Chapter 20

Saturday morning we went downtown to pick up the Alfa Romeo. Carl met us at the underground garage to let us in. He told us that he would mail the papers to his lawyer, as he had to leave for Vancouver on Sunday, and he was not quite sure, he should get the opportunity to come back in time for signing the final papers, but he had authorised Henny to sign the papers for both of them. He was still fairly satisfied with the deal, although he laughed, and once more told me that I drove a hard bargain.

The rest of the weekend was spent planning. How to pack down all our stuff, sort out which things would have to be sold or thrown out, and finally taking a lot of pictures of the house for advertising the sale. We called the kids and had them come home on Sunday. They were told that we could no longer have two rooms for their use only, but we would make one of the bigger rooms into a guest room for both of them to share, so they should have to make the same decisions: Which things would be discarded and which would come along.

During Saturday it dawned upon me that it was quite some time, since I had heard from dad. Thinking back, I realised that the reason might be, he was disappointed in me. I had brushed him off quite rudely last time. Late Saturday afternoon I faked a headache, which made it necessary for me to get an hour's sleep. In the quiet of our bedroom I sent out a message for him, and in a minute he was there.

"Hi. You wanted me?"

"Yes, dad. I've been thinking. Last time, when you had a drink, I got scared. I'm afraid, I was a bit rude to you. As if I do not trust you."

"I don't blame you for getting scared, son. It is a very radical thing to do. I've done some thinking myself. I have to admit, I was disappointed, but I have realised that I have no right to be."

"You haven't come up with any solution?"

"There is no solution. I've asked around. It is a very rare thing. Only Theodor has done it on a regular basis, and they are all very, very envious that I had the chance to taste a drink. There is no way you can stop me, once I've taken over. The only thing I can do is to promise, I'll be very observant to your feelings, and that I'll return immediately, if I feel you are scared, or if you don't like what's going on. I'm terribly sorry, of course, but that's how it is, and I can't very well demand that of you. I have no hard feelings, son."

"All right, dad. I've decided to give it another try. Maybe I won't be so scared, when I've tried it a couple of times. Do you want to try right now? Mary thinks I have a headache, and she'll leave me alone for another hour."

"Nothing in the world I'd love better, in your world or mine. Do you remember how to do it?"

"Yes. I have to make a bubble and put as many different senses in it as possible, and then reduce its size."

"Right. When you've put the bubble into the image of yourself, you'll lie on your belly and imagine your image leaving you through your backside, while I gradually take over."

It was a lot easier this second time, and the scare was not that big. From the corner of the bedroom I watched myself get up from the bed and walk around. I watched as he went around and felt the different items. I tried to send out a message, that he should try to feel some of Mary's underwear. I didn't know if it was because the message reached him, or if it was sheer coincidence, but he went straight to her chest of drawers and fondled some of her panties. I found out for sure that I could reach him, when I showed him an image of the hamper in the bathroom, where he would find a pair of her used ones. Then I really had a scare.

Dad was coming out of the bathroom when Mary climbed the stairs. "Oh, you're up, Erik. Is the headache gone?"