appreciated the support and then continued.
âAnyway, I met Anna halfway down and she was completely hysterical. Well, we couldnât talk but we signed to each other and I understood that Pernilla was stuck somewhere in the wreck and her air had almost run out.â
Now the self-confidence came back into his voice. As if he really wanted to make everyone understand. And share his experience. He sounded almost eager when he continued.
âI donât think Iâve ever been that scared in my life, but what happened was so strange. Everything suddenly became crystal clear. I just had to go down and get her, that was it, there was no other thought.â
Monika swallowed.
âI donât know if itâs true that there is some kind of sixth sense that gets switched on in situations like this, but it was as if I could sense where she was. I found her straightaway inside the wreck.â
Now the words were flowing again. He waved his hands in the air to emphasise what he was saying.
âShe was unconscious, lying half-buried under a pile of debris that had fallen on top of her; I remember every detail as if Iâd seen it in a movie.â
He shook his head as if he too found the whole thing inconceivable.
âAnyway, I got her up to the surface, but after that all my memories are gone. I remember almost nothing; the others had to tell me what happened.â
He fell silent again. Monika pressed her nails harder into her palms.
Everything he had done that she hadnât.
âHer spine was injured when that wall collapsed on her. I was in the decompression chamber, so the first 24 hours I couldnât be with her, and that was really unbearable.â
He picked at the arm of his chair again and this time the pause was longer. Nobody said a word. Everyone sat quietly, waiting for the rest of the story; letting himhave all the time he needed. Then he raised his eyes from the arm-rest and his expression was sombre. Everyone understood how serious the accident had been, and what marks it had left on his life. When he went on, his tone was objective and matter-of-fact.
âWell, I donât want to talk all afternoon, but to cut a long story short, she fought for almost three years to learn to walk again. And if that wasnât enough, it turned out that our insurance premium had arrived two days late, so the company refused to pay anything during her entire rehabilitation. But Pernilla was fantastic; I donât understand how she had the guts. She worked like a dog during those years, and it was just so tough not to be able to do anything but stand by her side and give her encouragement.â
Then he looked around the circle and smiled again.
âSo, the day she took her first steps I can honestly say were the best in my whole life. Along with the day our daughter Daniella was born.â
It was utterly still. Mattias looked around and finally he was the one to break the respectful silence.
âWell, that little episode was what I thought of.â
Spontaneous applause broke out, increased, and would not stop. The sound rose like a wall around Monika. The woman who led the course had sat down on an empty chair while he talked, but when the applause began to die down she stood up and turned to Mattias.
âThank you for an incredibly gripping and interesting story. I would just like to ask one question if thatâs all right?â
Mattias shrugged amiably and said, âYeah, of course.â
âNow, afterwards, can you sum up what you feel about the whole thing in a few words?â
He only had to think for a couple of seconds.
âGratitude.â
The woman nodded and was about to say something else, but Mattias spoke first.
âActually, not just because Pernilla recovered, even though that may sound strange.â
He paused, formulating the right words to use to make it all comprehensible.
âItâs a little hard to explain, but the other reason is
âAnyway, I met Anna halfway down and she was completely hysterical. Well, we couldnât talk but we signed to each other and I understood that Pernilla was stuck somewhere in the wreck and her air had almost run out.â
Now the self-confidence came back into his voice. As if he really wanted to make everyone understand. And share his experience. He sounded almost eager when he continued.
âI donât think Iâve ever been that scared in my life, but what happened was so strange. Everything suddenly became crystal clear. I just had to go down and get her, that was it, there was no other thought.â
Monika swallowed.
âI donât know if itâs true that there is some kind of sixth sense that gets switched on in situations like this, but it was as if I could sense where she was. I found her straightaway inside the wreck.â
Now the words were flowing again. He waved his hands in the air to emphasise what he was saying.
âShe was unconscious, lying half-buried under a pile of debris that had fallen on top of her; I remember every detail as if Iâd seen it in a movie.â
He shook his head as if he too found the whole thing inconceivable.
âAnyway, I got her up to the surface, but after that all my memories are gone. I remember almost nothing; the others had to tell me what happened.â
He fell silent again. Monika pressed her nails harder into her palms.
Everything he had done that she hadnât.
âHer spine was injured when that wall collapsed on her. I was in the decompression chamber, so the first 24 hours I couldnât be with her, and that was really unbearable.â
He picked at the arm of his chair again and this time the pause was longer. Nobody said a word. Everyone sat quietly, waiting for the rest of the story; letting himhave all the time he needed. Then he raised his eyes from the arm-rest and his expression was sombre. Everyone understood how serious the accident had been, and what marks it had left on his life. When he went on, his tone was objective and matter-of-fact.
âWell, I donât want to talk all afternoon, but to cut a long story short, she fought for almost three years to learn to walk again. And if that wasnât enough, it turned out that our insurance premium had arrived two days late, so the company refused to pay anything during her entire rehabilitation. But Pernilla was fantastic; I donât understand how she had the guts. She worked like a dog during those years, and it was just so tough not to be able to do anything but stand by her side and give her encouragement.â
Then he looked around the circle and smiled again.
âSo, the day she took her first steps I can honestly say were the best in my whole life. Along with the day our daughter Daniella was born.â
It was utterly still. Mattias looked around and finally he was the one to break the respectful silence.
âWell, that little episode was what I thought of.â
Spontaneous applause broke out, increased, and would not stop. The sound rose like a wall around Monika. The woman who led the course had sat down on an empty chair while he talked, but when the applause began to die down she stood up and turned to Mattias.
âThank you for an incredibly gripping and interesting story. I would just like to ask one question if thatâs all right?â
Mattias shrugged amiably and said, âYeah, of course.â
âNow, afterwards, can you sum up what you feel about the whole thing in a few words?â
He only had to think for a couple of seconds.
âGratitude.â
The woman nodded and was about to say something else, but Mattias spoke first.
âActually, not just because Pernilla recovered, even though that may sound strange.â
He paused, formulating the right words to use to make it all comprehensible.
âItâs a little hard to explain, but the other reason is
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