We’re not there yet, Hanna thought; but one of these days we’ll stop and start talking to those boys.
Most of the time they spent together, when they were not working, they devoted to helping each other to learn to read. They had realized from the start that their knowledge was more or less equally meagre. Berta had been given a dirty and well-thumbed ABC book by a cook who used to work at Forsman’s house. They would pore over it, spelling out words, testing each other, and before long they were secretly borrowing books from Forsman’s library, reading aloud to each other with increasing confidence.
Hanna would never forget the moment when the individual letters stopped dancing around in front of her eyes. When they no longer made faces at her but formed words and sentences, and eventually whole stories that she could understand.
It was also during that time that Hanna happened to acquire a Portuguese dictionary. Forsman sometimes sifted through his voluminous library and discarded books and booklets that were surplus to his requirements. One day Hanna had found the dictionary in a waste-paper basket. She thought that anything he’d thrown away she could keep if she fancied it, rather than taking it to the rubbish dump. She showed it to Berta, who was not interested in a foreign language she would never have any use of.
But Hanna kept the dictionary and learnt a few words and phrases that she didn’t even know if she was pronouncing correctly.
The late winter continued to be mild in 1904. As early as the middle of March the sailors, who had been spending the winter ashore when the ice prevented them from going to sea, began to gather restlessly in the harbour and on the jetties where sailing boats were beached. Berta explained to Hanna that there were fewer and fewer sailing boats nowadays: more and more owners were buying steamships instead. But there were still sailing ships carrying cargo along the coast, or over to Finland, and perhaps even to the Baltic countries. Quite a few carried timber and fish down to Stockholm, while others headed northwards.
Before long sailing boats would disappear altogether, and be replaced by steamships.
14
One morning Hanna was summoned unexpectedly to Forsman’s office. He didn’t often want to talk to her alone. Every time it did happen, she was worried that he might flare up and start complaining about her work or her behaviour.
When she entered the room she found that Forsman was not alone. Sitting on a chair was a man in uniform she had never seen before. She paused in the doorway and curtseyed. Forsman nodded to her and put his glowing cigar into an ashtray.
The man in uniform was older than Forsman. He observed her closely.
‘This is Captain Svartman,’ said Forsman. ‘He is master of a ship of which I am part-owner. She’s called Lovisa, and will soon be setting off on a long voyage to Australia with a cargo of Swedish timber, felled in forests owned by me and sawn up in a sawmill owned by me.’
Forsman paused abruptly, as he usually did when he wanted to give people time to digest what he had said. Hanna searched her mind for a country called Australia, but failed to find it. However, Forsman had said it would be a long voyage. So Australia couldn’t be a neighbouring country.
‘I’ve been thinking about your future,’ Forsman said suddenly, with such emphasis that Hanna gave a start. ‘I think you can make more of yourself than just a maid here in my house. I think I can see in you qualities that suggest you could have a bright future. Exactly what will become of you I don’t know. It’s just that I suspect you have a will of your own. And so I’ve decided that you will sail to Australia and back with Captain Svartman. You will work on board as a cook. You’ll be the only woman on the ship, but everybody will know that you are under my special protection.’
Forsman fell silent again and contemplated his cigar, which had gone out. Hanna felt there was something she needed to say immediately.
‘I must ask Elin for permission,’ she said. ‘I can’t go off on a voyage without my family knowing about it.’
Forsman nodded thoughtfully and leaned forward over his desk. He picked up a sheet of paper and held it up for Hanna to see.
‘Your mother’s writing is like a spider crawling over a page,’ he said. ‘Her spelling is awful. And she has no idea where to put a full stop or a comma. But she knows what I’ve proposed to you, and she gives you her permission to go.’
Hanna realized now that Forsman was continuing to take responsibility for her, as he had promised. It was clear that the idea of her going on a long voyage on one of his ships had been planned for some considerable time. It took a long time for letters to pass between Sundsvall and the distant mountains.
‘In just over a month the ship will have all its cargo on board and be ready to sail,’ said Forsman. ‘Between now and then you will go on board every morning. There’s an old ship’s cook by the name of Mörth who will teach you the ropes. You’ll be given some money to pay for the equipment and clothing you’ll need, and you’ll be paid a good wage during the voyage — more money than you would ever be able to earn as a maid. That’ll be all now, but don’t hesitate. I know this is something right up your street.’
Hanna left the room. She could feel a cold sweat under her blouse.
It was the next day, a Sunday when they had a few hours off work, before Hanna told Berta about what had happened. The sun was shining, and melted snow and ice was dripping from the roofs. They had climbed up a little hill just outside the town where there was a tree trunk that somebody had turned into a bench, using an axe. It was still winter, but the midday sun was quite warm. They spread out their overcoats and sat down. Hanna hadn’t prepared anything in advance, but she suddenly had the feeling that now was the time to take Berta into her confidence. She told her everything, and said that she was dreading the task that Forsman had arranged for her. How on earth would she be able to cope with being ship’s cook on a voyage to Australia?
‘I wish it had been me he’d asked,’ said Berta. ‘I wouldn’t have hesitated to go.’
‘But it’s so far away,’ said Hanna, and explained how she had found Australia on the brown globe of the world Forsman had beside his billiard table.
She had been horrified when she discovered that Australia was on the other side of the world.
‘I want to stay in Forsman’s house,’ she said. ‘Who will do all my work while I’m away?’
‘Is this drudgery really something to aspire to?’ said Berta in surprise. ‘Besides, it’s not really necessary to have an extra maid in this household.’
Berta sounded quite definite in her comments. It was as if she understood what was worrying Hanna — but it could also be that Berta was jealous of her. Hanna had the nasty feeling that Berta might prefer not to have her around.
‘It’s up to you to make the decision,’ said Berta. ‘There’s nothing I’d like more for you to stay on here. If for no other reason than you lie still at night. I can’t put up with sharing a bed with somebody who kicks and tosses and turns all night.’
They both burst out laughing, but soon became serious again.
‘Talk to Forsman if you are hesitant about it,’ said Berta. ‘He’s the one who has the final say.’
They said no more about the voyage just then. Instead they sat there gazing out over the town and the seemingly endless stretch of white ice beyond the wooded hills. When it became too cold, they stood up and made their way back down the icy path. First Berta slipped, then Hanna. They laughed, then held each other’s hands as they continued down the slope. Hanna was thinking about what saddened her most: that she would lose the friend she had made in Berta.