Hell Fire

35

As the days passed, Bonnie got used to the idea that she was now rich and she realized that her life had changed forever. Simon scarcely recognized his mother. She laughed all the time, walked with a light step, and put on nice clothes even though she was just going to clean someone’s house. And she laughed about the old Opel that would soon go to the junkyard. Kaja had shown him Africa on the globe. It was made up of lots of big and small countries, and he wasn’t sure where they were going to go. We won’t be traveling alone, his mother had explained.

“Will Granny and Grandpa be coming?”

“No, we have to go with a tour company. And then we’ll get a guide who shows us around. In a safari car without a roof.”

“How long is it until we can go?”

“Not long, I don’t think,” Bonnie said. “As soon as the money comes, we’ll go.”

“But when is it coming?” Simon was getting impatient.

“They said it might take a little while. Come on, let’s go window-shopping, and if we find something nice we can go back and buy it later. OK?”

She started the old Opel and Simon was allowed to sit in the front for once. The seat belt cut across his neck, which wasn’t good. But normal rules and regulations didn’t apply anymore. This was a new world.

The snow had melted and the blue handicapped signs were clearly visible now, so she parked in one of the other empty spaces. As soon as they went into the shopping center, Simon smelled the bakery. Bonnie bought him a raisin bun, which he ate with gusto. They took the escalator up to the second floor and started to wander around. They spent a long time going in and out of stores, and Bonnie realized that in a few weeks she would be able to buy whatever she wanted for herself and Simon. She looked at dresses. She looked at jewelry and bags and shoes. She looked at rugs and cushions and bedclothes. Everything they had was worn, and she was looking forward to renewing it all. Simon also found several things, but he understood that he had to wait. When they were full of plans and ideas, they went back down to the first floor and carried on their wandering. They popped into a pet store and Simon fell in love with the dwarf rabbits.

“I want two of them,” he said decisively.

Bonnie had to laugh. “I think we can do that,” she said. “They’re so cute.”

They went on to the sports store. This was where Simon really went to town. His mother had never been so accommodating, and he was simply overwhelmed. They had bicycles and skateboards, knives and flashlights, helmets and small scooters, sneakers in bright colors and cool backpacks. On the back wall, there was every kind of fishing rod you might want. Then they went through to the clothing section. Bonnie fell for an outdoor jacket and Simon found a good tracksuit.

“We’ll have to wait,” she reminded him.

“But then someone else will buy it,” Simon objected. “Please!”

Bonnie stroked his hair. “All right,” she smiled. “But we’ll have to eat porridge for the rest of the week.”

When they got home, Simon took the tracksuit out of the bag. He found some scissors and cut off the tags, put it on in front of the mirror in the hall, and then paraded back into the living room.

“You look great,” Bonnie said. “Just like the Norwegian flag, all red, white, and blue.”