I go to a shop that sells household stuff and buy a blender so I can whizz up fresh vegetables for her. I cook porridge with an egg in it so she gets some protein. I find endless smoothie recipes online. I even get a counsellor from the women’s refuge to come round and talk to her.

Ísafold gets angry and refuses to speak to the counsellor, snaps at me not to be so hysterical, tells me Björn’s right – that I’m constantly interfering in stuff that’s none of my business.

She fell against a radiator. Clumsy cow.

I take my duvet from the sofa and roll it up, and pack my stuff in my case. I stack the cupboard full of jars of baby food – and leave.

I’m more than a little tired of looking after my big sister.

106

TUESDAY

44

Olga handed Omar the five-thousand krónur note, and his smile of delight brought more warmth to the living room than the morning sun coming through the window. Unusually, he had slept longer than she had, and by the time he appeared, in a singlet and shorts, she had showered and was ready to go to work.

‘I will repay this,’ he said. ‘When I can work, I will repay this.’

Olga shook her head, but he continued.

‘When I get to Canada I’ll find work and will send you money; or if my appeal is accepted maybe I can work in Iceland.’

He often spoke like this, switching from Canada to Iceland and back, and it was as well that he had a plan B to fall back on if his application for asylum in Iceland was finally refused. Then he could concentrate on Canada. She had seen through her work with the movement how people who had seen Iceland as their destination could break down when they were deported.

‘It’s fine, Omar,’ she said. ‘Don’t worry about it. Go and get yourself this fake ID number, and then you can get yourself a gym membership. That’ll give you something to do. It’ll be better than hanging around indoors all day.’

‘You called the people and they said it was OK? The people in the movement that helps foreigners? That it’s all right to use a fake ID for the gym?’

‘Yes,’ she lied.