It was 1968. My national service with the German Federal Armed Forces cam to an end on 31st December but because of vacation I was allowed to leave 3 weeks before. With my dismissal money I wanted to drive to Paris. For years I had had a pen friend there, who I knew from our gymnastics club. At the time, I played hand ball and my sister, who was 2 years younger, did gymnastics there. Bridges and splits were no problem for us; my mother had also been a gymnast in her younger days “ although only as a hobby and not at competition level. Joelle, my pen friend, stayed with us as a guest of my sister on an exchange visit between two clubs. To improve her German, Joelle wanted to have a pen pal. Although Joelle now had a boyfriend, I decided to drive to Paris, partly because she had told me frequently about the wild New Years Eve celebrations, which were celebrated with a carnival, and partly because I wanted to meet Joelles friend, Anja. Anja went to both university and gymnastics with Joelle, but I didnt know any more about her. The week before Christmas was end-of-term holiday, and Joelle, with her friends Richard and Anja, showed me all over Paris. I really like Anja, and I also got the impression that she like me too. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays the two girls went to training. In the evening Richard and I picked them up from training. We always waited outside the gym. However, on Friday we were too early and because it was very cold we went inside. We were able to watch the girls doing their exercises through the glass door. At first, I could not see the two girls. Richard, who probably visited the gym more often, said: “Look to the right in the corner.? I saw Anja laying on a narrow wooden bench. She had stretched her legs up to the ceiling. Then Joelle took hold of her knees and pressed the legs apart until the feet reached the ground. I watched fascinated. For the next exercise, Anja stretched her right leg up to her head and put her right arm over it, whilst Joelle held helped her balance. Then Anja stretched her left leg up beside her head and out her left arms over it. Anja pressed her begs further down with her arms each side of the bench. Joelle was now able to let go and disappeared for a moment but shortly returned with something like a broom handle. Joelle put the stick over one of Anjas heels, passed it underneath the bench and then over the top of her other heel. Anja was then able to release her hands whilst remaining fixed to the bench. It looked amazing. Joelle sat down on the bench in front on Anja, took hold of her hands and pulled her slowly towards her. Only when Anjas face was about 20cm from her privates did Joelle stop. She held Anja in this position for about 10 seconds and then let her back down to the bench. Joelle removed the broom handle and then the girls did a few more stretches before disappearing to the shower. After a good half and hour both girls appeared. Joelle seemed to be in a bad mood: “Richard, you know that I dont like you to watch us. And for Paul it must be quite a surprise. He thinks Anja only does a little gymnastics; hes not supposed to know that Anja has been training for years as a contortionist. Anja stood their blushing, but saying nothing. Richard told me sometime later that Anja really enjoyed contortion and had training in it since her earliest childhood. On New Years Eve we were invited to a private party. Joelle and I travelled on the Metro round to Villemomble to pick up Richard and Anja. But to my surprise, only Richard was there. Joelle said to me: “I forgot to tell you that Anja is not coming tonight. But there will be many other girls at the party. That was not at all what I was hoping for this evening as I wanted to get to know Anja better that evening. I told this to Joelle and she replied, “Anja really likes you too and she is disappointed not to be able to come along tonight. The party was great fun with lots of party games, dancing etc. There were about 50 people there. Around midnight we celebrated with champagne, kisses and best wishes for the New Year. In the garden fire-crackers were set off and flares lit. When we had gone back into the house, the music was suddenly interrupted by Richard on the microphone. “Joelles pen-pal is with us tonight and we have a little surprise for him. Some slow music started up and then Anja entered from another room into the large party area. I looked at her with an open mouth as she was wearing only a top and a G string. A low table was brought in and Anja sat on it. She drew her left leg in and then put the right leg over it to sit in the lotus position. But she didnt stay like this for long as she took her right leg, raised it up past her head and bent it behind her back. Then in the same way she also took her left leg, raised it up past her head and placed it behind her back crossed behind the right leg. She was now sitting bolt upright in a reverse lotus on the table. Everyone, including me, applauded and Anja brought her legs back in front of her and hopped off the table and stood beside it. Then she stood on the table. She parted her legs a little and bent her torso forward. She put her hands right through between her legs until she was able to grab hold of her bottom. She pulled her torso further until her nose was only a few centimetres away from the front of her G string. It was now very quiet in the room and everyone watched Anja with rapt attention. After a short while she released her arms, backed her torso through her legs and stood upright again. Again, everyone applauded enthusiastically. I stood there spellbound and applauded. Anja came over to me, led me by the hand to the table. She told me to sit down and raise my arms up. Then she sat on my lap with her back to me. Then Anja raised up both legs at the same time, stretched them past her body and wedged her legs under my armpits, one on each side. Next she bent her torso even further forward until she could touch the floor with her palms. This was a very erotic situation for me and an amazing sight for everyone else. I could count all her vertebrae. Then Anja untangled herself, put her legs down and stood up by me. Then she pulled me up and we took a bow together. Everyone applauded enthusiastically and I returned to my place. Meanwhile Anna stood on the table again and bent herself slowly backwards until her hands reached the table. Her bottom lay completely against her back. Now she stretched her torso slowly upwards and it seemed as if she was straightening her back vertebrae by vertebrae. Then she stood up, jumped off the table, raised herself up into a handstand and bent her back and brought her feet down to dangle by her head. She walked like this on her hands until she disappeared out of the door. We applauded enthusiastically and Anja appeared once more to take a bow. The she went into the second room. Joelle took me to one side and asked me what I was waiting for. “Anja had fallen in love with you and is waiting next door. I went out to Anja and she had already changed he clothes. “Did you like my performance? she asked. “I have never seen anything close up like that before, I answered. “How did you come to be so flexible? “My parents wanted me to become a famous contortionist and starting training me from my earliest childhood. I had to stretch every day until my parents were killed in an accident after three years. I went to live with my aunt and didnt want to train any more. But after I while I found that I missed the bending and stretching. And I also found out that I could do erotic things with my tongue that very few women could. And then I fell in love with you. I had to swallow hard a few times. Then I said to Anja, “I have also fallen in love with you. And so we came together and that was 30 years ago. We married, live in Germany and have two daughters. The younger one has inherited her mothers flexibility although not quite so extreme. Anja still trains to this day, but no longer gives public performances. Now she just performs occasionally in private. We still have lots of fun with her bending and stretching.