Christmas Island

by Natalie Normann

  ‘You know, Frøy, I like these a lot better than cyber trolls,’ she said, walking over to the cat.

  She scratched his head while she tried to decide whether she should attempt to sleep or watch TV. She decided to go for the entertainment.

  It wasn’t exactly the latest in smart-TV technology with its small screen and chunky backside. But she found a remote control.

  Holly plunked herself down on the sofa and turned it on. She made the cat and herself jump when the sound maxed. She turned it frantically down and laughed at the cat who turned his back and swatted her with his tail.

  She flipped channels only to discover there was about five to choose from. News in Norwegian, so she couldn’t understand a word. Then there was another channel, more news, one channel that looked like a cooking channel, but wasn’t, and then she found one with old episodes of some American comedy show.

  She left it there, and pulled the duvet over her lap. The cat decided that the blanket was what he wanted. He slid down the sofa and landed in her lap with a thud.

  ‘Oh my god, you weigh a ton,’ Holly said, laughing out loud.

  Tor heard her laughing through the floor. He couldn’t remember the last time he had heard someone laugh, especially a woman.

  It was almost painful to listen to.

  Mostly it was annoying. After Linn and everything that had happened, he wanted to be alone. He had come to the island to be away from everything, especially women.

  He sighed, pushing away the drawing he was working on. Hearing her laugh reminded him too much of what he had lost.

  She was talking to Frøy now and laughing again, as if the cat had responded. The cat was impressive, but he couldn’t talk.

  Tor looked at the drawing again.

  It looked wrong. He couldn’t get the floorplan to fit the vision in his head.

  Holly laughing and talking to Frøy did nothing for his concentration.

  ‘If I don’t finish this, the bills will not be paid; no electricity, no food. Not even cat food,’ he reminded himself.

  Tor found his earphones and put them in. The music blared in his ears.

  He had no time for other people – not after all that had happened – and he had no intention of being distracted by a woman his cat had saved. That was out of the question.

  Tor picked up the pencil and the ruler again, and started drawing.

  He could still hear her.

  It was freezing cold and someone had left a motor running. It sounded so close. Holly opened her eyes and realised the cat was sleeping across her chest.

  She tried to move, but Frøy flicked his tail and she fell back onto the pillow.

  It was a nice sight, watching the cat sleep. Only she had to pee something awful.

  The cat looked at her. Holly smiled. ‘You’re mental, that’s what you are.’

  She stroked his head and scratched him behind the ears. ‘I’m sorry, Frøy. You have to move otherwise I’m going to have an accident in the sofa. Tor’s not going to like that.’

  She sat up, properly this time, and the cat slid behind her. Perhaps cats really are liquid, she thought.

  It was pitch dark in the lounge. She turned on the lamp on the table and looked around. The fireplace was cold and apparently there was no other source of heating.

  Holly tiptoed out in the hallway. She heard nothing from Tor’s room. In the bathroom she peed and hurried out again. Everything was freezing cold.

  She huddled down on the sofa again, pulling the duvet and the blanket Tor had given up to her chin. It was barely six in the morning and still dark outside.

  ‘Think we’ll ever see daylight again, Frøy?’

  The cat blinked at her, then kept purring. Holly put a hand on his fluffy belly and smiled when the purring reverberated through her arm.

  ‘I had the most horrid dream, Frøy,’ she said. ‘I was back at the hospital and going mental all over again. God, I wish I had hit the bastard. That might have made everything well worth it.’

  She closed her eyes, not sure if she would be able to fall asleep. And then she did.

  Chapter Four

  The sun shone right into her face. Holly pried open her eyes and squinted towards the windows. Actual daylight and loads of it. That’s a relief, she thought.

  The cat was nowhere to be seen. All he had left behind was black hairs everywhere.

  Holly pushed herself up from the sofa. She felt awful. I must look a fright, she thought.

  The door opened and she turned her head. Tor was in the doorway. ‘I have coffee for you, unless you prefer tea. I have that too, but I’m not sure how old it is.’

  ‘Coffee will be fine,’ Holly said.

  Tea reminded her too much of the hospital anyway.

  ‘Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen while you… um, freshen up,’ he said and disappeared.

  Now I know for certain I look a fright, Holly thought.

  She stood and it was still freezing in the room. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and peeked out the window. The sun was shining on what looked like a barren moon landscape with patches of snow and grey stone. Not even a tree or a brush in sight.

  It took her eyes a second to realise the window faced the sea. Everything was grey, even the water, and the patches of snow were actually chopping waves. She could see a boat moored to a wooden pier, just below the house. Half the boat was covered in blue tarp. She wondered why only half. It seemed odd.

  I so have to get back to London, she thought. I’m in the bloody wilderness.

  She had slept in her clothes, not at all comfortable undressing in a surly strangers house. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to falling asleep wherever she fell down between shifts at the hospital, but that was different. That was civilisation.

  A quick trip to the bathroom to pee, brush her teeth, and drag a brush through her hair, made her feel a lot more human.

  Holly almost fell over the cat when she walked into the kitchen. She sat and scratched his head. ‘You don’t have to rescue me from the evil door.’

  Tor sat by the window. ‘Coffee is ready,’ he said.

  Holly looked at him. He seemed so uncomfortable and she realised the last thing he wanted was to sit with her for a coffee. Right back at you, mate, Holly thought. She gave him her most reassuring smile.

  ‘You know what, I think I’ll take a rain check on the coffee. I’m more of a proper tea person, you know? Could you perhaps point me in the right direction? You don’t have to follow me back to the harbour or anything. I won't get lost in daylight.’

  He couldn’t hide that he was relieved. ‘I can do that. Are you ready now?’

  Holly nodded, perfectly happy to end their little adventure.

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  A few minutes later they were outside Tor’s house and walking up the path. Frøy went up front, Tor carried her suitcase this time, and Holly tried to keep up. Her boots were still wet and becoming more uncomfortable by the minute.

  She looked around and decided it absolutely looked like the moon, especially since there was no snow anywhere.

  They walked through the gate and soon arrived at a wider pathway. Tor looked at her. ‘This is where we found you.’

  Holly could see the tracks from the suitcase wheels. She had to see the edge where she could have – potentially – fallen to her death. Tor didn’t say a word while she passed him. He knew where she was heading.

  ‘Oh my god,’ she muttered when she looked down.

  It was worse than she had imagined. The drop seemed to never stop. At the bottom, she spotted a narrow strip of beach.

  ‘The fall is about fifty metres down,’ Tor said behind her.

  She jumped, almost completing what could have happened the night before. He grabbed her arm. ‘Please don’t do that.’

  ‘You scared me,’ she said. To collect herself she smiled at him. ‘Do you ever climb down to that beach?’

  ‘No, you have to use a boat to get to it. Also, it’s not per
mitted to swim there. There’s a bird mountain on the other side,’ he said.

  ‘What’s a bird mountain?’ Holly couldn’t see any birds from where she was standing.

  ‘It’s where birds meet to… to procreate,’ he said, frowning.

  ‘Like a Love Island, only for birds?’ The idea made her laugh.

  Tor frowned even more. ‘They are mostly protected species.’

  Perhaps he was an eco-warrior. One of those weirdos who sits on his computer all day and writes about the environment. Or perhaps he’s the Norwegian equivalent of the Unabomber. With that beard, she wouldn’t be surprised.

  ‘I have taken up more than enough of your time, I’m afraid. I think I can find my way from here, for sure,’ Holly said when it became awkward.

  ‘Yes, I think you will. As soon as you come further down the path, you will see the other houses. Walk towards them. Goodbye.’

  He had already turned his back at her before she managed to even thank him.

  ‘Thank you!’ she called after him.

  He didn’t turn around.

  Wanker, Holly thought.

  She took a better grip on the suitcase handle and started walking away from him and the edge of the world. Hopefully it wouldn’t take three hours to go back. Her feet were freezing.

  Tor climbed up on one of the larger boulders. He came here every day to look at the sea. It was fascinating to him that the next stop from this point was somewhere on the North American continent. Maybe Canada, he wasn’t too sure. Also, Shetland was between them, anyway, or maybe Greenland.

  The sea changed all the time. He never tired of it.

  Frøy jumped up and sat beside him, his paws primly set in front of him. The wind smoothed his fur and he closed his eyes, turning his face towards the sun.

  ‘Troll cat,’ Tor said.

  He looked towards the harbour, but couldn’t see her. The path twisted and dipped between slopes and outcrops.

  She would be fine. It was daylight, for God’s sake, and the path only went one way. She couldn’t miss it even if she tried.

  He looked down at Frøy who had also turned his head in the same direction. Tor sighed. ‘You’re such a nagger.’

  Slowly he made his way down the boulder and strolled after Holly. I’m only going to make sure she’s on the right track, he thought. Just until she was safely back to where the other people lived.

  Twenty minutes later, he spotted her. He was on higher ground and could see Holly walking towards the small cluster of houses. Far out to sea, he caught a glimpse of the ferry coming towards the island.

  Frøy sat and started cleaning his paws. His thick fur almost never got muddy. Tor stood still until Holly disappeared among the houses.

  He looked at Frøy. ‘Let’s go. We can make it to see the rain come in and still be on time to pick up the supplies.’

  Frøy jumped ahead and ran up the path, the way they came.

  Holly couldn’t recognise any of the houses from the night before. But she did recognise the scraggly Christmas tree with the fairy lights. It did not improve with daylight; if anything it looked even more miserable.

  She stopped and looked around. The pier was smaller than she had imagined. There was a large building on one side. Probably the community building Jack raved about. He was building a restaurant in there.

  Good luck with that, she thought. The building looked ready to keel into the sea.

  She turned around, looking for the store. It should be in one of the houses. She smiled when she discovered the Joker sign. I remember that, she thought.

  There would be someone in there who knew where Ninni’s house was and also how to get to Jack’s farm. She was really curious about his farm and wanted to check it out as soon as possible.

  She had to do something to get her mind off other things.

  Inside the store, she stopped to look around. Groceries on one side, and more DIY stuff, arts and crafts, and Christmas stuff than in all of China.

  Holly couldn’t help smiling. Also it smelled sensational in there. She followed the intense temptation of fresh baked goods and stopped in front of a display of cakes and bread. ‘Oh, my word,’ she said, almost laughing.

  ‘Kan jeg hjelpe deg?’

  Holly twirled around, feeling guilty for some reason, and gawped at the woman eyeing her. She, in turn, raised her eyebrows and repeated what Holly sensed was a question.

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t understand.’ she said.

  The woman’s face lit up in a warm smile. ‘You must be Jack’s sister. Am I right?’

  Holly nodded. ‘Yes, I’m Holly.’

  ‘I asked if I could help you.’ The woman smiled and held out her hand. ‘I’m Alma. I run this store. Are you hungry?’

  She didn’t wait for an answer, only grabbed a paper bag and tongs. ‘Which one would you like? Do you like coconut or chocolate? Danish or wheat bun?’

  Holly couldn’t make up her mind. ‘Ehm, they all look delicious. I’m not really used to eating cakes for breakfast.’

  ‘Coffee then,’ Alma said. ‘You can take a few buns with you for later.’

  Holly followed her to a small corner of the shop. A couple of wobbly tables and a few mismatched chairs stood next to an old-fashioned coffee maker. ‘It’s fresh. Sit down and get warm. I’ll bring you a cup,’ Alma said.

  Holly didn’t mind. She had no place to go and nothing to do. It was such a strange feeling. She discovered there was a panel oven on the wall and she stretched her legs towards it.

  ‘Did you come with the ferry now? I didn’t see you. Jack phoned earlier and I’m afraid he was a bit worried. He said he had tried the house and didn’t get any response, also your phone, I think, and your computer. No one seemed to know where you were,’ Alma said, bringing two cups to the table.

  ‘I came in on the last ferry yesterday and then I got lost. My phone died and then I lost it in the snow three times. It’s dead by now,’ Holly said, flinching at how stupid it sounded.

  Alma nodded as if this was exactly what she had expected. ‘But where have you been all night? You must be freezing.’

  Her voice was so filled with concern, that Holly almost burst into tears. Oh, this won’t do, she thought, pulling herself together. ‘No, I was found by a man and his cat,’ she said.

  Alma frowned. ‘What man? Oh, you mean our hermit?’

  ‘Is that what he is? He seemed a bit odd.’ Holly could picture Tor as a hermit. The beard and the cat, and living on his own on what looked like the most remote place on the island.

  ‘He is a strange one, yes. He showed up a few weeks ago and for a short time we thought he was like Jack, but no, he rents the house out there, never talks to anyone, and pays us to deliver him groceries to the house. Sometimes he brings us fish and crabs to sell. Most odd,’ Alma said.

  Holly smiled. ‘Well, Tor was nice to me. His cat saved me from falling over the edge and down onto the beach.’

  ‘Where did this happen?’ Alma looked concerned.

  ‘Right by the bird mountain. Tor called it that,’ Holly said.

  ‘You walked all the way out there in the dark? You are a lucky girl.’ Alma smiled at her.

  ‘Yes, he told me so. It was that amazing cat who found me. I’ve never seen anything like him.’

  ‘Yes, he is lovely, isn’t he? He comes to visit the shop, you know. Of course we give him treats. You would think it was the cat who would hide from us, not the man, but it’s clearly the other way around.’ She interrupted herself and looked out the window. ‘Excuse me, I have to make waffles. The ferry is leaving soon and people love warm waffles. You know, to take on the trip. Stay here, I’ll take you to Ninni’s house later.’

  ‘Really, you don’t have to. All you have to do, is point me in the right direction,’ Holly said.

  ‘And have you fall off another edge? Ninni would never forgive me for losing Jack’s sister. Enjoy your coffee and tell me how Jack and Ninni are doing,’ Alma said.

  Sh
e had a waffle iron next to the coffee maker and fetched a mixing bowl from the fridge. Then she poured batter in the iron and closed it. The smell was unbelievable and Holly tried not to look at it.

  ‘Uhm, I think they’re doing fine. They’re going to spend another week in Spain with Ninni’s mother, and then come here before Christmas,’ Holly said.

  ‘I’m not sure it was such a brilliant idea to take the baby all the way to Spain in the winter. But young people always think they know better,’ Alma said, opening the waffle iron and pulling out a golden waffle.

  Holly swallowed. ‘Rosie is thirteen months old. I think they’ll be fine.’

  Alma was interrupted by a customer, who threw Holly a curious look then was handed the warm waffle, wrapped in paper, and a cup of coffee. Other people followed. They all exchanged a few words in Norwegian, and then the customers nodded goodbyes before they ran out to catch the ferry.

  Alma kept saying Jack’s name whenever she spoke to them. Holly knew she was being introduced to the islanders already. She wasn’t so sure what she thought about that.

  Holly considered sneaking out, but it wasn’t really an option and she didn’t mind the wait.

  She was warm, the coffee was good, and Alma talked about how it was beyond her why anyone would pick Spain over the island.

  ‘Especially this time of year,’ she said and handed a new waffle to another customer.

  It didn’t take long before Holly tuned her out. She studied the shop. Hopefully they had frozen pizza. It was the only thing she was able to cook on her own.

  ‘Here. Eat this. You look starved.’ Alma sat a paper plate on the table in front of her, followed by a jar of red jam, and then sugar and butter.

  The waffle clearly wasn’t a Belgian waffle. It consisted of five hearts and they smelled of cardamom and vanilla, and made her stomach rumble.

  Alma handed her a knife. ‘For the butter. Pull them apart or just fold the whole thing over.’