Time for New Beginnings

by Mette Barfelt

  Willy pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling them. He brought it wherever he went, and could play for hours without getting tired. If no one wanted to play, he would play solitaire.

  “You guys play,” Elfrid said and got up. “I’ll check on Bettina.” She went to the kitchen to offer her help.

  Bettina had the sauce, which should have simmered for much longer, under control. The baguettes were cut in slices and were in the oven on a low heat.

  “What can I do?” Elfrid smiled and tried to fold up the sleeve of her suit jacket, which was too thick to be folded.

  “You may set the table. Everything else is ready. The plates are in the cupboard over there,” Bettina said and pointed.

  “It was a shock to see Christel again, I have to say. And that big belly. I don’t know what to think of all this.”

  Bettina smiled. “It took me several days to find out who she was. But by then we had already become friends.”

  “This situation must be hard on you. You were supposed to start planning the wedding. And now you’re here, like old friends. How is that possible?” Elfrid found the cutlery in the drawer and placed it on the table.

  Bettina grimaced. “It’s not easy. And if that wasn’t enough, Christel offered to help me with the preparations. We’ve even started, and have looked at wedding gowns online.”

  Elfrid looked even more surprised. “Oh my. I remember how excited she was when planning her own wedding. You’re tough if you can handle all of this.”

  Bettina agreed. This was a scenario she had never imagined would occur when she accepted her uncle’s inheritance.

  She filled a bowl with spaghetti and meat sauce and buttered a few slices of baguette for Mathilde. She wanted to serve her first, to avoid the sound of bells. “I’m going up to my aunt with this.”

  “I forgot all about that,” Elfrid said and set the glasses on the table. “You have her to take care of as well. How’s that going?”

  She told her about Mathilde’s condition and her fondness of chiming bells.

  “She should be ashamed of herself. Lying there, feeling sorry for herself. She’s not old; she’s several years younger than me. But I suppose it’s comfortable to be waited on like that.” Elfrid snorted and corrected a strand of hair that had fallen off its designated place.

  “The doctor believes she had a small heart attack recently. I don’t know if you have to stay in bed for that reason. At least not that long.” Bettina gathered everything on a tray and prepared herself for another balancing act up the stairs. She had learned where all the traps were after nearly tripping several times.

  “Hmm. It’s important to take it easy, but from what I hear there’s nothing wrong with her feet.”

  “Right.” She lifted the tray and calmly went into the hall where she met her daughter who was on her way in. “Dinner is ready, Anneli. Go say hi to them, and I’ll be right there.”

  “Sure.”

  She was at the top of the stairway and on her way along the hall toward Mathilde’s door. Oh, how fed up she was with going up all those stairs to serve her food in bed. Annoyed, she sped up, and the tray started wobbling. Next thing she knew, she lay flat out on the floor with spaghetti and sauce all over herself.

  “Oh no,” she groaned and felt completely knocked out. Unfortunately, everyone downstairs had heard the uproar and came running upstairs.

  “Oh my,” Elfrid cried and put her hands in the air as if she was being robbed.

  Bettina pulled a long string of spaghetti from her face and couldn’t see anything but red sauce.

  “Relax, I’ll get this,” Willy proclaimed and neatly hung his suit jacket on the railing.

  Bettina managed to rub the sauce out of her eyes, with the result of onion and garlic causing them to sting and tear up.

  “Mom, are you crying? Did you hurt yourself?” Anneli sounded like she was about to cry herself by the sight that met her.

  “No, no,” she stammered.

  Willy had grabbed her legs instead of her arms and was now staring down at her most private parts. Her dress had slipped up to her waist by now, and her pink lace panties were visible to everyone. How insanely embarrassing. And now her future father-in-law was lusting for everything that was forbidden.

  “Willy, leave her legs and crotch alone,” Elfrid scolded. “Take her arm instead.”

  Her husband turned as red as the tomato sauce, but did as he was told and let go of her legs. “But then I’ll get dirty.”

  “When did you start doing the laundry?” Preben had been at the bathroom downstairs and had missed the show.

  Meanwhile, Bettina had managed to get up on her own. “I suggest you go downstairs and start eating before it gets cold. I’ll clean up here and take a shower. No point in everyone getting sauce all over them.”

  “Can I help you, Mom?”

  “I’m alright, Anneli. I’ll just pick up the broken plate.”

  Half an hour later Bettina was met by a cheerful bunch at the kitchen table. She had considered putting together a long table in the dining room, and eat there. But the kitchen was cozier, and there was enough room for everyone. It was the natural place to gather. However, when looking at the formal outfits of the guests, they would have fit better in the dining room.

  Everyone wanted to know how she was doing, and it was the last thing she wanted to talk about. She was sore all over, but had managed to get the tomato sauce off her hair by shampooing it twice. The spaghetti had proved to be the worst. Her scalp was sore after pulling out tangles of hair trying to remove the pasta from her curls. She tried not to think about the mishap and sent Anneli up to Mathilde – who for once hadn’t bothered checking the fuss – with a new tray of food. The fact that she hadn’t chimed the ship’s bell due to all the noise was no less than a miracle.

  Willy made himself comfortable between Christel and Bettina, and she didn’t get why he couldn’t sit next to his own woman. He put his arms around the back of their chairs and sighed, satisfied, as if he had been dreaming of this for a long time.

  “So how’s the wedding planning going?” he asked and looked from one to the other to the third. For a moment, it looked like he’d forgotten who was getting married, and who had been married. She supposed that might be confusing for anyone.

  Preben spoke up. “We haven’t agreed on what we want.”

  “Haha, can’t you do a rerun of your first wedding? Then the case is solved.” Willy laughed at his own tasteless joke, and Bettina could feel her cheeks getting hot. How insensitive of him. What an idiot. How could he suggest this when she was present?

  “Willy.” Elfrid looked mortified. She reached across the table and smacked his hand. “Think before you speak. You should have learned that by now, as old as you are.”

  Willy had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Bettina, I didn’t mean to hurt you. It slipped out. That happens sometimes.”

  “The main issue is that I prefer a big wedding, while Bettina would like a small one. Preferably here in the garden,” Preben explained. He seemed to be unfazed by his father’s outspokenness.

  It went quiet. Everyone thought about what had been done last time. It was unavoidable. That’s what everything would be compared to, for better or worse.

  Elfrid drank the rest of the wine, and her son refilled her glass. “You have both been married before. So I assume you got to decide last time how you wanted it.” All eyes were on her. “The fairest thing would be if you both modify your demands and go for something in between. That said, I think a wedding in the garden sounds stunning. Think of the beautiful blooms in the spring. And if the weather won’t cooperate, you can move the party inside. There’s enough room here, and the house is so lovely decorated that it will be a perfect setting for the wedding.”

  Bettina was satisfied with the unexpected support, but Preben was not convinced. No one replied, and she thought it best to change the subject. “But I know what kind of dress I want. It’s a
start.”

  This seemed to cheer up her fiancé. “That’s good to hear. You don’t want to tell us what it’ll look like?”

  Bettina smiled and sipped the wine. She needed something to restore herself after the disagreeable incident with the spaghetti. “No, it’s a secret. But Christel agreed with me.”

  It went silent again, and she regretted the last remark. Now they were thinking about how Christel’s dress had been, and what they could expect this time around. Gosh, this was getting worse and worse. The only one who wasn’t affected by any of this was Anneli. She was eating and seemed to be wrapped up in her teenage world, which was fine.

  “But it will happen in the spring,” she concluded. “We can’t set the date yet, since we don’t know the venue.” The others nodded in agreement.

  After the meal, they continued playing cards. Bettina was only too pleased as it gave her time to recover. She cleaned up the kitchen and made a cup of iced coffee. She sat at the table by the window and looked outside. The garden had a few oak trees, while the rest were birch trees. The sun was shining on the trees, and they were blinking in yellow, orange, and red. It was a magnificent sight that she could never get enough of. She wanted to go out in the garden and get some fresh air, but she couldn’t with so many guests in the house. She would have to admire the view from here.

  The time after opening the guesthouse had been hectic. It was a fun job, and she didn’t regret it. But she was looking forward to having the house filled with strangers, who didn’t expect to be pampered, and who could take care of themselves. Who even wanted to be by themselves. And who ate lunch and dinner in town. Then she would finally be able to relax more and enjoy the amazing surroundings. Not far from the house recreational areas were waiting for her. That was where she would have liked to be in this weather.

  Her thoughts went to Mathilde, who was waiting for a cup of tea and, for certain, a sherry. How tired she was of running up there. She could feel her resentment toward her grow every day. The woman wasn’t easy to please.

  Erik had done everything he could to persuade her to go to the hospital, to give her proper treatment. She remembered his ice-blue eyes, and her lips curled into a smile. You could get completely lost in those eyes.

  She put all her thoughts aside and tried to think of Preben instead. Her thoughts should be with him. He had slipped into the background again, but it wasn’t just her fault. The high focus on Christel, the baby, and its equipment meant that everything else came second, Bettina included. It didn’t feel right, but there was nothing she could do about it as long as Christel stayed with them. It would be different when she got the house to herself again, and only had her fiancé to focus on. Well, him and Mathilde.

  She got up to make some refreshments for the patient, and feed the guests with Sara’s cinnamon buns.

  11

  It turned out to be a busy morning. The new guests were not modest. Both their mood and appetites were superb this morning. Bettina fried bacon and felt like there was no end to the long, greasy strips. Besides, the married couple wanted omelets, and Christel and Anneli also fancied it. So she made one for herself while she was at it, and one for Mathilde. Omelets couldn’t be rushed, and it took time to prepare so many.

  Anneli eventually left for school, while the rest of them spent most of the morning at the breakfast table. Preben had gone home the night before when everyone else went to bed. However, they didn’t run out of things to talk about, and Bettina was pleased the conversation was flowing without her help. It was tiring to make small talk all the time, so she was glad Christel was there. She was able to talk for hours about baby stuff, and now she had enthusiastic listeners and discussion partners. They were so excited about the baby that Bettina felt sad it wasn’t their grandchild that was on the way. She had never been low on self-confidence but was now getting insecure. What if they preferred Christel as their daughter-in-law? They could have a daughter-in-law and a grandchild as a package deal and thereby wouldn’t have to wait for Bettina to get pregnant. She was mulling this over, when it hit her that this was Preben’s choice, and not his parents’. He was the one to decide what he wanted, and who he wanted. She hadn’t sensed that he was about to change his mind in favor of Christel. And he hadn’t mentioned it. But he was overly eager and immensely involved in his ex and her unborn child. What was going through Preben’s mind? She wasn’t sure and decided they needed to have a serious talk.

  Bettina was surprised when an arm wrapped around her shoulder.

  “Dear, that was a lovely meal. Thank you.”

  She carefully freed herself from Willy’s grip and breathed a sigh of relief. This was too intimate for her liking.

  “You’re welcome.”

  The others had started clearing the table, and she collected everything to go in the dishwasher. She looked at her watch. Almost time for lunch. If all the meals were to take this long, the days would be one long meal.

  Willy tried his luck with Christel and put his arm around her. “Come and have a rest in the living room. Or would you rather play cards?”

  “I’ll play.”

  “These cookies are tasty, Bettina,” Elfrid said. “We’re sneaking the tray and some coffee into the living room.”

  “Please, go ahead, Elfrid.” She didn’t know how they could be hungry again, after the huge meal they’d just consumed. But round bellies like that probably needed a steady flow of treats. Oh gosh, it was a good thing she hadn’t said that aloud.

  She knew they were able to entertain themselves now, so she went to put on some laundry. The bathrooms needed to be cleaned. She had yet to find a routine for cleaning the house. With so many people living there it got dirty fast, and the house had several floors.

  When she checked on Mathilde, she was lying with her eyes closed. She was wary at once and hurried over to her. “Are you ok?” she whispered.

  “Feeling a little weak.” Mathilde opened her eyes, only to close them again right after.

  “The doctor is supposed to come by later today. Can you make it until then?”

  “It’s fine.”

  Mathilde didn’t seem like herself, so she didn’t know how to interpret it. “I’ve brought you some tea.”

  “I don’t have the energy now. Maybe later.”

  It was unlike her to turn down service. “All right, I’ll come and check on you later.”

  Bettina cleaned the bathrooms and prepared lunch for the guests before going back up to Mathilde’s apartment. Her condition hadn’t changed, so she decided to wait until the doctor came. She went to check her laptop. Another three bookings had been made for October and November, and she put them into the system. She had a separate book for overnight stays, so she had a physical back-up in case something went wrong.

  Today’s dinner consisted of several Mexican dishes and trimmings that she placed on the table. Preben had arrived, and their spirits were high. Anneli had already eaten and gone to Jane’s before handball practice. After clearing the kitchen, she went over to the living room where she assumed everyone was gathered. But the room was empty, so where were they?

  She heard laughter from the garden and headed for the porch. It was a strange sight that met her. It wasn’t the motorbike they were admiring, but Christel’s cradle. Preben was on all fours, assembling it. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This was just too much. Hesitantly, she walked over to them. Preben got up and hugged her, but looked slightly embarrassed.

  “I got carried away. But everyone wanted to see the cradle. And so do you, right?”

  Bettina had no desire to see Christel’s cradle, but couldn’t take her eyes off it. It sure was pretty, and she envied her. How wonderful to think a baby would sleep in such an adorable bed. It was worthy of a prince. A cradle like this hadn’t existed back in her days.

  She was even more surprised when she discovered the changing table behind the cradle, halfway assembled. “Lovely,” she managed. “But how will it fit in the car when she
leaves? Wouldn’t it be more practical with flat packages?”

  Preben turned bright red. He obviously hadn’t thought of that. “Eh, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”

  At that moment, the doctor arrived and parked next to Willy’s Jaguar. Bettina was grateful that he’d come now, and quickly took him inside. “I guess it’s a little early, but I need a glass of wine. Come with me to the kitchen.”

  “It’s late afternoon, so it’ll be fine.” He made himself a double espresso, and they sat on the kitchen chairs. “What was going on in the garage?”

  She told him how the last few days had been, and how interested everyone was in this baby. “Preben couldn’t wait with unpacking her things. You’d think he’s the father of the child.”

  Erik nodded seriously and helped himself to a brown stick. He studied the granulated sugar on top while thinking. “It sounds weird. He’s putting you in a complicated situation.”

  She added an ice cube to her already cold wine. She liked her wine as cold as possible. “As if it isn’t hard enough having his ex-wife living here. Even though I like her, I have mixed feelings about all this.”

  “You need to have a real talk with Preben. Find out what he feels about everything.” He gently removed a long lock of hair from her face, like he had done so many times before when her hair fell on their chemistry books. She could feel the memories coming back, and longed for school days, when everything had been so easy. Their eyes met, and she knew he had the same thing in mind. They held their gaze for longer than they ought to.

  She looked away and let go of his arm. The magical moment was gone. She tried to clear her thoughts. “Now I completely forgot about my aunt. You need to see her, she’s not well.”

  Mathilde was resting when they came. As always, she wasn’t thrilled by the visit and gave them a supercilious look. “Are you here again? Don’t you have better things to do?”

  “It’s great to see you, too,” Erik joked and started checking her. “How are you feeling?”