bouncer, came
out and blew his nose into his fingers. Joel dodged
quickly behind a parked car. He didn't want Nyberg to
see him and start asking questions.
Nyberg cleared his throat and spat onto the pavement.
Then he went back into the bar. Joel looked carefully in
both directions before crossing over the street. At the
back of the bar was a door that Sara had said he could
use if he wanted to pay her a visit.
He hesitated for a moment.
Then he opened the door and went into the bar to find
a man for Gertrud.
5
Joel sometimes broke a cup or a dish when he was
washing up after he and Samuel had eaten a meal.
But that was nothing compared with what Ludde
broke.
Ludde was the owner of the bar. But he didn't mix
with his customers: instead, he spent his time at the sink.
He was small and fat, and his hands were always red and
swollen because of the washing-up water.
There was a notice on the door leading into the
kitchen at the rear of the bar saying that unauthorised
persons were not permitted entry, but that didn't apply to
Joel because Sara worked there. Joel didn't often use
that door. It was always chaotic and noisy in the kitchen.
Besides, he didn't like Sara and the other waitresses
patting him on the head. Treating him almost as if he
were Sara's own boy.
He didn't like being a Nearly Boy. And even if Sara
was nice and Samuel was always in a good mood when
he was together with her, Joel refused to pretend that
Sara was his mother. His mum was called Jenny, and
would always be called Jenny. Even if he never met her
again for the rest of his life, he would never have
another mum.
But he did sometimes go in through the forbidden
door. And today he had an important errand. He had to
find a man for Gertrud.
When he entered the kitchen, it was even more chaotic
than usual. Ludde was bent over the sink, washing up like
a madman. There was a rattling and clinking and
clattering in the frothy water from glasses, cups, dishes
and cutlery.
It was mostly glasses, as this was a bar after all, and
everybody was drinking beer. But the beer drinkers
occasionally grew hungry and wanted food. Ludde did
the cooking and the washing up at the same time. Only
one dish was served in the bar, and it was always known
as Ludde's Beef Stew . Sara had told Joel that Ludde had
owned the bar for over twenty years, and he had served
the same stew all that time. Joel used to study the big pot
standing on the stove, and imagined it cooking for
twenty years. Ludde had occasionally added some new
bits of meat, and stirred the thick, brown gravy; but
essentially it was the same dish that had been standing
on the stove for twenty years. Once, when Joel was
hungry, Sara had served him up a plate of Ludde's Beef Stew . Joel had eaten it, and thought how he had eaten
something that had been simmering on that stove since
before he was born.
Now, when Joel entered the kitchen, Ludde was bent
over the sink as usual.
'Joel!' he shouted. 'You can't imagine how pleased
we all were to hear that you hadn't been injured.'
'No doubt it was a miracle,' said Joel evasively.
Just then Sara came in through the swing doors
carrying a tray. It was full of empty bottles and glasses,
overflowing ash trays and sticky plates. Joel wondered
if he would have been able to lift the tray.
Sara was strong. Joel had once watched her heave a
sack of coal onto her shoulder. His dad Samuel was
strong, but Joel wondered if Sara was even stronger.
All the waitresses working in the bar were strong, and
they all looked similar. Big and fat and sweaty. And they
were all dressed the same: black skirts and white blouses.
Once Joel had been in the kitchen and they had come in
through the swing doors one after another, and it seemed
to him that they looked like animals. Black and white
waitress-elephants marching in from the beery jungle . . .
Sara put the tray down with a bang, and immediately,
Ludde started filling his sink with more plates and
glasses. A dish and a glass fell
out and blew his nose into his fingers. Joel dodged
quickly behind a parked car. He didn't want Nyberg to
see him and start asking questions.
Nyberg cleared his throat and spat onto the pavement.
Then he went back into the bar. Joel looked carefully in
both directions before crossing over the street. At the
back of the bar was a door that Sara had said he could
use if he wanted to pay her a visit.
He hesitated for a moment.
Then he opened the door and went into the bar to find
a man for Gertrud.
5
Joel sometimes broke a cup or a dish when he was
washing up after he and Samuel had eaten a meal.
But that was nothing compared with what Ludde
broke.
Ludde was the owner of the bar. But he didn't mix
with his customers: instead, he spent his time at the sink.
He was small and fat, and his hands were always red and
swollen because of the washing-up water.
There was a notice on the door leading into the
kitchen at the rear of the bar saying that unauthorised
persons were not permitted entry, but that didn't apply to
Joel because Sara worked there. Joel didn't often use
that door. It was always chaotic and noisy in the kitchen.
Besides, he didn't like Sara and the other waitresses
patting him on the head. Treating him almost as if he
were Sara's own boy.
He didn't like being a Nearly Boy. And even if Sara
was nice and Samuel was always in a good mood when
he was together with her, Joel refused to pretend that
Sara was his mother. His mum was called Jenny, and
would always be called Jenny. Even if he never met her
again for the rest of his life, he would never have
another mum.
But he did sometimes go in through the forbidden
door. And today he had an important errand. He had to
find a man for Gertrud.
When he entered the kitchen, it was even more chaotic
than usual. Ludde was bent over the sink, washing up like
a madman. There was a rattling and clinking and
clattering in the frothy water from glasses, cups, dishes
and cutlery.
It was mostly glasses, as this was a bar after all, and
everybody was drinking beer. But the beer drinkers
occasionally grew hungry and wanted food. Ludde did
the cooking and the washing up at the same time. Only
one dish was served in the bar, and it was always known
as Ludde's Beef Stew . Sara had told Joel that Ludde had
owned the bar for over twenty years, and he had served
the same stew all that time. Joel used to study the big pot
standing on the stove, and imagined it cooking for
twenty years. Ludde had occasionally added some new
bits of meat, and stirred the thick, brown gravy; but
essentially it was the same dish that had been standing
on the stove for twenty years. Once, when Joel was
hungry, Sara had served him up a plate of Ludde's Beef Stew . Joel had eaten it, and thought how he had eaten
something that had been simmering on that stove since
before he was born.
Now, when Joel entered the kitchen, Ludde was bent
over the sink as usual.
'Joel!' he shouted. 'You can't imagine how pleased
we all were to hear that you hadn't been injured.'
'No doubt it was a miracle,' said Joel evasively.
Just then Sara came in through the swing doors
carrying a tray. It was full of empty bottles and glasses,
overflowing ash trays and sticky plates. Joel wondered
if he would have been able to lift the tray.
Sara was strong. Joel had once watched her heave a
sack of coal onto her shoulder. His dad Samuel was
strong, but Joel wondered if Sara was even stronger.
All the waitresses working in the bar were strong, and
they all looked similar. Big and fat and sweaty. And they
were all dressed the same: black skirts and white blouses.
Once Joel had been in the kitchen and they had come in
through the swing doors one after another, and it seemed
to him that they looked like animals. Black and white
waitress-elephants marching in from the beery jungle . . .
Sara put the tray down with a bang, and immediately,
Ludde started filling his sink with more plates and
glasses. A dish and a glass fell
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