Who will take over at katarina’s house then. He sounded sad again. And mum’s.

One thing at a time I said. I’ve promised fredrik to clear their house and clean it. You and your partner could take on house clearing at ingela’s when you feel ready. I’ll help with the cleaning. I’m good at that.

He said he’d definitely think about the funeral.

But you had better be quick I said. Katarina will be buried in a week’s time.

125

TWENTYTWO

Father came back home.

The taxi driver helped him climb out of the passenger seat and then reach out for a crutch. Mother hurried along to carry his bags into the house. He didn’t bring that much just some clothes and a shoe. The other shoe we had found afterwards in the pissgutter.

Bror and I were watching from the byre door. We had done the work. Chilled churns were waiting for the milklorry. The cows were ruminating contentedly.

But there were other signs. The horse scraping the floor in his box. The pigs making a row in their pen as if they had picked up his smell.

We watched him walking to the house leaning on his crutch.

I went back to the horse. We must be brave now I told him. He’s more dangerous now than ever. He says he’s a man of god. We huddled together muzzle to muzzle limerick and I. I’ll stand up for you I said. It will be allright. He can’t hurt us anymore. He’s a cripple.

In the end we had to go into the house after all. For a moment we held hands bror and I like the children we still were. Like a christmastree decoration made like two identical albino gingerbreadmen.

Father was seated in the kitchen with the crutch leaning against the table. 126

There you are. Look he said and smiled patting his belly. I’ll be walking normally soon enough.

He wasn’t even a cripple.

Mother smiled and refilled his cup of coffee. Come and sit down children. Have a piece of cake. There you are.

The only free chairs were next to father.

He put his arm round my shoulders. Pinched my neck lightly. I inched away to escape but didn’t risk provoking him out of his good mood.

At last we’re all together again he said. How I’ve longed for this. If this isn’t a moment to celebrate I don’t know what is. He snapped with his fingers and mother went instantly over to the fridge and took out a fat bottle with a yellow label. Then she put four glasses close together.

Now let’s celebrate mother said excitedly but couldn’t get the cork out. Handed it to father who couldn’t manage the cork either. He went red in the face with effort.