Adam Blake - 145. Chapter 145

The following day Hans and I went for a run. “How come you are up, and the Prince isn’t?”

“I think the girls tired him out. Hans, you’re going to have to stay here and watch out for him. He trusts you, and so do I. I’ll let Josef take over your responsibility at the school. If he needs more people, you can send them over. Just let me know.”

When we got back to the castle, Gerry was still sleeping. I had my breakfast, asked Hans to join me. The ministers had a few odds and ends that needed to be addressed, and then it was time for dinner.

“It’s nice for you to join us as he sat on my lap.” Han’s eyes got big. “Hans, if you are going to be a confidant, you’ll be privileged to a lot. Remember who you are protecting and make sure his interests are of the utmost importance.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I had a visitor” I saw Hans’s eyes go up.

“And what did your father say?”

“He said he was proud of me and glad I did what he suggested. He had a message for you. He said all is right in heaven and earth. I don’t know what that means.”

“I wouldn’t worry. If all is right, let’s not delve too much into what is or isn’t right. The best news, he approves of what you did. I’m not sure I approve. There were some boys throwing rocks at us this morning. I think it was for Hans. “

“Hans, really?”

“No, my Prince.” I started to laugh.

“Your heart is cooling.”

“Sometimes Hans is too serious; he needs to laugh a little when it is just you and I.”

“Ok, it is warming up again.”

“Today, I want to see Gunther and Anna as well as Frau Muller and Anton, so eat your breakfast while Hans gets the car.”

I laughed to myself, does a father ever stop being a father. Here’s a leader of a country, and I’m telling him to eat his breakfast so we can go. I remember my dad telling me that often when he was in a hurry to leave.

Hans brought the car around, and I went to my room to get my small valise.

Gerry was sitting in the car talking to Hans when I arrive. “Are you ready, Father?”

“Yes, my son” I always wonder what Hans thought when Gerry called me ‘father’ and I called him ‘son.’ I would think it to be strange if I was Hans or someone who didn’t know of our prior relationships.

Arriving at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Buchner caused quite a stir. Needless to say, Mr. Buchner was very surprised. I looked for Mrs. Buchner. She was putting on the kettle for tea. We’d have to have a cup of tea. Hans stood outside the front door. He was on guard duty. The neighbors all came to ask him if that was the Prince. He said it was. “Mr. and Mrs. Buchner are special friends of the Prince and his Father.”

When Hans told us that as we left to go to Gunther and Anna’s school, we laughed. “I think Mr. and Mrs. Gunther just became important people in their village.”

“It was nice they offered us tea.” Gerry didn’t realize that that custom was as old as the world. It seems customary in every country to offer friends something to drink. Maybe the old saying friends drink with us while our enemies spit on us.

Arriving at the children’s school was something else. Someone saw us, and then mayhem occurred. The windows were filled with faces. The front door was pushed open, and the schoolmaster was upon us, bowing and shaking our hands. I couldn’t tell if he was happy or scared.

Hans told him we were here to see Gunter and Anna Buchner. He quickly led us to Gunter’s homeroom. I knocked on the door, a teacher came and opened the door. “We would like to see Gunter.” Hans had taken on the role of the King’s Crier.

The teacher invited us into his classroom. Gunter’s eyes lit up when he saw us. He stood up from his desk. Gerry went and stood by him, “Gunter, it’s good to see you. I missed you at the palace.”

“My Prince.” Gunter bowed his head when he said that.

Then Gerry addressed the class, “It is important that our children receive a good education. We are a small nation, and therefore each of us are important to the future. I want you all to listen to your teacher, do your lessons, ask your questions and become good citizens of Liechtenstein. And just as important, friendships, the friends you make today will last a lifetime.” He patted Gunter on the head, and saying goodbye, we left Gunter’s classroom.

I’m not sure if what Hans told me was exactly word for word that Gerry said. When you are translating, you lose some of the effectiveness of the tone of the words. But whatever Gerry said, he was being listened to with all seriousness.

Next stop was Anna’s room. Here it was different. As soon as Anna saw us, she ran to Gerry. The teacher almost had a heart attack. But I knew Gerry. He just hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered something to her. She nodded her head yes and looked at me. He put her down, and she then ran to me. I knew this is what he whispered. I also gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I whispered to her to provide Hans with a hug. She walked to Hans and held out her hand. No, that wouldn’t do. Hans picked her up and gave her a hug and a kiss as well.

All the time this was going on, the class were standing with their heads bowed. Then Gerry said something and started to look at the floor as well. The children giggled, and I looked up. I knew what Gerry did. Yes, he is going to be a good leader for his people.

From what Hans told me, he gave the same talk as he did at Gunter’s class. The Head Master asked us to speak to every class, which we did.

Riding to the apartments to see Frau Muller and Anton, Gerry was very excited about the school. “Father, I think I’m going stop at every school and tell them how important education is to our country. What do you think?”

“I think you’ll have a strong education system. Remember what you were taught and read in my book. I would be pleased if every teacher got a copy of my book. I’ll see that you get them.” Before I leave, I’ll ask one of the ministers for the headcount.

Arriving at the apartments, I was anxious to see how Anton was getting along. We took the elevator to the third floor. I told Hans to go first. He knocked on the door. Frau Muller opened the door, “Hans, come in.” Then she saw us. A quick look, then she bowed her head, “My Prince.”

In German, “Come, my grandmother, sit and tell me how you like living here.”

Anton came running and then did a dead stop, with head bowed, “My Prince.”

Gerry being Gerry, went and gathered him into a hug. Frau Muller had tears in her eyes. We sat while her neighbor came and made tea for us all. Gerry said something to Anton. Anton’s head was nodding yes. Later on the way home, Gerry told me about Anton going to enter the University here. I thought more books.

We arrived at the palace in time for supper. Gerry was smiling as he sat at the head of the table with his ministers and me. Gerry said I had to sit to his right, and he’d have a wide table built so we could sit side by side. I told him that wasn’t necessary as I would always be his right-hand man.

During supper, Gerry told his ministers about today’s visits. I didn’t catch everything, and it wasn’t necessary. One of the staff was copying everything down and would translate it to English for me. I am more than ever determined to learn German.

Before everyone departed, I ask the Minister for a listing of teachers in the school system and the University.

Gerry and I took a walk through the gardens. “Your first day, and you were outstanding, definitely an A-plus.”

“I was scared at first, and then it seemed very natural. I thought, how would Father handle this, what would Father say, and then I relaxed. Do you realize the impact you have on the boys at the school?”

“The impact of the school is not me but the boys themselves. You’re a closely knitted group. That was one of the purposes of the school, to have the leaders of tomorrow build lasting friendships.”

“Before you go home, I would like to see my brothers. Could you arrange it?”

“Yes, my Prince”

“I started to run. I knew if I poured it on, he couldn’t catch me, but where is the fun in that. He caught me, and we fell to the ground. Hans and two other men were there in a heartbeat. “Are you hurt my ( a hesitation) Princes.”

Then Gerry and I laughed some more, “I’m not a princess.”

Hans didn’t know what to say. Gerry was the Prince, but I also had the title in small letters thanks to the devil and him. That was what I told him when we discussed the confusion we created.

We let Hans and his men help us up. “Hans, we weren’t hurt. We were playing around. In the States, we call that horsing around. Nothing serious, but it is nice to know you all were there if we needed you.”

We walked back into the palace holding hands. I was very uncomfortable when the boys started holding my hand when we went anywhere. But in Europe, there is no association of impropriety with two men holding hands. It was common among good friends.

I spent four weeks with Gerry. During the second week, I flew Marie and the kids here. I missed them. The court fell in love with Marie, and of course, Adam was a little gentleman. I was proud of them as well as my adopted sons. They joined us two days later. Gerry was smiling. Marie said she was going to marry Gerry. The age difference would make that impossible, but he went along with it. He would wind me up by saying she would be of the age when his dad married his second wife so that it would be possible.

The last week I was there, Gerry came into his own. He didn’t need me anymore; I was there as a father watching his son. My books in German arrived, and we went from school to school delivering the books. Gerry had autographed every book under my signature.

After so many weeks, departure was hard; there were tears and a lot of hugs. I whispered, “Only a plane ride away.”