April Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ April 1, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your cookie-loving host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Brygida Neumann-O’Hare from the book-in-progress Separate Ways by Aubrey Taylor. Aubrey is a mother of three who moonlights as an indie author. Her books pull no punches, hailing from a Christian worldview but filled with grit and unbridled honesty.
Meet Brygida
[Patricia sets down a plate of cookies on the coffee table between two couches.]
Welcome to Fable Features! Help yourself to a cookie if you’d like.
Thank you! Ach, I really can’t help myself.
[Brygida reaches for a cookie and unashamedly bites into it, taking a moment to savor the taste.]
Oh my goodness, these are amazing.
[She wipes the corner of her mouth with a finger.]
I’ve got all my Oma’s old recipes, but they just don’t come out the way they did when she would make them. These are just like hers!
Aww, well thank you! I really appreciate the compliment. This is actually my mother’s recipe.
[Patricia takes a bite of a cookie as well then leans back against the couch.]
So tell me—what would you do on a free afternoon in the middle of the week?
A free afternoon in the middle of the week? Yeah, right. That hasn’t happened in years. I have to help Opa in the shop. He’s going deaf, doesn’t get around too easily, and is so backed up on shoe orders that everything else is left to me. Bookkeeping, errands, cleaning . . . When Oma was alive, she was at her best in the afternoons, so sometimes she’d come downstairs and help him out. I’d have an hour or two to sneak off to the countryside and visit my young man.
That’s very sweet of you to help out and sacrifice your valuable free time! But it must be hard not having any free time. How do you cope with that?
Can you keep a secret? For years I’ve kept trashy romance novels stashed away in the apartment. You know, the kind outlawed by the Regime. I tuck one under the counter when I’m “manning” the shop and pull it out when business is slow. They provide a great escape, but honestly, I think they’ve made it harder for over the years, too. It’s easy to blur the line between fiction and reality . . . and unfortunately, things don’t usually work the way they do in books.
Very true.
[Patricia sighs wistfully.]
It would be nice if life worked out the way things do in books, though.
Let’s talk about memories. What’s your favorite?
Well, like I said, I had a young man.
[She smiles faintly and gives a huff.]
His name was Lothar. He was tall and strong, with white-blond hair and brown eyes—the perfect farm boy. He’d skip out on his chores and walk with me through the woods. Sometimes in the evenings we’d sneak off to the loft in his parents’ barn. All of my favorite memories have something to do with him.
That’s so romantic! And he sounds very handsome.
[Patricia hesitates then asks,]
You spoke in the past tense. Did things not work out with him?
They didn’t. It’s my fault, really. I’d gotten it into my head that our relationship was destined to fall apart someday anyway, because that’s how it’s always been for me. So when he announced that he was planning on joining the military, I couldn’t see past it. I cheated on him. I don’t know how much of it was revenge and how much of it was an effort to make myself feel better. Anyway he found out. That was it. He took off the next morning.
I’m sorry to hear that. Relationships can get messy.
[Patricia is quiet for a moment then clears her throat.]
So! Our next question: They say our living spaces can tell a lot about who we are. What does your home or room look like?
We live in town, in a little apartment above the cobbler shop. One bedroom, a living room, and a kitchen that doubles as a dining room. Until Oma died, it tripled as my bedroom. Then Opa gave me her bedroom. He always sleeps in his chair anyway.
[She grabs another cookie.]
I’m sorry, these are so good, I just have to . . .
[Patricia grabs another cookie as well.]
It’s quite alright! They’re certainly not here for decoration.
If you could make one big animal tiny or one tiny animal big, what animal would that be?
Na ja, I’m not really much of an animal lover . . .
[Her face lights up]
But I always enjoyed the chickens on the farm. One that could fit in the palm of your hand might be cute.
[She straightens and indicates the palm of her hand, still holding part of a cookie between her thumb and index finger.]
You know, not a chick, but an adult chicken.
That would be very cute!
What’s the strangest or scariest situation you ever found yourself in?
Ach . . .The man I’m with now, well, he scares me a little bit.
[Leans in and lowers her voice.]
It’s not the uniform he wears, although that’s reason enough for some people, and I’ve heard plenty of rumors about him. I try not to think about it. He is tender and kind to me, but so secretive. I want to get to know him, but he just keeps telling me “You must not pry, Brygida.”
[She pulls back and purses her lips as if to hold back what she wants to say next.]
[Patricia leans forward curiously.]
That does sound very secretive! I would be very frustrated if I had a boyfriend who kept holding back information about himself.
But let’s get back to talking about you! What are you a natural at?
In general, I’m pretty independent and I don’t take crap from anybody. I’ve had to be. I was shipped back and forth between Germany and Ireland most of my life. My father was loving; my mother not so much. Neither of them really knew how to be a parent. There was a lot I had to figure out on my own.
I’m sorry you had to learn how to, well, live without much help from your parents.
[Patricia taps her cookie against her chin.]
Given your personality then, it must drive you bonkers that this man you’re with now is telling you what to do—or at least to not go prying into his life. Do you think you’ll ever get him to open up?
I doubt it. I’ve tried asking him questions about his childhood rather than what his job entails or whether he has family back in Hamburg.
[Brygida huffs.]
As if he would tell me he’s left a wife and children back home. That’s bad enough, but some of his staff have whispered that he’s a bloody, violent man, capable of heinous crimes just like his boss. I guess that’s what scares me the most—I’m afraid of learning that what they’ve told me is true, and if it is, how long until I see that side of him?
Wow, what a secretive man! That would scare me too.
[Patricia finishes the cookie.]
What would you say you struggle with the most?
Besides being a little on the heavy side?
[She rubs her stomach and gives a little laugh, as if she’s come to terms with it. Then her look becomes serious again.]
I’ve always been a little too willing to let boys take advantage of me. Ja, I know, I just said I don’t take crap from anybody, but when Lothar left me, I found that being with other young men made me feel better.
[Brygida presses a knuckle to her lips and breathes deep.]
I guess that’s how I eventually got caught up with Gunter. I was lonely and getting sick of the revolving door of boys. Gunter was an older man who treated me well. So what if he’s secretive and possibly covered in innocent blood? Maybe they’re wrong about him. You know how people love a good rumor.
[Patricia nods.]
Life can be complicated. And having that companionship can be so nice!
What’s something you were taught when you were young that you still remember today?
Oma had higher hopes for my love life than I ever did. Her last words to me were, “Never stop waiting for Lothar.” She had this delusion that he’d come back someday and sweep me off my feet. I guess she didn’t realize that it was my fault we split up in the first place.
[She huffs again.]
It’s alright. I’ve accepted the consequences of my stupid choices. Life is too chaotic now to even think about falling in love again. Gunter has a secure job away from the Front. He protects and provides for me. What more could a girl ask for?
Well you’re one step ahead of me! I’m as single as can be.
[Patricia laughs then stands.]
Well I wish the best of luck to you and your love life! I hope whoever you end up with will take very good care of you. Thanks for coming out today!
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Brygida’s author, Aubrey Taylor, can be found on Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, X/Twitter, and Facebook. Check out her blog here and subscribe to her newsletter for future updates. Her book, Separate Ways, is not out yet, but check out The Rubicon which Brygida makes a brief appearance in!
Brygida
author Aubrey Taylor
See Ya Next Month
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Brygida, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next month, and until then stay outta trouble and keep writing!
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
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