Time Heals No Wounds by Hendrik Falkenberg

After the long day, he looked forward to a cool shower. As he rounded a bush, he almost collided with two men. A guy with blond dreadlocks exchanged some cash for a small bag. Startled, the men looked up at Hannes before running away. He couldn’t believe it! That was . . .
    “Ben!” he shouted at the fugitives. “Ben, stop!”
    Ben, who had taken the small plastic bag, hesitantly slowed down and turned around. He was embarrassed as he walked over to Hannes. “So I guess this is what you’d call caught in the act. Are you going to cuff me now?”
    “Normally, I would! What are you doing?”
    “This is just to relax!” Ben waved one of the bags full of marijuana.
    “Still! There’s a playground over there! Why do you have to conduct your drug deals here of all places?”
    “Drugs, drugs, drugs . . . Such a strong word for something so trivial. Others get drunk, I get stoned. What’s the difference?”
    “The difference is that selling marijuana is illegal, as is purchasing it.”
    “So what are you going to do?” Ben asked and sighed.
    Hannes thought for a moment and then pulled himself together. “I have a party to go to! There’s a good chance I may forget about what I saw here.”
    “Man, I knew you were all right.”
    “Don’t go around saying I caught you and let you go. Not even at the party. You’re still coming, right?”
    “Yeah, man, I’ll keep it between us. You can count on me.”
    Hannes shook his head.
    “No, really. I’ll never forget it! If you need something, just contact me . . . You can of course also have some.” He grinned and waved the plastic bag.
    “I’m a competitive athlete, you know. Anyway, are you coming tonight?”
    “Of course! I have a really cool gift for Ines. See you later—and thanks again!” He playfully punched Hannes on the shoulder, turned around, and jogged away.
    Hannes looked around, hoping no one had seen anything. Fortunately, no one was there, and he rushed home to get into the shower.
    An hour later, he got off the bus and studied the map of the neighborhood posted at the bus stop. Ines and Kalle lived across town in an area he was completely unfamiliar with. He walked past a noisy group of teens in front of a pool hall and passed the blinking lights of a sex shop which threw a kaleidoscope of colors onto the street. Two blocks later, he was surrounded by silence broken only by the excited barking of a terrier. He walked by a row of houses and stopped in front of number 72. He glanced through the names listed next to the doorbells. Seconds after he had pressed the top button, the door buzzed and the fluorescent hall lights switched on.
    “You have to walk up to the fifth floor. Unfortunately, there’s no elevator,” a tinny voice said through the intercom.
    He sighed and readied his knee for the climb.
    “Man, and you are a competitive athlete?” Ben greeted him as he reached the final landing. “That took forever!”
    Ben laughed and leaned against the open doorway. Ines and Kalle came to the door, beaming.
    “It’s great you could come!” Ines said and gave him a warm hug. “I was afraid you might all change your minds and last night would just be a one-time encounter.”
    “How can you live so high up with your fear of heights?” Hannes joked to Kalle and then shook his hand.
    “Be glad you didn’t help us move,” he said with a laugh. “That was the day we lost our friends.”
    The apartment was in excellent condition and tastefully decorated. Ines brought several plates of finger food into the living room.
    “Elke’s not here yet, but we should probably start. Hannes, would you like something to drink?”
    “Beer,” Hannes and Ben said in unison, and in no time they were holding cold bottles.
    “To the final hours of my youth,” said Ines, after which they all clinked their drinks.
    At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Ines sidled over to the intercom. “Elke’s on her way up,” she said from the