Saturday, December 21, 2021
I had just shown Pete how to flip the record and play Side B when Sara called my name from the top of the stairs.
“Peter, a phone call for you! It’s Tina!” she shouted.
I walked up the stairs humming Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” and wondered what Pete thought about the records.
“Hi, Tina,” I said casually, although I thought Tina might have a specific reason to call. Surely she didn’t want to discuss the weather in Kumpunotko, although, that would have been a good topic, considering Tina and Tim were about too drive up in a couple of days.
“Peter, what’s going on? What’s this I hear about you making Sofie work at your movie theatre? She’s on a break from school, the last thing she needs is stress from work,” Tina said. She sounded agitated, but I couldn’t understand why.
“I’m not making her work, I asked her if she wanted to and she said yes. In fact–“ I said, and checked my watch, “–she should be here any minute.”
“What is she going to do?”
“Make coffee, help sell tickets, you know.”
“You paying her?”
“Of course, ten euro an hour.”
“Well, that’s good. Maybe it’s good for her,” Tina said. She sounded calmer. “Anyway, Tim and I won’t be able to leave Helsinki until Christmas Eve.”
“That’s OK. As long as you get here for dinner,” I said. “We’ll be busy, too, with our Christmas movie marathon,” I added casually.
I heard noises from the front door, and then fragments of a conversation between Sara and another person who I guessed to be Sofie. I hung up and rushed to the foyer to greet Sofie, even though Sara and I had, without ever having talked about it, agreed that she’d be Sofie’s boss.
Just as I had planned. That way I could keep my eye on Pete, and Pete only.
I heard Prince’s falsetto from the basement. It may have been my imagination, but I thought Pete had turned up the volume. I could hear “Baby I’m a Star” clearly all the way up. I smiled. I hope some of that confidence rubbed off on Pete.
I walked downstairs and asked Pete to come up.
“We open our doors now. You can finish the album but then it’s time to get to work. Bring those Gremlins reels up, OK? I’ll show you the projection booth then,” I said.
When Pete came up from the basement, Sofie was already standing behind our little box office / candy store, wearing an apron. Sara stood next to her, showing her how to use the cash register.
“Here they are, Mr Ek… Peter,” he said, and when he saw Sofie, stopped in his tracks and fixed his hair with his hand.
“Would you like something to drink?” I asked Pete. “Before we go to the projection booth. Sofie will get you anything you like.”
“Maybe a glass of water?” Pete said.
“Oh, come on, he said anything. We’re getting robbed as it is, get the most expensive thing they’ve got. What do you want?” Sofie said.
“Well, a hot chocolate, maybe? Medium?”
“Large hot chocolate with whipped cream coming up,” Sofie said said in a loud voice, so that I would hear it and could tell her no if it wasn’t OK. I heard it, and I laughed and then disappeared into the projection booth.
A few minutes later, I heard Pete thank Sofie. Just as I expected him to open the door to the projection booth, I heard a boisterous voice from downstairs,
“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING,” it said.
Rexy.
➡️ More on Someday Jennifer (HarperCollins Canada 2019)