Kerler The Lakes Beneath

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-3-6951-4093-0
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 218 Seiten

A young woman searches for the unknown in a mysterious city and discovers the things worth fighting for. Unconventional, inspiring, thought-provoking, philosophical, and poetic! "Come back", she whispered in her ear every night for months until L. gave in and returned to the city she had fled from years ago. But she hardly recognizes the city: people are acting strangely, a thick fog dominates the streets and minds, and her former best friend disappears without a trace after their first meeting. During her first few days, L. encounters mysterious grandmothers, a Green Woman, a double agent, and even a full-grown brown bear who drinks beer in a pub, smokes cigarettes, and is the leader of a resistance movement. They tell her about the Disappeared Waters, the Lakes Beneath, the greatest treasure hunt in the world, and the Tribunes, a secret circle of the richest men in town. Without initially wanting to, she is pushed onto a path from which no one returns alive or sane. Where does the search for the Lakes Beneath begin, and where does it end? What is the significance of the Lakes Beneath, and why are the Tribunes doing everything they can to prevent people from searching for them?

Lenka Kerler alias Dr. Lena F. Schraml studied Polish history, culture, literature and language in Regensburg, Lodz, Halle/Saale and Cracow. She completed her doctorate with a thesis on the significance of fictional literature for memory cultures using the example of Polish and Persian texts. Schraml is the author of the somewhat different travel guide "111 Orte in Krakau, die man gesehen haben muss" (111 places in Cracow who you must have seen, Emons 2021). She publishes philosophical and poetic texts on her website. Shortly after publishing her doctoral thesis in March 2022, Schraml fell ill with ME/CFS, making it almost impossible for her to read or concentrate for more than a few minutes. The completion of "The Lakes Beneath" which had been on her mind since her studies abroad 2014 in Lodz, therefore represents a very special personal achievement.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kerler, Lenka

Leseproben

TWO

A ray of sunshine tickles me back out of the darkness into the light of the next day. I haven't slept this deeply for a long time, I briefly have to think about where and when I am.

That's a good sign.

I cheerfully get dressed and go to breakfast. My little journey is off to a promising start, I think. How wonderful it was to see F. again and how happy she was about seeing me! As if nothing had changed. And all the friendly people on the street! I’d completely forgotten how beautiful this city is.

This morning I want to go for a walk along the river first, I want to experience the peace that lies over the city when most of the inhabitants are at work. Then the city will be mine alone, and perhaps in the stillness of the morning I will once again hear the call that drew me here. When I realize where I am and when I have finally arrived, I am ready for the hustle and bustle and everything that may follow.

I leave the hostel in a good mood, the still fresh, undescribed day gives me immense pleasure. Days without an appointment and a fixed plan, when I can let everything come to me, are my favorite.

I walk past stores whose yawning owners pull up their shutters, put their signs in front of the door and look at me suspiciously. The long street shines as if empty, most people do not come here until later to spend their evening in the restaurants and bars.

The fog has already retreated into its pores, and only in a few quiet corners is it still wafting around before disappearing into thin air. Last night it was thick and high, I remember that. He brought me home, rocked and sang me to sleep in his soft, cuddly arms – a beautiful image, I like it.

I stop abruptly. It hits me like a bolt of lightning. Where the hell am I going? I smack my forehead with the flat of my hand. How could I have forgotten - there isn't even a river here! That's the thing that sets this town apart from others, albeit not in a glorious way. What's wrong with my memory? Embarrassed, I have to laugh – as if the people around me knew what I was up to.

Lost, I look around, a man walks past me cursing, almost running into me.

And now it finally hits me, the rose-colored glasses are gone. Apart from the few newly planted trees along some of the streets, there are very few green spaces left: The parks where I used to love going for walks, where we picnicked, fed ducks and celebrated birthdays, consist of old, sickly trees, bare, black branches on which crows sing their song of death, concrete slabs everywhere instead of lawns, with moss-covered table tennis tables here and there; dried-up, foul-smelling fountains, dismantled benches, no humming and buzzing, no birdsong. It was as if all of nature was holding its breath, as if it were hiding from the approaching, all-devouring enemy.

I walk on with a queasy feeling, wondering in disbelief as I criss-cross through busy streets, narrow, uninhabited alleyways and those parks of which I have such warm memories, until my legs get heavy. The same picture everywhere. Why didn't I notice this yesterday? Why did everything seem so much nicer yesterday?

A black cat sits in the entrance to a backyard and meows at me. Cute little thing. I approach her carefully, but when I lean down to pet her, she avoids my hand and runs a few meters further into the dark backyard.

There she stops again, turns to me and meows: Come, follow me, two-legged friend! And who would I be not to obey a cat’s command?

When she finally rolls around purring on the floor and I am finally allowed to pet her, I realize that she has led me to a cozy-looking, hidden café that I would probably never have discovered without her. The ivy-covered walls reveal a large window in which I recognize at first glance older ladies and gentlemen having a morning coffee.

Thank you, dear cat, this is the perfect place for a break, I've been wishing for one like this. Suddenly the cat jumps up, hisses at me, enough love! and disappears into the next doorway. Typical, I think amusedly, and have completely forgotten that black cats are a harbinger of misfortune.

On entering the café, a cheerful bell announces the arrival of the new guest. Some of the people present look at me curiously; when they realize that this is a new, unfamiliar face and not one of their acquaintances, they continue their conversations.

In the back corner, I discover a small, free table from which I can see the whole room. I order tea and szarlotka, warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and open my ears wide.

Two women are chatting, the younger of the two is rocking a sleeping child in her arms, stirring her tea noisily with her free hand.

"Have you heard that it will soon be forbidden to walk alone through the city? Allegedly because of all the criminals, which we don't really have any more."

"Yes, I've read that. Terrible news. You'll only be allowed to walk in pairs or in groups to counteract the increasing loneliness. Well, nobody believes that, at least not me."

"No, I haven't believed that for a long time either. But don't say it too loudly, we'll end up being exposed. I've already had problems because I've been living alone since my Herbert left us. Even though I said I didn't have a problem with it, but no. They don't like to see that."

Three older gentlemen at a table a little further away are talking loudly about soccer, their wives and “the politicians”. I would like to ignore them, but they can't be overheard.

"But we know that they're not the ones in charge anyway. Who are they actually taking for fools? Of course, they can do it with us, can't they? We've worked in their factories all our lives and in the end there's nothing left for us. They pocket all the money."

"And they tell us there's not enough, there's not enough for everyone, it's the fault of those who don't work or are new to the city. Yes, the fairy tale of the century!"

“The one that works best, I'd like to remind you, people.”

"Remember when a lot of people really believed that back then and the misanthropes almost took over at the elections? I've called them that ever since, because what else can you call them when they deny most of us every human right, when they turn us against each other and basically help themselves and their rich friends rather than the whole city?"

"Well, they were the ones with the best sayings, weren't they. Admit it, you weren't entirely immune either. It's just easier to kick downwards than upwards. Maybe I should say: boxing. Boxing upwards, knocked out in the first round."

Everyone takes a sip of their beer and for a moment it is so quiet that I can better understand another table to my left. Five older ladies are sitting at this table drinking coffee, speaking very quietly.

"By the way, one of my son's colleagues tried it this year. No joke, unfortunately. Don't ask me how and why, I'll never understand it myself, I can only hope that my children and granddaughters don't get the idea. One day this colleague didn't show up at work, and after three days someone found a note on his dining table at home saying that he was going to look for it and see you soon. That was about six months ago and no one has heard from him since."

“”

“Awful.”

“Terrible.”

"I understand that a fairy tale like that, a mystery like that, is attractive to adventurers. But it's also well known that no one came back safe, no one! They either disappeared completely or turned up so deranged that they were no longer of any use. I'm telling you, it's a curse, it must be, and it's been one since this story began."

“You mean since the water disappeared, don't you?”

I listen up. A memory stirs in me, way back in a dusty corner of my memory, but I can’t grasp it.

"Yes, I agree with you. And it's gotten worse again in recent years. As if people no longer have a reason to stay on the surface. As if there's nothing nice here anymore."

"Yes, well, you have to admit that a lot has changed in the last few years. It’s not so nice anymore, not so bright. The bad atmosphere, everyone's just sitting in front of their screens, and then this constant fog..."

“Yes, the fog... I don't even go out in the morning and evening anymore, I can't see that much, and it gives me the shivers too...”

This is a moment when I have to decide: do I jump over my shadow or will I be annoyed for ages afterwards that I didn't dare? Do I break through the wall of insecurity or do I prefer to talk to myself later?

I summon up all my courage, step in front of the circle of older women and clear my throat.

“Excuse me for disturbing you, good afternoon, may I ask you something?”

Heads turn in my direction in disbelief. Who on earth dares to interrupt their coffee party?

They look each other in the eye briefly to get the others' approval.

Then the woman who hadn't said anything earlier and had just listened quietly speaks.

“Good afternoon, my dear, I don't know if we'll be able to help you, but please.”

She nods encouragingly, allowing me to speak.

"I unintentionally overheard your conversation and I can't forget this one thing. Especially because I was just about to walk to the river and then I remembered that there isn't one. You said something about ‘disappearing water’, is there a story behind that? I’d be really interested to know."

Again, the...