August 30

 Michael and Mutti in 1962

A few days after her fortieth birthday, Mutti left our caravan home and Vati drove her to the hospital in Wetzlar. She stayed there for two weeks.

On August 30, 1960, Michael was born there.

Our carnival route usually took us to the festivities in Wetzlar in the first week of September. That year we arrived in Wetzlar, Vati positioned our caravan, and then took off in the car. He returned two hours later with a glowing and rested looking Mutti and our newest addition to the family, Michael.

We girls, fifteeen, thirteen and twelve, loved our little brother and soon after he came home, we took over his care.

Michael was three when Mutti, we girls and Michael quit traveling the carnival circuit, and four when we finally moved into a real house.

Michael does not remember living in a caravan home, and I, being a teenager and working eight hours a day when he was small, do not remember any of his birthdays in our apartment.

But I remember well the first time I saw him and what happened before he was born. Read all about it in Carnival Girl!