He pulled up a contraption made with thick nets covering a metal frame. There were holes on the sides.
She leaned forward to inspect it closer. ‘Where are the crabs?’
‘At the bottom of the sea, I presume,’ he said. ‘I’ll have to put more bait in it and come back in a couple of days.’
He pulled out a small bucket and opened the lid. ‘Fresh mackerel,’ he said. ‘Crabs like fresh meat, while lobsters think the smellier, the better.’
Frøy jabbed at the bucket and Tor gave him a piece of the fish. Holly was pretty sure he didn’t even chew it before swallowing. Tor tossed him another piece.
Holly looked at him. ‘Lobster? You have lobsters here?’
‘Oh, yes, but while we are permitted to fish crab all year round, the lobster season only lasts for two months and ended on the 31st of November. You need a license and you have to mark every lobster so buyers know they’re fished legally. I didn’t know that, so I missed out. And that means, if I catch a lobster by accident, I have to throw it out again.’
Holly smiled. ‘And do you throw it out again?’
‘Of course I do.’ He looked shocked at the idea. ‘Lobsters were overfished for a long time, and we have worked hard to bring them back. It’s in everyone’s interest to stick to the rules,’ he said.
‘Ethical fishing, you mean,’ Holly said, quite impressed.
‘Well, sometimes ethics and common sense overlap.’
He carefully placed pieces of fish inside the trap, then lowered it back into the water, gently pushing down Frøy who tried to jump up on the gunwale to see what was going on.
‘Next one?’ Holly watched as the trap disappeared in the water and only the colourful buoy was left.
‘It should be right over there.’
They waited while the boat drifted further along, then Tor did the whole grab-a-rope thing and pulled up another trap.
‘Oh my god! Look at those!’ Holly couldn’t keep from screaming.
Inside the trap there was at least five crabs, with russet-coloured shells and long, angry-looking claws, some big enough to bite of a finger.
Tor pulled the trap onboard, not caring about the water splashing over the deck. Frøy looked at the crabs with interest, safely on the bench.
Holly jumped back. ‘You’re not taking those out of there, are you?’
‘Of course I am.’ Tor did something to one end of the trap, and put his hand inside to pick up one of the crabs. He took it by the shell and Holly stared in fascination as he lifted it out of the trap. The legs and claws waved at him, but he didn’t seem fazed.
‘Give me that ruler over there,’ he said, pointing at a metal ruler hanging from a hook.
Holly handed it to him. ‘Why do you need a ruler?’
‘If the crab is under eleven cm, back into the water it goes,’ he said, measuring the crab. ‘This is fourteen, so we’re good.’
He opened another bucket and dropped the poor thing inside. The next two passed the test and went in the bucket with it. The other two even she could see were too small. Tor dropped them overboard.
He also removed Frøy, who found the bucket fascinating and tried to jab at the crabs waving their claws at him.
‘You know, you might just have orphaned those two. They’ll be at the bottom soon, wondering what the hell happened and where their parents are,’ Holly said, catching a glimpse of one of the crabs as it sank.
‘I don’t think that’s how it works,’ Tor said, laughing at her.
‘Are you sure?’ Holly looked at him, expecting a long-winded explanation about the life and inner workings of crab colonies.
‘Pretty sure. Crabs are loners. They tend to stay away from each other,’ he said. ‘A bit like Norwegians.’
‘You’re all like crabs?’ Holly kept an eye on the bucket. The noises coming from it were a bit unnerving. ‘You don’t move sideways.’
‘No, but we like our solitude. I think it’s the fjords,’ he said.
Holly wasn’t sure if he was trying to be funny or not. ‘I’ll bite. Why are the fjords to blame for you lot being like crabs?’
‘Because the fjords kept people apart. No roads to speak of and boats were expensive. So we lived on our islands or in the valleys, deep in the fjords, and never really saw anyone else,’ he said.
Holly was shaking with laughter. ‘Very funny.’
‘Why do you think Vikings took off like that? They wanted to see other people, of course. I mean, they got bored, you know, and then they left. Also, they needed more people.’
‘To pillage and ravage? Actually… please don’t answer that.’
He didn’t. Instead he put the lid on the bucket. Holly could hear scratching from inside.
The third trap was empty too. Tor put more bait in it and let it sink back into the water.
He looked behind Holly. ‘I think it’s time,’ he said.
‘Time for what?’ The ravaging? He might find himself in trouble with that, Holly thought.
‘What we came here for.’ Tor started the engine again, and turned the boat around, heading for open water.
Chapter Fourteen
Holly realised it wasn’t so dark anymore; there was a thin stripe of shimmer on the horizon. It wasn’t blue or yellow, it was the same pink as the inside of a shell.
‘The sun’s coming up,’ she said, turning to Tor.
Tor smiled at her delight. ‘It’s barely started.’
The boat chugged even further out, until there was nothing but sea between them and the rising sun.
Tor stopped the engine and let the boat float.
Holly couldn't take her eyes away. ‘This is fantastic, Tor. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. Do you see this every time you come out here?’
He smiled at her. ‘When it’s not raining. Then, the clouds get lighter, but there are no colours. You’re lucky today.’
He stepped down on the deck and opened one of the coolers. ‘Are you hungry?’
‘Yes, I am,’ Holly said.
‘You sound surprised,’ he said, handing her one of the foil-wrapped packages. ‘I don’t know what you like, so I brought a bit of everything. There’s cheese and ham on those. I also have some with brown cheese and jam. Also, um, mutton sausage and cheese,’ he said, taking out another two packages.
‘Okay, what do you like?’ Holly unwrapped the foil and looked at the sandwich – an open sandwich with cheese and ham, green paprika, and a slice of cucumber. She wasn’t so sure about that.
‘You can put them together, if you want to,’ Tor said.
Holly smiled. ‘Any with mayo?’
‘The sausage, actually. It’s kind of a Norwegian salami. Try it.’
She took the sandwich from him and took a bite. ‘It’s good,’ she said.
‘They used to make those with horse meat,’ he said, laughing when Holly stopped chewing. ‘Don’t worry, these are made from mutton. ’
‘You shouldn’t say things like that,’ Holly said. ‘I might go off food for good.’
‘Really? I wouldn’t.’ Tor took a bite out of the brown cheese sandwich.
‘There’s nothing that would turn you away from food?’
‘I’m sure there is, but I’d rather not go there, if you catch my drift,’ he said.
Holly sniffed the sausage before she took the next bite. She kept her eyes on the horizon, though.
‘This is lovely,’ she said after a while.
Tor filled up her cup with more tea. ‘Yes, it is.’
The sea was quiet, not a ripple in the water. The sun crept slowly up, colouring the sky in all hues of pink, orange, and yellow. Holly forgot to eat. Instead she held her breath as the light filled the sky.
She looked at Tor, who sat next to her on the bench, drinking his coffee. There was no need to say anything, and it felt… good. And a bit strange. She was so used to having other people around her all the time that just sitting quietly was a novelty.
‘I have brought cak
e,’ Tor said a bit later.
‘What kind?’ Holly drew a long breath and could feel the knot between her shoulders ease up.
‘It’s a Christmas cake, with spices,’ he said. ‘Alma at the store sometimes puts some kind of baked goods in my groceries, and yesterday it was this beauty. This is like a poundcake, right? There’s dried fruit in it and Christmas spices. No idea what they are though, I’m afraid.’
Holly broke of a piece of the slice and put it in her mouth. There were raisins in it, and she could taste cinnamon and cloves, and also something else. Not ginger. Nutmeg, maybe?
‘God, that woman can bake,’ she said.
‘I know. She makes the most amazing wiener bread – what you would call a “Danish” – with some kind of sticky almond filling. I can’t get enough,’ Tor said, sharing half of the last slice with her.
‘Jack said she was good but this is heavenly. Have you tasted her lemon cake? Ninni swears it’s the best she’s ever had.’
‘It’s the best I’ve ever had too,’ Tor said.
He looked completely relaxed out here. His woollen hat was askew, and the deep frown was finally gone.
‘You really enjoy this. Is it very different from your normal life in Oslo?’ Holly licked her fingers to catch every last crumb of cake.
He thought about it. ‘I would normally put the boat away for most of the winter and then maybe take it out on the fjord a few times if the weather is okay, but come spring, I’m out on the fjord almost every weekend. That is, if my mother isn’t using the boat.’
‘Do you go out with her?’ Holly pulled on her mittens again. It was getting colder.
‘Occasionally. But she has friends up and down the fjord, and I can’t deal with that,’ he said, pulling a face. ‘They either talk about their grandchildren, or they know this girl who would be perfect for me, and then they look at my mum. She, of course, thinks it’s hilarious.’
‘You’re very lucky to have such a good relationship with your mum,’ Holly said.
He looked at her. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you.’
Tor had such a sweet expression on his face, Holly got a lump in her throat.
‘Yes, well, I can’t really miss what I never had, can I?’
‘Of course you can,’ he said slowly. ‘You can miss what should have been there. Especially you, maybe. You were the only girl in your family.’
Holly looked at him. ‘Yes, I was. My dad and brothers were wonderful, but there were definitely things I could only talk about with my nanna or even my aunts, if I was desperate,’ she said. ‘Thankfully I had girlfriends – some of whom I’ve known since kindergarten – so it wasn’t all doom and gloom.’
He smiled. ‘You’re a strong person and you have a caring family. That makes up for a lot.’
‘Yes. Yes, it does.’ Holly put her hand on his for a second.
‘You mentioned oncology. That’s your speciality?’
Holly nodded. ‘Yes, well, if they will still let me practice, that is.’
‘Why oncology? Is your dad a doctor?’
‘No, he runs a garage with Danny. Mum never finished uni, I think. She got side-tracked and had Jack.’ Holly shook her head. ‘My mum died from cervical cancer. They discovered it when she was pregnant with my younger brother, Danny. She died when he was just a baby.’
Holly put her hand out for Frøy who jumped up to sit next to her.
‘Do you remember anything?’
‘I’m not sure. I was four, so my memories could actually be things Dad or Jack have told me about her. But obviously something stuck. As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor.’ She smiled at Tor. ‘I wanted to save other women like her. Silly, isn’t it?’
‘No, not at all. You wanted to help her and couldn’t, but now you can help other people. I’m sure your mother would have been proud of you.’
Holly rubbed her hands together. ‘Yes, I’m sure she would have, but then, if she had lived, perhaps the need to become a doctor wouldn’t have been such a driving force in my life.’
‘And now you think they might take that dream away from you.’
’Yes, well, we’ll see. I’m trying to not worry about it too much.’
‘How can you not? When this is your dream?’ Tor’s voice was soft and caring.
Holly got a lump in her throat and swallowed hard. There was no way she would bawl her eyes out here… with him. ‘It’s a good lesson in patience,’ she said, laughing lightly.
Tor didn’t say anything. He filled her cup with the last of the tea and gave her some time to collect herself.
After a while she looked at him. ‘What about you? You didn’t mention your dad when you talked about Oslo, but you did buy presents for him.’
Tor smiled. ‘That’s because he lives up north, in Tromsø. I grew up with my mum. They split up when I was ten.’
‘So you do know a bit about going without,’ Holly said.
‘Yes, but it’s not the same. My dad was there if I needed him for any reason. He’s married again and he’s happy, I think.’
‘Do you visit him often?’
‘I see him once or twice a year, and when I did my military service in the north, I stayed with them whenever I had time off. He’s the one who got me hooked on fly fishing.’
‘That’s nice. My dad taught me how fix a car and mix cocktails. Both very useful skills to have,’ Holly said.
Tor laughed. ‘I bet they are. Are you cold?’
Holly shook her head. ‘Not really. The North Pole attire isn’t too bad actually. Are we going back?’
‘Not yet.’ He looked up at the sky. ‘See? The sun is up now. We can go and see if there’s anything in the fishing nets.’
Holly leaned back on the bench. He’s a strange one, she thought.
Then she noticed Frøy jumping up on Tor’s high chair, and demanding that Tor petted him.
‘I see he’s forgiven you,’ she said.
Tor turned to look at her, and so did Frøy. Holly fumbled for her phone, wanting to take a picture of them, and then realised it was back at the house. ‘Damn,’ she muttered.
There wasn’t anything she could do about it now.
Holly smiled. I’d probably drop it in the sea, she thought.
She leaned back and enjoyed the sight of Tor driving his boat. She didn’t need photographs to remember that.
Tor kept an eye on her. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and was not so sad about her mother anymore. The sunrise had made an impression, as he had expected. It did on him, every time he went out.
‘Are you sure you’re not cold?’
Holly nodded. ‘I’m not shy. I would have let you know if I was freezing, fishes be damned.’
Odd expression, Tor thought. ‘Okay. I promise we’ll be back within the hour.’
When he turned into the next bay, Holly came to stand beside him. ‘This is so beautiful,’ she said.
He knew what Holly saw when she looked at the shore. Grey stones, brown grass, patches of snow, and the clear water. There was beauty in the contrasts, he knew that. He smiled at her.
‘It looks a bit drab now, but you should really see it in the spring. Everything turns green, almost overnight. You can have snow one week, and the next week, trees have mouse ears,’ he said, delighted when she laughed.
‘Mouse ears? That’s the name for buds?’
‘Yes, but it’s the very first green you can see, when the leaves are tiny and resemble ears. You have to wait a few more weeks and then you leave the house one morning and suddenly it’s spring.’
‘I love the imagery.’ Holly held on to the back of his chair when Tor turned the boat into the bay.
She was so close that he became aware of how close she was, and he remembered that he had wanted to kiss her back at her house. Perhaps he should have, but then again, it would probably have been a mistake. He didn’t want to scare her off.
‘What? Have we sprung a leak? Or are we lost?�
�� Holly nudged him with her elbow.
‘No, sorry. See the buoys on each side?’ He pointed at the rope. ‘See that?’
‘I… yes. What are you going to do with it?’ Holly frowned.
He was grateful for the interruption. ‘We have to lift it up and see if there are any fish in it.’
‘Are you pulling it into the boat, like the crab pots?’
‘No, we’re just lifting it up to get to the fish. Easy,’ he said.
Holly didn’t look that convinced, but she didn’t say anything.
Tor steadied the boat and started pulling up the net from one end. Holly watched from the high chair.
‘Do you want to help?’
‘Not really. I don’t want to get my elves’ shoes wet. You do this on your own all the time, don’t you? Or does Frøy help?’
Tor chuckled. ‘No, he’s too lazy for that. He likes the fish, though.’
‘Raw fish?’ Holly wrinkled her nose. ‘Not for me. I don’t eat sushi.’
Tor grabbed a wriggling fish and dropped it in the bucket of saltwater standing on the deck next to him. Then another.
By the end of it, he was wet and had thrown two mackerels back into the water, but he had a couple of pollacks and cods in the bucket.
And his hands were blue from the cold water. He blew on the fingers and smiled at Holly. ‘That’s it. We can go home now.’
Holly hopped down from the chair and walked carefully across the wet deck. She looked into the bucket. ‘Are these for Jens?’
‘Yes, unless you want one?’
She laughed. ‘Not in my lifetime. I wouldn’t know what to do with it.’
‘Then Jens it is,’ he said and dropped the net back into the water.
He rinsed his hands in the water before returning to the chair. She was making herself comfortable on the bench, with Frøy sitting next to her, doing one of his fluffy cloud impressions.
She noticed that he looked at her. ‘What? Did your forget a fish or something?’
‘No, we’re done for the day. I have to go back to the office,’ he said.
‘What do you do?’
‘I’m an architect.’
Christmas Island Page 12