Read Online The Journey to the End of the World (Joel Gustafson Stories) by Henning Mankell - Free Book Online
Authors: Henning Mankell
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about what’s to come, and I stand here to dream about what used to be. That’s life, I suppose.’
‘My dad’s a sailor,’ said Joel. ‘Although he’s a lumberjack at the moment.’
‘That’s life,’ said Geegee.
‘What do you have to do to become a sailor?’ Joel asked.
‘Your dad ought to be able to tell you all about that,’ said Geegee.
‘But I don’t want to ask him.’
Geegee nodded thoughtfully.
‘That’s life. That’s the way it is with dads. You prefer to ask somebody else. But you have to get yourself a seaman’s discharge book, and in order to get that you have to undergo a medical examination. Once you’ve got the necessary document, you have to go to the Seamen’s Employment Exchange to find out what jobs are going. I take it you’re dreaming about becoming a captain?’
‘I don’t know. I just want to become a sailor.’
A gurgling noise came from Geegee’s pipe.
‘Start from there, then. And see how things go. That’s life. Some young lads want to be in the engine room, others want to be the first mate. And some lads want to be deck hands. And then there are those who can’t wait to get ashore . . .’
Joel thought about what Geegee had told him. Now he didn’t need to ask Samuel.
‘There’s the MS Karmas ,’ said Geegee. ‘You can see from the flag that she belongs to the Grängesberg Shipping Company.’
‘Where has it come from? And where’s it going to?’
‘Not “it”. A ship’s a “she”.’
‘Where has she come from?’
‘England perhaps. Or Narvik. As for where she’s going to? Maybe Liberia. Or possibly Belgium.’
Joel knew that Narvik was in Norway. And Belgium was in Europe. But Liberia? Where was that? He wanted to ask, but didn’t want to seem stupid. So he didn’t.
Geegee put his pipe in his pocket, and yawned.
‘I’m getting old and tired,’ he said. ‘That’s life. It’s time I took an afternoon nap.’
He nodded at Joel, and left, his white hair fluttering in the breeze. There was so much more Joel would have liked to ask him about, but still: he now knew the most important thing – what he needed to do in order to become a sailor.
He stayed for a bit longer, watching the mechanical scoops emptying the holds.
Then he took the tram back to the hotel.
When he got to their room he found Samuel sitting on his bed, waiting for him.
‘Where have you been?’ he asked. ‘I was worried.’
‘I left a note,’ said Joel. ‘And now I’m back again.’
Joel didn’t want to tell Samuel what he’d been up to. He wanted it to be a surprise when Samuel discovered that his son knew all about what to do in order to become a sailor.
‘I fell asleep,’ said Samuel. ‘And I had a dream, but I can’t remember what it was about.’
I expect you dreamt about trees, Joel thought. You dreamt about your axes and your saws and all the trees you haven’t felled yet. But I bet you didn’t dream about walking up the gangway of a ship that was about to sail to Liberia.
‘Where’s Liberia?’ Joel asked.
‘Why do you want to know that?’
‘There was a man outside the hotel who said he came from Liberia.’
Samuel looked doubtfully at him.
‘Have you been talking to a black man? Could he speak Swedish?’
As soon as his dad said that, Joel remembered. How could he have forgotten? He’d always been top of the class in geography. How could he have forgotten that Liberia was in Africa?
‘Perhaps it was Lebanon,’ said Joel. ‘Or even Linköping. He was difficult to understand.’
‘What did he want?’
‘He was trying to sell a magazine. A Christmas magazine.’
‘In the middle of summer?’
Joel realised that he’d stumbled into a totally unnecessary maze of lies. He would have to get out of it as quickly as possible.
‘It was from last year. And it was cheap. But I didn’t buy it.’
Samuel shook his head.
‘Let’s go and have dinner,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘And then I thought we could
‘My dad’s a sailor,’ said Joel. ‘Although he’s a lumberjack at the moment.’
‘That’s life,’ said Geegee.
‘What do you have to do to become a sailor?’ Joel asked.
‘Your dad ought to be able to tell you all about that,’ said Geegee.
‘But I don’t want to ask him.’
Geegee nodded thoughtfully.
‘That’s life. That’s the way it is with dads. You prefer to ask somebody else. But you have to get yourself a seaman’s discharge book, and in order to get that you have to undergo a medical examination. Once you’ve got the necessary document, you have to go to the Seamen’s Employment Exchange to find out what jobs are going. I take it you’re dreaming about becoming a captain?’
‘I don’t know. I just want to become a sailor.’
A gurgling noise came from Geegee’s pipe.
‘Start from there, then. And see how things go. That’s life. Some young lads want to be in the engine room, others want to be the first mate. And some lads want to be deck hands. And then there are those who can’t wait to get ashore . . .’
Joel thought about what Geegee had told him. Now he didn’t need to ask Samuel.
‘There’s the MS Karmas ,’ said Geegee. ‘You can see from the flag that she belongs to the Grängesberg Shipping Company.’
‘Where has it come from? And where’s it going to?’
‘Not “it”. A ship’s a “she”.’
‘Where has she come from?’
‘England perhaps. Or Narvik. As for where she’s going to? Maybe Liberia. Or possibly Belgium.’
Joel knew that Narvik was in Norway. And Belgium was in Europe. But Liberia? Where was that? He wanted to ask, but didn’t want to seem stupid. So he didn’t.
Geegee put his pipe in his pocket, and yawned.
‘I’m getting old and tired,’ he said. ‘That’s life. It’s time I took an afternoon nap.’
He nodded at Joel, and left, his white hair fluttering in the breeze. There was so much more Joel would have liked to ask him about, but still: he now knew the most important thing – what he needed to do in order to become a sailor.
He stayed for a bit longer, watching the mechanical scoops emptying the holds.
Then he took the tram back to the hotel.
When he got to their room he found Samuel sitting on his bed, waiting for him.
‘Where have you been?’ he asked. ‘I was worried.’
‘I left a note,’ said Joel. ‘And now I’m back again.’
Joel didn’t want to tell Samuel what he’d been up to. He wanted it to be a surprise when Samuel discovered that his son knew all about what to do in order to become a sailor.
‘I fell asleep,’ said Samuel. ‘And I had a dream, but I can’t remember what it was about.’
I expect you dreamt about trees, Joel thought. You dreamt about your axes and your saws and all the trees you haven’t felled yet. But I bet you didn’t dream about walking up the gangway of a ship that was about to sail to Liberia.
‘Where’s Liberia?’ Joel asked.
‘Why do you want to know that?’
‘There was a man outside the hotel who said he came from Liberia.’
Samuel looked doubtfully at him.
‘Have you been talking to a black man? Could he speak Swedish?’
As soon as his dad said that, Joel remembered. How could he have forgotten? He’d always been top of the class in geography. How could he have forgotten that Liberia was in Africa?
‘Perhaps it was Lebanon,’ said Joel. ‘Or even Linköping. He was difficult to understand.’
‘What did he want?’
‘He was trying to sell a magazine. A Christmas magazine.’
‘In the middle of summer?’
Joel realised that he’d stumbled into a totally unnecessary maze of lies. He would have to get out of it as quickly as possible.
‘It was from last year. And it was cheap. But I didn’t buy it.’
Samuel shook his head.
‘Let’s go and have dinner,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘And then I thought we could
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