letter from the präsident

 lying awake in bed, listening to the wife's sleep noises, and the alarm sounds over on the small bureau in the corner of the room. Put both legs out from under the duvet and hook the let ankle under the  wooden bed frame. Lever the body into a vertical position, then get up on the feet and walk over to the glowing device. Silence it before the fourth bar of the melody is reached.

Turn about and get dressed. The old body had been showered yesterday and feels awake enough to go ahead today. Fresh underpants and socks, a fresh shirt. That will do.

Open the computer, give the little machine time to start. Spend this time in the kitchen, check the water content of the coffee machine, refill it, and press the button on the coffee grinder. Then clean out the sieve, flushing yesterdays coffee grounds down the sink. Put fresh coffee into the silver sieve, tamp it down and use the bayonet mount on the sieve to fix it into its proper place in the machine.  Wait for the machine to heat up completely, put two slices of toast into the toaster whilst waiting. Start the pump on the coffee machine, with a pop the water overcomes the resistance in the brewing unit and coffee flows into the cup.

After the coffee is made, the toaster pops. Butter the toast and cut two slices of salami and place them on the hot toast. A strange breakfast.

Carry the coffee and the toast to the computer, type in the password and read the mail. There is news of the president (US) and a message from the president (university).  The president appears to want to reduce the university down to essential services only. An endless string of conditions, even what may be understood as threats, and the ironic message that those who had wanted holidays can take them. Seems most confusing, but all the trouble only starts tomorrow. So that means that there will be work today.

Ruminate the contents of the letter, there are references to laws that could be looked up later.

Make another cup of coffee.

Meet the son, he gives a hug. He is barely awake, but wanted to say goodbye and wish a safe journey to work.

And three quarters of an hour later, park the car at the tree. The Autobahn had more drivers driven to road rage than usual, speeding, flashing lights, a sense of emergency everywhere.

The university is quiet, and at this hour, deserted.