I sat in my seat and leaned my head against the cool windowpane and watched the green cascade of summer outside. If I tried really hard I could almost hear the birds singing outside. Well maybe not, the train too much noise for that. The train started to slow down, we were getting closer to the station where I was suppose to get off. To be honest I couldn't wait to get out, I had been sitting in more or less the same position ever since the train left from Gällivare, which was about four hours ago. This was my yearly trip down to see my sister and her family in Storuman. Me and my sister have this tradition of our own, every summer the first two weeks of June, I go down to stay with her. She comes to see me in August and during the Easter-holidays.

This year I had another reason to go to see her too, her eldest daughter, Anna, had just recently returned from her traveling around in Europe. Anna and a friend of hers had been away for a month, and Margareta, that is my sister, had been worried sick all the time. I usually talk quite a lot with my sister and I love her dearly, but this last month has really been something. Margareta called me more or less every day, looking for someone to share her worries with. The last week, I actually started dodging her calls. Don't get me wrong I love my niece and wouldn't want anything in the world to happen to her. But to discuss every possible danger that she might get in contact with is not something that I feel like doing instead of grading my students final papers the last week of school. But now when Anna is back safe and sound I can't wait to see her or my sister, and the rest of her family as well. I know that Margareta is already waiting for me at the station. She always picks me up, and she hates to be late.

The train finally stopped, I picked up my suitcase from underneath the seat, it wasn’t heavy at all, I always travel light, and made sure that I hadn’t dropped anything on the floor. There weren’t that many people on the train who were getting off at this station, Storuman isn’t a big town at all, it’s actually rather small. As I rose from my seat I felt my blouse stick to my back, it would really be nice to get out in the open air again. The more I thought about it the more claustrophobic I felt inside the compartment. Finally the doors opened up, I could feel the warmth of the sun and the fresh summer breeze brushing against my moist face, thank God there’s no humidity outside!

As I stepped down on the platform it felt as if my summer had just begun. I closed my eyes and just stood there for a few seconds, absorbing the sun through all my pores. When I opened up my eyes again the sun blinded me at first but I started walking anyway, thought that I’d better get going so that Margareta wouldn’t have to wait. Halfblinded as I was I didn’t really see where I was going all the sudden I bumped into someone. Half-dazed I mumbled "Oh, excuse me I’m sorry" and looked at the person opposite of me. He must have been in his mid twenties, had reddish hair and a cap which had ‘I love skiing’ printed on it. He gave me a quick smile as an excuse and then turned around and walked the other way. By natural reflex I turned around to look at his behind, which was satisfactory, then I felt guilty. I’m way too old for a boy like that.

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Name: Monica

Sex: Female

Age: 34

Hometown: Gällivare

Single, with two cats

Works as a teacher

Loves to read, ski, play the piano, trekking in the mountains, wants to travel around the globe Writes crime-novels

Drinks: Red wine

Eats: Pasta with a good sauce.