The Lost Boy

FJÄLLBACKA 1871

It had felt strange to be examined by the doctor. Emelie had never been ill in her life, and she wasn’t used to the touch of a stranger’s hands on her body. But Dagmar’s presence had a calming effect on her, and after his examination, the doctor had assured her that everything looked good. It seemed certain that Emelie would give birth to a healthy child.

As they left the doctor’s consulting room, she felt overwhelmed with happiness.

‘Do you think it’s going to be a girl or a boy?’ asked Dagmar. They paused for a moment to catch their breath, and she placed her hand gently on Emelie’s stomach.

‘A boy,’ said Emelie. And she was as certain as she sounded. She couldn’t explain why she knew that it was a boy kicking so hard inside of her. She simply knew.

‘A little boy. I think you’re right.’

‘I just hope that he’s not …’ Emelie caught herself and stopped in mid-sentence.

‘You hope he doesn’t take after his father. Is that it?’

‘Yes,’ whispered Emelie, feeling all of her joy disappear. The thought of sitting in the boat with Karl and Julian to go back to the island made her want to flee.

‘Karl hasn’t had an easy time of it. His father has been very hard on him.’

Emelie wanted to ask Dagmar what she meant, but she didn’t dare. Instead, tears began spilling down her cheeks, and she felt ashamed as she hastily wiped them away on her sleeve. Dagmar looked at her with a solemn expression.

‘Your appointment with the doctor didn’t go well,’ she said.

Emelie looked at her in confusion.

‘But I thought he said everything was as it should be.’

‘No, it didn’t go well at all. In fact, things are so serious that you’ll have to stay in bed for the rest of the pregnancy. And you need to be close to the doctor in case you need help. There’s no question of you getting into a boat.’

‘Oh. But …’ Emelie started to understand what Dagmar was saying, though she hardly dared believe her ears. ‘No, things didn’t go well at all. But where should I …?’

‘I have a spare room. The doctor thought it would be a good idea if you moved in with me so that someone could look after you.’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Emelie, and tears welled up in her eyes again. ‘But won’t that be too much trouble? We can’t possibly pay you.’

‘That’s not necessary. I’m an old woman living alone in a big house, and I’d be grateful for some company. And it would be a great joy for me to help bring a baby into the world.’

‘It didn’t go well at the doctor’s office,’ Emelie repeated hesitantly as they approached the marketplace.

‘No, not well at all. He said you need to go straight to bed. Otherwise things could end very badly.’

‘Yes, that’s what he said,’ replied Emelie, but she could feel her heart pounding when she saw Karl in the distance.

He caught sight of them and hurried towards them with an impatient look on his face.

‘That certainly took a long time. We still have a lot to do, and we need to be heading home soon.’

He’s not usually in such a hurry, thought Emelie. Not all those times he and Julian stopped at Abela’s tavern. It didn’t matter then if they got home late. Suddenly Julian appeared behind Karl, and for a moment she was seized with such panic that she thought she might drop dead on the spot. Then she felt Dagmar link arms with her.

‘That’s out of the question,’ said Dagmar, her voice calm and steady. ‘The doctor has ordered bed rest for little Emelie. And he was quite insistent.’

Karl looked bewildered. He stared at Emelie, and she could tell the thoughts were racing inside of his head like rats. She knew that he wasn’t the least concerned about her; he was merely trying to weigh the consequences of what his aunt had just told them. Emelie didn’t say a word. She rocked back and forth a bit because her feet and back ached after so much walking.

‘But that simply won’t do,’ said Karl at last, and she knew the rats were still racing around and around in his mind. ‘Who’s going to take care of the housework?’

‘Oh, I’m sure the two of you can handle that,’ said Dagmar. ‘Boil a few potatoes and fry up some herring, and you’ll manage just fine on your own. I doubt very much that you’ll starve to death.’

‘But where is Emelie supposed to go? We need to tend the lighthouse, so I can’t stay on the mainland. And we can’t afford to rent a room over here for her. Where are we going to find money for that?’ His face was turning bright red, and Julian was staring at him angrily.

‘Emelie can stay with me,’ said Dagmar. ‘I’ll be very happy to have company, and I refuse to accept so much as an öre in payment. I’m certain that your father would think this is an excellent arrangement, but I can speak to him, if you’d like.’

Karl stared at her for several seconds. Then he looked away.

‘No, that should work out fine,’ he muttered. ‘Thank you. It’s very kind of you.’

‘It’s my pleasure. Now I’m sure you can make your own way home in the boat.’

Emelie didn’t dare so much as glance at her husband. She couldn’t help feeling a smile tugging at her lips. Thank God she didn’t need to go back to the island.