destroyed their house, if they had not had to move, then her life would have been different and better. But she does not say any of this.
“There was rice pudding all over the kitchen floor,” she says lightheartedly instead. “Rice pudding, raisins, and broken crockery. And the fridge and cooker that stood up against opposite walls had met in the middle of the room.” She smiles at Laufey. Gudny picks up her phone and checks her missed calls.
“Gudny,” says Hanna suddenly, without thinking, maybe because she wants to change the subject. “I would like to do something for these kids who are in trouble. Or for that younglad—is it possible to help him in some way? Perhaps the gallery can do something, or the Annexe, possibly some project for youngsters? Make our town beautiful or something along those lines?” Hanna cannot stop thinking about this lad, the youngest member of the group. What sort of a life must he have if he is considered a case for the child protection register? Maybe his family split up like hers did and he doesn’t have a mother to give him the love and security that she enjoyed.
“I’ll look into it, Hanna,” says Gudny, smiling at her. Hanna senses that Gudny finds her overly sentimental, but she doesn’t care. She doesn’t have to keep a professional distance when faced with the difficult lives of these youngsters. In her head she immediately starts on a letter to the mayor. The gallery needs extra funds this year because the cost of cleaning up the vandalism has run over budget. Working with the youth could be part of that package. She can see herself organizing something with Agusta, even though it would only be a Saturday afternoon, one weekend.
Hanna is deep in thought when Gudny gets up to go. She hugs them good-bye while talking on the phone, and is still talking as she pays the bill and disappears. Her driver is waiting.
Laufey appears in no hurry, and Hanna is quick to suggest a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. She needs to talk to her and preferably in private. This is an ideal opportunity, and she has been thinking all morning how to approach the subject of Steinn.
He has been off sick. “Steinn, who is never ill,” said Edda over the coffee machine that morning. “I’ve worked with Steinn for seven years and he’s never had a single sick day.”
Hanna had immediately suspected what was wrong but said nothing. The previous week she had looked up glaucoma on theInternet and read about the symptoms of slow onset glaucoma. These could well explain Steinn’s behavior. A person’s peripheral vision deteriorates slowly but surely, creating blind spots, but the central vision remains largely untouched. If nothing is done about it, the condition will progress and cause blindness; people frequently do not notice the deterioration until it is too late. Acute glaucoma, on the other hand, can cause blindness in a very short space of time, in a matter of hours if nothing is done. Hanna does not know if slow onset glaucoma can change into acute or what is really the matter with Steinn, who is never ill. She doesn’t really feel she can call him; she can’t think up a good reason that doesn’t sound odd. Questioning him about his health seems almost like a vote of no confidence, and it would be inappropriate to keep asking him about it. She has decided to be patient, and besides she knows that Steinn doesn’t care for help or sympathy; he is a very proud man. She hopes that someone else, someone close to him, will see to it that he gets the help he needs, but she is not so sure.
The slices of cake arrive at the table immediately. Hanna and Laufey are probably getting the benefit of Gudny’s ministerial status, even though she has left. Hanna needs to get straight to the point because neither of them has much time. She tells Laufey what she thinks Steinn is suffering from and asks for her professional opinion as a doctor, what she should do. Laufey gives her a curious
“There was rice pudding all over the kitchen floor,” she says lightheartedly instead. “Rice pudding, raisins, and broken crockery. And the fridge and cooker that stood up against opposite walls had met in the middle of the room.” She smiles at Laufey. Gudny picks up her phone and checks her missed calls.
“Gudny,” says Hanna suddenly, without thinking, maybe because she wants to change the subject. “I would like to do something for these kids who are in trouble. Or for that younglad—is it possible to help him in some way? Perhaps the gallery can do something, or the Annexe, possibly some project for youngsters? Make our town beautiful or something along those lines?” Hanna cannot stop thinking about this lad, the youngest member of the group. What sort of a life must he have if he is considered a case for the child protection register? Maybe his family split up like hers did and he doesn’t have a mother to give him the love and security that she enjoyed.
“I’ll look into it, Hanna,” says Gudny, smiling at her. Hanna senses that Gudny finds her overly sentimental, but she doesn’t care. She doesn’t have to keep a professional distance when faced with the difficult lives of these youngsters. In her head she immediately starts on a letter to the mayor. The gallery needs extra funds this year because the cost of cleaning up the vandalism has run over budget. Working with the youth could be part of that package. She can see herself organizing something with Agusta, even though it would only be a Saturday afternoon, one weekend.
Hanna is deep in thought when Gudny gets up to go. She hugs them good-bye while talking on the phone, and is still talking as she pays the bill and disappears. Her driver is waiting.
Laufey appears in no hurry, and Hanna is quick to suggest a slice of chocolate cake for dessert. She needs to talk to her and preferably in private. This is an ideal opportunity, and she has been thinking all morning how to approach the subject of Steinn.
He has been off sick. “Steinn, who is never ill,” said Edda over the coffee machine that morning. “I’ve worked with Steinn for seven years and he’s never had a single sick day.”
Hanna had immediately suspected what was wrong but said nothing. The previous week she had looked up glaucoma on theInternet and read about the symptoms of slow onset glaucoma. These could well explain Steinn’s behavior. A person’s peripheral vision deteriorates slowly but surely, creating blind spots, but the central vision remains largely untouched. If nothing is done about it, the condition will progress and cause blindness; people frequently do not notice the deterioration until it is too late. Acute glaucoma, on the other hand, can cause blindness in a very short space of time, in a matter of hours if nothing is done. Hanna does not know if slow onset glaucoma can change into acute or what is really the matter with Steinn, who is never ill. She doesn’t really feel she can call him; she can’t think up a good reason that doesn’t sound odd. Questioning him about his health seems almost like a vote of no confidence, and it would be inappropriate to keep asking him about it. She has decided to be patient, and besides she knows that Steinn doesn’t care for help or sympathy; he is a very proud man. She hopes that someone else, someone close to him, will see to it that he gets the help he needs, but she is not so sure.
The slices of cake arrive at the table immediately. Hanna and Laufey are probably getting the benefit of Gudny’s ministerial status, even though she has left. Hanna needs to get straight to the point because neither of them has much time. She tells Laufey what she thinks Steinn is suffering from and asks for her professional opinion as a doctor, what she should do. Laufey gives her a curious
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