In this last part Susan and Astrid have to make a decision about if this is to keep going and if so, how does it happen? Advice comes from an unexpected quarter though. It's taken awhile to get around to finishing this story and I've included the epilogue in this part as well, because, it's an epilogue and ridiculously short! Thanks to the reader who asked for this story, I hope you liked it.
Shaima.
It's Sunday night and Anna is in bed, so is Robyn but Penny stayed up a little later because she had some preparation to do for tomorrow. She was going to work but because of Rodney's committal she decided to spread her workload amongst her staff. Before the actual trial date is decided there is a committal hearing where the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) submit their evidence and the magistrate decides if it's a strong enough case. A defendant's solicitor can ask for a psychiatric assessment, ask if bail can be granted and it's up to the prosecution to either agree or oppose any of these things. The defendant is also asked how they intend to plead, guilty or not guilty and they can change their mind later on of course.
Rodney's committal is separate from his co-conspirators and Penny thinks this is because he intends to become a witness against the club. She's a bit nervous about the outcome because if he helps the police enough it may affect his access to Anna. On the other hand, turning on bikies tends to end in violence. Either way it's a difficult situation but she's told me to work from work tomorrow in her home office in case associates of the club or gang members knock on my door.
Having said that however, I'm relying on the police for further information, Penny's only acting on their advice and with that being said let me get back to the story.
Mum's call wasn't exactly a surprise, she'd called a couple of days earlier just to say g'day but this was the first time we'd had a decent conversation. She was quite talkative although she'd had a few wines already. She'd already said hello to Anna but now that I was talking to her Anna went into the kitchen to help Astrid with breakfast. I told mum a bit about what had happened last night and she was quiet for a few seconds.
"So, where do you think you'll go from here? Will you move over there or will she move here?"
"Mum," I chided her, "it's been one night, we're not there yet."
"Even so," she replied, "it's something to think about."
She wasn't wrong there but I wasn't about to talk about it there and then. I was still trying to come to terms with the changed dynamics. This new realignment had been somewhat expected, in a way it was inevitable given our shared past but it didn't mean it should continue. In the end however we would have to come to a decision about what happened next. Neither of us were about to have the morning after the night before talk just yet. I think both of us were just trying to take it in our stride and deal with it in our own way.
We'd been there five days already and we had one more day in Copenhagen before we got the train to Stockholm, a five and a half hour journey. We spent it out at Reffen, a food market on the island of Refshaleøen, which was a smorgasbord of culinary delights from all over the world. Afterwards we detoured to Christiana, an old hippie commune. I was a bit unsure about the place beforehand but it wasn't as radical as I thought although the smell of marijuana was noticeable but the art on display and for sale was quite good.
That night we had a conversation about the previous night once Anna was in bed and to be honest we were both on the same page.
"I'd like to see it go further," Astrid commented, "but we're older and we live on opposite sides of the world, and there are barriers to immigration in both countries."
"I know but we'd be fools to at least not consider it. There are plenty of obstacles but there were back then too but let's agree to consider the options, I've learned that every problem has at least one answer and usually more than one to be honest."
"So, should we share the same bed again tonight?"
It was a tempting thought and I briefly considered it before I shook my head.
"Let's not tonight but when I go away to Stockholm I'll be thinking about it and I have to tell Anna the truth as well."
"That's what worries me," she frowned, "what if?"
"What if what?" I raised my eyebrows.
"She's my daughter and I told mum this morning while you two were in the kitchen."
"You told your mum already?"
"Yeah, she kind of suspected it. I came out to her a few months ago, I don't think I mentioned it to you because it wasn't such a big deal although I found out something unsettling about dad."
"What?"
"He had a brief affair with a guy when he was a missionary in the Philippines. Mum told me about it when I came out to her. It was all hushed up by the missionary society who employed him on the condition he leave the country and resign. They apparently made it look as if he was on furlough," I propped my chin on my palm.
"Wow," Astrid's eyes widened, "truth is stranger than fiction."
"True but it explains why he was so anti gay and partially explains why mum got a full time job a few years later. She forgave him because he promised it'd never happen again but she admitted that she wished she'd left him sooner."
We talked for about an hour or so before going to bed about all kinds of subjects from politics and religion to music and sex, along with other things. It was probably the most relaxed I'd been since I arrived in Copenhagen. I mean we'd relaxed at night but I was busy posting pictures on my social media feeds or talking to Anna. It almost felt as if we were a married couple!
The next day however was a bit more hectic. I had to pack our suitcases although I left a few things at her place and then we caught a train to Copenhagen Central and another one to Stockholm. Anna was wide awake when we crossed the Øresund bridge and she filmed the trip across the bridge on her phone. Eventually though she drifted off to sleep and woke up an hour before we pulled into Stockholm.
Astrid had written down the directions beforehand and at first I was worried I'd have to resort to a translation app to get a ticket but thankfully the woman at the ticket counter spoke fluent English but it still took a bit of squinting at maps and walking around the station before I found the train to Hornstull, the closest station to Långholmen Island. We'd booked a dormitory at the hostel because it was cheaper. It's a former prison situated on the shores of Lake Riddarfjärden, the easternmost bay of Lake Mälaren but my first task was to educate Anna about the importance of the plastic room card! She wasn't the only one to get an education. Ingrid, the woman who booked us in was quite helpful. She told me about a city pass, similar to the Copenhagen card that would give us free entry to museums and other attractions. She then went on to explain the subway to me and its colour coded lines.
There is a marked difference between Stockholm and Copenhagen, and it's not the language. The latter city is far more laid back and down to earth, whereas Stockholm appears more stylish and a little bit snobbish. It's a different feel to the second largest city, Gothenburg, the people are more fashion conscious and it's more expensive. I'd been warned about it by Astrid the previous night but I was too enthralled by the architecture and the city vibe.
Our first stop was the Nordic museum followed by the Viking Alive museum and finally the Abba museum, Anna's become quite the Abba fan in the last few months. I was part of the Abba revival with
Muriel's Wedding
and
Priscilla Queen of the Desert,
so it was nice to see that their music can move from one generation to the next. Afterwards we went to Gröna Lund, an amusement park next to the museum and whilst sitting at one of the tables by the water I met Ingrid. I didn't recognise her at first because she wasn't in uniform but she certainly recognised me! We'd taken a break from the rides to have some hot dogs and Coke.
"Hey," Ingrid raised her hand, "how are you?"
"We're fine," I nudged my glasses, "I didn't expect to see you here."
"It's our anniversary," she nudged the woman by her side, "this is my partner, Ellie."
"Hey there," Ellie grinned.
"Hiya," I looked from one to the other.
Both women looked to be about the same age, they were in their forties I thought although Ellie did look a little older. She had dark brown hair and a roundish face and roundish hips, Ingrid had blonde hair and a slim figure and then I noticed the girl, who looked to be in her mid teens.
"Do you mind if we join you?" Ingrid nodded at the seat opposite us.
"Of course not," I replied.
"What do you want?" Ellie asked her.
"I'll have an ice cream," she replied.
"Oh," Anna straightened up, "jag vill ha glass tack."
