julaften
Christmas Eve is the big day here. Shops shut early in the afternoon and the town goes completely quiet.
Kjell's daughter Sigrun came at three to take him to hers at Kvaløysletta for the evening. She's about my age, brisk, kind. While he was looking for his good shoes she stood with me at the bottom of the stairs and I said something about him living here forever, knowing all the tenants.
She gave me a funny look. "Dad moved in here in 2015. After Mum died. Before that they had the house in Kroken for forty years."
Then he came out in his shoes and she helped him into the car.
At five every church in town rang at once, ringing Christmas in. I stood on the stairs for it. Mum phoned from Aberdeen at six to tell me what she was having tomorrow, all of it, including the sprouts.
Ate smoked salmon and crispbread at the table. 11:44 this morning. I opened the door and said "god jul" to nobody, which felt better than not saying it.