The Thing About Noise

The boys gathered for a group picture in front of a few small horses at Aubinger Lohe.

"I love you all very much, but please get out of the house now", was what I said to the boys one morning. They were so amused by my contradicting statement, they didn't take it to heart and still bade their farewells to me with big smiles on their faces. I wonder if daughters would react the same way?

Some days, I just don't have the grandmotherly patience. I can't bear any noise made by the boys, even if it were some playful and harmless whispers or chuckles amongst themselves. Two days ago was one such day. As usual, they were bright and happy in the morning, eating and discussing politics at the breakfast table, and I just wanted them to quit chattering. The flu I suffered dramatically reduced my threshold for noise. I wasn't angry with them, I just couldn't take it. Of course, the reminders to speak softly only lasted for a couple of seconds before the next one burst into a series of uncontrollable laughters. I felt so resigned to my destiny, to being the mother of these four. So I could only look forward to the time when they left for their Tagesheim (Bart had the courtesy to send his brothers for me these few mornings when I was sick).

The moment they were gone, the invisible golden cage of noise would majestically lift itself and free me from those non-stop jabbers, as if I was held captive by their noise. This must be the feeling of a just-released prisoner, after being locked in a cell for an indefinite period!

I always cherish the time I have to myself, not completely yet as I still have Johann with me, even though I am still tied to household chores and cooking, my day becomes more functionable without them. And when I see them again in the afternoon, I would have hopefully been recharged sufficiently to welcome them home, just to be discharged in less than an hour after that, but that is another story. Oh well.

No, they weren't discussing politics. Just their oh!-so-cool Yu-Gi-Oh cards.