The Bright Colours of Misery [COMPLETED]

𝙲𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚈 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁 -funeral-

The Seide family was the talk of the town. A week had passed since Alfred had been found, and despite the nasty rumours about his death (usually linked to his terrible drinking habits) there were kind people that only pitied Trudy and her children. They gave them nothing but kind words, since they couldn't truly afford anything else, war affects everyone after all. However, kind words were utterly useless, at least in Heidi's opinions because words wouldn't get rid of her memories or Frieda's constant nightmares. It wouldn't bring the better version of their father back, as Trudy had said, he was already long gone. Wilma had received a letter a few days ago, regarding a funeral, and at around midnight on a cold night in december, just when snow had started falling, Wilma Seide stepped off a rusty train onto one the ever so familiar platforms in her hometown's train station. She hadn't been there for over a year by now, and I had waited for her for hours and left Heidi behind at home. I must admit I had missed her almost just as much as Heidi. She was wearing her elegant coat and a pair of high heels and she stepped off that train with certainty, keeping her head high as she seemingly floated across the station out into the cold December cold, the air quickly bit at her nose, which turned red almost immediately. When she turned into Apfelstraße her step accelerated in an almost childishly excited manner. I just knew that if Trudy had witnessed those happy little skips her now grown daughter made as she walked, this act would have sent the poor woman into uncontrollable sobs.

Wilma eventually knocked on her old front door, the one leading to a house she used to call home.   

The echo of it resonated throughout the whole corridor and my dear Heidi shot out of her seat, she had been staring at the clock in the living room for almost an hour waiting impatiently for this moment. She rushed to the door and pulled it open with force. She readjusted her glasses, pulling them up on her nose getting her first proper glimpse at the woman in the doorway. She knew it was Wilma, those eyes were ones she could recognize amongst millions, but dear god how much she had changed.

Her once long and light blond curls had been cut and curled more elegantly, Heidi quickly decided she liked it, it suited her, despite the fact it made her look like a completely different person paired with all that lipstick. Was it even lipstick? Makeup was looked down upon these days, that's what Trudy had once told her and Frieda in fear that they would start using some and bring them unwanted attention.

"Hallo, Heidi." She said softly, stepping into the corridor, finally Heidi was pulled away from her thoughts and she flung her arms around her sister. They held onto each other tightly, revelling in that comfort for as long as they possibly could.

Trudy slowly revealed herself in the corridor after watching them both in a puddle of tears for a few minutes. Wilma's mascara smudged eyes stopped on her mother briefly before she slowly let go of Heidi to go embrace her. They were the exact same height which must have done something to trudy because as soon as she noticed this she cried even more, because her daughter was proving to be all grown up, perhaps? I'm not entirely sure.

"Oh my dear Wilma," She sobbed, her hands reaching for her face, she got a good look at her and smiled through her tears.

"Your mascara is dripping, Wilhelmina." She said softly with an unusually fond use of her full name. Wilma even smiled at it, hugging the woman who had given it to her once more.

"So would yours," Wilma sniffled with a slight chuckle, her mother wasn't wearing any makeup, of course, but even hypothetically she wouldn't, however was she crying just as much as the young woman? Yes. Eventually they both pulled away and Wilma walked into the kitchen, forgetting to take her scarf off. Heidi quickly pointed it out to her without a word and Wilma slowly took it off with a fond smile.

"Where are my other siblings?" She asked her mother who barely listened, distraught by the mere sight of her changed daughter.

"Frieda!" Heidi called after running to the bottom of the staircase as the question escaped Wilma's lips, almost immediately her quick footsteps made the wooden ceiling crack. The girl stopped for a second once she saw Wilma. She shot a quick confused glance at Heidi, and she only gave her a small shrug. How was she supposed to know how on earth she looked the way she did?