Aliss at the Fire

and she sees Brita shut the bedroom door and then Brita opens the hall door and stands there and holds it open and she sees that Old Aliss is standing out there in the hall and tears are running down over her unsteady face and then she sees Kristoffer walk out the door with the little white wooden coffin in his arms and then Brita walks out, shuts the door behind her and then she sees, lying there on the bench, herself go over to the bench and then she sees herself lie down on the bench and she puts her hands up under her sweater and up to her breasts and then she lies there and holds her breasts and then she pulls up her skirt with one hand and she pulls her hand up over her thigh and she puts her hand in between her legs, she lets her hand lay there, and she looks at the table and she sees him stand up

Thanks for the food Grandma, Asle says

Yes good, Grandma says

and Grandma stands up, takes his plate and he takes the empty glass

That was really good, Asle says

Thank you Asle, Grandma says

and then Grandma goes out to the kitchen and he goes after her and he shuts the door behind him and then they are gone, gone forever, she thinks lying there on the bench and she thinks that today, today it’s probably Thursday, and it’s March, and the year is 2002, she thinks and she looks at the bedroom door and it opens and then he’s standing there

Don’t you want to come to bed soon, he says

I’ve warmed up the bed, he says

and he pushes his long black hair back behind his ears, and he looks at her

You need to come to bed too, come soon, he says

and she looks at him and then she looks away from him into the emptiness and then she lays both her hands on her stomach and she folds her hands and I hear Signe say Dear Jesus, help me, you have to help me, you