she did not want to come in with the broomstick in her hand, he hopped around the room alone. “I’m so happy, Minna. I’m so happy all day long. Dreamt about you last night.”

Then he opened the package on the table; she came nearer, touched the material, chose three aprons, but wouldn’t yield when he grabbed her hand. He wrapped up his package again, she still stood there with the broom, insisted: “Now quick, get out of here.” He waved to her from the door. “So long Minnakin.” She pushed the door shut with the broomstick.

A week later he came to her door again: “Just want to ask about your eye.” “Everything’s fine, you got no business here.” He appeared stronger, had on a blue winter overcoat and a brown derby: “I just wanted to show you how I’m making out, how I look.” “Makes no difference to me.” “But just let me drink a cup of coffee.” At that moment steps were heard coming down the stairs, a child’s ball rolled along the steps; scared, the woman opened the door, pulled him in. “Stay there, that’s the Lumkes, now you can go again.” “Just want to drink a cup of coffee. Surely you got a little pot of coffee for me?” “You don’t need me for that. You probably got another girl already, from the way you look.” “Just a cup of coffee.” “You do make a body miserable.”

And as she stood by the coat-rack in the hall, and he looked beseechingly at her from the kitchen door, she picked up the nice new apron, shook her head and wept: “You make me miserable, you sure do.” “But what’s the matter?” “Karl didn’t believe me about that black eye. How could I have bumped into the press like that? I had to show him how. But a person really can get a black eye on that press, if the door’s open. Let him try it. Say, I don’t know why he don’t believe me.” “I don’t understand it either, Minna.” “Because I’ve got some marks here too, on my neck. I hadn’t noticed them at all. What can I say, when he shows ‘em to me, and I look in the mirror and don’t know where they came from?” “Humph, can’t a person scratch himself, suppose something is itching you. Don’t let Karl razz you like that. I certainly would knock that into his head.” “And you keep on coming up here. And the Lumkes probably saw you.” “Well, they don’t have to get all ruffled up about that.” “But if you’d only go away, Franz, and don’t come back again. You make me miserable.” “Did he ask about the aprons, too?” “I’ve been wanting to get some aprons for a long time.” “All right, then, I’ll go, Minna.”

He grabbed her around the neck, she let him do it. After a while, when he didn’t let go, without pressing her to him, she noticed that he was stroking her, and looked up, astonished: “But you must go now, Franz.” He drew her gently towards the room, she resisted, but followed step by step. “Franz, is it going to start all over again?” “Why, no, I just want to sit by you, in the room.”

They sat quietly talking next to each other on the sofa for a while. Then he left of his own accord. She accompanied him to the door. “Don’t come again, Franz.” She wept and laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s certainly queer, Minna, what you can do to a fellow. Why shouldn’t I come back again? Well, then, I won’t come again.” She clung to his hand: “No, Franz, don’t come back.” Then he opened the door, she still held his hand tight and pressed it hard. She still held his hand while he stood outside. Then she dropped it and gently, quickly, shut the door. From the street he sent her up two big slices of veal cutlet.

And now Franz swears to all the World and to himself to stay Respectable in Berlin with Money or Without

He was already quite well on his feet in Berlin-he had turned his old furniture into cash, he had a few pennies from Tegel, his landlady and his friend Meck gave him a small loan-then he got another terrible blow. But it turned out later on to be only a slap. One morning, which otherwise wasn’t so bad, he found on his table an official yellow paper with printing and typewriting on it.

Police commissioner, division 5, reference number, you are requested in case of possible claims in the above affair to mention the above reference number. According to documents in my possession, you have been convicted of assault and battery with fatal consequences, as a result of which you are to be regarded as dangerous to public safety and morality. Accordingly I have decided on the authority granted me in paragraph 2 of the Law of Dec. 31, 1842, and paragraph 3 of the Prisoner Restriction Act of Nov. I, 1867, as well as the Laws of June 12, 1889 and June 13, 1900, to expel! you through the constabulary from Berlin, Charlottenburg, Neukblln, Berlin-Schbneberg, Wilmersdorf, Lichtenberg, Stralau, as well as from the districts of Berlin-Friedenau, Schmargendorf, TempelhoL Britz, Treptow, Reinickendorf, Weissensee, Pankow, and Berlin-Tegel and therefore instruct you to leave the districts specified above within a period of 14 days, with the warning that, should you be found after that period within the said area, or should you return therein, you will be fined, under Paragraph 132, Clause 2, of the General Administration Act of July 30, Q 11 E 1883, the sum of 100 marks, or, in default of payment, be sentenced to 10 days’ imprisonment. I also direct your attention to the fact that, in the event of your being found in any of the following places adjacent to Berlin: Potsdam, Spandau, Friedrichsfelde, Karlshorst, Friedrichshagen, Oberschbneweide and Wuhlheide, Fichtenau, Rahnsdorf, Carow, Buch, Frohnau, Copenick, Lankwitz, Steglitz, Zehlendorf, Treptow, Dahlem, Wannsee, KleinGlienicke, Nowawes, Neuendorf, Eiche, Bornim, and Bornstedt, you are liable to expulsion from these places. I. Ve. Copy No. 986a.

A staggering blow, that. There was a fine house alongside the city car-line, Grunerstrasse 1, on the Alex, Prisoners’ Aid. There they take a look at Franz, ask him this and that, sign: Herr Franz Biberkopf has sought our protective supervision, we will make inquiries whether you are working, and you will have to report here every month. O.K., full stop, everything, everything going slick.

Forgotten all fear, forgotten Tegel and the red walls, and the groaning and all that sort of thing - to hell with it. A new life’s about to begin, the old life’s all in, Franz Biberkopf is back to stay and the Prussians are happy and shout hurray.

Then for four weeks he filled his belly with meat, potatoes, and beer, and went once more to see the Jews in Dragonerstrasse to express his thanks. Nachum and Eliser were going after each other again. They did not recognize him when he entered, all dolled up, stout and smelling of brandy as he was, and asked in a whisper, his hat respectfully before his mouth, whether the old gentleman’s grandchildren were still sick. In the saloon at the corner where he stood up the drinks, they asked him, what kind of business he was in. “Me and business. I ain’t got any business. With me things just go along any old way.” “And where do you get your money from?” “From the old days, savings, I guess a man can save something, can’t he?” He nudged Nachum in the ribs, puffed up his nose, looked at him with canny, mysterious eyes: “You still know that story about Zannovich? A crazy hound. Was a fine chap. Afterwards they killed him. Funny how you know everything. I’d like to be a prince, too, and study. No, I ain’t goin’ to study. Maybe I’ll get married, instead.” “Good luck.” “You must come around and see me then, we’ll put on the feed-bag and soak it up.”

Nachum, red-haired Nachum, looked at him, rubbed his chin: “You’ll listen to another story, mebbe. A man once had a ball, you know, the kind children have, but not made out of rubber, of celluloid, transparent, and inside there are little lead shots. Children can rattle it and throw it. Then the man took the ball and threw it and he thought: there are lead shots in it, so I can throw it, and the ball won’t run any farther, it’ll stand still right on the spot I intend it to. But when he threw the ball, it didn’t go the way Ill’ had intended, it made one more jump, and then it rolled a bit, about I wo hands sideways.” “Leave him alone with your stories, Nachum. The man don’t need you, does he?” The stout chap: “What about that ball, and why are you scrapping again? Say, boss, look at them two here, they been scrapping ever since I know ‘em.” “You gotta let people be the way they dre. Scrapping is good for the liver.” The red-haired man: “I’ll tell you, I saw you in the street, in the courtyard, and heard you sing. You sing very nice. You’re a good man. But don’t get so excited. Just hold your horses. Be patient in this world. What do I know about how it looks inside you and what God intends to do with you? You see, the ball don’t go the way you throw it and the way you want it to, it goes about this way, you see, but it goes a li’l bit sideways, too.”

The stout fellow threw his head back and laughed, stretched out his arms, fell around the red-haired man’s neck: “You sure can tell stories, that man can tell stories. Franz has had his own experiences. Franz knows life. Franz knows who he is.” “I just wanted to tell you, you sang very sadly there for a while.” “For a while, for a while. Well, let bygones be bygones. Now my vest’s filled out again. Folks, everything’s goin’ fine! Ain’t nobody can come near me. Bye-bye, and when I get married, you’ll be there.”