Saturday, December 15

 

 

Last night I got home about 21:00. We watched Vera Stanhope, another BBC detective-with-a-gimmick series. I went to bed and fell straight asleep.

This morning I woke at 9:30. Irma shut my bedroom door when she heard me stir, and let me out at about 10:15, when she finished another round of packing.

We had breakfast and got Sunshine’s stuff ready. At midday Naa appeared and shortly afterwards the four of us left for Virkkala.

As we drive the scenery seems to become more and more monochrome. I take this photograph as we pass Jakomäki. The trees in this stretch appear white. Earlier and later they appear a listless brown.

We will find Jens, Mikaela, and her son Robin, at Marja’s when we arrive. Sunshine will explore, less nervous than I would expect. He will go upstairs to find Linus, Mikaela’s tiny dog. He will decide he has no fear of it at all, and settle down, leaving the dog to run away.

Naa will fall deep asleep on the way back and we will drop her off at her apartment before going to Prisma to stock up on garlic, ginger and blue cheese, none of which we can ever find in Kerela.

I lie. We can find garlic but it looks like bonsai garlic. This year Irma has decided that we want the real thing.

When we get home we will check in for tomorrow’s flight to Dubai. Naa will phone to say that she has checked in too. The house will seem oddly quiet without Sunshine.