Chapter 87: Coming of Age

July 17, 2002, Östersund, Sweden

🎤 Steve

Kara, Jessica, Suzanne, Ashley, and I flew from Stockholm to Östersund on Tuesday morning. Mikael and Nils, along with Kristina, met us at the airport. Birgit and Jesse, of course, had stayed behind in Stockholm to go on their sailing and camping trip with Kjell and his friends. Jesse would travel with us to Russia, but Birgit would stay behind in Stockholm.

My wives and I would be staying at Hotel Östersund, while Ashley would stay with Kristina at her parents’ house. She’d stay in Östersund when we returned to Stockholm, then take the train to meet us when we returned from Russia. Fortunately, Katt and Mikael had made an effort to teach Kristina English, beyond what she’d learned in school, so she and Ashley could communicate without need for a running translation.

Mikael took Ashley to his house, and Nils dropped my wives and me at the hotel, then headed to work. Once we were settled, we took a taxi to Östersund Arena, where Katt had her skate school. Mikael brought the girls, having picked up Tina’s daughter, Anna, as well. We all sat in the stands and watched as Katt put six girls who looked to be six to eight through their paces.

After about five minutes, Katt saw us, said something to a teenage girl, then waved me down and skated over to the boards.

“«Hej»” she exclaimed, then continued in Swedish. “All settled at the hotel?”

“Yes.”

“Did you get the tickets for the competition?”

“Yes. I left them with Karin. Your plans won’t interfere with Elin’s training?”

Katt laughed, “It’s a myth that sex interferes with athletic performance! You know how much fooling around went on when I was on the tour! It actually helped both Laura and me relieve stress and perform better! On the ice, too!”

I laughed, “Still the same Katt!”

“In every way! Just a few years older than when we met!”

“Same here! You look great for an ‘old’ woman!”

“Thirty is old for figure skating and ice dancing, and I’m thirty-six! You’re thirty-nine, right?”

“Yes. It’s hard to believe we’ve known each other for twenty-three years!”

“And yet,” she said, her eyes twinkling, “some things never change! That’s Elin working with the girls.”

She was, as I had expected, a very pretty, slim blonde with long legs. She had her long blonde tresses in a French braid, which helped keep it under control as she skated. She was wearing the usual attire of a skater, though with leggings to help keep her warm.

“She reminds me of you and Laura when you were that age.”

“She’s a bit older than we were,” Katt said. “Her sixteenth birthday was last week.”

“Why, she’s positively ancient by YOUR standards back then!”

Katt laughed, “True! I was twelve, well, almost thirteen, my first time! I’d advise waiting, but I’m glad I didn’t. Well, YOU made me wait!”

“We had this argument over twenty years ago,” I chuckled. “I distinctly remember being taken to task by a pissed off ice dancer!”

“You were an idiot!”

“I got better!”

“We’ll see!” Katt said, her eyes twinkling again. “Want to meet Elin? She’s seen your picture, of course, both new ones and ones from when you lived in Sweden.”

“You should show those to Ashley. She’ll get a kick out of them. And meeting can wait until your class ends. Mikael said noon.”

“Yes. The hockey team has the ice from 1300, and they need to put up the glass along the sides and Zam the ice.”

“Then I can meet Elin at lunch.”

“OK!”

She skated back out onto the ice and I went back to sit with my wives.

[Stockholm, Sweden] 🎤 Jesse

“Who knows how to sail?” I asked Kjell as we ate lunch on Tuesday.

“I do, and so does Anna. Her dad is going to give a safety talk before we go out, but Anna and I can both handle the sailboat.”

“Your mom is OK with you sailing?”

“You mean because my aunt died in a boating accident?”

“Yes.”

“She trusts us and trusts Mr. Petersson has taught us well. She does check the weather forecast every time, but we’re careful about that for obvious reasons. Have you been sailing?”

“No. Believe it or not, I’ve only been on a boat twice if you don’t count rides at Disney World!”

“I don’t think that counts!” Kjell declared.

When Birgit, Kjell, and I finished lunch, we left the apartment and rode the «Tunnelbana» to get to Bockholmens marina, where the Peterssons kept their sailboat. Anna was waiting for us there, along with Per, Janne, Ester, Sara, Hanna, and Henrik. Anna’s dad went over the safety rules with us, the most important of which was to always wear a life jacket, and to pay attention to Anna and Kjell.

Once we’d all put on life jackets, Mr. Petersson supervised us loading tents, sleeping bags, duffel bags, and coolers onto the boat, and ensured they were properly stowed. Once that was completed, he went over a map with Anna and Kjell to ensure they knew the course to Edo Island, where we’d dock at a boat slip that belonged to one of his friends.

Once he was satisfied, we all boarded the sailboat, and he helped us cast off. Kjell and Anna used the engine to move us out into the channel before they could raise the sails. I enjoyed following their directions for pulling ropes to raise the sails and decided that sailing was totally cool.

[Cádiz, Spain] 🎤 Matthew

“It’s weird that I can order drinks,” Chelsea said when the waiter brought us a pitcher of sangría. “And nobody cares if we drink!”

“There’s no drinking age here, according to Eduardo, but you have to be eighteen to buy alcohol.”

“They didn’t card me!”

“People in Europe aren’t as nuts as people back home about drinking and sex, and mostly let teenagers do their own thing.”

“Says the boy who is talking about joining the Navy and having to follow rules!”

“A tradeoff for the training and experience! I don’t get anything in return for dumb rules about alcohol and sex! The only downside is we can’t go to any clubs.”

“I’d rather go to bed early and then go to our spot on the beach!”

“I certainly don’t mind!”

“What do you think about going to Madrid?” Chelsea asked.

“Sure. We’d have to talk to my mom and then see if Eduardo can get us a place to stay overnight. Maybe a youth hostel.”

“Aunt Elyse will say ‘yes’!”

“I agree,” I replied, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t have to talk to her first! That’s why she always says ‘yes’!”

“Mom is not that mellow.”

“Because she and my dad weren’t close like my mom and my dad!”

“‘Close’?” Chelsea asked with a laugh.

“They did manage to make me and Michael!”

“Do you know that your dad gave my mom away when she married my dad?”

“I heard that story from Mom when she told me how they met. Dad was watching a Reds game and Mom went to watch with him.”

“Uh-huh,” Chelsea smirked.

“As far as I’m aware, that’s all that happened,” I replied. “But I’d bet on it, knowing Dad! He was dating Aunt Jennifer then, when she was still trying to figure out her situation. Then when Aunt Jennifer decided to go to California, Mom moved in with him.”

“I still don’t understand why your dad would give away my mom.”

I shrugged, “Me, either, but I never asked because so much weird stuff happens around my dad that it’s just one more thing!”

“Mom said he’s had a well-lived life and that I could learn a lot from being around him!”

“He’s pretty cool, but if you tell him I said so, I’ll deny it!”

Chelsea laughed, “You, Jesse, and Birgit are so silly about that! Don’t you think he knows?”

“Of course! But we have to keep him off balance!”

“I think Birgit does a good job all by herself, but she’s not the biggest troublemaker!”

“Jesse?” I asked.

“No way!” Chelsea declared. “It’s Ashley!”

[Östersund, Sweden] 🎤 Ashley

“Do you skate?” I asked.

“For fun, not like Mom or her students,” Kristina said.

“Do you play sports?”

“Football and handball.”

“Handball?”

“It’s like football, but with your hands!” Kristina replied.

“What about you, Anna?”

“I ride horses. I’m learning to jump. What about you?”

“Karate. I’m close to earning my brown belt.”

“Mom said you want to be an exchange student,” Kristina said.

“In about four years.”

“You should come stay with us!” Kristina said. “You could skate, ride horses, and there is a karate place in the city center.”

“That would be cool!”

“Did you know my mom was your dad’s girlfriend before she decided to get together with my dad?”

I laughed, “Is there a Swedish girl my dad didn’t have as a girlfriend?”

“Including my mom,” Anna said.

“That was obvious!” I declared. “She and my dad write letters back and forth and have for twenty years, so I was sure they had!”

“He is good looking and fit!” Anna declared.

“He’s a karate instructor and a 6th Dan black belt. Kara Mom is a 1st Dan black belt and my mom is a brown belt.”

“You’re staying with us, right?” Kristina asked. “I mean when your family goes to Russia.”

“Yes. You don’t go to competitions with your mom?”

“No! I don’t like watching skating.”

“Do you skate?” I asked.

“Yes. Mom and Dad taught me, but I don’t like it. Do you skate?”

“Yes. But only sometimes during the Winter. My brother plays ice hockey.”

“Ashley, did you want to ride horses at our farm?” Anna asked.

“Sure! I’ve never done it, so can you teach me?”

“Mom can, for sure.”

[Stockholm, Sweden] 🎤 Jesse

“Can you go onto the dock and take the rope from me?” Anna asked. “Just pull tight and we’ll secure the boat.”

“OK,” I said.

The boat moved close to the dock, and when the rubber bumpers, or whatever they were called, touched the wood, I jumped up and took the rope from Anna and pulled tight. Kjell shut down the engine, and then he and Anna secured the boat to the dock with ropes fore and midships, then Anna climbed out and took the rope from me and secured the aft.

Kjell, Birgit, and Janne handed all the sleeping bags, tents, and other things to Anna, Henrik, and me, and once all the gear was on the dock, we divided it between us and carried it to a spot not far from the beach in the shelter of a stand of trees. The ten of us worked together to assemble the tents and set up the campsite.

“Let’s eat lunch and then swim,” Anna suggested.

We ate sandwiches and drank soft drinks, then everyone changed into bathing suits. All the girls had on bikinis, including Birgit, and the guys all wore trunks.

“Does Dad know about that bikini?” I asked Birgit as we walked down to the water.

She laughed, “He knows, but he hasn’t seen it, and neither has Mom!”

“50¢ of material in a $40 suit?” I chuckled.

“The boys all seem to like it!”

“Obviously! That’s the point! I don’t see you complaining about Anna’s bikini!”

“I wasn’t complaining, Sis! Just commenting because you mostly wear one-piece suits.”

“Anna is smoking hot!” Birgit declared. “Not that any of the others aren’t hot!”

“Let’s swim!”

[Östersund, Sweden] 🎤 Steve

“«Steve Adams, får jag presentera min bästa student, Elin Blomqvist; Elin, det här är Steve Adams, som är absolut bästa!»” (“Steve Adams, may I present my best student, Elin Blomqvist; Elin, this is Steve Adams, the absolute best!”)

Everyone except Nils had gathered for lunch at a restaurant in downtown Östersund.

“«Hej!»,” I replied. “«Katt överdriver, som vanligt!» (“Hi!” “Katt is exaggerating, as usual!”)

“«Jag hoppas verkligen inte! Jag förväntar mig att du briljera»!” (“I sure hope not! I’m expecting you to show off!”)

I laughed, recalling Katt using the word «briljera» in Västra Frölunda in 1979, after I’d heard it in the song Poängsamlingen by the Swedish group Factory.

“We should have brought Birgit for translation services!” Jessica exclaimed.

“It was just an introduction with Katt being Katt,” I replied.

“Birgit speaks Swedish?” Katt asked.

“I spent the last year teaching her,” I replied. “She’s pretty good. I’ll start teaching Ashley soon.”

“«Mamma, kan Ashley bo hos oss när hon är utbyteselev?», Kristina asked. (“Mom, can Ashley live with us when she’s an exchange student?”)

“«Självklart!»” Katt replied. (“Of course!”)

“Mom said you can stay with us,” Kristina said to Ashley.

“I’ll have lots of stories to tell you!” Katt said to Ashley.

“About you and Dad? I think I can guess!” Ashley said, rolling her eyes theatrically.

“Your dad insisted Katt be my girlfriend,” Mikael said. “Fortunately, she listened to him.”

“That’s about the only time she ever listened to me,” I chuckled. “She’s what you call ‘headstrong’!”

“Just like your wives and daughters!” Katt declared.

“You might have a point,” I allowed.

“What’s the plan for the rest of the day?” Jessica asked.

“Everyone is invited to our place,” Tina said. “The girls can ride horses, along with any of the adults who want to, and we have a pond where we can swim, along with a sauna big enough for everyone. Elin, you’re welcome to join us, if you like.”

“I have to help my mom this afternoon,” Elin said. “And then I have my private skating lesson after dinner. Steve, will you be at the competition in Stockholm?”

“Yes. Katt arranged for tickets for us, and we made our plans for Russia and Göteborg, so it didn’t conflict.”

“Great!” Elin exclaimed happily.

We finished our lunch, then headed to Tina’s farm outside of town, which she’d inherited from her grandparents. We had a good time, with the girls riding horses, and me having time to talk with Tina.

“I know I wrote this,” she said in Swedish, “but I’m glad that you’re off the medications. And you seem like your normal self.”

“There is nothing normal about me!” I replied.

Tina laughed, then said, “That’s true, but you know what I meant! It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since you visited me in Alingsås!”

“You really surprised me that day, but it was a very nice surprise.”

“I’m the only one of my friends who had sex before they had their first kiss! I hope Anna finds a guy as wonderful as you when she’s a teenager.”

“She’s twelve next month, so it’s not long. Does she know about us?”

“Yes. I told her everything last month. She’s old enough to understand, and I felt it was a good lesson in choosing the right guy for that special moment. Do your kids know about us?”

“They know we’re close, and they assumed all along from the regular letters that we were lovers at some point, but no details.”

“You’re free to share, if you like. Has Birgit taken her first lover?”

“No,” I chuckled. “But not for lack of trying!”

“How so?”

“Loki conspired to throw every possible random event he could manage in her way and disrupt her attempts! I suspect, though, that the camping trip might provide an opportunity.”

“As close as you are, I would have expected her to talk to you about it.”

“She voiced her frustrations, but she’s become circumspect, which, if you think about it, makes sense.”

“My parents knew.”

“It would have been difficult to invite me to sleep in your bed without them having at least an inkling of what you intended! I think Birgit’s overall experience has taught her to think more and speak less, though for her that’s a major challenge!”

“Ashley appears to be quite the imp!”

“We always thought she’d be the quiet, calm one, but as they say, those are the ones you have to watch out for!”

“Like me?” Tina asked coquettishly.

“Like you!” I agreed.

[Cádiz, Spain] 🎤 Matthew

“Mom, Chelsea and I want to go to Madrid for two or three days,” I said. “We’ll go by train and stay in a youth hostel.”

“Discuss the details with Eduardo, but I don’t have a problem with that.”

“Thanks, Mom!”

Chelsea and I went to find Eduardo and asked him about the trip.

“If you want to stay in a hotel, I’ll arrange it,” he said.

“I think it would be more fun in a hostel,” I replied. “That way we’re mostly with other High School and college kids.”

“OK. Why don’t you plan to go on the 20th, and we’ll meet you in Madrid for the trip home? That saves you eight hours on trains.”

“Awesome! How do we go about booking a room?”

“Let me call the Egon Zehnder travel agent,” Eduardo said. “They’ll know the best place. I assume you want something in the city center?”

“Yes. Chelsea wants to see the Royal Palace and the Campo del Moro Gardens, and ride the Teleférico cable car. And I want to explore, and maybe go to a museum. And if there was a way to see a play, that would be awesome.”

“OK. Chelsea, do you like chocolate?”

“Who doesn’t?!” she replied.

“Then you’ll want to visit Chocolatería San Ginés! Some of the best chocolate in the world, and their churros are fantastic. Let me make the phone call and see what I can arrange.”

“Thanks!” I replied.

“Yes, thanks!” Chelsea added.

I took her hand, and we went to the sunroom to wait for Eduardo to make the arrangements.

[Östersund, Sweden] 🎤 Steve

“What do you think?” Katt asked in Swedish when we had a moment of privacy.

“About?”

“Elin, you «jävla idiot»!”

“Oh,” I replied flatly.

“Will you just stop?” Katt exclaimed. “You’ve been trying to frustrate me for more than twenty years!”

“Trying?”

“Succeeding!”

“Good!”

“American men are idiots! All of them. The problem is, Swedish men are worse!”

“I keep hearing that from Swedish women, but I don’t see it.”

“Because it’s about their entitlement! And the fact that they think they’re far cooler than they actually are!”

“Mikael?”

“I’ve had twenty-five years to whip him into shape! The smartest thing I did was not sleep with him right away!”

“And if I said the same about you and me?” I countered.

“You were afraid of a thirteen-year-old girl!”

“Who lost her virginity when she was twelve!” I declared.

“So? Would you say the same thing about your daughters?”