WEST GERMANY
The floor was green, speckled with black and white flecks. It stretches out smooth and shiny before me, curling up the walls and ahead to a larger room with brown chairs. Mum and Dad each hold one of my hands and we walk towards and then through the large room. On the far side, I see a big, wide window and a room with bright white walls beyond. There is a lady inside wearing a small white hat.
As we reach the window, my parents speak to each other. I can’t hear them. In front of me is a wall, covered in wooden planks. I look at the planks and study the scratches in the wood. I stare for a long time, then Dad picks me up, lifting me up level with the window so I can peer through.
‘He will be ok’, he says. I look at my brother, in a big bed covered by green blankets. He is asleep and there are machines and bags around him. They gently explain that he is sick and will need to stay in hospital for a few days, but will be home soon.
Not the girl next door 