The Quarry - читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги автора Johan Theorin (40) #45

40

Gerlof did his best to collect empty bottles into which his little ships could sail — he had a glass of wine with his meal every night. But he had barely touched his model-making since Easter; he hadn’t even started the full-rigged ship. Almost all his time was spent sleeping, sitting in the sun on the grass — and reading Ella’s diaries.

He read them regularly, one page at a time, and then he sat and thought about them.

18^th September 1957

I’m quite ashamed of myself — I haven’t got round to writing much lately, but today’s the day! A lot has happened; we went to Oskar Svensson’s funeral in Kalmar, and I’ve had a birthday — I’m 42 now!

Last Sunday we were at my nephew Birger’s confirmation in the church at Gärdslösa; it was very solemn, and Pastor Ek asked some difficult questions.

Gerlof caught the train down to his ship yesterday and set sail for Stockholm this morning; the girls have gone off to Långvik on their bikes, so I’m all alone in the cottage, which can be nice sometimes.

It’s cloudy today and a stiff autumn breeze blew up over the Baltic this morning. I know that Gerlof can ride out a storm, but I pray to God that he will be safe. He will be on the ship for at least two months now.

I’m sitting out on the veranda as I write this. When the girls had gone I came out here and found something strange on the bottom step: there was a piece of jewellery lying on the stone. A brooch shaped like a rose; it looked like silver, but it can’t be silver, can it? It’s probably from the little changeling; I don’t know what to do with it, it just doesn’t feel right.

When Gerlof had finished reading, he thought for a while. Then he got up and went indoors.

He had kept Ella’s yellow jewellery box all these years; it was in the chest of drawers in his room, under his old, faded ensign. He took it out, lifted the lid and stared down at a pile of bracelets, rings and earrings. And some brooches that needed cleaning. One of them was shaped like a rose, with a little red stone in the centre.

Gerlof picked it up carefully.

Had he ever seen Ella wearing it? He didn’t think so.