“I’m sure I will find your envelope, and you can rest assured that I will deliver it to you as soon as I do.”
Birgitta’s pocket beeped again, and she started looking stressed. She shoutedbyetowards the kitchen, put her rain hat on her head and stepped out into the rain.
Later that night Emelie was lying in bed staring out into the shadows. The blinds in her room were broken and couldn’t be pulled down all the way, so the bright summer night found its way into her room. She let her eyes wander over the ceiling and the garland that was hanging there while thoughts spun in her head. This whole moving thing, was it actually a good idea? The house was a mess and overfilled with things, Andreas with his flowers, beautiful eyes and laughing spells with her daughter. Birgitta not minding her business, and Stig! She chuckled. Had he actually tried to make her an indecent proposal, the jolly old handy man from Gothenburg? She turned off the light and positioned herself in the bed when she suddenly thought that she heard something from the cellar. She froze. A squeaking sound, as if someone was walking around down there. She listened again. YES, there it was. The fear got ahold of her and she pulled her hands under the duvet and closed her eyes tightly. But then it became quiet again and Emelie relaxed on the pillow, feeling just how tired she was. She smiled. It was probably just Linn’s cellar monster. Maybe everything would be okay, she thought to herself. And one thing was certain; more things had happened during the last 24 hours on Sardinön, then had happened in Växjö for a year.
Chapter 6
A couple of weeks later, they had gotten settled in the house, even if Santas and elves were still dominating the interior. They had managed to pack down most little pigs, roosters, baskets of Lucia buns and ceramic Santas, and Emelie thought that she had counted eight boxes in the cellar just containing different Santas. It was a lot. She and Linn had spent countless hours wiping away the dust that drifted up every time they unpacked one of the decorations. Liv and Linnea loved everything about it. They thought that they were living in a fairy-tale house in a Christmas story. They had quickly found a couple of new friends next doors, and now they were bringing them over to show them, that they actually lived in a Christmas-themed museum. When Emelie removed the different-sized Santas standing on the floor, they both protested loudly and wanted them in their rooms instead. They were allowed to pick a couple, while the rest went straight to the cellar.
Emelie was standing in the kitchen writing a shopping list on her phone. Linn was over at Andreas’ and it bothered her. As often as Andreas came over without ringing the doorbell and behaving like the Christmas house was his, Linn was over at his in the guesthouse. Emelie didn’t quite understand what Andreas, who was over thirty, saw in Linn who hadn’t even turned twenty yet. Of course it wasn’t the first time that a grown man had taken an interest in a younger woman, but still. She didn’t really want to admit to herself that it could be the case. She sent a text message to Linn, saying that they were heading to the shop in the centre of town, and that she wanted her to come with and help carry the shopping.
“Give me a couple of minutes”
A couple minutes, what for? Emelie found two shopping bags with Christmas designs to carry the groceries in and called for the other kids on the first floor. They immediately came running, but Linnea had a gigantic stain on her dress and Liv wasn’t wearing any trousers, so they had to go back up and change.
“Hurry up, we are going to the shop, and it doesn’t stay open as long as back in Växjö, you know,” she said with a strict voice.
A couple of minutes later, Linn came through the front door.
“Have you heard the doorbell? You are going to hate it”, she said with anticipation.
“How fun”, Emilie muttered.
“Okay, listen now,” Linn said, reaching outside the door and pushing the little button on the outside of the house. The bell version ofJingle Bellsechoed through the house. Emilie had to laugh.
“You are joking! It’s just bloody insane. However did I miss that?”
“I don’t knoooow, but I don’t really think anyone is using the doorbell, they usually knock, or they just step right in,” Linn laughed.
“Yes, like Andreas for example. You certainly spend a lot of time over at his place. He’s a bit old for you, don’t you think?”
Linn stuck her tongue out at her mother and Emelie snubbed her nose. At least now she had said something. Liv and Linnea came bouncing down the stairs. This time, Liv was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and Linnea had put on a clean dress. Liv immediately ran over and pressed the doorbell, making the whole house resonate with the Christmas song again.
“Mum, it’s so funny!” she shouted, beaming with joy.
“Hilarious,” Emelie said. “Ok my little ones, let’s get going!”
Over at the shop, people from the mainland, referred to as ‘townsfolk’ by the locals, were bumping shoulders with islanders and boat-owners in navy blue polo shirts and loafers. All of the female boat-owners seemed to have an arsenal of white shorts and wind jackets from some fancy sailing brand, while the men were wearing navy blue jackets and loafers. The islanders were complaining about the invasion of the townsfolk, well-aware that the community wouldn’t have survived without the summer guests and the boat-owners. The islanders muttered about the town people’s loudness, their littering and the way that they were invading the local restaurants. But only quietly, just loud enough for them to feel satisfied with themselves.
Liv and Linnea were instructed by Emilie to go and find juice and toast while Emelie and Linn moved systematically through the store that they had gotten to know quite well by now. Dairy was all the way at the back, next to a meat deli with a lovely, home-made potato salad and marinated fish skewers. When they had found cheese, pesto, pasta, bacon and fresh fish they bumped into Liv and Linnea, who proudly showed them the bread and the cheese.
“Nice one, girls. How about pasta Puttanesca for dinner?”
Three faces lit up; it was a favourite dish.
“Okay, then I need capers and olives, can you find that? Linn, will you grab the tinned tomatoes over there?” Linn turned around and scanned her surroundings before finding the shelf with the tomato cans. An older woman rounded a corner and stopped when she caught sight of Emelie and her three girls. Emelie thought that the lady made a face, as if she had eaten something sour, but maybe it was just her imagination. Maybe the old lady thought that they were townsfolk.
“Hello there,” Emelie said.
The lady put on a fake smile and looked at Liv and Linnea who were on their way to find the ingredients needed for tonight’s supper.
“Aren’t you the people living in Astrid’s house?”
Emelie nodded.
“Yes, exactly, but it is my house now, I have inherited it.”
The old lady was unable to hide her surprise.
