Wolfgang – second part

Unfortunately, we used the years of puberty to try all sorts of stupid things.

A part of it can be read in my story “Confession of a young person”. Hair grew to our shoulders, we started smoking, and had a contest to see who smoked the most different strains. We glued the empty packs at our cabinet doors. Each of us reached a count of about 40 different strains. At the Theseus Temple – which was a hippie hangout at that time – we bought our first pills or powder just to see if we would get high. I’m sure we were sometimes sold “placebo” pills. If we didn’t have any money, we would crumble up aspirin and mix it with tobacco in the cigarettes.

Financially, Wolfgang was better off than me. I was still riding my bicycle, while he had a KTM moped. Of course he always took me with him. While I was in the army, his mother bought him a used car. A Volvo. I still had my bicycle.

One night after going to a movie theater with some friends, I was hit with a few boxing punches by a drunk who was looking for a fight and ended up in the hospital with a concussion. Wolfgang wasn’t there, but he was the only friend who visited me in the hospital. After that, I crossed some friends off my list.

Wolfgang’s girlfriend invited us to a folk dance group in a youth center. We went along just for fun as we were mostly out at discos. Despite our hippie looks, we were received very kindly and I admitted to myself that I had been prejudice. Wolfgang and other friends stopped to continue going. I continued and even learned some waltz. During the military service and through the influence of new friends, I became more sane. I had really nice experiences with God and nature, thought more about a deeper meaning in life and stopped smoking completely. Although Wolfgang and I had known each other for so long and had done a lot together, it turned out that we were very different. Our ways parted.

After three years I had the idea to visit the former locals again and met old friends from my youth. I learned very sad news. Wolfgang had isolated himself more and more. He didn’t listen to advices from close friends and his drug use increased. He still lived with his mother, who had always spoiled him. A few months before I was supposed to meet him and the old friends, he had committed suicide in his cabinet. His mother moved. I really started to hate drugs. More than 40 years have passed since than and sometimes I dreamed of Wolfgang.

I know that he is alive, that there is no eternal damnation and that one day he will be healed.

One day we will meet again.