“Astrid owned a nice estate on SARDINÖN – Sardine Island. Sardinön is a lovely little island in Bohuslän on the Swedish west coast, a ferry will take you there”, he said, while unsuccessfully trying to suppress his amusement.
Emelie felt ashamed and stared at her hands. What had she been thinking? That an old, lonely lady would be the owner of a house in Italy? Half an hour later she was standing outside the yellow wooden building again, this time, the sun was in her eyes, and she had the thick binder pressed towards her chest. She couldn’t remember anything of what the lawyer had told her. She had been so ashamed that all she wanted was to get out of there. So, she had signed where he asked her to sign, almost ripped the binder out of his hands and left as soon as possible. Her telephone rang and she managed to find it in the mess in her bag. It was Sara.
“What did he say? What have you inherited?”
“Oh goodness, Sara, I don’t know exactly, some house on some island. Would you like to come over and help me to wade through all the papers?”
“Of course, I’ll be there right after work,” Sara said cheerfully.
Back at her own sofa table she told Sara and Linn about the visit at the law firm and the misunderstanding, and she was starting to see why the lawyer had found the whole situation so laughable – itwasactually quite funny, and they all laughed pretty hard about it. To imagine that she had thought that she had inherited a romantic property on sunny Sardinia, when all she had actually gotten was a leaky cottage on a windswept island in Bohuslän. Sara read through the papers.
“Ok, so it’s the house, looks nice from the pictures, and also all the household goods, that means all the furniture and other objects that might be in the house.”
The last bit of information was for Linn, who was sitting there looking like a big question mark.
“And a sum of money.”
She whistled and looked at Emelie.
“It’s no fortune, but still not bad, 100 000 Swedish Crowns! But have a look at this, there’s another heir.”
Emelie sighed and rolled her eyes.
“I knew it, of course I have to share the house, the old farm chairs and the money with some other, unknown ancestor.”
“No, but there’s an Andreas Wester. According to Astrid, he has always helped her and been like a grandchild to her, he has inherited 300 m2 of the land and a guesthouse that he appears to be living in.”
Emelie shook her head.
“It just keeps getting better, now I have to adjust to some grumpy old fisherman that lives onmyland.”
Sara laughed and shook her head.
“Not exactlyold, he is 31, according to his social security number – you might get a real hottie as part of your inheritance. A houseanda new boyfriend, that’s some inheritance if you ask me.”
“A 31-year-old hottie? No thanks, not for me.”
Emelie lifted her hands in the air, protesting.
“But maybe something for me then?”
Linn tilted her head and smiled, and her brown eyes were twinkling. Before Emelie had a chance to protest she continued:
“I for one, think it sounds super exciting. Just imagine, our very own house in the archipelago with a garden, maybe there are apple trees there, and rocks to dive from.”
Emelie looked at her and couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t exactly something to be cross about and it could be just as amazing as Linn said. Maybe they would have apple trees instead of olive groves, a rolling sea nearby, the kids could play in the garden while she was enjoying a cup of coffee in an old, beautiful cup out on the porch…
“You’re right Linn, this could be something quite wonderful, and if it turns out it’s not, then maybe I can sell the house and get some money for an Italian holiday. The lawyer wanted me to go over there as soon as possible to deal with all the paperwork. Can you look after the girls if I go this weekend?”
Linn frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
“No, do I really have to? It’s the last weekend before I start my summer job and I’m going to a party at Julia’s house.”
Emelie sighed. Of course Linn should go to her party and not be forced to watch her younger sisters, but she also didn’t feel like bringing them to Sardinön. Several hours in the car with them whining about ice-cream and fighting over iPads. Sara raised her hand.
“I’ll take them, we’re going to the countryside and Ville and Klara would love to bring some playmates.
“Christ, how sweet of you! I’ll see if the hottie, Andreas, can come meet me and show me my new house” Emelie said, smiling.
