The rainbow never sets

the road. The steam train also stopped about 15 meters further down the tracks. The first thing Helga said after the impact: "Let's get out of this. The car may burst out in flames."

I turned the radio off and said: "We are all right. The car has stopped, and the train too. No worries."

Then I realised that Helga was holding her right arm. "Are you hurt?"

"A little bit." "I'm sorry, Helga. So stupid of me! Look what I have done! And how are you going to meet Kurt now?"

"Where are we?" I had no idea. Meanwhile a number of people began to crowd around us. From them we heard that we were on the outskirts of Oeynhausen. I asked them where the nearest hospital was. They pointed out a medical centre nearby, when they saw that Helga's arm was bleeding. Someone offered to take her there, but I wanted to do that.

Leaving everything behind, I walked with Helga to the medical centre. Luckily a doctor was on duty and I heard that the wound was only superficial. The arm did not seem to be broken.

"I'll come back for you, Helga. Just wait for me here. I have to go back to the car and our things."

When I walked down the street I saw a bigger crowd than before, all standing around the scene of the accident. The Police was already looking for me: "Where have you been?" an officer growled at me.

"Over at the medical centre. My friend's arm needed some medical attention."

"I thought you had shot through." He took all the details, and then went over to the medical centre to get Helga's side of the story.

Only then did I have a look at the car. The right door had been pushed in, the window of it had shattered, and some of the right side looked a bit out of place, but I didn't think too much damage had been done. A tow-truck came and took the car to the nearest repair place. I had left my wool samples in the car, and taken our personal gear out. Being Saturday, the repair place was closed, but I could leave the car in its yard.

Then I booked into a nearby hotel and went back to Helga. She had been bandaged and was ready to go, but she was still in some shock. We walked together to the hotel, where Helga phoned Kurt, and told him about our accident. She asked him whether he would be able to pick her up, but that was not possible. Helga decided then that she would return to Bremen the following morning.

I stood there sheepishly. "I'm terribly sorry to do that to you. Was he angry?" "Not at all. He sends his regards to you and asked me to tell you how lucky we both were!"

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