Chapter 7

Strangers in the Night: 7.

"Dalmar?" she asked.

"Mr. Valmaat," I said.

"Why would Mr. Val see you?"

"Daddy," I said.

"Oh shit!" she exclaimed ... and looked guilty.

"It's ok, you never missed me, did you?"

"You were gone?"

"See," and I started laughing.

"Am I in trouble?"

"Nope, you performed your assigned duties with élan."

"Sure I have," she said, "You haven't called me to your office since the first week."

"Did you miss me?"

"I found things to do," she said. "Whenever I went to your desk you were always gone. I simply stamped OUT on your paperwork and sent it on."

"Good girl," I agreed, "That is what I was doing to it before I went to work."

"Work?"

"Yeah, I bought some steel toed shoes, grabbed a hard hat and a company smock and worked on the floor until the Union man caught up with me."

"You haven't been in the office?"

"No."

"Shit! I'm in so much trouble."

"Nope," I denied it.

"Why do you want to see Mr. Valmaat?"

"Simple, I want a real job."

"This is a real job," she said.

"Every piece of paper I picked up had already been passed by someone higher up ... that's not a real job." I said, "Even the mailroom clerk has a real job."

So ... she made a call and Dalmar came down.

"Finally," he said. "Run into something you can't figure out?"

"Nope." I said, "I want a real job ... like mailroom. If I'm going to run this place when you die ... yeah ... you won't live forever ... I need to know how it works. Stamping paperwork that's already been approved by my boss isn't teaching me a damn thing."

Dal wasn't paying a lick of attention to me ... my secretary was a piece of work ... finely crafted and lovingly assembled by people who knew what they were doing.

"While you're at it, dad ... Sabrina Lindgren ... please meet Dalmar Valmaat ... Mr. Valmaat ... please meet Miss Lindgren. You should find a nice place on your staff for her ... she's very efficient."

"Come see me maanantai (Monday). We'll find something." He said it to me but he was examining Sabrina.

"Miss Lindgren ... why don't you come with me ... could you work under an old man like me?"

"maanantai, David. Go home, your sisters miss you."

I could hear the two of them talking as I left. Rather, Dal was talking, Sabrina was giggling and fiddling with her hair ... a sure sign ... twisting her hair. Daddy would be stroking the short and curlies later tonight.

He seldom came home on perjantai (Friday). We probably wouldn't see him on lauantai (Saturday) either.

According to my sister he didn't come home at all the week of itsenäisyyspäivä (Independence Day) (December 6th.)