by Willow Rose
"The energy to take care of a boy who needs extra attention; boy, have I heard that said in this office…many times." Marianne Moeller sighed. "The thing is, Hummelgaarden is very popular. It's fully booked for months. There’s a waiting list. I could put you on that list, but to tell you the truth, your boy isn't exactly material for Hummelgaarden. Right now, we rush in patients who are being appointed here by the court. He hasn't committed any crime. So, he will most likely be overlooked, even if he gets to the top of the waiting list."
"So, you're telling me if he went out and stole a car, then he could get in?"
Marianne Moeller shrugged. "I'm not allowed to say that, but yes, that would be a reason for me to push this thing forward."
Alexandra scoffed. "That's ridiculous. The boy is dangerous. He has threatened me on several occasions. Doesn't that count for anything?"
"Not if it hasn't been reported and if he hasn't been convicted of anything. No. I need the court's word that he is dangerous."
Alexandra couldn't believe what she was hearing. It simply couldn't be true. She shook her head and looked angrily at the woman in front of her.
"Well, maybe we don't have to wait all that long. Maybe he'll kill someone and then I guess the door will be open, huh?" Alexandra snorted and got up from her chair.
Marianne Moeller took off her glasses and rubbed her forehead. "Listen. There might be something I can do for you."
Alexandra sat down again. She threw a glance at Olivia who was still sleeping in her carrycot. She was such a good sleeper. It still amazed Alexandra how calm she always was. Even when awake. She was such a joy.
"Like what?" she asked.
"Well they have a program for people like you. We can appoint Samuel to three appointments at Hummelgaarden. Three days where he can go there and stay all day and talk to one of our counselors. But that is all he can get. It's all I have."
Alexandra nodded. "I'll take it."
46
February 2014
I FINALLY DECIDED TO go and check in my mother's room and ask her if she could take care of Victor tonight. I thought about letting Maya babysit, but was pretty sure she had told me on another occasion that she had made plans with her best friend for tonight.
I knocked gently on the door. "Mom?"
No one answered. I knocked again. Slightly louder this time. "Mom? Are you in there?"
"Good morning, sweetie," a voice said behind me.
Startled, I turned and looked into my mother's face. She was wearing nothing but a towel around her waist.
"I was just taking a shower," she said. She walked past me and into the room. I followed her inside.
"Did you sleep until now? It's two in the afternoon."
She shrugged. "Well, I was out a little late last night. I thought I'd sleep in. Then, I spent some time in bed chatting with Arne on Facebook."
I closed my eyes and growled. I don't know what it was. I probably just didn't enjoy watching my mother act like a teenager.
"Did you sleep with him?" I asked.
My mother looked at me. She was smiling, but her eyes told me she was insulted. "Emma!"
"I'm sorry. It's none of my business."
"Damn right, it's not."
"It just takes a little getting used to, all this, you and this sleeping in and dating the mailman, hurting Dad and all. It's getting on my nerves," I said.
My mother dropped her towel and started to get dressed in front of me. I couldn't stop staring at her. Her body looked like she was in her thirties.
"Wow, Mom. How much work did you have done?"
"I looked great, don't I?" she asked and showed off her body to me as if she was showing me a new dress. "These are new," she said and cupped both of her breasts in her hands. "Nice, right? I like how round and voluptuous they are. Don't you?"
"I…I…I don't know what to say." The truth was, they looked nicer than mine, but they still had that fake look to them. It was weird that a sixty-nine-year-old woman would have a body like that. It was simply strange. Especially since she was my mother and had never looked like this my entire childhood.
"He also removed a lot of skin from above the knees and under the arms. And sucked out all the fat from my behind," she said and turned so I could better see.
I had no idea what to say. I knew what I really thought. I knew what I wanted to say to her.
Please, stop it mom. Please just be a mother and grandmother. Please look like one. I miss you. I miss the mother I grew up with.
"Well, it looks very nice," I said instead.
She looked so happy. "Arne thought so too."
I closed my eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. You did sleep with him."
"Well, yes. Now, there you have it. Two people in the prime of their life enjoying each other. Is that so bad, huh?"
I looked at her. Then I smiled. "I guess not. As long as he doesn't hurt you Mom. As long as you're happy."
"Oh, but I am. I'm very happy indeed. He was a true gentleman, if you must know. Took me back to his place outside of town and put on some music, then asked me to dance with him. I think we danced for hours. He is such a sweet man, Emma. You won't believe it."
"Wow. Sounds like you really like him," I said, a little startled.
"I enjoy his company. As I said, he is quite the gentleman."
A gentleman who sleeps with a girl on the first date!
"We're going out tonight again."
"You are?" I asked.
"Yes. He's picking me up here at six."
"Okay. I'll have Dad look after Victor then."
"You're going out tonight?" she asked. "Morten is taking you out?"
"Yes. He's made reservations."
"Good for you. He seems to be a nice guy."
My mom was almost dressed now. She put on a red sweater. It looked great on her. I suddenly felt happy. It was good to talk to her about these things. I had missed that.
"He is very nice. Say, do me a favor, will you?"
"Sure, what?"
"Be out of here before Dad comes. I can't stand to see the hurt in his eyes. It was brutal last night."
My mother nodded pensively. "I know. I saw it too. You think he's alright?"
I was glad to hear that she cared. "He'll be fine. He still misses you, you know? It's been hard for him to get over you."
"You think he's over me now?"
I bit my lip. I had no idea how to answer that. No, he was not over my mother. Definitely not. But did he want her to know that? Did he want me to tell her he was?
"Maybe you should ask him himself one of these days," I said and walked towards the door. I turned before I walked out and looked at her. "I think it would do the both of you a lot of good if you sat down and spoke to one another. But, that's just my opinion."
I closed the door before she could protest and walked downstairs.
47
February 2014
ANDERS SAMUELSEN FELT HAPPY. He was sitting in his house reading in the newspaper about the woman he had visited the night before. She had survived, just like he had planned she would. He felt good about himself. Better than he ever had. Not only had he recently beat death and been freed from all of his anxiety and fears, now he was also passing this gift on to others.
What could be more fulfilling?
The newspaper stated that the police believed it was the man they called The Caring Killer who had tried to stab the woman and that suited Anders perfectly. No one would ever suspect him and that way he could go around doing his good deeds without anyone stopping him.
His ways were untraditional. He knew that, but he also knew that they would end up thanking him. That was how he felt towards The Caring Killer. He wanted so badly to thank him for saving him. Somehow, he felt that he had done that, now that he was passing this on. He was showing his gratitude. Even the new voice in his mind told him so.
That's the way it is in life. If you've been given something, you should pass it on to others. Pay it forwar
d like that movie with that kid you like so much. It's only fair. Maybe you'll end up creating a movement, a legacy.
Anders went into the bathroom and washed the sword gently to get rid of the woman's blood. He looked at the bottles of pills on the shelf and remembered the doctor's words when he had given them to him.
"Remember to take them every day. If you cheat, if you skip just a day you might end up getting hallucinations. Maybe even a psychosis. You might lose contact with reality. It's very serious, Anders."
Anders laughed at his own reflection.
Stupid doctors. Think they're God, don't they?
The fact was, Anders didn't need the medicine. He had never felt better in his life. He was doing good for others. That was his drug now.
Anders looked at the clean sword and lifted it in the air. Then he laughed again. Tonight was Valentine's night. Everybody would be out on dates and eating romantic dinners. Meanwhile, some people would be home alone wrapped in their own fears. Like he had been on every Valentine's night he could remember. They would be lonely, afraid of going out. Those were the ones he needed to rescue. Those were the ones Anders would have to give the gift to.
The gift of life.
Maybe he was the one who was God? Only God could, after all, give the gift of life. And that was what he was doing. He was bringing these people back from death. It was truly extraordinary, wasn't it? Only God could have given him such an important task. Yes, that had to be it. God had told him to do this. He had sent the voice to help him.
Don't take this lightly, Anders. This is a very important task that only you can fulfill.
Anders put on his uniform and put the sword into his scabbard, which he attached to his back. He looked at himself in the mirror with great pride. Never had he felt this important. Never had he felt such honor.
Anders waited in his house until darkness came, then stormed into the black night, letting the darkness swallow him.
He ran till he came to a small street with many houses. He found a house and walked up to the window to look into it. Inside, he spotted a woman. She seemed to be alone. The room was packed with toys on the floor. Soon, the door to the living room opened and a kid came in, followed by another and another. They were all in pajamas. Anders counted their heads. There were five of them in total.
48
February 2014
"YOUR MOM IS OUT with him again? I don't like the guy."
"Well big surprise, Dad. You don't like the guy Mom is dating."
He chuckled. "Okay, I guess you're right. I am slightly biased."
I laughed at my dad. He had arrived at the house to take care of Victor while the rest of us had a night out. My mom had taken my advice and asked Arne to come half an hour earlier, so they had already left when my dad came. Maya was going out with her best friend. They were apparently meeting up with two boys from school who had invited them out on a double date. Meanwhile, I had put on a nice dress and slapped some make-up on my face to help me look decent. I hated getting all dressed up, but apparently Morten enjoyed it because he was one big smile as he entered the house.
"Wow. Emma. You look…You're stunning," he said in the sweetest trembling voice.
I blushed. "Thank you."
"Shall we?" he asked and held out his hand.
"Let's. Dad, the food is on the stove. Victor is in his room reading gross books about the French Revolution. Call me if there is anything, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Everything is fine. I've got it. As usual. Go have fun. Eat a steak for me. Be romantic for all of us lonely people."
"We will," Morten said and dragged me out of the house.
I got in his car and we drove off.
"What's wrong?" Morten asked. "You're very quiet all of a sudden."
I shook my head. "It's nothing. It's just my dad. His last remark hit me hard. I hate that he has to be alone on a night like this."
"I know what you mean. I saw that look in his eyes." Morten put his hand on my shoulder. "But don't let it ruin our night. You can't do anything about it anyway."
I sniffled. "I know. I just hate to see him like this. All heartbroken and mushy. It's so unlike him. Meanwhile, my mom is out having the time of her life with my mailman."
"All children want their parents to be together. That's only natural. But it's out of your hands. They're grown-ups. You can't fix their problems."
I exhaled and leaned my head back in the seat. "You're right."
"I'm what? Could you say that again? Don't think I heard it?"
I laughed and batted at him, gently. I put my head on his shoulder. "I love you," I said.
My heart stopped. I hadn't told him that before. Neither of us had ever said it to the other. I wanted to do it on the right occasion. Now, I had just blurted it out. He wasn't one to use big words like that. He picked his words carefully. That was why I had held back. I was afraid of scaring him away. I looked up at his face. He didn't seem disturbed or surprised in any way.
"I love you too," he said.
I smiled and put my head back on his shoulder. "That's established then."
Morten pulled the car over to the side of the road and parked in front of a building. I peeked out the window and read the sign.
"Restaurant Cornelius?" I looked at him. "That's way too expensive for you."
"Well, I know I don't make as much as you, but I wanted to treat you today."
"Are you sure? ‘Cause I would be just as happy in a smaller, less-pricey place downtown?"
I felt his hand in my lap. "Let me do this, will you?"
I smiled and stroked his cheek. "Okay. If that's what you want, then let's go."
Morten held the door for me and I got out of the car. We walked up towards the front entrance, hand in hand.
49
February 2014
WE WERE ONLY HALFWAY through the main course when my phone rang. I pulled out my purse and grabbed the phone.
"It's Sophia," I said. "I'm sorry. I better take it. She knew I was going out and would never call if it wasn't important."
"Well, take it," Morten said.
"Thanks for understanding."
I picked it up. "Hello? Sophia?"
She sounded hysterical on the other end. "Emma I need you to come over here. I know you're out on a date and everything but…"
"Calm down, Sophia. Just tell me what happened." My eyes met with Morten's and I could tell he knew it was important.
"I…I was sitting in my living room…the kids…I think I had an encounter with your killer. The Caring Killer. The one I heard about on TV. I'm pretty sure he was here."
"What are you saying? How…? Are you sure?" I asked, startled.
"I'm pretty sure, yes. He was here in his ninja costume and everything. You need to come, Emma. I'm so scared. Don't tell Morten."
"What? Why not?"
"I'll explain when you get here. But please, just don't say anything. Please? Just come. I really need you."
"Okay. I'll be right there."
I hung up and looked at Morten.
"Guess that's the end of our romantic night, huh?" he said.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, sweetie. Sophia needs me. She sounded really upset. I'm so sorry for ruining this beautiful night that you've arranged."
"It's nothing. I mean at least we got to the main course, right?" He sounded more upset than I think he realized. "So, what's the emergency?"
"Actually, she told me not to tell. I have no idea why, but it was important that I didn't tell anyone, apparently. I don't know. She was really upset, though."
"Well then, you'd better go to her."
"I'm sorry. Are you disappointed?"
Morten waved for the waiter to bring us the check. "Am I disappointed that I brought my girlfriend to a very expensive restaurant on a date that I saved up for for a long time? Am I disappointed that she wants us to leave half way through and that I don't even get to finish my meal? Well yes. I am a little disappointed. Who wouldn't be?"
> "Oh, I feel so bad, Morten. Let me pay for the dinner. We'll do this again some other night?"
The check arrived and Morten put his credit card in the folded leather case. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get reservations at a place like this?"
"Oh my. No I don't. I'm so so sorry. I've ruined everything haven't I?"
The waiter returned with Morten's card and he signed the receipt and thanked him. Morten got up and helped me get my coat on. "Let's just get you back to Sophia and find out what the emergency is."
"You're angry, aren't you?" I asked on our way back in the car. Morten hadn't spoken a word for a long time.
"I’m trying not to be," he said. "I mean, it's not your fault Sophia needs you in the middle of our dinner. But, it's just annoying. That's all."
"I know."
Morten drove up in front of Sophia's house. I leaned over and kissed him. The kiss felt flat.
"You wanna meet up at my place when I'm done here?" I asked. "You can wait for me in the bedroom, if you like."
"I don't think I'm in the mood, Emma. I'll call you in the morning."
"Okay," I said, disappointed.
I got out of the car and stood for a little while looking at him as he disappeared down the road. Then I turned and ran towards Sophia's front door.
50
September 2007
FINALLY, THE DAY ARRIVED when Samuel was supposed to go to Hummelgaarden and meet with a counselor. Three days in a row, they had granted him. It wasn't much, but at least it was something, Alexandra thought happily as she dropped him off at the place. She wasn't supposed to go in with him, since this was supposed to be his place, his space where he could tell them what he wanted and be himself without thinking he needed to act in a certain way in order to please his mother. That was what they had told her.