Sven parked the car in front of his cabin and we unloaded the groceries.

" Are you sure everything is OK?"

I nodded.

" No problem..."

Of course he had noticed my answers to his questions had been short and aloof. The last kilometres he had given up and we hadn't said anything at all, yet I think he had already guessed what I was thinking about. I could read it from his face and imagined that they had already talked about it behind my back.

After we had placed everything on the table, Sven walked to the barbeque and began to shred the old newspapers to pieces.

" I'm going for a walk OK?", I said.

" Shall we go to the lake?", Brian began, but a gesture from Sven was enough to silence him.

" I'll be back in half an hour, all right?"

I walked into the wood and took the familiar path to the little gravel beach. This place was so different from the over-crowded Netherlands. Here there were truly unspoilt forests; Wilderness, where one could wander for days without encountering anyone. On our way north I had seen elks and reindeers, animals that I only knew from zoos, yet here, in wide and empty Scandinavia such animals could live freely.

Free... That was the right word to describe this place. Free and quiet. Pine trees reached up to the skies and shielded the sun away. I passed clearings where the rays shone through the branches like golden ribbons and sometimes I could see a rodent hurry away into the rich undergrowth.

How I envied Sven. For us it was just a holiday, yet for him this was his home.

The lake was nearly a kilometre away from the cabin and the walk gave me enough time to think about it. Yet instead of answering questions, my pondering only produced new ones. Why had Leonie not replied to my e-mail? I had gone to the internet-cafe for that reply alone, yet it wasn't there. Was she angry with me? Why? I had done nothing wrong, yet the last two weeks before I left she was grumpy and touchy. Our goodbye kiss had been short and without passion. We needed some time off, but she could have taken the trouble to respond to my lengthy report of all we had done here. A few lines would have been sufficient, but she had sent nothing.

Perhaps the fire had died. Sometimes I heard my friends talk about their failing relationships and thought it wouldn't happen to me, yet she seemed to show exactly the same behaviour as them when they became tired of their significant other... She had even removed the love letters and cards from the walls. "To clean up", so she had said.

In the distance I could see the glint of the waves and soon I could hear the aquatic birds and the rustle of the cane. I walked towards the water and sat down on the pebbles when I saw it...

White as snow, shiny... Long, platinum hair. Despite the water's distortion, I could see she was naked. I got up, turned around and wanted to walk back to the path when I heard a strong, high pitched voice.

" Hei!"

I tried to ignore her, but she shouted something in Swedish and laughed. It sounded like a silver bell, loud and clear, but also pleasant.

" Wait a minute!", she cried, and I did.

She swam towards the side and when she reached the shallow part of the lake, she began to wade towards the beach. Gradually she rose above the water, until she stood in front of me, stark naked, her platinum hair dripping.

" Hi. I'm Sigrid", she said and held out her hand as if she wasn't even aware she was not wearing anything. I took her wet hand, shook it and muttered my own name.

" You're one of Sven's friends, aren't you?"

I nodded.

" You like it here?"

" Yes. It's wonderful."

" Sven invited me over for dinner tonight. So if you wait here, I get my clothes and we could walk to the cabin together."

" Uh... all right."

Carelessly she walked to a bush and picked up a towel and a bundle of clothes.

" Do I make you feel uncomfortable?", she asked, for I had turned my back towards her again.

" A little bit, yes."

" You have never seen a naked girl before then?"

" I have. But that was my girlfriend."

" Oh... Is she pretty?"

" She is."

" Prettier than me?"

I pretended I did not hear the question.

" Well? Is she prettier than me?"

" I'm not going to answer that."

" So she's not?"

" No comment. Do you have your clothes on?"

" Yes."

" Then let's go."

Even in her worn jeans and her woolly sweater I found it hard to look at Sigrid, for there was something about her that confused me. Her dark blue eyes were large and sparkling, and when I looked into them Leonie seemed so far away. Too far away. It wasn't right...

" Sven told me you like to tell stories, but so far you seem rather silent to me."

She chuckled.

--

The sun had disappeared behind the trees at last and only a soft yellow glow reminded of the day which went to sleep. I looked at the fire and felt how Sigrid leant against my shoulder.

Sven and Brian were inside, seeking out what beer to drink next and we were all alone beneath the trees.

" In Holland you don't have white nights...", she said.

" White nights?"

" When the sun goes down, but it doesn't get dark."

" No."

" A pity. You don't have the northern light either, do you?"

" No, we don't."

" Why don't you stay here?"

" I..."

I heard Brian and Sven talk and then there were footsteps.

" It's Leonie", Brian said and he handed me his mobile phone.

Sigrid looked at me with those deep blue eyes...

" Hello sweetheart."

" Hi... How are things over there in Sweden?"

" Very well. And over there?"

" Fine. I called to tell you... God, how do I put this? You see, uhm... Gosh, I can't tell you. You are a nice guy and I like you very much..."

" But?"

" I'm so sorry. I really wanted everything to work out between us, but..."

" I guess I already know what you want to say. It's all right."

" It is? It isn't your fault, it's just that... Well anyways, we really can't go on like this. I feel so bad for having to tell it to you over the phone, Brian's phone even..."

" For technical reasons your connection has been lost", an electronic voice said.

" Leonie? Hello, Leonie?"

And then there was silence again and I felt Sigrid's arm around my shoulder.