Ulla-Lena Lundberg - Ice

When the dignitaries from the east have been settled in the parlour, word arrives of the boat arriving from the west. “A big devil of a boat, oh, excuse me, the biggest Coast Guard ship on Åland. From the station at Storkubb, a real destroyer. Does thirteen knots. Going like hell out there on the sound, oh, beg your pardon.”

The priest would like very much to be up on the hill watching the party from Mariehamn come flying across the water—the Åland governor and the dean with their wives, reporters, plus the priest from Föglö and Fredrik Berg and his wife, picked up in Mellom—but his role today is too dignified for that, so he makes his excuses to the group in the parlour and he and his wife receive their guests on the dock. The newcomers are effusive and hearty. The governor is charmed by the pastor’s young wife, while the dean gets his first impression of his new ecclesiastical colleague, truly a pleasant meeting! Apple and Goody stand nearby in a cloud of flies and watch and, out on the bay, the clatter of motorboats steadily increases. The congregation is on its way to church early in order to get a good seat. Cecilia is watching Sanna and Lillus, at a comfortable distance but still close enough to see all the people. Sanna is deeply offended at not being allowed to attend the installation even though she has promised to be quiet and good. She could sit with Grandma and Grandpa and Lillus could stay outside with Cecilia. Like all of Sanna’s arguments, it is sensible and well thought out, but Mama has decided otherwise, so that’s all there is to that.

Consequently, Sanna does not get to see her father standing before the altar surrounded by the dean and the priests from Mellom and Föglö, who read the words of the Bible and lay their hands on Papa’s head as he kneels before the altar. The bishop says, “God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” That means that the parish of Örland is his, and he is theirs. Nor does she get to hear the organist sing his showpiece “A Precious Thing to Thank the Lord” while accompanying himself on the organ with one hand, but when they all leave the church, it’s more fun. Cecilia and Sanna and Lillus go up to the attic, and when Cecilia opens the window they have a good view and can hear what people say.

It must have gone well in there, for everyone is happy and talking cheerfully. The congregation pours out first and then they stand and wait, dividing themselves into two groups so that Papa can guide the bishop to the coffee table outside the parsonage. Behind them come the dignitaries and the guests and Grandma and Grandpa and Mama. When she gets there, she makes a sharp survey of the coffee table and then hurries quickly and, she hopes, unnoticed, to the kitchen. Several well-briefed coffee ladies stand at the ready. Gaily and graciously, they pour coffee for the bishop and his wife and wish them bon appetit. There are great heaps of sandwiches, and more are brought out on trays, and when the bishop, his wife, the assessor, and the governor have seated themselves, the congregation can help themselves. There are planks laid on sawhorses where older people can sit, the younger sit on rocky outcroppings or on the grass. It’s like when the children of Israel made camp in the wilderness, Cecilia tells Sanna, and manna came from heaven. “Coffee and sandwiches,” Sanna translates, and Cecilia runs down to the kitchen and brings some sandwiches and juice up to the attic. Fortunately, Lillus has fallen asleep, and Cecilia and Sanna stand by the window and drink their juice and eat sandwiches while the children of Israel laugh and talk below them.

When they are finished eating, the church choir performs. They have to wait a moment for the priest and his wife, who come running, and then they sing with all their might. They begin with “Bright Clouds Sailing”, and anyone concerned that the wind will carry away their voices can stop worrying. They sing “Great is God’s Mercy” and “Imagine When the Mists Have Vanished”, and when they are done, the bishop stands at the top of the steps so his voice will carry. The Örlanders are experts at public speaking, so they appreciate the fact that he makes himself heard, although to tell the truth, the content is a little too general and sounds like any other sermon, all about Christian upbringing and the importance of piety at every level, whereas the congregation longs to hear what he thinks of the Örlands and the lovely weather and whether he didn’t feel a little giddy when the Coast Guard cutter really opened up.

The lean assessor follows his bishop and he too delivers a discourse on how impossible it is to hide from the living God. All too true, and everyone present can also agree that the majority of human beings wander a path of affliction, captured in the iron grip of sin, but would it have been out of place to say a few words about the Örlands and about how people here wander the path of salvation, at least today? The vicar himself lightens the atmosphere after the final choir performance by signalling that now the celebration is over. He thanks the congregation for making the day festive and unforgettable with their singing and by their very presence. “Now we part for today, but I hope we shall see one another again every Sunday. Getting to Church Isle can be difficult, but the church awaits you with open arms.”

That means they should be off, for only the guests are invited to dinner. Among them are the Örland church council and vestry, but the rest of the lay people start moving towards the church dock, where their boats are tied up in multiple rows. It goes quickly after all the sitting, and soon the bay echoes with the clatter and sharp detonations of motors cranked to life. Cecilia and the little girls go down to the dock with all the others, and as they’re coming back they run into Fredrik Berg, the priest from Mellom, who understands that these must be the parsonage children. Cecilia knows that normally Sanna hides and Lillus cries when any stranger comes too close, but there’s something about Fredrik Berg—maybe the fact that at home he is often mentioned as Papa’s good friend—which makes them stare up at him with delight. As they approach the parsonage, Mama and Papa see with astonishment that Lillus is sitting on Fredrik’s arm and beaming, while Sanna holds his hand, talking for all she’s worth.

“Quite the ladies’ man,” says Papa, and Mrs Berg, who appears for once at a party instead of just toiling in the kitchen, in black (although she has now learned something from Mona), adds, “Yes, that’s the way he likes it. One around his neck, one holding his hand, one in reserve.”

They’re all in good spirits, relieved perhaps that the heavy programme is over and that an easier socializing lies before them, among friends and colleagues. Food will be welcome as well, to tell the truth. The long dinner table has been set on the grass below the stairs. The sun is shining, there is still no wind, an uncommonly lovely afternoon. There is a buzz of conversation, the new vicar and his wife are beaming with happiness, nearly everything has gone off without a hitch. The food is on the table.

And now the event takes off! When they’ve all found their seats and tucked in and rejoiced in the day and the company, there breaks out a feast of speechifying that will live in memory. Cecilia has taken the girls’ food up to the attic, and while Lillus gobbles down her mashed potatoes and gravy and adorns her whole person with the prune whip dessert, Cecilia and Sanna stand at the window and listen.

Papa speaks first, welcoming everyone and thanking them for making the day so festive. He extends especially warm thanks to the bishop and his wife, to the governor and his wife, to his visiting fellow priests and their wives, and to his parents. Above all, he speaks of his love for Örland Church and its parishioners, who have won his heart and boundless respect. “We will grow old here,” he promises. He speaks beautifully, and everyone looks appreciative and pleased. Sanna applauds enthusiastically. Cecilia thinks Sanna should have been allowed to sit at table, smart and sensible as she is.