Page 40 of The Second Chance Bus Stop
‘It’s light until three in the morning in summer here.’
‘You’re a great problem-solver, aren’t you?’ I say.
‘I’ve noticed that your sense of humour relies heavily on me being ridiculed.’
‘Blade, I’m trying to solve this for us. Unless you want to sleep and possibly drown in the tent, then sleep here. On the sofa. And I’ll stay in the bed.’ My initial panic has gone, without me even noticing it. I suddenly know that he can be in asofa metres away from me and I won’t have flashbacks to bunkbeds, bullies and never feeling safe.
‘Thank you. I’ll go and get my sleeping bag and you... can hopefully be in bed by the time I’m back.’
I hear him leave, come back, then turn the key and go straight to his sofa. I turn the light off, and it takes me a long time to sleep.
Blade
Älvsjö
I’m lying four feet away from a very funny, very smart, very attractive and, as it turns out, very naked woman. I force myself not to think about her. I turn towards the wall and pull my legs into recovery position, my knees touching the outline of the table. I go through where I stand with Sven to get my mind to peace.
‘Is that a fire alarm?’ I jump up then throw myself back down on the sofa pressing the pillow over my ears. My left side is tingling and I’m surprised I haven’t fallen out and onto the floor during the night. Must have been too tense to move even in my sleep.
The noise dies out, and I drift off again. Untilagain.
‘Good morning,’ Sophia’s voice says over the noise.
‘Jesus, how many times do you snooze? And are you trying to call all the wild animals over? I bet there’s a wolf out there somewhere who’d be keen on that sound.’
‘I like to call it my opportunity clock. Less of a negative connotation.’
I chuckle, surprising myself. I didn’t think a chuckle of any sort was physically possible before seven.
‘Could I encourage you to jump at the first opportunity when it arises in the future, rather than miss four of them?’
‘I snooze six times. We have two left. I like to think not all opportunities are for me. Everything happens for a reason and all that.’
‘But you’re awake to watch the first opportunity pass you by?’
‘Habit. Here we go. Number five already.’
I pray for a rainless day today so I can move back out to the tent, far from the alarm.
‘Okay, that was number six. Now I can get up.’ She has somehow managed to get dressed underneath the duvet, don’t ask me how, but when she appears it’s in a pair of denim shorts and a long-sleeved white shirt. She pushes the button on her phone and shows me the screen.
‘Look. Off.’
‘I can see why you live alone.’
I watch her walk to the kitchen tap and take her retainer out, drink a full glass of water and put her hair into a ponytail, and I think that maybe everything will turn out okay. I will try to make the most of my time here with a woman who talks in floral metaphors and misses fiveopportunitiesevery morning. But seizes the sixth one.
I go to pack up the soaking-wet tent.
Sophia
Älvsjö
The next morning, knowing I’m waking up in a new place and that I have to find a new town square, I’ve set my opportunity clock half an hour earlier and swiftly put my T-shirt and shorts on underneath the duvet before I hop out. I can see Blade struggle as he stirs and get up ten minutes after me. He’s still on the sofa. In the cabin. As much as I like gloomy skies and rain which have followed us to this new forest, I find myself wishing for sunshine so that the tent set-up will be reinstated.
‘Deal is a deal,’ I explain when he’s still in the sofa bed as I emerge from the bathroom. ‘I need a lift.’
‘Heard you the first time.’
