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In
America, I'd been a fairly successful businessman and had no real
need to return, anytime soon. I had good people whom I’d left in
charge. Of course, I was only a transatlantic telephone call
away, anyway if they needed to speak with me.
Andrew’s
revelations were, indeed, interesting. My cousins, Olle
and wife Lisa (my blood cousin) poured over the documents I’d
already accumulated with Andrew. The information about our
Anna-Stina was news to
both of them. Their grandfather, Karl, was the first of two
children born in the Järna parish and according to Andrew's snooping,
there were two children preceeding him. Lisa couldn’t
remember hearing anything from her grandfather, about Anna-
Stina as a child.
“I am not too much interested in this history, so it is no wonder.”
“Is there no one else who might know something about Anna-Stina?”
I had pretty much learned all there was to know about the other side of
the family. My illegitimate grandmother was a well-documented
fact.
“No one around here, if Andrew does not know…just a moment…” she turned
to Olle. “What about Aunt Karolina?”
Olle smiled and sort of shook his head, flicking one hand in
dismissal. “Who knows?”
“Who’s Karolina?” I asked.
“Karolina was my grandfather Karl’s younger sister…she referred to my
papers on the
kitchen table, “…the last born child of Anna-Stina. Karolina is
still
living.”
“Really. Do you think she might know anything?”
“She might, but whether she would tell it to you, is another matter…or
even speak with you.”
“Why?”
“She is very old and rather…difficult. We have not seen her for
years. She lives in a nursing home in Karlskoga…south of
here. The last time I visited she told me not to bother
again. It was a very short visit. I felt sorry for her, as
she has no other relatives…no children, though she is a widower.”
“How would I get in contact with her?”
“Are you really certain you wish to do this? She can be…more than
difficult? Your visit could be for nothing.”
“Nevertheless, I’d like to try.”
Lisa disappeared for fifteen minutes while Olle and I spoke about his
coming timber harvest. My cousins owned some forest land which
needed
to be harvested the following winter. Olle joked that I should
come back for
that. Apparently my milking experience paid off and the Swedish
cows didn’t know the difference, either, but Olle did and appreciated
my daily help.
“Here is the address of the nursing home. I do not have any
telephone number for them, but I am certain they do have one. It
would probably be best to just go there and see whether she will see
you."
That night I went to bed considering everything that had happened, so
far. I'd found out far more about a relation I didn't even know I
had and was really curious about all those children. I decided to
drive down tomorrow, to visit this...great-great aunt, I guessed she'd
be.
©
2007 Smultron Publications, All Rights Reserved
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