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A SUMMER VACATION AND A KISS SUMMERTIME HAD come again, and József decided that Hermann, Ernö, and I would accompany him on a one-month vacation. Leaving Budapest by train, we traveled to the city of Eger, located between the Mátra and Bükk mountains in northeastern Hungary. We stayed at a deaf school in Eger where we were provided with a room and meals. The principal of the school invited us to be his guests for dinner. The principal was a good friend of József’s and, therefore, treated us like family. I wasn’t at all homesick for my institute and, in fact, was happy to be out. Each day in Eger was enjoyable. Daily, we swam at the public swimming pool and went sightseeing. Eger’s varied architecture and its turbulent history fascinated me. It had a tremendous Turkish ambiance . We visited a huge Turkish mausoleum and learned that the city had been controlled by the Turks for nearly 150 years. We were told a very interesting legend about how the women of Eger freed their husbands from the Turks. It so happened that the Turkish forces had moved into Eger. They stole everyone’s land and made the men of Eger their slaves. The women of Eger feared for their lives and went into hiding in the mountains where they singlehandedly conjured up a plan to oust the Turkish forces. They boiled water for days and then dumped barrelsful down the mountain, creating a mudslide. The mudslide destroyed the Turkish forces, and the ones who survived fled. The women of Eger regained control, getting back their land and their men. The story may have been a myth, but I believed it. After three weeks in the fascinating city of Eger, we traveled to the city of Debrecen, the second largest city in Hungary. Again, we stayed at a deaf school, which provided us with a room and meals. Here, too, the principal of the school was a friend of József’s. Once 85 1 1 C H A P T E R (1948–1949) again, we shared dinner with the principal, who treated us like family. Debrecen also had its charm and fascination. The area of the city had been inhabited since the Stone Age, and it, too, had a Turkish influence. During the Turkish wars, Debrecen was considered a border town and was able to keep its autonomy. Scythian and Avar tribes had lived there in historical times. Although Debrecen had been saturated by invaders throughout its history, the people of Debrecen had always been considered “free citizens.” It was a center of trade and culture. After one week of sightseeing, we ventured back to Eger for a one-day stay before boarding the train back to Budapest. At the train station in Eger, waiting to leave for Budapest, I stumbled upon a beautiful pear tree, loaded with fruit. I began picking the pears, eating one after another. I ate so many that within an hour, I was in tremendous pain. I went to Jozsef, and told him of my stomach pain. He took me to the bar at the station, and ordered a half a deciliter of apricot brandy. He took the first swig and insisted I finish it off. The pain diminished almost instantly. After that, my stomach felt much better. Then, we all boarded the train back to Budapest. When we returned to the institute, I continued my summer adventure. In the school yard, I played hide-and-go-seek with my friends. On one occasion, I ran behind a tree but found no room to hide.A girl was already hiding there. I had no time left to find another hiding place. In an effort to share the space, I pressed my body against hers so I wouldn’t be seen. At once, I felt a rush of excitement surge through my body, a sensation that seemed familiar. The feeling sparked a memory of a dream I had had about seeing four nude girls. The dream had been exciting; now, that feeling had returned, and I was awake! Apparently, our feelings were mutual, and the girl instantly motioned me to follow her down to the former bomb shelter. She took off her underwear in the dark and grabbed my hand. I didn’t know how or what I was supposed to do with either her or myself. We explored each other’s private parts for awhile...

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