following Miss Björk into her combined bedroom, study, and living room.
Stephie has always liked this apartment. The walls have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. In front of the large window are a desk and a good chair. The bed in the corner is hidden during the day by a pretty curtain with calming colors—burgundy, gray-blue, and a pleasantshade of yellow. A comfortable armchair for reading sits in front of the fireplace, and next to it is a little table holding a pile of books.
Miss Björk moves the books aside and pulls the desk chair over to the table. While she’s in the kitchen getting the tea tray, Stephie examines the photographs on the mantelpiece. There’s a cute picture of Hedvig Björk as a child, and several of her parents and relatives.
Stephie notices a new picture, one that wasn’t here two years ago when Stephie was staying with Miss Björk. A woman in her thirties is looking solemnly into the camera. Could this be a sister? No, Stephie’s teacher has never mentioned brothers and sisters, and the woman in the picture doesn’t look at all like her. The woman’s mouth is softer, her nose pointier, and her face is surrounded by a mound of frizzy hair.
Miss Björk sets down the tray, which holds a teapot, two cups, and some slices of bread with butter and cucumber.
“English sandwiches,” she explains with a smile. “You sit in the armchair. I spent the morning there.”
She serves the tea and sips hers thoughtfully. Stephie is all pins and needles.
“I’m assuming you really want to continue on to high school,” Miss Björk finally says.
“Very much.”
“And that you’re prepared to make some sacrifices to do so?”
Sacrifices? Stephie doesn’t really understand, but she answers, “Yes.”
“In that case, I have a proposal,” says Miss Björk. “I’ve had a word with the headmaster, and he believes, as I do, that your grades and sharp mind are strong enough for you to skip the first year altogether. That would mean you’d only have two years to go, just one more than for the junior secondary diploma. We might be able to get the relief committee to accept that as a compromise. Of course, you’ll have to do the first-year courses on your own over the summer and take an entrance exam to the second year before the fall term begins. It won’t be easy, but I have an idea how to solve that, too. I’ll tell you in a few minutes. What do you think?”
“Miss Björk, are you sure I can manage it?”
“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t suggest it. There’s one further condition, though.”
“What is it?”
“That you call the relief committee yourself and put the proposal to them. It’s your future that’s on the line. You’re old enough to take on the responsibility.”
Stephie nods.
“And now for my second idea,” Miss Björk continues. “Since you’d be studying a whole year’s worth of coursework over the summer, I think you’d need help. Do you know whether your foster parents have already rented their rooms to summer guests?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“In that case, would you ask them if a woman friend of mine and I could be your summer tenants this year?” Miss Björk asks. “I’ll work on the math and science courses with you for a couple of hours every day. My friend’s from England, so she’ll give you English lessons. She’s the woman in that photo, by the way. Her name is Janice. You’re going to like her. You already speak German, so that’s not a problem, and I’ll get you a reading list.”
“But don’t you want the summer off if you’re going to spend it on the island?”
Miss Björk smiles. “Summer days are long,” she says. “And you’re the one who’ll have to do most of the work. You won’t have much of a vacation, of course. Any second thoughts?”
“None.”
“Well, then why don’t you call the relief committee right now? I’ll go out to the kitchen so you can have some privacy.”
Stephie sits down at the desk, and
Stephie has always liked this apartment. The walls have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. In front of the large window are a desk and a good chair. The bed in the corner is hidden during the day by a pretty curtain with calming colors—burgundy, gray-blue, and a pleasantshade of yellow. A comfortable armchair for reading sits in front of the fireplace, and next to it is a little table holding a pile of books.
Miss Björk moves the books aside and pulls the desk chair over to the table. While she’s in the kitchen getting the tea tray, Stephie examines the photographs on the mantelpiece. There’s a cute picture of Hedvig Björk as a child, and several of her parents and relatives.
Stephie notices a new picture, one that wasn’t here two years ago when Stephie was staying with Miss Björk. A woman in her thirties is looking solemnly into the camera. Could this be a sister? No, Stephie’s teacher has never mentioned brothers and sisters, and the woman in the picture doesn’t look at all like her. The woman’s mouth is softer, her nose pointier, and her face is surrounded by a mound of frizzy hair.
Miss Björk sets down the tray, which holds a teapot, two cups, and some slices of bread with butter and cucumber.
“English sandwiches,” she explains with a smile. “You sit in the armchair. I spent the morning there.”
She serves the tea and sips hers thoughtfully. Stephie is all pins and needles.
“I’m assuming you really want to continue on to high school,” Miss Björk finally says.
“Very much.”
“And that you’re prepared to make some sacrifices to do so?”
Sacrifices? Stephie doesn’t really understand, but she answers, “Yes.”
“In that case, I have a proposal,” says Miss Björk. “I’ve had a word with the headmaster, and he believes, as I do, that your grades and sharp mind are strong enough for you to skip the first year altogether. That would mean you’d only have two years to go, just one more than for the junior secondary diploma. We might be able to get the relief committee to accept that as a compromise. Of course, you’ll have to do the first-year courses on your own over the summer and take an entrance exam to the second year before the fall term begins. It won’t be easy, but I have an idea how to solve that, too. I’ll tell you in a few minutes. What do you think?”
“Miss Björk, are you sure I can manage it?”
“If I weren’t, I wouldn’t suggest it. There’s one further condition, though.”
“What is it?”
“That you call the relief committee yourself and put the proposal to them. It’s your future that’s on the line. You’re old enough to take on the responsibility.”
Stephie nods.
“And now for my second idea,” Miss Björk continues. “Since you’d be studying a whole year’s worth of coursework over the summer, I think you’d need help. Do you know whether your foster parents have already rented their rooms to summer guests?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“In that case, would you ask them if a woman friend of mine and I could be your summer tenants this year?” Miss Björk asks. “I’ll work on the math and science courses with you for a couple of hours every day. My friend’s from England, so she’ll give you English lessons. She’s the woman in that photo, by the way. Her name is Janice. You’re going to like her. You already speak German, so that’s not a problem, and I’ll get you a reading list.”
“But don’t you want the summer off if you’re going to spend it on the island?”
Miss Björk smiles. “Summer days are long,” she says. “And you’re the one who’ll have to do most of the work. You won’t have much of a vacation, of course. Any second thoughts?”
“None.”
“Well, then why don’t you call the relief committee right now? I’ll go out to the kitchen so you can have some privacy.”
Stephie sits down at the desk, and
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