“Mum, I’m finished, would you dry me off?”
Chapter 16
Emelie felt as if she were in an old movie where she was standing at the back of the little classroom along with all the other parents. The pupils from first until third grade were all sitting in pairs by the light wooden tables. Liv, Kajsa and four other children made up the whole third grade, which was sitting by the windows to the right of the teacher’s desk. Slightly further back in the room were five pupils from second grade and closest to the door were eight tense and wide-eyed first graders. The schoolteacher had written ‘welcome to autumn term’ on the blackboard in big letters surrounded by flowers and leaves. Did you still say schoolteacher? Maybe you were supposed to say the pedagogue or something of the sort. The teacher orpedagoguehad big, curly blonde hair that was held in place with a pink and white checkered headband which was matching her dress. Her style was a bit rockabilly, and Emelie thought that she saw a tattoo sticking out through the short sleeve of her dress. Emelie looked from Liv to Linnea. There they were her lovely girls in new clothes that they had ordered on the internet several weeks ago. Light jeans and a white blouse for Liv and a yellow dress for Linnea. They were the only dark children in the class and when Emelie thought about it she felt a familiar sting in her chest. But since they had run into the grumpy old lady in the store, no one had made any further remarks, not even Birgitta, which was a relief. As long as they didn’t encounter any problems in the new class. She chose not to think about it right now. Both girls had been nervous and had difficulties sleeping the previous night, but they already knew most of the kids in school and had several friends there.
“Linnea Svensson?”
“I’m here!”
Emelie looked at her and got tears in her eyes, they were all growing up so fast. Not that she didn’t enjoy it, she wasn’t really that much of a baby person, and definitely felt as if she was through with the toddler years.
“Liv Svensson?”
“I’m here!”
Emelie smiled at her, her Chip and Dale. As the teacher continued calling their names, Emelie’s thoughts wandered and – as so often these days – landed on Andreas. She realised that a relationship between them was doomed. He was only 31 and probably wanted children of his own, and she really didn’t feel like starting over. She felt the tears burning in her eyes again and wiped them away, smiling a little at the mother next to her. The other mum leaned in closer and whispered:
“It reminds you of how quickly time flies, right?”
When the teacher had finished calling their names and the children had gotten their timetables, children and parents went their separate ways. Linnea was allowed to go home with Tore to have lunch and Kajsa’s parents gave Liv a ride back to the house to change and then go with them to the stables. Emelie invited everyone over for coffee and cake afterwards, and they all happily accepted. Emelie felt a bit melancholic since it was the first school day for her youngest and a bit of a milestone. She didn’t have any small children anymore, only school children. As she was passing the shop, she remembered that she had the notes about the Christmas market with her and went inside to ask if she could put them up on their notice board. She asked the lady at the till, and she told her to go in and ask the shopkeeper. She walked towards the staff entrance by the fruit and vegetables department and pulled the little string that controlled the folding door. She discreetly peeked into the storage room. There was a special kind of smell in there, a bit sweet and chilly and, as she walked around the corner, she caught sight of Oskar standing with his back against her, wrapped up in an intimate conversation with one of his colleagues.
“Hello.”
Oskar and the colleague bounced away from each other. It was Linn.
“Oh, hello there, mum, you’re not allowed in here,” Linn said, trying to sound strict.
Oskar took another step away from Linn, as if to put some more distance between them.
“Hello Emelie, what can I do for you?”
It was obvious that Oskar was trying to act natural, but he only managed to sound fake and older than his 19 years. Emelie smiled overbearingly at the slightly nervous young man.
“Linda at the till said that I should go in here and speak to your dad about putting a notice about the Christmas market on the notice board.”
“I’ll fetch him!”
Oskar smiled, seemingly relieved, and disappeared through a grey door further down the corridor. Linn looked uncomfortable, but then her face lit up.
“Oskar and his dad have promised to help me find all the weird ingredients that I need for Astrid’s baking. He has a delivery guy in town, and we are going over there to get everything that we need.”
Emelie didn’t have time to respond before Linn continued.
“And then I’ve spoken to Andreas. Oh, he is just a sweetheart, mum!”
Emelie didn’t smile.
“Er, yes, I guess so, what do you mean?”
Linn tilted her head and smiled.
“I happen to think he’s always super sweet. Anyways, I spoke to him about the oven in our house and how it doesn’t always hold on to the heat, and then he told me I can use his kitchen for my baking. It’s not big but completely new, isn’t that nice? Whoops, my break is over, bye, I’ll see you at home. But I’m planning on baking over at Andreas’ tonight.”
Emelie didn’t know what to think about Linn and her love life. Oskar? Andreas? Linn was young and it was great that she was enjoying herself, but people were rather conservative on this island and it wouldn’t take long before they started gossiping if she was flirting with Oskar and Andreas at the same time – or – God forbid – did more than just flirting.”
“Hello there, Linn’s mum, I assume?”
She turned around and saw a tall man dressed in the same red shirt as everyone else in working in the shop, and with a sign on the chest saying ‘Anders’. She reached out her hand and it vanished into his big, rough fist, and then she told him what had brought her there. He gave her the go ahead for the notice board and he helped her move some old notices to make sure her note about the market would be well-visible and get a central spot on the board.
