Binderclip | Teen Ink

Binderclip

August 1, 2010
By Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments

I've lived in Germany for a total of 15 years now. I was born here to a busy woman working in an office and a father who can only be called your "all too typical, ruddy-faced German". I think my mom worked in the city to forget the fact that my dad was a classic German, to say the least.
When I was 2, my parents divorced, and my mom took me with her when she went to America. After one year, she found a man who had a New York accent and didn't even know when spargel season was. When they were married, I was sent back to Germany to live with my dad.
I had turned 16 two months ago, and was able to understand why my mom left my dad, although why she married the American man was still a mystery to me. The man didn't know when the best time for asparagus was, unlike my dad, who knew over 25 dishes to make during Spargelfest. My dad was the man who invited all the neighbors to have spargel, cooked in all different ways, with him. I can't say that I hate living in Germany, but I plan to move out of my dad's house and start living on my own soon.
I like walking around outside, where I can pretend that I don't necessarily live in the neighborhood, or am the son of the spargel-obsessed man. Of course, I am still greeted my the neighbors, who don't know that I'm pretending. Pretending I don't know him. Pretending I'm any other German on the street.
Today I walk further than usual. I'm no longer in my neighborhood, so I'm pretty much unknown here. However, if I spoke my dad's name here, the heads of many spargel vendors will appear, because my dad looks everywhere for good spargel. God, there I go again. Spargel this, spargel that. There's a spargel stand at the corner in front of me, and annoyed, I'm about to leave when I notice that the only people here are a girl and an older man further off too the side speaking to a potential buyer. The girl's hair is a little disheveled, her pants are dusty with dirt, and something about her strikes me as a little different. She's got this really weird facial expression on her face, I wonder what's up with her.i decide to take my chances and I walk up to the spargel stand. The girl gets up quickly gets up and says something I can't quite catch but sounds a little familiar, even though I wasn't completely sure it was German. Pointing to the vegetables, she said "Spargel." I begin to understand that she probably isn't German, and doesn't know the language. I nod to her, and I think I was about to buy some spargel from her when a Great Dane appears from behind the stand and jumps on me.
"Gottverdammt! Sheisse! Was zur Hölle? Holen Sie sich dieses Miststück Hund weg! Ernsthaft! Sheisse!" I recall my mother's new husband had a big dog, too. A German Shepard, ironically. The girl manages to pull her dog off me, and I notice the spargel man who was off to the side has returned. I can't tell what he's saying, but I get the feeling that he's translating. The girl says something else, but I don't know what. "Hey, müssen Sie eine Leine zu bekommen." The man continues to talk, and the girl glares at me, which doesn't really make a lot of sense, because I was the one jumped on. I whip off my glasses angrily and say "Dieser Hund ist ein Miststück." As I say this, the girl also says something. The man, who I think is the father, continues what I think is translating. Deciding that it was time to head back home, I left, but not before pausing in front of the stand a second longer as the girl looks at me pathetically and points to the stand, saying "Spargel."
Even though I've returned home, I can't stop thinking about the spargel stand, the girl, and her dog. It's late, and the sun is mostly set, but I head to but a German-English dictionary. I hope that I'm right, and not just wasting money when I think that the girl was speaking English. While out, I also buy a length of smooth leather.
The next day, I work with the leather some until I'm pleased with it. I open the dictionary and begin to find the words I want. When the sun is starting to disappear, I grab the brown bundle next to me, stand up, and stretch as I begin to walk down the street away from my house.
Soon, I am standing at the stall again, and when the girl doesn't notice, I say "Hallo." Glancing around, I see no Great Dane, but a large book with many words on her lap that I didn't think she had yesterday. I point to the stand, and, feeling just a little foolish, I say "Spargel." She repeats the word, standing up to point at the board which lists the prices. I have to wonder if she even knows how much I should be paying her, but when I buy some I give her the correct amount of money anyway. I turn to leave, thinking it's not really my concern, and I shouldn't give it to her, but I turn around and walk back the step I had taken. I'm wondering how to convey what I want to when I decide too point to my temple and then offer her the brown parcel I had been carrying. She seems a little confused when she takes it, and I wait for her to open it. Uncertain that it's a gift for her, she glances at me warily as she unwraps the package. She drops the paper and holds the leash up to the fading light. She smiles at me, and says something. I get the feeling that she's saying thank you, but maybe that's just me wanting to think that's what she said. I reply, saying "Bitte Schön," then I leave with my spargel.
Even though we never say anything, and there's really nothing that makes me go, I continue to visit her stand and buy spargel from her. My dad doesn't mind, he's happy that I"m bringing him more spargel to eat. I wonder if the girl thinks that I love spargel or something. I've been buying spargel from her for three weeks now, and I'm about to leave when she stops me. She's holding her hand out, and I wonder what she wants. I turn to face her, looking into her eyes. I look at her dog warily, but then return my eyes to her face. She looks at my face nervously, swallows, and closes her eyes. I realize that maybe I'm staring at her in a mean way, so when she opens her eyes, I'm not glaring as much as trying ti smile without looking like an idiot. She says, in shaky German, "Danke für den kaufen unseres Spargels," She looks at me hopefully.
I smile a little more, and say, in what I'm sure is shaky English, "Thank you for you to sell the spargel to me," To this, she begins to smile, even though she seems lost for words now. I understand what she is feeling, because I also do not know what to say.
"Mappenklemmaplatte." Her next words catch me off guard. Before I got my German-English dictionary, I only remembered one word from my time in America, when I helped my mom out in her office.
Looking down at the girl's face in surprise, I ask her "Binderclip?"

The author's comments:
My English teacher gave me an assignment to write a sequel to a piece of writing, and I felt that I wanted to write a response piece to Julia H's story "Spargel" http://teenink.com/fiction/realistic_fiction/article/96905/Spargel/ Here's her story! I'd suggest reading it first! I have to make sure she doesn't have a problem with this... :)

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This article has 13 comments.


on Nov. 23 2010 at 1:58 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Hey, thanks for stopping to take a look! :) Thanks for the feedback! ^_^ Haha, if I can think of where this shold go, maybe I'll write another bit :P Of course, seeing Julia_H write more on it would be really awesome :) Haha, no, it's alright to talk too much, I'm glad to get such positive feedback! :) Ohh, thanks! :P I thought it was a fun ending, glad you liked it! ^_^

on Nov. 23 2010 at 9:56 am
thestorycritic GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
12 articles 0 photos 73 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live life King Size

And and and, I loved the end :D

on Nov. 23 2010 at 9:55 am
thestorycritic GOLD, Hyderabad, Other
12 articles 0 photos 73 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live life King Size

Awww, I loved Julia's Spargel story and so want her to continue :) So when, I was showing my friend the article, I came across your comment and decided to check it out.

I'm glad I did. This is really really good. Almost as good as her's actually :) I would've asked both of you, or maybe one of you to continue with it, but I somehow feel that its best left where it is now :) But, you want to continue, I would be the first to read it! :P Anyway, I'm sure you would've noticed I talk a wee too much :P


on Sep. 23 2010 at 9:28 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, it's really flattering to be told that by someone who read my article that I don't even know! ^__^ Ahh, I see what you mean, thanks very much for the critisim, that's excellent advice I should've thought of, really :P Perhaps I'll edit my story sometime with that in mind :) Thanks, thanks a whole bunch! ^___^

on Sep. 23 2010 at 8:42 pm
juliam PLATINUM, Windermere, Florida
21 articles 4 photos 60 comments

Favorite Quote:
All of us learn to write in second grade. Most of us go on to greater things

I'm also a big fan of the actual Spargel article, and I think you did a marvelous job. It was well written, and amusing at the end, especially when you took 'Julia H's' twist and added an extra flair to it. 

If I had any advice, it'd be to give more detail. If I hadn't previously read the Spargel article, I don't know if somethings would have been as clear and flowing as they were now. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you should always write a story as if it's the first time the information is presented. 

Regardless of my blabbering up top though, it really is quite good. 


on Sep. 19 2010 at 6:52 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Hey Julia! ^__^ I'm so glad you liked my story! I was worried that you might really dislike it. Obviously, I had nothing to worry about. ;) It's nice to hear it made you laugh. Haha, I'm happy you feel so honored, even over such a small thing! :) Well, I'm glad that I wrote one of the highest compliments you could ever receive then. ^_^ I'm relieved and very honored myself to have your approval of this, because you wrote the inspiration for this story. :) Thanks for getting back to me on this, it makes me really happy! ^_^ Also, I'd like to say that you do deserve it, because I love your writing, Spargel was such a great story! You should also keep writing! ^_^

Julia_H SILVER said...
on Sep. 19 2010 at 6:18 pm
Julia_H SILVER, Merrimac, Massachusetts
6 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Hi! I finally got around to checking this out and I'm so glad I did. (: I cannot express how utterly honored I am that you would use MY story to work from for your school assignment. It's probably one of the highest compliments I could ever recieve, and you did the story justice. Your ending made me laugh! I was pleasantly surprised, even by the concept. Love how you changed the point of view. (:

This is such a nice way for you to pay homage to my story, I can't even think I deserve it! Thank you so much, this is a great story. (: Keep writing!


on Sep. 1 2010 at 12:20 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Hey, thanks! ^__^ I'm glad you enjoyed it!

on Sep. 1 2010 at 12:08 pm
__horizon133 PLATINUM, Portage, Michigan
26 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
"laugh, and the world laughs with you. laugh hysterically, and for no apparent reason, and they will leave you alone." anonymous

i read both stories and they fit perfectly! this is great-five stars from me too! :)

on Aug. 27 2010 at 9:32 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Thanks for your response! It's nice to hear :) So you read Spargel too, right? Did you think my story went with it well?

on Aug. 27 2010 at 9:30 pm
Snowkittenz BRONZE, Kalamazoo, Michigan
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
Oh, I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for responding, it makes my day!

on Aug. 27 2010 at 9:10 pm
pinkypromise23 PLATINUM, Cranston, Rhode Island
30 articles 0 photos 412 comments

Favorite Quote:
i know that you believe you understand what you think i said, but im not sure you realize that what you heard is not what i meant.

aw i was reading julias story, spargel, and i saw your scomment about your sequel, so i found it and its so cute!! i love how you ended it! 5 stars and added to my favorites(;

on Aug. 27 2010 at 7:02 pm
second_thoughts, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
i like the fact that you made it in the boy's point of view. it was interesting to see what was going on in his head as well, knowing that the two have mutual feelings.