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Ina Stöcker: Last friday was a special day for me - I had invited my pen-friend from Eisenach to the Cologne-show and I did not know her personally before. On friday we met at the train-station in Cologne for the first time and we had 3 wonderful days! She did not know Chris de Burgh before we started writing... only songs like "Lady in red". Some people of her work did ask her - where do you go - you will see a show with "Andy Borg"??? This is a local "Volksmusik" star... not the music I like... and it was funny to hear! We went to Cologne by bus and train, it´s a short "journey", about 30 min from my house (when I look outside of my window I look at Cologne). We left our house after lunch at midday and had so enough time for a little sightseeing tour, it took more time as usual, because I had to take my crutches with me for such a long walk. Later in the afternoon we met again with Heike, Gabi, Jutta, Ela and Gisela and had some drinks and something to eat not far away from the "Philharmonie" so that I had not to walk for long time. There we talked until it was time to go to the venue. I was surprised about the venue - so many stairs - and I wondered how Chris will climb them all up and sing! We had seats in row 5 , looking to the middle of the stage with a good view. From the first song on I was catched by the mood, the audience was good and I enjoyed it very much to clap hands, stand up, sing and dance (I had left my crutches outside with my jacket...). I was impressed how Chris managed to climp up the stairs and sing while doing this and I thought about if I would be able to speak when I would have climbed all the stairs up;-)... Chris talked a lot, saying funny things and time went by so fast! While "The journey" I stood up and went to the stage, many others followed and the rest of the show was great fun again! After the show, so happy again - we went to a pub and sat together talking and laughing very much until they said, that they would close now. Sibylle, my pen-friend, was very impressed from the show and I think she is "infected" now...! Late after midnight we went to the train station for driving to my home-town. At home again we sat together until 4 o'clock in the morning. Hmmmm - did I tell you, that I have "two little alarm.clocks on two legs"... ;-)? So 3 hours later I had to stand up again and make breakfast for very hungry and loud children while my head was sleeping... The rest of my brain that was not sleeping was full of songs and Chris de Burgh and so all things took a little bit longer this morning as usual. While eating I decided to visit the 2. show in Cologne and to take René with me. René is autistic and asks since 2 years if I can´t take him with me - and now I knew from the day before, in this venue (not so big, not so loud as a concert with band) we can try it. I tried to get a ticket at the telephone but they said that the concert the evening before was so great (oh yes - I know!) that nearly all tickets were sold and that the only chance to get one would be staying in front of the hall early. I said to René that we would try to get a ticket and that I would take him with me! He was so surprised and then so so so nervous! At first we brought Sibylle to the train station, she had to leave for home and we were a little bit sad - had such a great weekend! After her train had left René and I did a little walk and then went to the Philharmonie. We had to stay there in front of the closed door for 2 1/2 hours! It was very hard for René, he is very hyperactive, was talking all the time, running from the right to the left, from the left to the right, from front to back and again. Sometimes he played a little bit with his cars, one time he began to cry, he was so anxious that his "behaviour" would not be good enough, that people would abuse him if he could not stop talking. I had some toy-cars for him and some old bus-and train tickets, this are things which give him safety, to hold them in his hands or turn the tires at his cars and such things. And after waiting so long the doors opened and we were first at the ticket-shop, got tickets for the side in row 14. René was very restless and fidgety and so especially the first songs it was hard work for me to get him quiet. But he was very impressed and his smile was like the sunshine! He was so happy when Chris came to the stage! Unfortunately all the people beside, before and behind us were so quiet, did not move, clap hands or sing (I can´t understand why). In the beginning of the show a women behind us said to us, that we should put of our "flashing eyes", all people behind us would go crazy by these flashing... René was very sad, but I said to him, that we put them on later again. Then Chris' walk through the audience began and all people at my side (René and I not!) did not leave their seats. My thought was "We must come away from here - that´s not our place!!!" I saw all the known faces in the rows in front of stage dancing and clapping and we had to sit down in a wall of silence - poor Chris to see so many people staying on their seats! But he enjoyed the show, it seemed, that he was concentrated at the front rows! The whole time I thought about the right time to go down to stage with René. I knew - it had to be at this time, that no one would bring us back to our seats, because all people around us would not be very pleased to stay up and let us go (we sat at the end of the row)... Then a woman in the audience with a seat far away from stage went down in front of the stage to dance and nobody prevented her, so I said to René "Okay, let´s start, give me your hand and come with me - it does not matter what all these people say to you and me!" (and what they said was not very friendly...) He was so happy to stay in front of the stage and after "The journey" he went upstairs so that Chris could see him and gave him his little car. It was no new car, one of his toy-cars he likes very much! And it was no police car ;-) - it was an ambulance from the Netherlands which he bought in holidays... Chris talked a litte bit with René and René was so happy and proud! He still was very very nervous and as Astrid said before, for me it was hard work and looking at him very good. Sometimes he had problems to control himself. He started to hit himself or flutter with his hands, he talked, he tried to "catch" the lights he could see. But he was so happy that I can´t describe. I have never seen him so happy before and sometimes I had tears in my eyes looking at him, seeing his smile and the fun he had! And René was happy to read my name - I told him before to read the names on the wall and he shouted "There was your name!" René said, that I should say "Thank you" to Chris Williams and that you hold your sparkling light with him together, he said you are so friendly and if he would be able to write English by his own he would like to write a mail to you. So he said that I should say that he was happy that you were so kind to him! And he said "Mum - I like Chris de Burgh so much - is it now a friend of mine?!" After the show we had to leave the venue very fast, for one reason that we had to hurry for the train, the other reason was, that René was so full of emotions that it seemed he would start to cry and than it would be possible that he gets very aggressive. He could not control much longer. To all of you who said to René, that he had well done - thank you! He was so happy to hear and said there were so many lovely people and I should say to you all that he was happy and greetings to Astrid, Jutta, Ela, Andrea, Gabi, Lore. He was so proud "Chris has caressed me" and he was still in sorrow if his behaviour was okay if he did not disturb anyone - but I always said "René you were great!" . When we went outside of the hall he talked and talked and talked, bumping up and down on my hand. It was hard for me not to cry, when he put his arms around me and said "Mum, I´m nearly 9 years now - and in all this years this was the greatest day I ever had, the best day of my 8 years life! Thank you, thank you, thank you mum, for giving me such a joy, for giving me this special day, I will never forget!" At home again he went to bed and before he said "Please mum - come with me - I want to pray to God and say thank you that I was able to be there and have such a special day!" I was sitting beside him, trying not to cry while hearing all this words - he does usally not pray, what a happiness must have been inside of him! René is usally not able to show so much feelings - all this has touched his soul very deep and I´m very proud that he managed not to loose control and enjoyed it. I did!!!
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File last modified on November 20th, 2004