After the coffee with Sanja, Mats and Fiona it was time to go back up to Heimveien. The house was emptied, but not yet cleaned. And Mats was going there anyway for being properly shown around, and for signing the contract. While the men went for a serious inspection I did what women are supposed to do, and I kneeled down for mopping the floor.
Knut had already paid back the deposit, but that did not stop him from performing a proper inspection. And he was more thorough than I had ever seen him before! He moved away the oven and the fridge, and commanded me to also clean in the thus revealed, admittedly imperfectly clean gaping cavities. Humbly I set to work again...
Yet time for such things was limited. Mats and I would reunite with Sanja! And have dinner. It would be a goodbye again; Sanja would be off to Finland the next morning. We dined. And after dinner Sanja wanted coffee with cake. However, the pub with the undisputedly highest cake credibility in town was closed. The runner up was closing. We ended in a random pub, not having cake. And bumped into the receptionist of POMI, who had been drinking since 5 or so, and was suitably emotional at hearing of my departure. And left. To come back with a stunningly ugly troll as a goodbye gift. I dislike these abominations from the bottom of my heart, but I was really touched by the gesture.
I got a very big hug from Sanja. And went home. It still feels like home! Even though it is rather uncharacteristically empty, tidy (by default, since empty) and clean... and slept the sleep of the innocent in Knut's guest room. Emerging from it the next day I bumped into nobody less than Knut, who informed me there was coffee in the kitchen. What a way to start a day after a tough one like the day before! And a reciprocation, in a way.
I realised a few days before that I still had these reindeer hearts... silly not to eat them! So I asked Knut and Sanja if they would join for a empty-the-freezer-dinner. And they did. Which we consumed on Knut's territory, since mine has started to properly resemble a pigsty. Later I packed all my kitchen paraphernalia, which prompted me to ask if we could dine together again. This time with his kitchen as the realm of concoction. Knut, who was temporarily home alone, as his family had not yet returned form holiday, happily agreed. And was delighted at coming home to some lady producing food fumes in his kitchen. My pleasure! Yet having him making coffee for me in the morning was a lovely continuation of this surrogate marriage.
I was yet to accompany another borrowed husband! The moment had come to move Mats into what still felt as my place. When moving large objects he normally depends on his girlfriend, as he himself does not have a driver's licence. But her being in Sweden laid that noble task onto me. So we first went to Fretex, for Mats has no furniture, or at least we thought we did. Fretex had disappeared... nothing stays the same!
Still baffled we resigned to just moving Mats' belongings. More packing! More moving. When we got the real Norway experience (a neighbour complaining about where I had parked the car) I noticed I was tired and irritable. I don't want to leave! I'm tired! Can't take adversities...
A sad sight! The car ready to leave. For the last time. At least with me in it...After unloading it was time to say goodbye to Heimveien. A real home. Still. With a lump in my throat I gave Knut a hug. And swallowing tears I went shopping for the party. Swallowing tears I arrived at Helgard's place. And as soon as I had entered this haven the tears came out. Leaving Tromso! Nooo! Luckily Carsten exclusively stresses at work, and was not at all brought out of equilibrium by this bawling visitor. An amazing trait in the guy. Helgard was asleep, just having arrived from the States.
A large cup of would be tea and something to eat calmed me down again. Time, probably, to get ready for more tears at the goodbye party...
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