‘What the heck do the x’s mean? I’ve wondered about that all day,’ he said with a huge grin.
Holly laughed. ‘Really? You don’t know?’
‘I wouldn’t have asked otherwise,’ Tor said.
‘That’s funny. Well, it means kisses. It’s something we Brits put at the end of a text or an email or something like that. What do you do?’
Tor thought about it. ‘If it’s informal, smiley faces.’
‘Ha, that’s nice too, I think.’ Holly looked at him. ‘Are you still hungry?’
‘Are you?’
‘Not so much, but I brought a cake. It’s in my bag in the hallway. I hope it’s been keeping cold.’
‘What kind of cake?’ Tor asked as he stood to go fetch it.
‘We need two spoons too,’ she said. ‘It’s that kind of cake.’
He returned with her bag and two spoons. ‘I didn’t want to snoop through your stuff,’ he said, sitting down again.
Holly smiled, then opened the bag and found the foil-wrapped package.
‘This is insanely good. I’m sure you know all about it, but it turns out Ninni made this.’
‘Did you steal it?’
‘No, silly. I asked nicely first,’ she said, opening the foil and showing it to him. ‘Here, what do you think?’
Tor’s face lit up with a huge grin. ‘Delfia cake. This is my absolute favourite Christmas cake. Well, depending on what they put in it. Do you know what’s in it?’
‘Let me see, there are liquorice boats, marzipan, sticky men, Santa-shaped marshmallows that taste like strawberries, and Norwegian Smarties. It’s like a giant truffle with extras,’ Holly said.
‘That’s the best. When I was little, they had dried figs and biscuits in it, and nothing else. I would pick that out. Then my mother started adding sweets instead.’ He took a scoop and put the spoon in his mouth. ‘She’s put a bit of coffee in it too, and I think there's a drop or two of cognac. To die for.’
‘Yes, I know.’ Holly took a bite and looked at him while the chocolate melted in her mouth.
Tor frowned. ‘What? Do I have chocolate in my beard? Or a marshmallow Santa?’
‘Even with that beard, you are so lovely,’ she said.
‘Is that a compliment?’ Tor laughed.
‘Oh, absolutely.’ Holly dropped the spoon and leaned over to kiss him.
Who cares if the cake melts, she thought, losing herself in his kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ninni had found a bright red toboggan and placed Rosie on it.
‘Hold tight, baby. Daddy will push you.’
Rosie held onto the edges and grinned so wide, it was contagious. Behind her, Jack was pushing the toboggan gently forward. Frikk was far ahead, sniffing at the undergrowth.
Holly looked at Rosie. She was such a perfect picture of delight. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of her and Jack, then sent it to her dad.
‘What are you doing?’ Jack came up from behind the toboggan.
‘Taking a pic for Dad,’ she said.
‘He must have thousands by now,’ Jack said.
‘I should think so. Do you know that he has them all printed?’ She laughed at Jack's surprised look. ‘Oh, yes. They’re in photo books, even the blurry ones. It’s for Rosie, he says, because in these time, no one bothers to print out pics and when the “interweb” will be turned off, then what happens?’
‘So his plan for the apocalypse is to make paper copies?’ Jack rolled his eyes. ‘You sound just like him, you know.’
‘I’ve practised. Now, what is this thing we’re going to?’
‘It’s tradition, apparently, to eat hot porridge on Little Christmas Eve,’ Jack said.
‘And why do they call it Little Christmas Eve?’ Holly found it perplexing.
Ninni overheard them. ‘Because tomorrow is Christmas Eve, of course.’
‘Okay, do you also have Little New Year’s Eve, then?’
Ninni thought about it. ‘No, that’s not really a thing. That’s just the day before.’
‘Makes absolutely no sense,’ Holly said.
‘And all your traditions make sense, of course.’ Ninni smiled at her.
‘She’s got you there, baby sis,’ Jack said.
‘I concede. There are some dodgy traditions on our side too. But to get back to my original question. I’m not very keen on porridge, to be honest. Do I have to eat it?’
The question was aimed at Jack who shook his head. ‘You don’t have to eat it, but you have to try it on toast.’
Holly narrowed her eyes. ‘Did you just quote yourself?’
‘What does that mean?’ Ninni looked at them.
‘He used to say that all the time when we were growing up. He would usually cook supper for us, and I was a fussy eater. But he would make me a piece of toast if I put some dinner on it.’
‘I had to. You couldn’t live on toast alone! Dad was working and it was my job to make us all our tea. Danny would eat my fingers if I wasn’t quick enough. He was like a hoover. You, on the other hand, were a right little madam,’ Jack said.
‘I was… picky,’ Holly said.
‘Don’t even try. She would hold her breath if she didn’t want to eat. I was thirteen and fed up with the whole tantrum thing, and that’s when I made up the rule.’
Holly smiled at Ninni. ‘And because of him, I tasted all kinds of food. I would put a thin layer of whatever he made for supper on the toast and eat it in small bites, trying to demonstrate for Jack how much I hated it. But he made loads of lovely food, so I didn’t convince anyone.’
‘She still wants mac & cheese on toast.’ Jack laughed when Holly slapped his arm.
Ninni was keeping a sharp eye on Rosie who was by now laying flat forward on the toboggan, singing to herself. Her bobble hat was askew on her head and her bright red boots dragged in the road on either side.
Frikk suddenly barked, but it wasn’t an angry tone.
‘What are you barking at, you daft mutt,’ Jack called out.
Ninni burst out laughing. ‘Look at the fence post.’
Holly gaped when she saw Frøy sitting on top of the post, his front paws close together and the fluffy tail around him. Did that mean Tor was close? She hoped so.
‘Is your boyfriend here?’ Jack came up behind her.
‘Might be. Tor is taking the boat to the farm, he has to check on the nets or something. Sometimes he takes Frøy with him, and other times Frøy roams the island pretty much on his own. And don’t call him my boyfriend,’ she said.
‘Not sure what else I should call him,’ Jack said.
‘You can call him Tor, like everyone else.’ Holly didn’t really want to discuss Tor with Jack. Not even for fun.
‘Fine, don’t tell me, then,’ Jack said.
‘Tell you what?’ Holly stopped and looked at him. ‘What?’
‘Well, what are you going to do with him?’
Holly frowned. ‘Well, Jack, I have every intention of having as much sex with him as I can possibly cram in during this whole Christmas thing. Are you happy now?’
‘Sex!’
They both looked down at Rosie who smiled like a little angel.
Jack drew a sharp breath. ‘Now see what you’ve done.’
‘I didn’t do anything!’
Ninni came over to them. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Sex!’ Rosie yelled, clearly enjoying the effect it had.
Ninni picked her up from the toboggan. ‘You are so clever,’ she said.
Jack and Holly exchanged looks. ‘Excuse me?’ Jack said.
‘You should know this by now, Jack.’ Ninni turned towards Holly. ‘The word for six in Norwegian is seks. It’s pronounced the same way, so Rosie is so clever because she can count, aren’t you, lovely?’ She kissed Rosie until the little girl shrieked with laughter.
‘Still your fault,’ Holly muttered.
‘Shut up,’ Jack said under his breath.
Ninni lo
oked at them. ‘See Rosie. This is what you can expect when you have siblings. Won’t that be fun?’
Rosie waved one arm. ‘Pus!’
Holly looked at the gatepost. Frøy was still sitting there like some unmovable guardian of Valhalla.
She walked over to him and put a hand on his fur. ‘Are you here alone? Where’s Tor?’
Frøy sniffed her hand, then rubbed his head against her chin.
‘Nice. Your fur is full of snow, silly,’
When she opened the gate to let Ninni and Jack through – Jack now with Rosie on his shoulders – Frikk shot ahead and Frøy jumped down to follow by her side.
Holly stopped to look at the farmhouse. There was smoke coming from the chimney, and there was a distinct smell of burning wood in the air. Behind the white house, she could see a red barn and a few outbuildings. It seemed bigger than Jack's place. There was a large paddock at one side, and on the other side there was a stunning view to the sea.
‘That’s where they had the beach party when I first came,’ Jack said. ‘It’s something else, isn’t it?’
Holly nodded. ‘Yes, it is. Is this where you picked mussels?’
‘No, that’s a different bay.’
They walked a bit further and Holly could see there was a pier and small boathouses there. ‘Tor’s boat is here,’ she said, pointing it out to Jack.
‘That’s a nice boat,’ he said.
Holly nodded. ‘It is. His grandfather actually built it and he sailed it up here from Oslo.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t call him the b-word,’ Jack teased, putting his arm around her shoulder.
‘Thank you. Much appreciated.’
‘Maybe I’ll just call him your Viking smoochie,’ Jack said, laughing when she tried to hit him.
The door to the house slammed open and Ole scrambled to get out before his sister. He stepped on the wet ground, remembered he didn’t have any shoes on and jumped back on the steps, narrowly missing his sister.
Anja turned around and yelled something.
Ninni put the toboggan up against the wall and heaved Rosie up, pretending to throw her at Anja.
The inside of the house was almost as decorated as Ninni and Jack's house. Holly noticed a few of the creepy nisse-brownie dolls, but mostly everything was decorated with what mostly looked homemade decorations.
There was a Christmas tree in the lounge, with a lot of toilet roll Santas, heaps of shiny, coloured paper hearts and cotton balls. And lights, so many coloured lights it was hard to see the tree.
Holly smiled at Sigrid. ‘Thanks for having me.’
Sigrid gave her a big hug. ‘The kids haven’t talked about anything else since the market. We have a few more kids here today. As you can probably hear.’
Holly could hear the sounds of stomping feet coming from the next floor and a lot of giggling.
‘Yes, I can. Ninni says this is a Norwegian tradition of sorts?’
Sigrid giggled. ‘Yes, it’s a tradition of eating until you’re stuffed, really. Now, I know Jack loves it, but I don’t expect you to. So if you don’t like it, I have backup food for you.’
‘Really?’ Holly smiled. ‘You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure I’m going to love it, whatever it is.’
‘Good. Then come with me. We are eating in the kitchen. There isn’t enough space for a dining room, I’m afraid.’
‘I know the feeling, I used to share an apartment with five other people,’ Holly said. ‘There wasn’t space for anything. Your house is wonderful, by the way.’
Sigrid laughed. ‘I would say it’s a work in progress, but I’m happy as long as it’s warm and comfortable.’
‘Sounds good to me.’
Inside the kitchen Tor was talking to a young woman, who clearly found him attractive. She was batting her eyelashes, giggling and twirling her hair, and Holly hated her on sight.
A tall man stood by the cooker, stirring a large pot. He waved at Holly. ‘Hi. I’m Olav. I missed you at the market. Welcome. I would offer you a handshake, but if this burns, I’m dead.’
‘Best not to let that happen,’ Holly said. ‘Nice to meet you.’
Tor spotted her at once and pulled out the chair next to him. The young woman stood to shake Holly’s hand. ‘I’m Guro, Sigrid’s sister.’
‘Hi, pleased to meet you,’ Holly said, smiling back.
‘I came yesterday for Christmas, you know. My boyfriend is coming later in the week,’ Guro said.
Okay, perhaps not hating her, but still a bit weary. Oh, god, I’m jealous, Holly thought. That’s ridiculous, was her next thought.
Holly sat next to Tor and looked at him. ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d be here yet.’
‘It didn’t take that long,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to this.’
Holly smiled. ‘It’s the food, isn’t it?’
‘No, this is all about you.’ Tor leaned closer, kissing her lightly on the lips. ‘I have been here for half an hour.’
‘Rosie had an accident right as we were leaving, and with all the layers of clothes they put on her, it took some time to get her sorted.’
Tor nodded. ‘That’s what I thought.’
The table was set with colourful Christmas napkins and spoons, and in the middle stood several sugar bowls, shakers with cinnamon, and plates with butter. Holly frowned.
‘Why is there butter?’ she whispered to Tor. ‘Do you eat bread with this?’
He looked at the plates with butter. ‘No, it’s there because melted butter is delicious in porridge,’ he said.
Holly wasn’t so sure about that. It seemed odd. ‘Okay,’ she said.
Ninni and Jack came in with Rosie. Holly took Tor’s hand.
‘My brother and his partner Ninni. And Rosie, of course. Guys, say hello to Tor.’
Jack smiled and came over to shake Tor’s hand. ‘It’s nice to finally meet the hermit,’ he said.
‘Don’t be rude. We’re really happy to meet you properly, Tor,’ Ninni said.
‘It was about time to come out of the cave for Christmas,’ Tor said.
‘Well said.’ Ninni gave him an approving look before sitting down with Rosie on her lap. Jack pulled up a chair next to her. He made faces to keep Rosie entertained.
Tor put his hand on the back of Holly’s chair. It feels nice, she thought. For a moment she felt as if she too belonged in this strange place.
A small gaggle of children came running inside, and Sigrid hushed them. ‘You’re not horses,’ she scolded. ‘Sit down and behave yourself.’
Holly recognised Emil with the remains of his black eye. He grinned at Holly and pointed at his face. Holly nodded. ‘All better,’ she said.
‘Yes,’ he said.
Anja plonked herself next to him and he said something to her.
‘His mamma likes you,’ Anja said slowly.
‘Thank you. I’m happy Emil’s eye is all better,’ Holly said.
Anja translated and Emil nodded several times.
‘He speaks English too, but he’s shy,’ Anja explained.
When every chair was occupied, and everyone had settled down, the serving started.
Stacks of earthenware bowls lined the cooker. Sigrid put porridge in each one and Olav put them on the table, one for each person.
Holly looked at the bowl when he put it down in front of her.
‘It’s only half full, so you can taste it first.’
‘Thank you.’ Holly smiled at him.
She looked at the bowl. The porridge was steaming hot. It was white and creamy, and smelled faintly of vanilla. Not at all what she had expected. Not a steel-cut oat in sight.
She watched Tor and the others. Sugar and cinnamon in generous amounts, and everyone put a dollop of butter in the middle of the bowl.
Melted butter? Why would they do that?
Holly put sugar and cinnamon on the porridge and picked up a spoon. It smells good, she thought.
When she put the spoon in her mouth, she became aw
are that everyone was staring at her.
Holly tasted silky cream and soft rice, with hints of vanilla, a touch of salt and that warming cinnamon flavour.
‘This is so good,’ she exclaimed. ‘I mean, really, really good. Like cinnamon cream.’
Tor leaned into her. ‘You don’t have to eat if you don’t want to,’ he whispered.
‘I love it, and you have porridge in your beard,’ Holly said, smiling sweetly at him.
‘Whatever you do, don’t wipe it off,’ he said, but with a smile.
He took the napkin she offered him and rubbed his cheek. ‘Better?’
‘Much better.’ He would look good if he put his whole face in the bowl, Holly thought.
‘Do I have more? Holly?’ Tor nudged her.
‘No, no, you’re fine,’ Holly said, a bit flustered.
She discovered that Jack was keeping an eye on her, and pulled a face at him. He grinned back, then continued to help Rosie eat as she decided that slapping her hand in the porridge bowl was hilarious. It got the attention she wanted though and she was smiling from ear to ear.
Ninni looked at Jack. ‘I thought you were supervising her,’ she said.
‘I was, but she’s too fast. She’s like Superwoman in a tiny, chubby package,’ he said, rescuing the bowl from a new attack. ‘Don’t do that, Rosie. No.’
Rosie screwed up her face and emitted a wail that had everyone turn their heads. Ninni picked Rosie up and turned her around. ‘What are you screaming about?’
‘Diaper bag is in the hall,’ Jack said, getting up from the table.
They disappeared together with Rosie screaming all the way.
Sigrid stood from her chair. ‘Anyone for seconds?’
A lot of bowls were lifted from the table. Sigrid caught Holly’s look. ‘Are you up for it?’
‘Yes, please. It’s delicious.’
She looked at Tor’s bowl, where the butter was melting nicely in the middle. ‘Can I try that?’
He pushed the bowl closer to her. ‘Help yourself.’
Holly felt all eyes on her again when she filled the spoon with porridge and dipped it slightly in the butter puddle.
Then she put it in her mouth. She frowned, then shook her head.
‘No, that’s… no. I’ll have mine without the butter, please.’
Christmas Island Page 21