Page 99 of The Secret to Belonging

Lise pipes up

it couldn’t find its way back

they had to dart it in front of the post office

and take it back to the forest on a truck

but if you see one, says Erik again

don’t panic

yet another moment when California seems

like an alien planet from a sci-fi novel you read

but didn’t really

like

after a while you find a rhythm

lift your head and look around

the white landscape bulges with snowy cabin roofs

pennants fly

chimneys smoke

ski tracks crisscross an endless expanse of snow

hva syns du om nordpolen? asks Bjørn

you say

you didn’t expect to find paradise

above the Arctic Circle

but here it is

et arktisk paradis

after skiing

sauna

then bowls of creamy fiskesuppe with warm bread

kerosene lamps

a jigsaw puzzle

Bjørn plays guitar

everyone tucks into bunks with books and flashlights

your belly sighs