The Leinweber festival

On May 25, 2022, I finally reached Mara's apartment at nineteen o'clock. The anticipation of the evening was tingling in the air as we headed straight for the funfair in the city center. The colorful lights and cheerful sounds of the rides immediately put us in an exuberant mood. After a short stroll around the stalls, we decided to get a pizza.

“I'd like the one with mushrooms,” I said to the vendor behind the counter, my stomach already growling with delight.

“That'll be four euros fifty,” the vendor replied as he put the delicious-looking pizza into a cardboard container.

“All the pizzas have so much cheese on them,” Mara remarked, leaning towards me to comment on the selection.

“And you, young lady,” the man handed me my pizza and asked what Mara would like.

"Mmm. I think I'll have pizza margherita.”

We sat down on a stone staircase away from the hustle and bustle.

“I thought you were a vegan?” I asked her skeptically and took a bite of my pizza.

"I'm not that strict with myself. If there's no vegan alternative, I'll go for cheese as an exception. But of course I wouldn't eat meat under any circumstances.”

"May I try your pizza? The mushrooms look delicious," she asked, and I couldn't help but hold my slice of pizza to her mouth so she could taste it.

"Let's go. The Frida Gold concert starts at nine o'clock," Mara said as she continued to chew.

The concert venue was a bit further away, and we had to walk a bit. When we arrived, a considerable crowd of probably two hundred or more people had already gathered around the stage, and even more were standing in a larger radius further away from the stage.

"I want to get as close to the stage as possible. You can feel the energy of the music much more intensely there," Mara eagerly suggested, taking my hand.

We made our way through the dense crowd and finally reached the vicinity of the stage. Only a few meters separated us from the stage, where a man was advertising for the savings bank.

She was radiant, and I could feel her excitement.

"I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Frida Gold fan. I don't really know them," I confessed to Mara.

"That's okay. Just wait, the song 'Wovon sollen wir träumen?' is simply beautiful," she smiled.

"It's the only song I know by her," I smiled back.

"Have you ever been to a festival?" she asked me.

"No, this is my first time."

"Then we definitely have to go to a real festival together! The atmosphere, the music, the feeling of freedom - you'll love it."

"I'd love to! A cold Radler would be perfect right now, wouldn't it?" I asked with a wide grin.

"I wouldn't mind a beer, but it's so expensive at festivals."

"I'll treat," I replied, and she nodded.

I headed towards the nearest camper trailer selling beer and joined the line. It seemed like more people had gathered here than at the stage.

Finally, it was my turn.

"Two Radlers, please," I called out to the saleswoman.

"That'll be twelve euros. Two euros deposit," she shouted over the loud murmur.

That was the moment I regretted suggesting getting beer.

With the drinks in hand, I fought my way back to Mara, who was waiting for me. The crowd had thickened slightly during my absence.

"Please give a round of applause for Frida Gold, ladies and gentlemen," a man shouted eagerly into the microphone as I handed Mara the cup.

"Thank you," she smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

Then Frida Gold, in a completely white, stylish suit, began to sing a song that hadn't been released yet. Somehow, the music couldn't quite captivate me. My attention wandered, and I found the bright lights of the moving spotlights more fascinating than the music. The colors merged together, painting a vivid picture on and around the stage. Mara noticed my lack of interest, took my drooping hand, looked at me lovingly, and smiled. Her eyes sparkled in the light of the spotlights. She looked enchanting.

I'm in the middle of it all and surrender to everything
But if you look behind the scenes

Finally, the long-awaited song began, and the crowd erupted into loud cheers. Mara was full of excitement and immediately joined in singing. I joined in too.

The song ended.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?" she asked me with a mischievous smile as the concert ended.

I couldn't help but grin and replied with a hint of irony, "Yeah, it was okay."

"Come on, be honest! You enjoyed it just as much as I did," she retorted with a wink. I chuckled and finally admitted, "Okay, maybe a bit less than 'okay'."

"I'll just quickly go to the restroom," I told her, "then we can treat ourselves to some food at the fair."

She nodded in agreement, and we parted for a brief moment. After my short visit to the restroom, we found each other again and held hands as we walked back into the city center together.

It was already eleven o'clock, but the fair was in full swing, and the streets were pulsating with life. The bright lights of the rides and the cheerful calls of the showmen filled the air. It smelled enticingly of roasted almonds.

Mara and I strolled through the alleys when a passing guy approached us with the words "Hot chick" and winked at Mara.

A frustrated sigh escaped Mara's lips as she rolled her eyes.

"That's exactly why I'm a feminist," she said. She had always been a woman who refused to be put in boxes and fought against stereotypes.

"Let's eat crepes to calm me down," she suggested, and we headed to the next stand where the delicious pancakes were being prepared. I opted for a version with Nutella, while Mara had the courage to try something new and went for crepes with peanut butter.

We found a free bench nearby where we sat down and enjoyed our treats. As I took a hearty bite of my crepes, I couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, they taste just like Mom's pancakes!"

Mara nodded. "Crepes are my absolute favorite food at the fair," she confessed, happily twisting her face as she savored her pancake.

"Let's see if there's a DJ playing somewhere nearby. I feel like dancing," I suggested, and Mara enthusiastically agreed.

We quickly spotted the DJ playing nearby. His sound filled the air with great techno beats. But although the music pulsated through the room, no one seemed to move - everyone stood rooted to the spot, sipping their drinks. But then I noticed a dark-skinned man who seemed unfazed by the inertia of the crowd. He danced with a passion as if every moment were his last on earth. His energy and joy were palpable, drawing me into his spell.

I couldn't help but let myself be carried away by his rhythm and danced with him. Mara didn't dare. The people around us turned to watch us both dancing. Suddenly, the music stopped playing.

"Sorry, folks, but it's midnight. We have to consider the residents," the DJ explained regretfully, and the crowd sighed loudly in disappointment.

"You're really cool," I said to my dance partner, enthusiastically giving him a high five before returning to Mara. She stood a few meters away, grinning with her arms crossed.

"I've always wanted to see you dance," she confessed, still grinning. "I only know about it from your stories of your club adventures," she added.

"I hope my dance didn't look like an epileptic fit."

"Not at all," she replied, laughing.

On our way to her place, we got onto a topic I had never thought about before.

We walked along an empty alley, illuminated by lanterns.

"Have you ever tried a sex toy with Jule?"

"No, I don't think Jule would like that. But what about you? Have you ever used a vibrator?"

"Of course. I have one in my drawer," she said, looking at me as I walked away as if she wanted to try it out with me right away.

"Will you show me how you do it? I want to learn too!"

Mara nodded.

We finally arrived at her apartment and, exhausted, we flopped down on the comfortable sofa. Mara took a seat on one of the backrests, while I leaned my head on the opposite one.

"Fancy a gin and tonic?" she asked me and started a Spotify playlist called Lover's Food.

"I could do with a glass, but just one, otherwise I'll get drunk," I said.

"That's not too bad. We can sleep in tomorrow. I'm skipping university tomorrow."

Mara disappeared into the kitchen for a moment to mix our drinks. When she came back, she handed me a full glass.

"Oh, it's pretty strong."

"I accidentally poured in a little more gin," she confessed and laughed heartily.

"Shall we dance?" she asked and turned the music up.

Without further hesitation, I jumped up from the sofa and started moving around in a silly manner. With a wave of my finger, I invited Mara to join me. Her eyes sparkled as she joined me, laughing, and we danced with abandon and light-heartedness.

Over time, we gradually lost all our clothes as we danced until we were only in our underwear. We were fooling around, kissing and touching each other everywhere. I got down on all fours and Mara sat on my back, rode me and gave me light pats on the bottom. We laughed and danced late into the night, with no worries about tomorrow, full of fun and connection in this moment of infinite happiness. This night would remain unforgettable, like a chapter in a gripping novel in which we played the leading roles.