Part 2: Wilderness

The lodge owned a twelve passenger Mercedes van used for picking up guests and staff. I spotted the sign for the Glacier Aletsch Hotel almost immediately and headed for it. A family of five was there before me and the man with the sign was greeting them and checking them off a list. When he had shown them the way to the van, he turned to me.

"You must be Richard," he smiled. "I am Jan Nordberg. Welcome."

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you Mr. Nordberg."

"Please, it is very informal at the lodge. Please call me Jan."

"Thank you. Kristiana sends her best wishes to you and her mother."

"We are looking forward to having her back soon. We are expecting another family of four in about twenty minutes on a different train, so if you don't mind, we will wait for them. It is almost two hours from here to the lodge."

"I had no idea it was that far from Lausanne. It didn't look that far on the map."

"Mountain roads are slow and my van is no Porsche," he chuckled. "Most of our guests make their own arrangements to get there, but some, like these people, travel by train. I am happy to take them to the lodge in comfort."

"Can I help you with the luggage?" I asked, noticing it piled up nearby."

"Thank you. If you can find a cart, we will look after it now before the next train arrives."

I looked around and saw an unused wagon on the other side of the station and headed toward it. I pulled it back to Jan's location and began loading the luggage. There was enough time to put it in the van and return with the cart to await the next guests.

"I must put you on the wage list, Richard," he smiled. "You are already earning your pay."

"No ... this is a free demonstration in thanks for your willingness to interview me."

He smiled and nodded. From what I could see, Jan Nordberg was a calm, likeable man with a pleasant demeanor, well suited to the hospitality business. I would take my cues from him as we went along.

The second train arrived on time and I stood with Jan as he held the sign. Soon, a young family with a cranky, crying girl and a silent, sullen looking boy approached. The parents looked pretty stressed, I thought.

"Hello. Mr. and Mrs. Charbonneau?" Jan asked.

Jan got a weak "Oui" from the husband, and began to try and talk to them in French. It wasn't working very well. I decided I could help.

"Monsieur, we will take your luggage to the van. What are the names of your children?" I asked.

"Monique and Robert," Madam Charbonneau answered quickly, happy that I spoke their language.

"Monique! Robert! Come with me. You will sit in front so that you can see everything."

I hoped Jan wouldn't be too upset with me, but I noticed that the other family had chosen to sit in the back of the van. That left several seats open in the front. I took a quick look at Jan and got a subtle nod. Little Monique had stopped crying and Robert was looking much brighter.

"Help me with the wagon, Robert," I ordered lightly. That brought about a further positive change in his attitude and a look of relief on his parents' faces.

The now quiet and cooperative group moved to the van to begin our trip.

I got a nice thank you from Madam and a smile from Monsieur. I was off to a good start it seemed. I felt Jan's hand on my shoulder and an approving nod as Robert and I pulled the little wagon outside the station to the van. The children clambered aboard ahead of their parents and promptly occupied the first two seats on each side of the aisle. I helped Jan load the luggage and then found a seat between the two families. We were off.

I was glad we made the trip in daylight. We left Lausanne and drove around Lake Geneva south to Montreaux and Martigny before following the upper waters of the Rhone River through Sion and Sierre toward the glacier. The scenery was spectacular. Jan was a good, careful driver, concentrating on his task.

I talked to the parents and found out they were from Normandy, just across the channel from England. They would only be staying for a week, hiking and sightseeing. This was just part of their summer vacation. They were going to Italy next. I wondered what the children would do, but I'm sure Jan must have some facilities for young ones. I guessed their ages to be about six for the girl and nine for the boy. I noticed the parents holding hands and smiling and I wondered if this was some kind of getaway for them. Whatever stress they felt on arrival in Lausanne seemed to have disappeared on our drive to Bellwald.

The drive was blessed with good weather and spectacular views from the river valley that we followed. We were heading toward the Aletsch Glacier, the feature of the area and hence the name of the Nordberg lodge. The diesel van moved effortlessly up the mountain inclines on the broad road and when Jan turned on the radio system to play some local Swiss music (I assumed), it further brightened up the atmosphere in the little bus.

We turned off the main highway in Fiesch, arriving in the town of Bellwald at the hotel in a little under two hours. Jan informed the guests that they could check in at their leisure and that some food would be set out for them while they waited. He thanked them for their patience on the long drive and hoped they would be very satisfied with their accommodations and the surroundings during their stay.

Jan showed me where the luggage cart was and together we off-loaded the luggage, sorted it by family and brought it to the front desk, or welcome desk as they called it. I got another pat on the shoulder and a thank-you from Jan as I moved into the hotel to look at my possible surroundings for the next few months.

The outside was classic Bavarian-style in appearance. Steep roof, white stucco exterior with sculpted boards and trim in dark brown. Leaded casement windows featured shutters which were decorated with brightly coloured painted flowers. Off to one side was a separate building with a sign indicating rentals and storage. For those who brought their own equipment, it could be stored securely in there.

The grounds were neat, but not very developed. No point, I supposed, if they were covered in snow for half the year. The parking area was large and paved. I looked around and could see the ski area further up the mountain. There were many lifts and I could see a number of them running. There appeared to be a mountain bike race in progress. I saw a sign indicating that competitors should check in at the starting point at the top of one of several chairlifts.

The public parking area was half full and many had bicycle carriers on their cars and vans. A number of commercial buildings formed what I assumed was the town center. The Nordberg's hotel was one of five hotels in the area. I guessed Bellwald was not too far off the beaten track since a steady business had been developed over the years in both winter and summer.

A woman I thought might be Kristiana's mother was working behind the desk and checking in the new guests. She was very attractive, and while not showing the blonde hair of her daughter, she bore a similar appearance. Like Jan, she smiled a lot and talked to the guests as she took down their particulars. I didn't see any sign of a bellboy, but a typical hotel luggage cart was stationed near the desk.

The children were busy helping themselves to the snacks the hotel had provided while their parents had found two very comfortable looking lounge chairs while they waited to check in. They looked happy and again, were holding hands.

Jan had disappeared and I waited until the woman at the desk was finished with her guests before I approached.

"Hello, I'm Richard Barton."

"Hello, Richard, I'm Hedda. It's so nice to meet you. Kris has told me so much about you."

"Ah ... oh ... I didn't know."

"We talk on the telephone often and she called me after you left yesterday. She is very excited that you might be working here this summer."

"Well, first I think I should talk to you or Jan about that. I don't know if I'm the right person for this job."

She laughed lightly. "When Jan passed me to get the luggage carts, he gave me the sign that said you were very suitable. How did you do that so quickly?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I helped calm the children down and load the luggage with your husband, that's all."

"When we have looked after our new guests, we will go to the dining room and we can talk. Kris was right. You are very handsome ... and polite," she smiled. She had a beautiful smile and I could see her daughter in it.

Hedda looked after the French family. When Jan returned from taking their luggage to their room, we adjourned to the dining room. The door was left open so that one or the other of them could watch the front desk.

"It's so good to meet you, Richard," Jan said. "I liked the way you looked after the Charbonneau children. That was very clever. Can you tell me about the languages you speak?"

"I'm fluent in French, Spanish, Italian and German. I can manage in Dutch and somewhat less so in Polish and Russian."

"No Nordic languages?" he asked.

"No ... not yet. I would take your advice about which where the most important ones to know," I said.

"The most important one is English," he smiled. "You will hear it often here. However, on the telephone and communicating with guests who are not good with English, you might think about Swedish. It will help you with Norwegian and Danish, even Finnish. It's a very useful language."

I nodded. "Thank you, that is very helpful. I am lucky that languages come fairly easily to me, so with some help, I should be able to learn some useful phrases quite quickly."

"You are a very lucky young man," Hedda said. "It is a wonderful skill to have."

I nodded, as did Jan.

"As to your employment, the pay is 600 Swiss Francs per week, or we can pay you in Euros, deposited directly to your bank. That is something like 650 American dollars. Will that be acceptable?"

"Certainly. I am just beginning to find a career. I did not expect to be paid quite that much to be honest."

"It is not so much when you look at the cost of living," Jan said in warning. "However, we can provide accommodation and meals for you at 150 francs per week."

"Where will I work?"

"Everywhere?" he laughed. "We are a small hotel and we all have many tasks. If what I saw this morning is an example, you will do well here. You have the right nature."

"Will I be sleeping in a dormitory room?"

"No, you will be sharing a room with Karl Weiss. His is one of our oldest employees and he will be a good instructor for you. He is a very precise man and keeps a very tidy room. I hope you will be able to cope," Hedda said.

"I'm not a messy person either, so I expect we will get along. It will be good to have someone with his experience to guide me."

That brought another wonderful smile from Hedda and a nod of satisfaction from Jan.

"I will show you your room and you can put your bag in there," Jan said. "If you choose to join us, we can talk about when you can start."

"I would like to work here, at least for the summer, Jan," I said as we walked toward the staff rooms. "You can decide if my work is satisfactory. I think this might be an ideal place for me to learn this business."

"I will be surprised if you are not very satisfactory, Richard," he said, stopping in front of a door marked "Private #3" in four languages.

Jan unlocked it and I stepped in. It was a good size with a window overlooking the parking area and the rental building. There were two single beds with two small dressers and two single wardrobes along with a desk. A small bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower was attached. It would meet my needs and I nodded approval to Jan. It was very clean and very tidy.

"Is there wireless Internet in the building?" I asked.

"Yes. It's an essential these days. You are free to use it. I will give you the password each day."

"Jan, I see no reason I should not accept your offer. I hope I can live up to your expectations. The only matter remaining is when I can start."

"As soon as you can after May 31."

"I was thinking that Kristiana finishes her time at the Castillo on Sunday, June 3. I would pack my clothes and other belongings in my car and I could drive her here and save her the cost of rail or airfare. Would that be acceptable?"

"I'm sure she would be quite happy to travel with you," Jan said without hesitation, "So yes, that is quite acceptable. It is a three day trip, I think, so you might want to start work on Saturday, June 9. That will give you two days to become familiar with your new surroundings."

I nodded my agreement. That sounded sensible. We left the room and walked back to the front desk. The lobby was still empty and Hedda was in an office off the back of the reception area with her attention focussed on what appeared to be a ledger. I assumed she was the bookkeeper in this establishment.

Jan wouldn't be driving down to Lausanne until Friday morning, so I would be staying two nights. It would be an opportunity to watch and learn, as well as help when I could. I had brought my laptop and Hedda gave me the daily password so that I could log on. I booked the return train to Paris, and an evening flight to Sevilla.

For the next two days, I watched and learned. I helped with the luggage of arriving guests, introduced myself to Karl Weiss, and walked around the village to see just what services there were. There were no large stores, but at least the necessities of life were available.

"Where to you get your kitchen supplies from?" I asked Hedda.

"Most of it comes from Fiesch. Sometimes, we get supplies in Lausanne as well when Jan is picking up guests."

"I will have my car with me, so I will be able to run errands for you if necessary," I volunteered.

That got me another very nice smile and a thank you.

"I noticed that you call your daughter Kris. Is she used to that name? I have always used her full name."

"Her friends in school called her Kris and I thought she was happy with that. I'm sure it would be all right for you to call her that too," she said. "Her brothers have always called her Kris."

"I think Kristiana is a wonderful name for her. She never mentioned that she had brothers."

"Well, they didn't get along very well for a long time. The boys are twins and are three years older. They teased her and she resented it. They get along well now, but both of them are gone and do not work at the hotel."

"Tell me about them."

"Olaf is an apprentice joiner. He wants to be a furniture maker. His brother Mika has almost completed his training to be a nurse. I think some day he might study to become a doctor."

"You must be very proud of them. Both are doing important things."

"Yes. They were a little slow getting started in life, but I think they will do well. They are about your age, so there is plenty of time for them to grow and succeed."

The more time I spent around Hedda, the more I came to admire and enjoy her company. She was a caring and happy person, very much in love with Jan and her family. It was somewhat wistfully that I wished my mother had more of these qualities. She tended to be very judgemental and that was not an admirable trait in my mind. My father was very much like Jan, however, so there was a balance.

Friday morning, Jan and I headed for Lausanne and the train to Paris. There were three families arriving on the train, but one of them was renting a car and wouldn't need a ride to the lodge. If I had time, I would help Jan with the luggage. As it turned out, I barely had time to load the luggage cart before they announced my departure. I shook Jan's hand and told him I'd see him in ten days.

I called Kristiana as soon as I was home and left a message on her phone, letting her know I was back and had taken the job. I also told her that I would be driving her home as well. I was sure she would call back when she had an opportunity and I was right.

"I am so pleased you are going to be with us this summer, Richard. We will have some time together when we drive to the hotel. Did my father show you where you would be staying?"

"Yes, I'm sharing a room with Karl Weiss. He is a very nice man and I'm sure he will be a big help to me learning about running a hotel."

"You are lucky to be with Karl. He is my pretend grandfather. He has always looked after me."

"You didn't tell me you had twin brothers."

"Oh ... did you meet them?"

"No ... but your mother told me about them. She also told me that most people call you Kris."

"Yes, it's true. You may call me Kris if you like. I don't mind."

"I think Kristiana is a very beautiful name and I will probably always call you that."

"You tell me such nice, loving things, Richard. Will you come to Osuna on Monday?"

"Yes, of course. We will need to plan our trip and you must begin packing your things. It's only seven days before we leave for Bellwald."

"I will be so happy to be with you, Richard. You will love my parents."

"I already do. Your mother and father have made me very welcome."

My parents returned from Madrid on Sunday afternoon and I greeted them.

The welcome was muted by my mother when she discovered I had gone to Switzerland about a job at the hotel. She had higher expectations of me and was visibly disappointed that I had taken the job, even for the summer. My father was less upset, concerned only that I was doing what I wanted to do. He was quite supportive, when I explained my thinking to him.

"When are you leaving, Richard," my mother asked.

"Next Monday morning, early. I'm taking Kristiana with me. It will be a three day trip."

"I suppose you'll be sleeping with her," she said with a distinct note of disapproval.

"It's the economical thing to do," I replied unapologetically.

I thought there would be more from my mother, but after giving me a look of disgust, she chose to leave the room and say nothing. I turned to my father and shook my head.

"You'd think I was twelve years old, Dad," I said with sigh. "I really don't want to get into an argument with her, but this is my life and I need to find what makes me happy and satisfied. I'll never know until I get some experience. I'm young enough that I have time for that."

"I understand, Richard. Your mother is upset that her dreams for you aren't panning out. But I know her well enough that she'll come around at some point. You are her only child and naturally she wants the best for you, even though it isn't what you want. Just be patient and she'll understand."

"I hope so, Dad. I wish I could make her understand. She doesn't even attempt to be nice to Kristiana."

"I can't explain that, Son, but again, give it some time. Kristiana seems like a very nice young lady and as attracted to you as you are to her."

I nodded.

"Have you decided what you are going to do after you're finished in Gerena?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, I'll be leaving my employers the moment I've completed my task. It's been six years of frustration and delay, but it will be done and I can be proud to have completed it when most people thought it wouldn't happen. I already have a very lucrative offer of employment for next year. With my completion bonus from Argus Hispania and a signing bonus from my new employer, we'll be financially well off."

"That ought to cheer Mom up for sure," I said with a chortle.

"No doubt."

"Where will you be?"

"Not sure yet. The company has properties in Idaho and Nevada. The logical place to live would be either Reno or Boise. We'll scout the two out and decide."

"What do you want to bet Mom will choose Reno?" I laughed. "Three hours from San Francisco. Boise doesn't stand a chance."

It was great to have a conversation with my father. We hadn't done that for a while and I missed it. Between my being at university and him on the job, we didn't see as much of each other as we should. When they left Spain, we would see even less of each other.

I was glad Kristiana didn't have a great deal of luggage or other things. As it was, by the time I had loaded six years of clothing and other things into my Mazda hatchback, there wasn't a lot of room left. I worried a bit about all our possessions being exposed when I parked for the night at some motor inn, but Dad suggested we put a black cover over it and at least not advertise that it was there. We ended up choosing landscape fabric and it worked well in combination with the tinted windows.

My mother was unusually silent when we had supper on Sunday night before I left. It was awkward and I didn't enjoy the meal as much as I should have considering the trouble she had gone to preparing it. The next morning, both of them were up to see me off even though I was leaving the house at seven, long before my mother's typical time to rise.

"I'll miss you, Richard. I hope you are doing the right thing. Please call often to let us know how you are doing," my mother said with tears now showing. It was the first sign of emotion I had seen from her in a long time and it was welcome.

We said our goodbyes and I drove off from the house, knowing I likely would never live there again. In fact, I wasn't sure when I'd see my parents again. I wasn't sad or upset about my choice to go to Switzerland. It was an opportunity to find out if I was suited to an entirely new life. Almost twenty-five, I was setting out on my own now and my life would be determined by a series of choices over the next few years.

Kristiana was yawning when I found her standing by the front door of her building. She had single-handedly brought all her things down from the apartment and was obviously anxious to go. It didn't take me long to load the items and we were off and on the road toward our first stop-over in Valencia, some six hours away. Luckily, we didn't have to backtrack to Sevilla and we were in Cordoba in time for a coffee and a rest break.

I knew Kristiana could drive and had a license, but she wasn't very keen on driving that morning, claiming she hadn't slept well the night before in anticipation of our trip. A couple of strong coffees kept me going until we stopped for lunch in Valdepeñas. Kristiana had slept for two hours as we drove along the lightly travelled A4 motorway.

We arrived in the outskirts of Valencia just after three in the afternoon. We decided to move a little further north to Sagunto, thereby escaping the big city traffic both in the afternoon and the next morning. It was a good decision and soon we were gazing out over the water. It was a pleasure to see the Mediterranean once more, sparkling in the bright, late afternoon sunlight.

We found a respectable inn off the motorway and checked in for the night. There were several restaurants in the area and we chose to eat a bit earlier than usual and retire earlier as well. Kristiana welcomed me to the big bed and we caught up on our lovemaking that evening before falling into a deep sleep. We awoke the next morning and showered together, managing to avoid sex. We did wash each other very thoroughly, however.

The continental breakfast supplied by the motor inn was nothing special, but would do us until made a rest stop further north. A break in Tarragona and reluctantly bypassing Barcelona, we were ahead of schedule by my reckoning. Sure enough, Narbonne, France, appeared shortly after two that afternoon and we decided to push on to Montpellier. That would cut more than an hour from the long drive the next day to Bellwald.

There was no reasonable short cut to avoid Geneva, Lausanne and the inevitable traffic around the lake. We resigned ourselves to getting up early and pushing through. I thought it might be seven to eight hours driving. I was sitting at the desk in our room, contemplating the long day when Kristiana wrapped her arms round my neck and kissed my ear.

"I will drive in the morning and from Lausanne in the afternoon. I know the road well and you can rest. You have taken all the responsibility so far. It is my turn."

I pulled her down onto my lap and kissed her in gratitude.

"Thank you. I accept your offer gladly. You are very good for me," I told her.

"And you are very good for me," she smiled broadly. "I will make sure you know how grateful I am tonight."

"I look forward to it. But first, I must feed us to keep our strength up."

"Yes ... let's find a nice French restaurant and have a nice meal," she said brightly.

"Agreed!

We found exactly what we were looking for not far from our inn. It was a family run restaurant and featured foods of southern France. We also shared a bottle of red wine from the Rhone Valley. It was excellent and made our meal that much more enjoyable. We were on the home stretch now, and I could feel the anticipation in both of us. Kristiana would be home again while I would be starting a new job with no idea of what it held in the future.

Kristiana let me take the first section the next morning, since we had to navigate our way around the motorways of Montpellier. She took over at our first rest break at Valence and drove straight through to Saint Didier-de-la-Tour. She drove well and within a few minutes, I could relax and put my head back.

We stopped at Saint Didier for lunch, then I took over once again for the next segment that took us to Geneva and then Lausanne. One final rest break and we were off with Kristiana guiding us to the Glacier Aletsch Hotel. It was after five when we arrived and both of us were stiff from being confined in the car for several hours at a time.

As we climbed out, Kristiana waved to Karl and he immediately come over to her and embraced her, hugging her to him. It was clear they were very close. I went into the lobby and was immediately spotted by Hedda, who quickly came out from behind the front desk and hugged me in welcome.

She tapped the bell lightly and Jan appeared in less than a minute. I got another genuine welcome as did Kristiana as she came into the lobby, chatting with Karl. After the initial welcomes had ended, I pulled a luggage cart out to my car and began to unload. Where we were going to put everything was a mystery. There certainly wasn't enough space in my shared room for all of it.

Hedda and Jan solved the problem. Kristiana had her own room and her possessions would go there without any trouble. My gear would be sorted by priority. Winter clothes (not that I had a lot) would go in locked storage at the rental building, along with various books and other things that were not immediately necessary. I could always get them when needed.

Karl welcomed me back to his room (as I thought of it) and we continued our comfortable co-existence from my first visit. I liked the man almost immediately upon meeting him and he appeared to like me. That was a good thing considering our confined quarters.

The next three months went by much faster than I expected. I was in a constant learning mode, happy to be busy during the day and doing such a variety of tasks that I couldn't possibly be bored. I had chosen well and I absorbed far more than I could possibly have learned in a larger, corporate hotel. But above all, I liked the job. I liked the people and I liked the job.

Of course, Kristiana was with me every night, making all this even more worthwhile. At first it was awkward until I was confident that I wasn't upsetting her parents. They had a very liberal attitude toward their daughter and me. I was beginning to have thoughts about our long-term future. Was it too soon? Was I ready for marriage and a family? I wasn't sure.

The four of us and Karl would sit around and talk about what would make the hotel better and what new ideas we had for entertaining our guests. I had become the resident computer guru, although it didn't require much to take on that role. I looked after updating the website, as well as upgrading the accounting, billing and reservation software.

I took on producing a daily newsletter for the guests that would be slipped under their door early each morning. We got a lot of feedback about how much people appreciated that. We told them what was going on in the town and the surrounding districts and even what was on at the town playhouse. A couple of our food suppliers let us know when they had specials on sale. They each took an advertising box once a week.

As the summer was winding down, Jan came to see me.

"Richard, you have done very well here this summer. I am very pleased with all your help and ideas. Do you plan to leave in September, or could we convince you to stay for our winter season?"

"I would like to stay if there is a job for me," I assured him. I didn't say anything about Kristiana having a big part of that decision.

"Excellent! We have some work to do in the rental building to prepare for the winter, but that will keep us busy until the first snow falls."

"If you don't mind, I would like to go back to Seville and see my parents before they leave for Canada."