2:37 AM 1/9/2008

I'd forgotten how cold the night can be.

"Must keep warm."

As I rub my hands together, I wondered why the hell am I standing here, in the freezing cold. But, then again, I already know the reason in my heart before my mind can come up with the words.

And the warmth from the heart is all the remainder I need.

Love. I was in love.

Funny thing, love. It will make the strongest man weak on the knees, and the weakest man rise to the most impossible challenge. Makes you do stupid and crazy things, like standing on a cold night, in the freezing cold.

Ah, love. The stuff dreams are made of.

I couldn't keep the stupidest smile from forming on my face. It just seems so right, you can't deny it. Love makes you believe you could do anything, and you'd be willing to do anything to keep that feeling.

In a sense, its very much like a drug. A high that won't wear off.

Somewhere between a giggle and a smile, a man pass me by. He mumbled something i didn't quite get, but the word 'idiot' and 'cold' was clear enough to make out. I flashed a smile to him, to which he shook his head in surprise and continued down the street.

"Zicklein diese Tage."

I had to smile at that comment. He would probably understand all to well, if he had known the reason. To be young and so full of life. Isn't that one the greatest of human condition?

I must confess, I have a very soft spot for this city, much more so than any other. It always seem so full of life, even through all the despair and gloom around it, through the decay and cheap neon glimmers of night life. Live here long enough and you'll be able to see it.

All these lives, disconnected from each other. You'll see it in the empty stares of poeple working at their jobs, waiting in line to ride the bus. It's more apparent at night, as people struggle to get to the confines of their homes, their empty lives and broken dreams.

Why do they bother? Why put themselves day after day, after day to such menial pursuit?

The answer is of course, simple and obvious. Hope. And love.

This particular spot on the city proves it. It embodies the message that hope, and love, can overcome all odds. Given enough time.

About three decades' worth.

In the distance, the growling rumble of engines slowly grew louder and louder, until the bus stops in front of me.

"Sind Sie hereinkommend?"

"Nicht. Gehen Sie voran."

"Hmmmph, ok."

She wasn't on that bus. Maybe the next one.

Yes, that's it. The next one. She will come. She has too. Be patient.

"She will be here." I keep muttering to myself.

I took out my cellphone, or as they call it here, handys. No text messages or missed calls. She'd probably on the way, or got hold up somewhere. Just be patient.

You've been waiting your whole life for this. Certainly a few more minutes wouldn't hurt.

That coffee shop down the street sure looks mighty tempting. All that steam rising from your cup, the aroma of coffee, and perhaps a little bit of chocolate will certainly tickle your nostrils the right way.

"A few minutes more. Just a few minutes more."

I was startled when I feel somebody tugged at my coat.

"Oh, its you. Jeez, where you've been?"

"Sorry, I had to drop a friend off a few blocks from here." Oh, that's why. "So what is this all about?"

"Well, let's go somewhere warm first. How 'bout that coffee shop?"

"Sure. Let's go."

We quickly walked down the street to the shop. It was your typical setup - saw one, saw them all. I'd ordered my usual cup of poison - coffee, black, no cream, no sugar, though I was tempted to copy her order of double latte. As compensation, I'd ordered a cheesecake, which she politely decline to share. She did add her order with some hot apple pies.

We chit chat a bit, talking about your typical nothings, exchanging words while I tried to warm myself up. The hot coffee was awfully hot, to the point of searing my tongue, but it was good feeling to have.

"Looks like you've been standing outside for too long. Why didn't you wait here?"

"Well, I wanted to see the sights."

She giggled, "In the night? How can you possibly see anything?"

With a slight chuckle, I answered, "I wanted to get a feel of it. This is hallowed grown you know. For me."

"Hallowed ground. You mean the Wall?"

"Well, yes. That's part of it."

She took a sip of her latte and looked outside.

"You could barely see the remains now. How long has it been since they tore it down?"

"Almost twenty years."

"Twenty years. Time does heal."

I smiled at her comment, "Yes it does." Then I added, "But some wounds will never heal completely."

She looked at me intently, trying to search the meanings of the words.

I pointed at a building outside.

"See that? That's Hansa Studios."

"And?"

"What do you mean 'and'? That's Hansa Studios, where Bowie recorded 'Heroes', one of his Berlin Trilogy."

"Oh. Heroes. Helden.'

All of the sudden, I remembered the reason I asked her to come here.

"Do you know the story behind the song?"

"No. But I have a feeling you're going to tell me."

"Well, Bowie, and Eno - Brian Eno - had finished writing the music, but they hadn't come up with any lyrics yet. It was originally intended to be instrumental, but then Bowie looked outside the window, at the wall and wrote the lyrics in just several hours."

"What's so special about that?"

"Apart from being undeniably Bowie's most compassionate lyrics ever? You see, when he looked outside Hansa Stuios, he saw two lovers kissing near the wall. Apparently the two had arranged to meet there, and he wondered, what a strange place to meet. After all, this was in 1977, when the Cold war was far from over and you can still see armed guards and machine gun turrets on the Wall."

She seems genuinely interested in the story, which is a good sign. So I continued.

"Bowie, was inspired by the contrast. I think he felt it really captured what Berlin like those days. Life must've been very hard, but it endures. Even in bleakness and gloom."

"I didn't know that," she admitted, then taking another sip of her latte, holding the cup with both hands.

"The first verse goes like this:

I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day"

"Undeniably, it was from the point of view of one of the lovers, more likely the man. The lyrics is just so awesome. Even though everything around them was against them, the fact that they love each other was a triumph, a testament that life - and love - endures."

"That is beautiful. Simple, but true."

"The next verse goes like this:

And you
You can be mean
And I
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers
And that is that

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d'you say"

I was on a roll, I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. They're just so much I want to say to her, so much building inside my chest wanting to get out - all at the same time. I could hear myself blabbering like an idiot. But I couldn't care less. Not with her.

"This is the point where the song really builds up, musically and lyrically. The line 'we could steal time, just for one day' really nails it for me. The fact that this guy, is baring his heart to her, saying he loves her, saying the love they share will make them 'heroes'. 'Heroes', because in daring to love, in loving each other, they are in fact an inspiration to others. to be brave enough, to love."

She looked outside again, still holding the cup of latte with both hands, and then closed her eyes. Maybe she was picturing the two lovers, or just relishing the smell. I always loved the way she curls her lips unknowingly when she does this.

"Just one day. One day."

"Even in that day, that one day, they know they love each other. And that day will stay with them forever - thus the line 'for ever and ever'. That's just...wow. I mean like, what can you say to something like that?"

"I have no idea." She put down the cup, gazing into the slightly half full - or is it half empty - cup.

Still peering into the cup, she said, "Not anyone have that kind of strength."

I agreed, "Yes, it's a lot to ask for. But isn't love worth it? Even if it just for one day." I looked at her face, trying to understand what she's thinking at that moment. "Of all the possible reasons, love is perhaps the best of them all."

She let out a subtle but subdued sigh, her eyes still gazed deeply into the cup.

"I guess it depends.On many things."

"The next verse is only present on the original song, the one from the album, which is over 6 minutes long compared to the 3 minutes version everyone used to hearing.

I can remember
Standing
By the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day

"For me, this verse always brings up images of him holding her hands together. It is as if he was trying to lend her the strength to hold on, to hold on to him, to their love. But at the same time he was actually also trying to draw strength from her - and her love. Like, you know, he was searching for a sign that she will meet him halfway, that she's willing to go down that road with him."

She looked up at me, and I knew she understood.

Her eyes speaks volumes my words can't say. I barely noticed that my voice had begun to tremble as I spoke that verse, like I was also pleading to her as Bowie did.

"However, it's the last verse that brings back reality. They know both of them lack the strength, or will, unable to cross that bridge.

We're nothing
And nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day

"Then they didn't succeed. Their love, I mean."

"Well, in a way, I guess. It's not your typical happy ending. But you see, even when they part their ways, they know. They know that they did love each other and nothing, nothing will ever change that."

She smiled and looked at me.

"Then they won."

"Yes. They won. Love won. About 12 years later, the Wall fell."

"What do you think happened to them?"

"Well, they only exist in Bowie's imagination. You'll have to ask him if you want to know the answer."

She laughed, "I'll be sure to ask him when he's in town."

"Ah, but you're not a Bowie fan. Anyway, that's the reason I love the song so much. And this spot."

"So why...?"

"Did i ask you to meet me here? At night? I wanted to share this, this place. That feeling."

Then i added, "With you."

Everything seems to fall silent then, at least for the both of us. Just like it must have been for the two lovers kissing by the wall.