What Olga Knows (Ingo/Roman)
Despite her relative state of undress (she’s hard at work on growing a third leaf) and the fond amusement with which everybody accepts Papi Ingo’s love for her, Olga is a very perceptive girl. She watches intently, smiles at her family’s happiness and hangs her leaves when they are sad.
She knows Lena is not worthy of Papi Ingo’s attention (hiding suspicious-looking greasy-haired individuals in her room and all that) and that Annette is still head over heels in love. Olga is not surprised, her Papi is the best and she keeps her leaves crossed for the two of them. She knows that Christmas without electricity and Julian kind of sucked but there’s Oliver and he will probably make Diana smile again, Olga would bet both her leaves on that.
Bunny Roman is glowing too, he lights up like a Christmas tree every time Baby Deniz tries to act like a proper grown-up (with varying results but still, you have to give him credit for trying). They are a really cute couple and Olga is as much of a fag-hag as all the others, watching their kisses eagerly, fearing every new drama and Bunny Roman’s flow of nervous words, especially when he’s waving a knife in Papi Ingo’s face without noticing.
If Olga could talk she would start bets about how long it’ll take Papi Ingo and Annette to finally find back together or how many more times Baby Deniz can disappoint before Bunny Roman smacks him over the head real hard just to kiss it better after a bit of pouting.
But then one day something happens. Something completely unexpected that ruffles her two pretty leaves with the first wave of danger.
“Truth or dare?”
It’s more of a joke than a kiss. Even Diana smiles a bit as the others howl with slightly tipsy laughter and only Olga notices the small flicker that really shouldn’t have been there. For weeks she tries to convince herself it was nothing but the sudden lack of easy joking and surprisingly adequate relationship advice is proof enough. She might be just a plant but Olga knows how to read signs.
One night, long after everyone has gone to bed a door opens quietly and soft footsteps send shivers down Olga’s roots.
“Wish me luck, Olga,” she hears as Papi Ingo sneaks past her and into Bunny Roman’s room.
Olga tries not to listen to the sounds they can’t seem to suppress but self-control has never been her strong side and her roots shiver again, in excitement this time, as two of her favourite men moan each other’s names into the darkness.
By next morning she has grown a third leaf, which makes Papi Ingo glow with pride and Olga is sure she hasn’t just imagined Bunny Roman’s conspiratorial wink at her.
And when Papi Ingo’s toy tiger moves in with Bunny Roman’s tiny panda a few weeks later Olga is the only one who can proudly say she had known all along.