Page 7 of Adrift in Iceland
Olafur had already brought Astrid’s cases into the bedroom. She’d been fairly organised, and put everything she’d need for the next few days in one case. Opening it up, she unpacked it, putting her clothes in the small wardrobe and laying her few toiletries and other bits and pieces on the dresser. She went to the small window, pausing to watch the snow fall on the tiny garden before she pulled the curtains across.Then she changed into a pair of joggers and her favourite sweatshirt, pulled on a pair of woolly socks and padded through to the kitchen where Olafur was loading one of the pizzas with thin slices of meat. He paused when he saw her.
‘Are you happy with meat on the pizza?’
‘Yes. It looks delicious already,’ Astrid said, her mouth watering.
‘Beer or wine?’ Gudrun asked, opening the fridge and waving a bottle of rosé.
‘I’m guessing the right answer is wine.’ She didn’t mind.
‘Beer for me, please,’ Olafur said.
He put the pizzas in the oven, took the beer from Gudrun and the three of them went into the lounge.
‘Skál! Welcome home, Astrid.’
‘Skál,’ Astrid said, clinking her glass against Gudrun’s and with Olafur’s bottle of beer. She sat back, snuggled into the sofa, thinking tonight was a pretty good start to whatever she did next.
4
WITHBRIMFAXIAT the boat builders for the next few weeks, Leifur found himself at a loose end. Living in Hafnarfjörður had suited him while he’d been a fisherman. It was a quieter harbour than the more industrialised one in Reykjavik, and he’d always enjoyed the short voyage home after he’d landed his catch. It felt as if he were leaving work behind for the day.
But now, faced with not having a boat, and with friends who had once worked for him having had to go elsewhere for work, he was lonely. Staying in the house made him stir-crazy. After years of wishing he had more time to do this, that and the other, now that he had the time he was at a loss to remember what any of those things were. He had no hobbies and wasn’t inclined to start one now, knowing that he’d be back at work again in a few weeks. It was precious time, he knew that, but knowing it just added to the pressure of feeling he should fill his days with fun while he could.
‘It is no good sitting here with me day after day,’ his mother, Peta, said eventually, after a week of Leifur spending his days with her for lack of anything else to do. ‘I have things I want to do. I know you think old people like me sit and watch the television all day, but I am out of the house more than I am here.’
It was a surprise and a shock to him that his mother seemed to have a better social life than he did. One he hadn’t been aware of until now. When he’d been fishing, it was rare to have a day off, and if he did, he had to spend the time catching up on admin, so to his shame he didn’t see her very often.
‘I don’t think you’re old,’ he said weakly.
‘Leifur. I know it has been hard for you, losing the business,’ she said, putting her hand on top of his.
He cringed. It sounded awful. Losing the business. But that’s what it was. ‘It’s a chance for a new start,’ he said, without feeling it was true. He was saying what he thought she wanted to hear. Worrying her with how he actually felt wasn’t fair, although he had an inkling she might have more of an insight into that than he did.
‘It has to be the right new start. You must not make decisions based on the past. It’s important that you see this as an opportunity to do something different for yourself if that’s what you want.’
‘This is different, Mamma. It may not seem so, but it means I can keepBrimfaxi. And I won’t be out in all weathers like I was before.’
They looked at each other. Coming from a long line of fishermen, they both knew and lived with the risks that came with that profession. It was an unspoken, accepted part of the job. And had affected their family in the very worst way when his father had been lost at sea in bad weather.
‘That’s good,’ his mother said, smiling. ‘But if you’re going to be working the same kind of hours as normal people, it’s time you started socialising with normal people. See your friends, Leifur.’ She stood up and chucked his cheek exactly as she had for his whole life. ‘And speaking of socialising, I’m late for my mahjong game. Would you like to join me?’
‘No, thank you.’ He stood up too, and kissed her cheek. ‘Iwill see you tomorrow.’
‘Nei, nei, nei. Please find something else to do. I love you, Leifur, but this is too much.’
He laughed. ‘Okay, Mamma.’
On the stroll back to his own house, he thought about what she’d said. Because of the unsociable hours he used to work, it had been impossible to keep up friendships with anyone who wasn’t also doing the same thing. How did you get new friends? He could go to the bar in town, but that was more likely to be full of people his mother’s age. All the people his age would rather go to Reykjavik for a night out, but there was no way he was brave enough to do that by himself. And worst of all would be if he ran into his brother or his friends from the boat. He wasn’t ready for that; to hear the inevitable fishing stories. He knew it would make him feel like an outsider, as if they had moved on and left him behind. And he’d feel like he was missing something amazing, even though the reality had been very different towards the end. Either way, neither finding new friends nor seeing his old ones were appealing options right now. Perhaps it was something that would come in time as he eased himself into a different rhythm.
As he was letting himself into his house, his phone rang. It was Jonas from Iceland Adventures.
‘Hæ, Jonas.’
‘Hæ, Leifur. So, the work on the boat is underway?’
‘Yes. They already have the fish holds out and the equipment off the deck.’ It had been hard to watch the changes, so Leifur had decided it was better to keep his distance for now. He trusted his friend at the boatyard, so there was no need to keep checking in. The few weeks it would take to complete the work would hopefully give him time to come to terms with the changes toBrimfaxi.
The fishing equipment was being sold, and Jonas hadinsisted that Leifur keep the profits. He said it was only fair, even though it would have helped pay the loan off, and Leifur wasn’t in any position to argue. He’d been living off his savings for the past few months, and there wasn’t much left.
