But the knife was another matter entirely. He had received it from his own father when he was six years old; and when he handed it over to his son on Christmas Eve, he had explicitly impressed on the boy that ownership of the knife came with certain responsibilities. Contrary to the boy’s other possessions, this one was utterly irreplaceable. Whenever he asked the boy to get it, all three of them gazed at the intricately engraved blade and the worn sheath with devotion resulting from the awareness that, for the husband, the sight of the knife brought back many treasured memories. He explained how he had always worn it in his Boy Scout belt, and it made him feel superior to the other boys who didn’t have a knife like that. Both the boy and his mother knew it was the gift – and back then children weren’t so pampered, and he didn’t get many gifts – he valued most in his whole life. Now he had passed it on to his son, who had just turned five, and in order to do that, he had taken good care of it his entire life. At least that’s how it seemed to him now.

The boy looked at him, horrified, and his face reddened. His big eyes filled with anxious tears.

‘It – it’s lost,’ he whispered.

He clutched the spoon and his little knuckles turned white.

The mother poured coffee in her husband’s cup. Her hand shook.

‘I’m sure we’ll find it,’ she said quickly.

He took some sugar and cream and stirred his coffee, while she stood beside him twisting her apron nervously between her fingers. He looked up at her with pursed lips.

‘So you knew about this,’ he said coldly. ‘How long did you think it would take for me to find out?’

His heart was beating loud and hard with anger. Well, isn’t this great, he thought.

She sat down next to the boy, who was still sitting with his hand clenched around the spoon, without eating.

‘It got lost yesterday,’ she said, looking down at the tablecloth. ‘I figured we would find it again, since it’s happened before. Go ahead and eat your oatmeal, honey.’

She patted the boy on the head.

He went out to the entry and got his coat.

‘I suggest you find it by tonight,’ he said.

He left without saying goodbye.