Encounter: A beerbottle, a young African man and little old me

German version:  FOCUS AFRICA - Nicht nur ein Blick auf die Fußball-WM 2010 (5): ANGRIFF vor ANPFIFF

To wait for the bus on that hot late afternoon I was sitting down on a bench in the little shelter at the downtown busstop. All arround me the commuter-traffic was flooding, everywhere on the streets (here in the middle of the Berlin City). On the cars lots of Germany-flags, small german flags and "Fläckchen" (very small german flags) were tied because in only a few hours the World-Cup-game Ghana against Germany would be kicked off.

Someone had left an empty beer-bottle in the busshelter, standing on the seat next to me. Well, I just hope, that nobody would take me as an old Brandy-sister, I  was thinking, because I was so tired and I felt so exhausted in this shimmering asphalt-heat and with these awfull car-exhaust-odeurs all over the city.

The young Black man came straight towards me on the sidewalk, taking gentle little curves -  to avoid to hit the pedestrians and the streetsigns - pulling up on his bike right in front of me. There he stopped and asked me, if this was my bottle, and I hurried up to denie this. So after all - I  was actually just thinking, beeing a little embaressed, too -this stupid beerbottle does look as if it is related to me!  -  when a bus turned the corner. "No, it's not mine. Sure, you can take it," I said to the young man quickly and than I started for the busstop, only a few steps away. My mind was already set on getting on the bus and on to my next destination.

"No, please, no! ", I heard the young African say, very softly and with a shy little smile on his face. He made a soothing gesture in my direction: "Please, don't worry, I  just want to take the bottle ! " I guess, I must have looked quite stunned at him, because right away I couldn't follow his thoughts at all - and because the bus was just pulling up. "No, I 'm not afraid , I just wanted to see my bus ....!," I  responded quickly - and in this very second I could already sence the impossibility, the enormousness of this moment - but it only took the blink of an eye and it was gone.

During the busride I tried to figgure out what it was that had made this short encounter so very special. I had seen a young African in Berlin who was obviously searching the street-litter-bins for bottles. Lately many people around here are doing so - and it has been quite some time since that were obviously homeless people: little old ladies with very low pensions do it now, neat and tastefully dressed, children do it, who want to buy themselves something special out of the line, and even ordinary middle-class-looking men do it sometimes. They are the ones who do it quickly, sometimes pretending  something has fallen into the trash and they have to search for it now.

Well, as far as I can remember I hadn't seen any Africans doing it yet - but that sure was not the significant point about that special moment. The fact was however, that the young man had been convinced that I had been affraid (of him!) because I did get up real quick, as he had approached  me and that beerbottle. And I wasn't even sure whether he had heard my fast, embarrassed answer. But there was no doubt that whatever else I would have said, it would not have been sufficient anyway . It would have needed time and a real conversation to get close enough for a mutural understanding - beyond fear and beeing concerned or shocked, by whatever.
Yes, I would like to talk to him, this young African man, for he must be a very nice and sensitive person: He had been willing to protect me against my own fears (of him!), me that stranger, that little older German woman.

But only later that night, on my PC - when I learned about the following press-release by the Berlin Police - I truely recognized the full complexity, the total absurdity of this very special moment: It should have been HIM,  who should have been afraid. And it should have been me, who should have given him protection and care.  Or at least who should have been explaining to him why young Africans and other Black people need to be affraid,  even better full of fear in my country (in the middle of bustling Berlin, surrounded this evening by countless people in the subway).  Affraid not only of crazy, violent idiots  - but also of the German police.

But how, as I don't understand it myself?!

 

Press release of the Berlin Police

Input: 23/06/2010 - 12:40 clock

Man insulted and beaten xenophobic

Mid- 1849 #

Yesterday evening two men in Gesundbrunnen insulted an African man xenophobic and then beat him .
Only hours before the forthcoming World Cup preliminary round match between Germany and Ghana took place the two drunken men - aged of 42 and 43 years - made loudly insulting (disparaging) remarks in the underground compartment of the line U8 about Africans and also injured the sedentary 31- year-old man because of his skincolor. When the man wanted to leave the train about 08. 15 p.m. at U -Bahnhof Osloer Strasse,  one of the two jostled, than the perpetrators did beat with fists on him . Afterwards the  two agressors wanted to leave the szene, but then the 31- year-old victim broke a bottle, followed and threatened them. Alerted police calmed the situation and shortly afterwards arrested the 42 - and 43 -year-olds . They were released after an alcohol-bloodtest.  Against them there will be charges because of dangerous injuries and insult.  Against the 31- year-old (victim!), who slightly injured  himself (?!!!) during the attacks, an investigation because of threats was initiated.

My comment:

Own goal and final whistle for Germany !

Man   xenophobic insulted and beaten - Berlin.de

Before   Ghana game: insulted Africans in Berlin U -Bahn and beaten - Police & Justice - Berlin - Daily Mirror

Racist   Mail attacks : Jerome Boateng defends brother Kevin

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FOTO: Public Viewing in Deutschland/Sigismund von Dobschütz/ Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0/Wikimedia Commons
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