Hilde learned about Erzebet on the cafeteria bulletin board of Goethe University where she sometimes ate lunch. Erzebet was looking for a room, and Walter and Hilde were searching for someone to share their apartment with; one of their immediate ways to save money was to rent out the small room next to the kitchen. Erzebet, in her advanced years of sociology studies, had moved to Frankfurt to separate from her boyfriend of many years, meet new people, and perhaps find different opportunities. She had come to Germany from Hungary as a refugee, leaving her home country to avoid living under the oppressive Communist regime, in greater freedom. The Germans accepted many people escaping from the so-called Eastern-bloc countries.
Right away during the initial meeting in the Westendstrasse, it was obvious that everybody liked each other, and within a week Walter and Hilde welcomed Erzebet as their new roommate.
All three benefited considerably from each other’s presence. Walter and Hilde provided a protected environment, and Erzebet taught them a lot about her native country and let them see the world through her eyes. She liked to cook and did it well, producing delicious soups, pancakes, and meat dishes. Walter thought her presence also helped his relationship with Hilde open up a bit more for other people.
When Erzebet asked them if it would be OK for her boyfriend to visit over a weekend, they naturally agreed. Gaspar arrived from Cologne in old, beige Citroën Ami 6, and it became immediately apparent that he had a unique personality. Gaspar had also left Hungary for the same reasons Erzebet did and at about the same time, but used different channels. He settled in Cologne, where Erzebet was previously enrolled in the university. Gaspar worked in Germany on radio documentaries, wrote short stories, and translated from and into Hungarian. He maintained ties with Hungarian artists and other performers, writers, musicians, and entertainers who had immigrated there.
Two months went by, and suddenly the Westendstrasse apartment housed four roommates who shared a lot of fun together. Walter did not use chemical drugs during that period, but all four members of the brand-new commune appreciated homegrown grass joints or tobacco mixed with hash and grass.
The seasons changed, and Irene, Gerhard, Hilde, and Walter took Gerhard’s comfortable Peugeot for a ride to the Alsace. Afterward they headed west and south along the River Rhone, passing through Lyon, all the way to Marseille. The trip contained a touch of good-bye because everybody knew that Hilde and Walter’s travel plans were on schedule. They had taken the opportunity to spend time together before saying “cheerio” again.
On the way home, they stopped for the night in a beautiful, picturesque small town near Dijon and took rooms in a modest inn. The friends had driven a long distance that day, more than five hundred kilometers, and looked forward to a nice French dinner. The four walked through town, crossed a marketplace with fountain and sculptures, and took pictures of each other.
When the time arrived to enjoy an aperitif before dinner in a small bar, Walter suddenly felt very odd and had to excuse himself to rest on the bed for a moment. Lying down, a deep, grayish space engulfed him, and his energy drained completely. He also felt nauseous, but it stayed in the background. The previously unknown but absolute power that had invaded him made him so helpless that when Hilde appeared, she cuddled up against him from behind and just held him. Walter started to cry because he was scared to death for no discernible reason. It took another thirty minutes before the emotional and physical assault faded away—as quickly as it had taken hold of him.
Walter searched for literature he could read as preparation for the long journey east. Two books left an impact on him. One was written by a German nobleman who had traveled to India early in the previous century. Because of his status, he met with many high-ranking officials, Indian royalties, local princes, and maharajas. The book conveyed a likable picture of the rich and colorful world someone faced when traveling to the Orient in style and comfort—although by coach and elephant.
The other book had been published more recently and included details that Walter wanted to know. Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi came to Walter through the university library, but he read it like a mystery novel from the supermarket. It contained all the information Walter needed to be prepared for the trip and to look for when he arrived at the destination. He realized his wish to witness at least one miracle, Yogananda described in numerous examples. Men lying on nail beds or buried six feet deep for a month; men materializing or invoking an object to appear out of thin air; men producing ashes to shower from the palms of their hands; and women who never talked a word during their life healing others’ medical conditions through touch or gaze.
Walter had no mistrust, no reservations about the author, who he thought sounded solid as a teacher. His credentials were unchallenged, even in the Western world. In this book, for the first time, Walter also encountered the Eastern concept of a teacher-disciple relationship. He found it remarkable that the author had grown up feeling his intense desire “to know what lay behind all the experiences of life and death” even as a child (as described in his book Autobiography of a Yogi). It touched something within him that made a lot of sense. It waited hidden, deep inside, for something to happen to help it become realized and released. Walter sensed its importance but had no control over the discovery of the mystery. He had no instrument to start digging deep, and his place at this time provided no guru who could help him on a path.
The New Year started with Elvis Presley giving a concert in Hawaii, the first worldwide telecast by an entertainer watched by more people than had watched the Apollo moon landings. The last US soldier left Vietnam.
Walter and Hilde purchased a used yellow Volkswagen Westfalia Camper with a pop-up top, gas fridge, two-burner gas stove, sink, and built-in shelves with folding doors. A thick, full-size mattress in two pieces fit into the back, and the roof, when popped up, contained a third bed. Walter installed a spare-tire carrier for the front, researched and obtained a variety of small spare parts to take along. They also purchased a carnet to allow them to drive the vehicle temporarily through various countries, as well as a variety of medications for minor external injuries, for diarrhea from different causes, and to prevent malaria.
Erzebet and Gaspar wanted to keep Westendstrasse apartment during their absence, which turned out to be a perfect solution: the two who stayed behind could enjoy the apartment without roommates, and the travelers had a place to go to when they returned.