Foreword: this story, as all my stories, have been translated from Swedish. It takes place in Sweden. There may be some wording and phrases that is not absolutely correct. I will gladly receive any and all your suggestions in order to make my next stories better. Thank you. Love you!
Now to the story.
***
The raw cold penetrates all our clothes. We are all chilled to our bones, and shivers. The weather does its part with plus four centigrades. Most of the cold, however, comes from the situation. We have gathered in the Hall of Knights in the Swedish House of Nobility, to say goodbye to a dear friend, husband, and lover.
It's a beautiful ceremony, but it doesn't help, the cold inside is paralyzing. It's my old friend, my childhood friend, who passed away just before he would have turned fifty. Many have come to say goodbye, probably close to a hundred people. Several are giving speeches that Axel would surely have wanted to hear while he was alive. I wonder why we never can say all these words to the person while they are alive.
Most have left the gathering, going home, each to their own. We, those who loved Axel, linger. It is Axel's wife Astrid, 50, for almost thirty years, their daughter Karin, 25, Axel's mistress Yvette, 39, and their daughter Elsa, 18, and me, Sten, 49.
Our relationships are a bit strange. I have known Axel for most of my life. Both Axel and I are (or were) bi-sexual and we have had a relationship for a very long time. I was there when Axel and Astrid met and became a couple. Their daughter, Karin, has had a substitute father in me. The same goes for Yvette and Axel's daughter Elsa.
Complicated is probably only the first name because Astrid and I also have a relationship that often results in great sex, which we are sure no one knows about. In fact, the same is true with Yvette, but not as frequently, only just ten or so occasions.
That Axel had a mistress and a daughter with her is no secret to anyone in the family. The two daughters have a good sibling relationship and, despite the age difference, can socialize and have fun together. Karin often babysat Elsa when she was a toddler.
Now the five of us are standing outside the House of Nobility. My wife went home a little earlier because she had to go to a hotel at the airport in order to leave early the next morning for the US on business. Before she left, she said that I would take care of Astrid, she might need a shoulder to lean on. Now we stand there, looking at each other, no one wants to go home.
"Let's have a drink at KB, it was one of Axel's favorite restaurants," Astrid suggests.
We have a limousine waiting for us. We ask the driver to take us to KonstnΓ€rsbaren, KB. We are all regular guests there and quickly get a table. Since we are all cold, we would like to have a hot soup. It is not on the menu, but as usual the kitchen prepares a good lobster soup. After some more wine we feel better.
The conversation flows and we tell anecdotes about Axel, how he was and what he used to do. After a while we get into our relationships and Axel as a lover. Perhaps not something you usually talk about when the children are around, but it just happened.
After a while, Karin says:
"I always thought it was you and Mom making love, until I saw you and Dad jerking each other off and kissing." There is complete silence around the table. "Oh dear, did I say something I shouldn't have?" she says.
"No, dear, I knew about their relationship," says Astrid, Karin's mother. "But I don't know if Elsa knows. Maybe it was a bit of a surprise."
Elsa looks both interested and surprised. It wasn't something she had any idea about.
"But mom, it was so nice to see them. They seemed to really to like each other and seemed to enjoy what they were doing. Dad looked so happy and contented when he was coming. He was all one big smile. And you, Sten, also looked happy and enjoyed Dad's treatment. But oh how big you were...." Karin continued.
"That's enough!" Yvette almost shouts. "You don't talk about that at the dinner table." Karin blushes at the admonition.
"Well, I've seen Sten's and it's big, but I don't have much to compare it to," says Elsa, which is too much for everyone, who, instead of getting angry, burst out laughing.
I'm sitting there quite red in the face. It's not every day that young women discuss my appearance in that way. Both Astrid and Yvette have, of course, an intimate knowledge of the nature of what I look like.
"Talking the way you do, girls, is like Sten and his friends sitting around discussing your breasts and butts while you listen. How fun would that be, do you think?" says Astrid.
After this deviation from talking about Axel, we continue. After a while, Astrid says:
"I think I should go home. I need to collect my thoughts and process everything. No, Sten, you stay here, you will be taking care of Elsa when Yvette goes away. You promised."
I am about to get up, but then remember that I promised Yvette that Elsa could stay with me while she is in Rome on business. We all get up, Astrid and Yvette hug us and disappear into the evening darkness. I remain standing, looking at Elsa and Karin.
"Do you want to join us, Karin?" I think it would be sad if she were to be alone on an evening like this when we have just said goodbye to her father.
"Mmm, sure, that would be nice," she replies.
We find a taxi and go the few blocks to my place. When we get to the apartment, it feels like we need to get something warm again. I make a fire in the fireplace and say: