Herr Gottfried scanned the local newspaper, his coffee cooling slowly. Paintings of all sizes covered the walls of his tiny Dusseldorf home. It was not so much of an apartment, being originally a drab single room and only just big enough to live in, but he enjoyed fitting comfortably in his own space. He had long since covered up all the old stained wallpaper with years of carefully collected works of art, tessellating the verticals like jigsaw pieces. Sipping coffee, he felt relaxed today and savoured the scent of goulash soup simmering on the stove. A bed, a TV, and a small refrigerator lay close at hand.
The rumbling of passing trains resonated a tinkling sound from glasses on the shelf. His only window looked out onto Jägerstraße where heavy clouds sent a light flurry of snow to decorate the street below. This apartment was warm, perhaps a little too warm now that the one-bar electric fire was radiating its orange glow. Sitting in the well-worn chair with cherished possessions carefully stowed around him, Herr Gottfried felt at peace, much like a small animal cocooned in its winter nest. To him this home was a “klein aber fein” place.
← Back to index