Trouble by Katja Ivar

Author:Katja Ivar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913394790
Publisher: Bitter Lemon Press

24

Mrs Vanhanen’s husband seemed far more preoccupied by his lack of fish than by Hella’s sudden appearance. “The women here,” he said to her as he walked up from the pier, his round face glistening with sweat, a bottle of schnapps he had pulled from a wire holder set in lake water dripping all over his trousers, “they just keep…” He made a yappy mouth with one hand. “Can’t stop, and of course the fish get scared. As they should.” He stared balefully at the table piled high with food. “Is that all you’ve made?” His gaze skimmed the cucumbers and tomatoes cut up on a plate, the marinated herring buried under heaps of thinly sliced onion and its side of boiled new potatoes sprinkled with dill, the smoked salmon and the crusty rye bread before stopping on the dish of vorschmack. “You know I hate that stuff.”

“I love it.” Hella smiled defiantly. “It’s delicious. My mother made it often.” She turned to her hostess. “Do you add grated apple or onion?” Picking up a slice of bread, she started to spread the paste on it.

“Apple,” Mrs Vanhanen murmured. “I use green ones.”

Liisa Vanhanen’s mother hadn’t said a word since Hella showed up. Now she nodded slowly. “Apple, indeed. And you need two sorts of meat, beef and lamb. How did your mother make it?”

“Like this,” Hella lied. She watched as Mr Vanhanen knocked back a glass of Terva schnapps filled to the brim. Not his first one, either – he was already swaying by the time he came to the table. Now he rose, slowly, and said, to no one in particular, “If this is it, I’ll keep on fishing. Just make me a sandwich. And bring this.” He pointed at the bottle, and then he was gone.

No one spoke for a while. Then Liisa Vanhanen exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry, Miss Mauzer. My husband works hard, he needs his quiet.” She looked at the large back of the retreating man.

Her mother shook her head. “Johannes would have never behaved like that. Ever.”

Liisa set her fork down with a bang. “I don’t see what Johannes has to do with anything.”

“He was a good husband to Maria.”

“That’s what you always said, yes.” Liisa rose. “I’m going inside. I’ll make us some coffee.”

“I’ll help you.” Hella sprang to her feet. She stacked up the dirty plates and ran after her hostess towards the little cabin.

“Sorry it’s a mess.” Liisa pushed open the door with her hip. “You can put it here.”

Hella dumped the plates on a small butcher’s block. The walls of the cabin had been panelled in old pine, worn smooth with age and polish. The cabin was small and cramped, but it was cosy, too, with striped throws covering a bench and handwritten recipes pinned to the shiplap on the wall in the tiny kitchenette.

Liisa picked up a dish towel from the floor and folded it. “I keep meaning to sort things out, but there’s also cooking to do, and Mother wants to talk all the time and…” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

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