Monday 9 March 2015

Freudenshade, Perhaps



As the only one who spoke English, I hovered near the guy at the end of the bar, despite his near silence. Then, finally, he spoke.

“What’s German for ‘Inverse’?”

“Umgekehrt.”

“Umgekehrt-schadenfreude a word?”

“Not really…”

“Well, is there a word then, when the perfect girl, a woman who you could love forever, is getting married…”

He paused to drink.

“To a jerk?” I offered.

“No, to your best friend, who you love, and they love each other, and you are happy for them and thus you can’t really be upset…”

Twenty-five years later, we still haven’t found a word.

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