Time After Time

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This story is 100% fictional. Any resemblances to actual people (living or dead), organizations or companies, events are entirely coincidental.

Comments are welcomed and would be very much appreciated.

Asterisk (*) will be used to describe past events, dreams or thoughts.

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Chapter 03

I have no reaction. I'm paralysed. Immobilised by the surprise. The dream returns so disturbingly in my mind that I feel dizzy. Anywhere in the world I would recognize him. It doesn't matter how different he'd look, I would still be able to tell that it's him. The man I see being burned alive in my dreams every night.

By the time I manage to recover, he's rapidly distancing himself. I feel an unbearable pressure in my ears. My heart is racing. There's a jolt in my chest. It's as if there's a bird inside me, a bird flying in the mysterious region between the lungs and the heart. It's beating its wings, trapped inside my body. That's the best way I can describe my blind and confused emotions.

My soul is awakening, it wants to get out of me, to run after him. To talk to him. To hug and kiss him.

Everything goes dark. I almost fall down. I have to make an effort not to plunge into a deep well. The well where I collapse every night in my dreams.

I take a deep breath. It's him! But how did he manage to leave my dreams and appear in flesh and blood in a small town, in the middle of nowhere, where I came to almost by chance?

I breathe even more deeply, trying to get as much air into my lungs as possible. I'm trying to calm myself down. A calmness that seems to be in a place impossible to reach. Like in dreams. Drops of sweat keep running down my forehead. I feel the same agony of my sleepless nights.

There's only one way to find out the answers, to talk to him. No doubt he recognised me as well. The way he looked at me and him running away are proof of that.

Does he have the same dream as me? Why did he run away? Why is he scared of me? If he also has has the same dream, than he knows that I promised him eternal love.

I come back to myself. The man is already a few metres away, getting close to the museum. I feel my phone vibrating on my hand. I look at it for a second. Tim is calling. I ignore it and look at the man again, but he's nowhere to be seen. My first guess is that he's hidding in the museum.

It's a matter of minutes.

I walk fast to the building but before I even step inside the receptionist blocks my way. "Hey, you're back. Did you decide to buy a book?" she asks. "We have this one with pictures of the town. This one too, with the history of the foundation." I don't respond. I try to peek inside. I can tell that he is there, I can feel his presence as intensely as in my dreams. "We're going to close soon, if your not going to by a book then..."

I continue in silence, searching for the right words. I'm good at talking in court, but at that very moment the words are stuck in my throat. I'm trying to figure out what to say. I can't give the impression that I'm stalking someone I didn't even know. "Mr. Lawyer?" The receptionist snaps her fingers in front of my face, "did you hear what I said? I'll close the museum."

I shake my head and try to explain as best as I can, "When I left earlier, I saw a man. I really need to talk to him."

"Who is he?"

"I don't know his name. He is black, not much taller than me. Also, he's wearing khaki pants and a hoodie." The receptionist stares at me. It's obvious that this conversation sounds weird. "Don't get me wrong... I got the impression that he's a... a friend of... from a long time ago. I'm sure he entered the museum..."

"If you know him, why didn't you talk to him?" asks the girl, looking puzzled. From the tone of her question I'm sure that she knows where the man is. Perhaps she's helping him hidding from me.

I go silent for a moment. I should reveal as little as possible, otherwise she'll think she's in front of a madman. "Surprise made me hesitate. But please understand, it's very important to me to talk to him." Her expression hardens a little. I get cautious so I back off. "Well... if this man shows up, please tell him that I really need to talk to him" I take a card from my pocket and give it to her, "This is my business card with my phone number. I insist, it's very important." The girl plays with my card between her fingers. "I'd really appreciate it if you'd deliver the message."

She doesn't reply. I say goodbye, sure that she knows who the man is and that she helped him to hide. This only reinforces my first impression: he really ran away from me out of fear. "But what is the reason for this fear?" I ask myself once again, trying to recover my inner balance.

I leave the museum and walk back to the inn still a bit shaken. I try to calm myself down. What's the point of finding the person that can answer all your questions, only to see them disappearing, leaving you with even more questions? I think, resigned, but then, who said that life has any point? Probably everything that happens to us is just a big joke and someone up there must be having the time of their lives laughing at us.

On the way, I check my phone. Tim didn't feel satisfied with just calling. He also sent several text messages. In all of them he repeated that he needs to talk to me as soon as possible.

Since I arrived in Wolkenberg, I seem to have forgotten the reason for my trip. And now there's this man. His eyes, his lips, nose... It's the same. His skin is darker and his hair is different. And he also looks older but I'm sure it's him.

Even at that moment, seeing Tim's messages, I don't feel like calling him. I want to spend the day looking for the man I know so well from my dreams. But I don't know where to start. "Going around the town asking questions won't help. I don't even know his name", I conclude.

Tim is waiting for me.

Suddenly a thread of hope springs up. The lawyer we're going to meet, Olaf Reiter, is from Wolkenberg. It's a small town, so he probably knows the man I'm looking for.

But, before anything else the best thing is to deal with the paperwork of Tim's inheritance first. "Surely the lawyer will be able to help me." I say to myself.

It's with the strength of this hope that I go up the stairs, to my room. I pick up my briefcase with my laptop. Calmer, I decide that the best strategy is to not tell anyone that I came face to face with someone I only saw in my dreams. "They'll think I'm crazy." I sigh, "now I'm talking to myself out loud. What if I'm having some mental issue? What if I'm hallucinating?"

Maybe it's my mind playing tricks with me. Maybe I imagined everything! Maybe he ran away because of the way I acted. Yeah, that's probably it.

I try to reason. To keep control over my emotions. I'm confusing fantasy with reality. And that's probably a sign of metal Illness. Thinking that something happened, but in reality it's just an imagination. An hallucination. What if that encounter was only a figment of my imagination?

Am I finally losing my mind?

Against my rational side, I feel that there's something more to it. Something inexplicable. In the deepest part of myself, I believe in the impossible. The dream has become real. There's no other explanation. Either that, or I'm really going crazy.

There's only one way to know what's real and what isn't. I have to find that guy again. And ask him the right question. Without hesitation.

I take a deep breath. Yes, I need to see him again.

It's with this thought that I finally call Tim. It's necessary to act. I've always been optimistic and believed that my steps will lead me to the best solution.

"Nik, where the hell are you?" Tim asks as soon as he answers the phone. "I was worried as shit. I thought you got lost or something." I can tell that he's worried. But there's more to his voice than worry. Something's wrong. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I was just exploring the town."

"Exploring?" He asks so shocked that it looks like I just confessed to a crime, "I'm desperate here and you doing tourism?"

I sigh heavily, "The important thing is that now we can start to solve everything. Call the lawyer. Tell him we'll meet him right away. I have the map of the town, just give me the address, we can meet at his office. I'll even get there first, so I can take a look at the documentation."

"Nikolas, you must come to the farm," Tim again, sounds very nervous

"It's better to visit the farm later. Let's take the opportunity to take care of the legal side of things, to find out who is threatening to contest the will..."

"I have a big problem. A big problem!" he shouts, interrupting me.

"Is the farm that bad?" I ask, surprised. "Look, Tim, land is land. It always has value. Let's talk to Mr. Reiter once and for all. Then we can talk about it, maybe even sell the farm."

I confess that I'm more interested in staying in town than visiting Tim's farm. There's the possibility of meeting the man again, by chance, as it happened. This time I won't be so taken by surprised. I'll find a way to talk to him. At least, from his description, the lawyer will be able to tell me who he is, of that I'm sure.

Tim Interrupts my thoughts, "No. The farm isn't bad. On the contrary, it's great... It's just there's something here. You need to see it."

"What?" I try to focus my attention on him. After all, it's because of Tim that I'm here!

"You need to come here right away, Nik!"

"Tim, there's no problem that is so complicated, that we cannot solve." I try to calm him down. "Why are you so nervous? Has this man who is contesting the will filed a lawsuit? An injunction? Don't worry, I can overthrow the injunction, whatever it is. No one will take what you inherit. Just stay calm."

"I'm not talking about the will, Nik. You have to come here. You have to see it with your own eyes."

"Tim, you make it sound like you found a nest of vampires in the basement of the house."

"No jokes, Nik. You'll see it's serious." The problem must be bigger than I think. But maybe Tim is overreacting, as usual. He's known for dramatizing situations. "Come quickly."

He explains the way in his confusing way. I look at the map and can see the farm in there. It's a little bit away from the town and according to Tim it's a 10 minutes trip by car. But I don't take his words for it. We hang up. With the map and briefcase in hand, ready to debate legal issues, I go downstairs, leave the inn and get into the car. The town is left behind.

And as a predicted the trip from the inn to the farm takes more than 10 minutes. After driving along another narrow gravel road, following the directions on the map, instead of the ones Tim gave me, I finally reach a gateway with a sign that reads 'Wienold Flower Farm'.

Tim himself comes running. He opens the gate. I go in. After closing it, he gets in the car. Wide-eyed. Messy hair. Exhausted expression.

"What's wrong, Tim?"

"I haven't slept all night. I've been a nervous wreck since I got here. The only reason I didn't call for help early is because you were already on your way here, Nik. You'll see what it is."

I drive through two long lines of crepe myrtle and chaste trees, until I get to the house. And what a house. Although it looks new, it carries all the character of a centuries-old German farmhouse. Large, with two floors, wood-cased windows and steep roof. It's surrounded by colorful flowers, boxwood and shrubs.

Tim can get a small fortune, if he decides to sell this place. I think to myself as I park in front of the house.

I open the door. How nice to feel that fresh air! Suddenly, I hear a sound. Sounds, actually. Birds. Loud. Way too loud and too close but I can't see any. "What is that?"

"You'll see it for yourself. You have to help me."

"Be clearer, Tim. Explain to me! What's all the mystery about?"

He prefers to be silent. Which is even stranger, because he's normally very talkative.

We get out of the car. Julia is standing at the door, holding Emilie in her arms. I smile to them but surprisingly, she, who is always so nice, doesn't even return the smile.

"Nikolas, take this crazy idea out of my husband's mind." she says, without explaining what it is about.

"Julia, what is going on?"

She glares at Tim, "Haven't you told him yet?"

"I prefer to show him," Tim turns to me. "Only then you'll understand everything, Nik."

What's going on, anyway? I've never seen Julia so upset with her husband, despite all the crazy things he does.

"Show him, Tim, show him and see what Nikolas says. I'm just warning you. This is the last straw. I can't stand it."

I want to ease the situation. But what do you say to a couple arguing without you even knowing why? I'm searching for words when I hear the birds' sounds again. "Please explain what is going on!" I demand. "I can't take so much mystery anymore."

Tim pulls me by the arm. "Come over here."

We go to the side of the house, where a see a small green house, surrounded by flowers and small trees. As we walk the trees and plants become larger and taller, as well as the birds's sounds become louder. We stop in front of what looks like a large cage.

Tim takes a key out of his pocket and opens the door. We go in. Inside it's a large walkthrough cage, with fallen trees, high roosting posts, a water pool and fruit-bearing trees. "Tim, what is this?" I ask.

"An aviary, as you can see," he answers impatiently.

I look at the different species of birds, flying around. "Why does your uncle own an aviary of this size?"

Tim explains quickly, "Remember when you asked me what my uncle did in the circus? If he was a magician or a clown?" I nod, knowing already the answer, "well, he wasn't any of that. He used to perform a show with birds. Birds are part of the legacy he left for me."

I'm speechless. How can anyone inherit birds? I've seen some strange wills before, but... birds? Only with Tim could such a thing happen!

"What do you intend to do with them?" I ask, already imagining that the answer would be 'call the animal services', or something similar.

"Taking care of them, of course."

"What?" I say, shocked.

How naïve I am about Tim. With him, nothing is predictable! Now I understand Julia's fury and Tim's nervousness. Poor Julia! She has come there full of hopes that they would finally settle down with their inheritance. Now she'll have to become a nanny to... birds?

"Tim, we're not talking about two kittens here. We're talking about birds. Lots of them. From different species. Do you know much it costs to take care of an aviary this size?" I sneer, indignant by his answer.

My friend raises his head. I know that gesture. Every time he throws himself into some business that everyone knows is a bad idea, he assumes the same expression of stubbornness and determination. "My uncle left a request, he wants me to look after the aviary. It's in his will. He was very attached to them, you know? They were his pets." It's hard to leave a lawyer without an argument. But Tim has succeeded. He still goes on, "And there's more, according to the will, I only get the farm if I look after the birds."

"That kind of clause has no legal value in this country," I reply. "It only works as an expression of the deceased's wish. But that's all."

"For me it has more than legal value. My uncle trusted me." I start developing a headache from this conversation. "Besides, this is a flower farm, and apparently my uncle used to make good money from it. So I can keep the aviary working with no problems."

"And what do you know about flowers, Tim?" I try to talk some sense into him. "And even if you make money selling the flowers, don't forget the aviary costs. Water, electricity, food, cleaning." Before he can answer, I ask, "Who took care of it before you arrived?"

"Mr. Reiter. When I arrived and saw the aviary, I spoke to him. He explained that now that I've taken over the farm, the expenses are mine."

So that's why the lawyer gave Tim immediate possession of the farm! To get rid of the expenses that come with the birds! "He threw the responsibility into your hands! Tim, you have a family to support. Are you going to leave your wife and daughter for birds."

Julia is right to be furious. Tim is overstepping her boundaries this time. "Julia wants me to give the birds away. But then I'll lose the farm."

"I've already said that it's not necessary. This kind of clause is not legal here. I think any judge will agree with me. I don't even know how a request like this was included in the will. It's easy to contest something like that. You keep the farm and get rid of the birds. We're going to call the animal protection services tomorrow. They will know what to do. Some of these birds need a new habitat that it's not here."

Tim looks at me as surprised as if I said the Earth is square. "You still don't get it, Nikolas. I want to keep the aviary."

"Why?"

"It was a request from my uncle."

"An uncle you never met..."

"I can't explain it. When I saw the birds, I felt that I need to fullfil my uncle's wish. Nikolas, you have to help me."

And here's the headache I knew that was coming when I accepted helping Tim.

... ... ...

We enter the house. It's as beautiful as outside. It's charming yet cozy. The wooden framed sliding door gives the view to a small garden and a large and colorful flower field.

Julia stomps on the hard wooden floor, her chin held high, ready for a battle. It's the first time I've seen her upset about her husband's craziness. "Nikolas, explain to my husband that we can't stay here. We know nothing about menaging a flower farm, let alone taking care of an aviary." she says, softer than I expected, asking for my support.

"We'll learn how." Says Tim, as he always does in these type of situations, even if he's about to sink.

I sigh softly and turn to him. "Didn't your uncle have anyone working for him?"

"I don't know. When we arrive the place was empty. No-one was here, except for Mr. Reiter, who gave me the keys."

"But someone was helping your uncle. He was an old man, he wouldn't be able to take care of a farm by himself."

"I know, but I don't have the faintest idea who did that," he replies, a little ungraciously

"You could've asked the lawyer."

"It didn't even cross my mind." I sigh again. Tim has no practical sense at all! "We can take care of the flowers. How difficult can it be?" He risks it. "It's just like taking care of a garden."

"Tim," Julia calls him. I can see that she's about to lose control. "Growing and harvesting flowers to sell is not the same thing as gardening. Look at the size of that field..." She stops herself as she senses her voice tone getting high. We all remain silent. Then she continues, "if we're going to keep the farm, the first thing to do is to get rid of the birds. Or give up on everything and return home!"

I try to be as rational as possible, under the circumstances. "We're not giving the farm away. Nor the birds. We can find a solution. We're going to talk with Mr. Reiter and find out who used to work in the farm. And we can contract them to keep on doing so."

"But we don't have the money to to pay people to work for us." Says Julia, in a louder tone than usual. "We don't even know how this flower business work. Even if knew, we wouldn't have money for the first few months. How are we going to pay the workers. And worse, feed the birds."

I insist once again on what seems the only solution. "Tim, your uncle must have left something else. Are you sure that Mr. Reiter didn't say anything about it?"

"As I understood it, he had two other properties. One in Berlin and the other in Wolkenberg. But he left them to someone else."

"Who?" I ask immediately.

"I have no idea," he confesses.

I hear the birds chirping outside. The situation demands speed. "Tim, get Mr. Reiter on the phone. Let's talk to him as soon as possible. I think he can explain a lot of things."

"I already talked to him this morning. We have a meeting with him in a hour."

"Great, let's settle everything at once! Call him and ask if we can go to his office now."

While he's talking to the lawyer, Julia and I exchang a long look. From what I can tell, her patience is at its limit.

"Mr. Reiter can see us now." Tim says when he hangs up the phone.

Quickly we got in the car and drove back to the town. The lawyer's office is near the inn I'm staying at, right in the town centre. Reiter is waiting for us at the door, squeezed into a suit, with buttons that look like they are about to explode at any moment. He's of medium height, white hair, blue eyes and chubby with rosy cheeks.

He smiles a little awkwardly, as if he doesn't really want us there. He gestures for us to go in. "Nice to meet you." he says.

He then introduces us to his daughter. He comments that she's there only to help him while his secretary is on maternity leave. She looks young. No more than 20 years old. Just like her father, she has blue eyes. Her curly red hair is pulled in a ponytail.

She looks up from her desk and flashes us an fake smile. I don't like it. As a lawyer, I've learned to decipher people's facial expressions. It's very easy to see when they don't like my presence. It's clear that Tim and I are not welcomed there.

He points us to his office. As we enter, he warns his daughter, "Anna, in an hour or so Kevin and his sister should arrive. When they do, ask them to come in."

"Who are they?" I ask.

Instead of answering my question, the lawyer closes the door. And chooses to talk to Tim, unable to hide his fake smile, "How are the things with the birds?"

Tim gives a genuine smile, not noticing the attorney's fake one. "it's fine. I like them, tho they were very loud at night and didn't let me sleep."

Reiter takes a deep breath and gets straight to the point, "Your uncle was a good friend of mine. I advised him not to leave the farm to you, but he didn't listen."

"Why were you against it, if you don't even know me?" Tim wants to know.

"Because he didn't know you either. There are many things you need to understand."

"That's precisely why we're here, Mr. Reiter." I interfer. "I'm a lawyer, as Tim has already explained to you over the phone. I came from Berlin to help with the will."

"I am aware of that." replies the attorney.

"Then, please explain the situation. You said that you were against the will. Why was that?" I ask. The man straightens up in his chair. My intuition says that there'll still be many surprises until everything's cleared up. "Who is the other person that inherit the other two properties? Who was helping Mr. Wienold in the farm? Who took care of the birds? As far as I know, Tim's uncle was old. There's no way he could have taken care of all that on his own."

Reiter goes through the papers that are piled up on the table, in silence. He seems to want to gain time. I try another approach, "Who is the person contesting the will?"

Finally, he starts to speak, "His name is Kevin Wilson. I know you heard his name earlier when I told Anna to let him in as soon as he arrives."

"Yes, we heard." My tone again sounds ironic to my ears. "Who is he? Why does he believe he has the right to file a lawsuit against the will?" It's a hail of questions. Reiter, however, doesn't seem shaken.

Ignoring the tone I used, he answers, "He hasn't yet filed a lawsuit, but he may. If he does, you know that it will be a long process."

That's what worries me. If there's a lawsuit, Tim won't be able to do anything with the farm. He'll have to bear all the costs, including taxes, possibly for years.

I look at Tim. I can tell by his tense body that he's following my trail of thought.

"I know Kevin's motives," Reiter argues. "If we have a friendly conversation, we can reach an agreement without going through a lawsuit."

"Mr. Reiter, we need to understand what is really going on."

The old lawyer rummages again through the papers in front of him. He sighs before start talking. I settle back in the chair. It's going to be a long story, it seems. His voice tone doesn't change. It sounds like he's telling the same story for the 20th time. He talks with pauses. He seems to study every movement we're making.

"I met Philipp when he was 18. He arrived here with the circus. Immediately he got charmed by the town. He wanted to settle here, but he had no money. Before leaving, he told me he'd be back with enough money to buy a house." He pauses and sighs, almost a lament. "Years passed and I honestly thought he wouldn't come back anymore. But 40 years later he showed up. He told he'd finally saved enough money to buy a farm even."

The lawyer opens a coloured folder and shows us some old pictures. One of them shows the farmhouse looking old and broken. No trees or flowers were around it. In another picture, a man who looks incredibly like an old version of Tim, wearing a light white shirt, brown pants and black boots, stands in front of the then empty aviary. A blonde little girl is sitting in the back eating what I guess to be watermelon.

"Wow, I really do look like my uncle!" Tim exclaims, suprised.

"You've never seen a picture of him before?" Reiter asks.

Tim shakes his head. "No."

The lawyer does something I wasn't expecting. He holds out the picture. "You can keep this one."

Tim takes the picture reverently. I can tell that Reiter notices his politeness. But he continues his story, without making any comment on this. "As you can see in the pictures, the farm wasn't like it is now. Philipp worked a lot on it. The aviary was the first thing he built. He loved his birds and he wanted to give them as much comfort as possible. He wanted it to be a sanctuary for them. He would oftentimes take care of wounded birds there and free them afterwards, but some of them would return and stay there."

"But how did he keep up with the bills?" I ask.

"Flowers." Reiter replies, putting back the pictures in the folder. "Philipp initially thought of producing cheese, like most local farmers here. But after consulting the market, and not having enough capital to buy cows, he decided to go for what was cheaper: flowers. He started small. Selling the flowers to the local shops, then he got to start a partnership with flower shops in Berlin and Brandenburg."

"Did he earn well," Tim wants to know, his eyes shining like two dollar signs, like a cartoon character.

"Yes, he did. He managed to grow the farm and last year Kevin opened an office in Berlin."

"And who is Kevin?" I insist once again.

Tim looks at me. I asked the question that was stuck in his throat. Finally Reiter got to the heart of the matter, "Kevin and his sister, Heidi, used to live with Philipp. Kevin is 26. He was in charge of the farm after Philipp's death. Heidi is the youngest. She's 20. She's works at the office in Berlin."

My lawyer instincts kicks in. "What's their relationship with Mr. Wienold?"

"They are adopted. Not on the paper. Philipp just raised them. Kevin parents died when he was only 5. His cousin was an magician in the circus Philipp was in. He left the circus and abandoned the poor child there. Heidi is the child of an artist with whom Philipp had a short relationship. She died a long time ago. He felt sorry for the kids and decided to look after them."

"Could Heidi be his child?"

Reiter shakes his head. "No. Heidi's mother was already pregnant before dating Philipp. But he raised both kids like his children."

"In that case, why did he leave the farm to Tim, a nephew he didn't even know? Why not to the people he considered his children?" I'm genuinely intrigued.

"Even I can't understand." adds Tim.

"When Philipp came to me to write his will, I also didn't know why he wanted to leave the farm to a nephew he had never met. I thought it was only fair that Kevin and Heidi, who had taken care of him all along, should get it."

I finally understand the fake smiles from him and his daughter. They aren't exactly against us. It's because they consider the will unfair. As much as I want to defend my friend, I see and understand their view. "Were you able to find out why he chose Tim?"

"You see, Philipp didn't leave everything he had to Mr. Wöffen," replies the lawyer. "Kevin and his sister inherited a house in the town and the office in Berlin."

"Any money?" I ask.

"Well, all the money that was made in the farm were in both Kevin and Heidi's name."

I look crookedly at Tim, who pretends not to notice my expression. "I still don't understand why Tim was included in the will." I stare at the lawyer.

Once again he rummages through the papers on the table, looking for the right words. "From what I understood, he had several reasons. One of them, no doubt, was thinking that you, Mr. Wöffen, were rich."

"Me, rich?" Tim almost laughs.

"He always told me that your mother, his sister, was married to a businessman. And that you were studying law, and would be a lawyer like me."

"But I dropped out in the second year."

"That makes sense," I tell tim. "If the last contact he had with your family was when you were still at school, he must have thought that you'd graduated."

"In short, your uncle thought that you would have enough money to take care of the aviary and continue the flower business, Mr. Wöffen." concludes Reiter.

"What? Did I get the inheritance to look after the birds?" Tim almost shouts.

The lawyer continues, as if Tim hasn't said anything, "Kevin and Heidi were doing great with the farm, but Philipp wanted more for them. He wanted both to finish their studies and explore the world. Meeting new people and creating dreams for themselves. That's another reason he left the farm to Mr. Wöffen, so that they wouldn't be stuck here. Wolkenberg is a beautiful town but there's nothing here for the youngsters." He takes a long pause, which seems too mysterious to me. "But that's not all."

"What do you mean, it's not all?" asks Tim. "I have the impression that my uncle just got me in big trouble."

"He liked you, even without knowing you," explains the lawyer. "And he even confessed to me once he wanted to look for you. But he'd been away for so long, he imagined that you would reject him. In our conversations, he always talked about you. Look, Mr. Wöffen, there's another picture I found among his things."

Reiter takes a picture from the coloured folder. It's a young Tim, smiling. "I think he left the farm for you as a way of saying, in his own way, that he would've liked to meet you" he concludes.

Tim takes the picture, moved. I know my friend well enough to know that he's holding back the tears. I think it best to be objective. "From what I understand, the other party, Kevin and Heidi, aren't happy with the will. What they want is the farm?"

The lawyer looks at me sternly. "Kevin and Heidi lived on the farm. They helped Philipp taking care of it. They want to go back there. They consider that place their home."

Tim opens his mouth to speak. I don't allow it. "I'll analyse the situation in more detail." I'm still determined to fight for my friend's inheritance. I stare at Reiter. "I understand the emotional attachment that they have for the farm. But we aren't here to discuss feelings. Let's deal with what really matters. The ownership of the farm."

I hear a little knock on the door. "Dad, Kevin and Heidi are here." Anna announces.

I stand up. I'm ready to face my opponents. The fight will begin. I can't look like I'm ready to take everything from them. Any wink will make them realize I'm on the defensive end. So I stretch my lips into a professional smile.

When they walk in, my smile disappears. My hand, raised to greet them, freezes in mid-air.

It's him! The young man from the dream. The one that bumped into me this morning! He's wearing the same clothes: khaki pants and dark blue hoodie.

Behind him, a girl with blonde hair and frail appearance, despite her shapely body. She is wearing a long summer dress. Her frizzy long hair almost hides her face.

A shiver runs through my body. It's the same girl who, in my dreams, was crying and trying to save the young man from the fire.

She looks at me and gives a small smile. She doesn't seem to notice anything special about me. The man however does. Kevin looks at me and pauses at the door. His eyes show the same emotions they did when we first saw each other this morning: horror and fear.