The Icelandic connection - 01.09.2010, Blaðsíða 19

Vol. 63 #2
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
69
home as usual to my cabin around mid-
night to make some tea and a bit to eat.
When I had heated the tea, put bread and
molasses on the table, poured the tea into
a bowl, I was about to sit down at the
table. But I heard footsteps coming
toward the cabin that belonged to a heavy
individual.
1 didn’t sit down but waited until
there would be a knock on the door. A
few moments passed and there was no
knock. Suddenly the door was lifted up
and a man walked in. He was tall and
heavyset. He stopped near the table. He
was obviously not older than his mid
twenties. He was fairly handsome but his
face was dark and dirty as if he had come
from a coal mine. But his hands were
clean and white. He wore an old wind-
breaker, quite long, had well worn shoes
on his feet and a grey hat on his head. He
didn’t greet me and seemed to ignore me.
But he moved closer to the table and
looked at the food that was there as if he
wanted some. I decided to speak up.
I asked him, “Who are you? Where
you from? What is your business here?”
He jerked around, looked at me and
replied, “I am a landsend man, a wander-
er and come from all directions like the
wind. I came from the north yesterday.
The south this morning and will be going
west within the next few days. But I
come here to see how hospitable you are.
I am starving. I accept willingly and with
many thanks all that you offer me.”
“Sit down at the table,” I said, “and
may good come of that which is there.”
Before I had said the last word he was
seated at the table.
“Where is the cream for the tea?” he
asked.
“I never have cream in my tea,” I
said.
“Where is the sugar?” he asked.
“I never buy sugar,” I replied. “But I
use molasses in my tea. There on the
table is the can with the molasses, if you
please.”
He put two or three spoons of
molasses in the tea, stirred it well and
tasted it.
“It doesn’t taste too bad,” he said. “It
can easily be drunk. But you have forgot-
ten to put butter on the table.”
“I never buy butter,” I said. “In its
place I put molasses on my bread.”
He took a slice of bread and put
molasses on it. When he had eaten three
good slices of bread (that was all that was
on the table and when the tea pot was
empty, he passed it to me asking if there
was any more left.
“The teapot is empty,” I said, “and I
do not have time to make more tea
because I am a watchman. 1 have to be at
work in ten minutes. I ask you to leave
now and I bid you goodnight!”
“Is it a long time till morning?” asked
the visitor.
“It is soon one minute after mid-
night,” I said.
“Listen to what I am going to tell
you,” he said. “It is my custom to work all
night and sleep during the day. I will
work your shift for you. I see that you are
terribly sleepy. Just lie down on the
couch and go to sleep. Tell me where the
place is and I will take over the watch for
you. I will come and wake you up at day-
break. By doing this I can repay you for
your hospitality which you have shown
me. Will you accept my offer?”
“No,” I said. “I cannot accept your
offer, good night!”
I put out the light and opened the
door. We both walked out of the cabin. I
then locked the door with a key, again
bade him good night and walked over to
the warehouse. But the visitor walked in
another direction. He said nothing when I
left. I thought that maybe I had offended
him by refusing his offer.
The next night around midnight, I
drank some tea and ate bread in peace and
quiet in my cabin. Just as I was going to