The communication freeze between me and my parents is just thawing, when I accept the Munich Consulate Staff contract. My parents are ballistic learning I'm moving to Europe and working in the Munich Consulate. They refuse to even listen, as I repeatedly stress it's only a one-year contract.
Following the Munich Consulate job battle, I get the cold shoulder from both parents. From that point on they do not answer many of my email or SMS messages. I need to fix this situation of turmoil with mom and dad, but my growing consulate job duties keep getting in the way. The Munich Consul General rates my 90-day performance evaluation as
outstanding
.
Honestly, I love the excitement of my consulate job, already knowing I want to extend the contract for another one or two years. So, I'm in a dither on when and how to open up with mom and dad.
***
AARHUS UNIVERSITY
I stop at the Aarhus University information desk, show my USA Munich Consulate ID, and ask for Colonel Marvel. I'm taken to a conference room, seeing the Colonel for only my second time.
We chat briefly, during which I admit I'm not certain the consulate chose the best person to help her. We continue chatting and I finally understand the seriousness of this emergency NATO meeting. There's a high probability of Russia invading Ukraine in the next few months, So Colonel Marvel needs assurance that most scheduled attendees are up to handling such a complex situation in two days of meetings.
I smile cheekily, "Remember my telling you there is one task in which I excel? I am an expert at reading people, so do you want me to read this crowd, and see who's feeding BS at the pig trough? I can superbly handle that for you, but please be forty-five minutes late for the meeting, giving me time to read the room?"
I add, "Ich weiß, dass Sie Deutsch sprechen, aber wir werden nur Englisch sprechen, bis ich Sie schlüssele! Okay"
Colonel Marvel, "Du bist die teuflische Kenzie und ich mag dich jetzt schon. English, it is for now and see you 45-minutes after the meeting starts."
***
Standing alone near the conference room entrance, I observe the wait staff setting up refreshments for our NATO meeting.
I spot my info candidate and mosey over to the refreshment area, "Ich bin Kenzie und mein Dänisch ist nicht vorhanden, sprichst du deutsch oder englisch?"
Hello Kenzie, "I am Borden and will enjoy speaking English with you since I am traveling to the USA on holiday later this year."
I reply, "Fantastic Borden after everything settles with the meeting set up, give me your basic travel itinerary and I'll help you map out a good plan for the areas you want to visit."
I'm thinking oh yeah, I've struck a gold mine, and we can help each other. We laugh and chat during Borden's refreshment setup, becoming quite chummy. But something seems a bit off with Borden's demeanor for being just a hotel server, still, I play along with him for the fun of it.
As we continue chatting, Borden innocently gives me a reading on each Danish attendee as they arrive; such as he doesn't like this one who is full of himself. Or this one lies all the time, and he thinks this one has an alcohol problem, getting drunk at nearly every conference room dinner meeting.
There's a Danish DOD lady named Hanna, whom Borden seems high on, saying she's a brilliant communicator but the Senior Officers treat her more like a secretary. Hanna hasn't arrived yet so I carefully watch the entrance hopefully getting a quick read or feel of her.
The room is quickly filling now, so I give Borden a Munich Consulate business card with my Mobile # and US-GOV Email. By now I'm fairly certain he's Danish Intelligence and gay, so no worries there. As a plus, Borden serves delicious coffee; also, it's fun and helpful gossiping and shooting the breeze with him, so I hang tight for now.
***
NATO EMERGENCY MEETING
I continue gabbing with Borden as more attendees stroll in, most of whom are Danish. There are a couple of other Scandinavians attending, one Norwegian and the other Swedish, but I'm not too concerned with them.
Hanna is easily spotted, simply by her confident posture, as she takes a seat close to the head of the conference table. I also see the look of disdain directed at her two male Danish counterparts. Looking her over closely, I'm fairly certain Hanna's an out n out butch, definitely the predator type.
Borden's eyes critically appraise me observing Hanna as he tries getting a read on me. His analytical problem is, that I am truly a special attaché to Colonel Marvel, speaking fluent German, on loan from the Munich Consulate. He knows I'm up to something, but I do not fit into the usual/classic military intelligence or CIA mode for an emergency NATO meeting.
Five minutes later, a striking young woman strolls in, alongside an obvious senior-level diplomat. She looks a day or two off the battlefield, and while he is unquestionably a high-level diplomat, they seem easily familiar with each other. Neither is Scandinavian, and I glance at Borden, as he sheepishly stares at the floor. For certain he is not just a university food service employee but most likely high-level Danish intelligence.
Looking piercingly at the young woman, I am 100% positive she's a Ukrainian Warrior, recently back in the world for this meeting. She looks fit, about my height at 5'9 or 10" and 115 lbs; her sun-drenched blonde hair pulled into a high-tight ponytail.
Once they're seated, I mentally will her to look up from chatting, and she does, smiling brilliantly. I smile and nod my head acknowledging her, pointing cutely at my coffee. She softly touches the shoulder of her traveling companion, whispers, and smiles then stands slowly strolling toward the refreshment area.
Welcoming her, "I am Kenzie, a US Consulate Political Attaché based in Munich. I only know a smattering of Ukraine, but am fluent in German if you do not speak English." Oh Boy, do I miscalculate her time back in the World, since she smells awful, badly needing a shower and shampoo?
Giving me a what the hell look, "I am Khrystyna, but you can call me Kris. My English is passable, so let's stay with a language that's native to one of us. Please tell me why a Political Attaché from the Munich Consulate is attending a NATO War Council in Aarhus?"
Turning to Borden, "Would you give my friend Khrystyna a cup of coffee that she will surely enjoy since it's been a while for her?"
Borden nods giving me an
I Know What You Are look
and walks away.
After Borden is gone, I reply to her question, with another question. "Kris, the tentative meeting schedule is for two and a half days, are you here for the entire time?"
She grins cheekily, "I can be here for 3 or 4 days, but do not decide yet. So, are you asking me for a date, as you Americans say?"
I look her up and down, "No Kris, I am not asking you out, which is how I would say it. We are close in age, and also the youngest people in the room, so it will be nice for us to socialize during our free time if you stay for the full meeting."
Continuing, "I'm here because everyone else in the Munich Consulate was hungover from too much alcohol at a staff member's reassignment party. Colonel Marvel wanted a sober person to help with this emergency NATO meeting and the consulate contact person selected me.
"Can we talk somewhere privately for an hour, so I can learn everything you know? You are just in from the
woods
, so must be here to inform us of danger(s) from the Russian forces mustering on your eastern border. I want to help Colonel Marvel understand what the Ukraine military forces need, and how to best make it happen."
Peering fixedly into my eyes Kris says, "Wait here for my coffee Kenzie, I need to speak with someone."
I agree as Kris glides away. She speaks rapidly to the diplomat who nods yes and she returns to the refreshment area. Just as Kris comes up to me, Colonel Marvel strolls into the room with a tall attractive Black GB Special Forces Captain. Both sit leaving space for me but startle as Kris slides in close.
Leaning in she whispers, "So Kenzie, I stay four days, sleeping in your room."
I step back again openly appraising her, "Okay by me Kris, but you need a cleaning-up shower and shampoo before climbing in my bed!"
Fully admiring me with a grin, "Okay Kenzie, will you please wash and dry my hair? It feels so dirty, and tangled and probably smells bad. Where are you sitting, oh I see your Colonel now, let's go there."
I introduce Khrystyna from Ukraine and Colonel Marvel introduces the Black GB-SF Captain Andrews. Within a few seconds Borden shows up with Kris's coffee and another chair as we sit.
Softly, "I tell the Colonel and Captain, Khrystyna's bunking with me for the next four days. She's just out of the woods and smells atrocious, so I promise her a bed, bath, and shampoo. After resting, Kris will give us a private no holds barred one-hour briefing on the Russian forces massing at their eastern border.
"I'm certain you're aware that Khrystyna is traveling with a
High-Level
Ukraine Diplomat. He approves our private debriefing so the four of us will meet quietly this evening in my room. Afterward, the full NATO delegation will have an official meeting, maybe a business suite in the hotel works best.