This was the first time in many years that all the Ratzenhofer brothers (with the exception of Egon, who was killed in the Boer War) assembled for a afternoon of frivolity.
We laughed, we cried, we shared tender moments.
We are approaching the twilight of our lives and, sadly, this may be the last time the Ratzenhofer brothers are together as a group.
Vilhelm told some really funny stories and we drank lots of beer and had corn on the cob.
I told my brothers about A2K and there was much excitement. At one point Adalbert leaned forward in his chair and was so excited he almost fell over when he asked, "Gus, would you tell us about dagmaraka's tattoo again?"
Franz started laughing and said, "Adalbert is going to have a heart attack thinking about that young lass's tattoo."
Then we all started laughing in unison and, as family habit dictates, we stood up and started jingling the change in our pockets.
We all grew silent as Gebhard, the wisest of the brothers, begin to speak in his solemn tone. He said, "Boys, we've raised a lot of hell on this planet in our days, bed down a lot of lasses, drank beer until it seeped from our pores, but the days, for me at least, our drawing to a close. I have been diagnosed with lycanthrophy and am not expected to live beyond another thirty years."
Silence. We all fidgeted and then something happened. For the first time in the history of the Ratzenhofer family..... we hugged. We hugged like a bunch of friggin women. All of the Ratzenhofer brothers in a big circle, arms around each other, sobbing, hugging, clutching, groping.
It was a special moment.
Then, we took our portrait. Probably, like I said earlier, the last time that this "Band of Brothers" are seen as one.
Bottom row, left to right: Hans, Gebhard, Vilhelm, myself, Adolph.
Back row: Adalbert, LeRoy, Joseph
Thanks for looking.
