Eric: Still our contact is limited. Still we are miles apart.But nothing stops how in love we are. We Skyped today for a long, long time and it felt great. Seeing each other and being able to talk at length. Thank goodness for Swedish 3G because my English 4G is rubbish!
So we were house hunting. And Erika and I found the apartment for us. It was in the right area (or so I am told) and had the right amount of quirkiness attached to it. I can’t say that I totally understand the Swedish way of doing things in this department. Bidding wars, and prices quickly rising. It is a confusing thing for me to get my head around. Thankfully, with a little pep talk before hand, Erika was (as always) ready for battle.
She started low. The first bid on the property. And we waited. The next bid came in, much higher. Then the next. She was quick to move. Leaving merely a minute between. Another bid. And then another. Then as quickly as it had begun… There was silence.
Erika called me again to explain the situation, and told me that her bid was the highest. I started to get excited. “How long has it been?” I asked. “Forty minutes.” Came her reply.
We might just do this. I thought that we were on the home stretch. Fighting off the competition and leaving them behind, sat in our dust as we sped away. I had my fingers Crossed. I had my toes crossed. I had my eyes crossed for a moment or two.
Her Phone made the familiar chime sound.
“Another bid?” I asked.
“Yes.” She replied, her face screwed up with that cute look of concentration as she peered at the small iphone screen. “Hmm….” I could see her thinking. Contemplating her next move, like a Grand Chess Master about to strike with the speed and ferocity of a cobra. “I’ll call you back.” She uttered through her teeth, with the edge of an athlete determined to stand on the top of the winners podium. My phone went dead.
My nerves were a knot, painful in my stomach. My racing heart and sweaty palms made it difficult to hold my phone. My face felt hot but my fingers were icy cold…. Then it came.
“Ding”
A text. It was Erika. I cautiously opened the app.
“Bids went too high over our budget. Oh well. xxxx”
In the face of adversity, she smiles that smile, brushes it off, gets back up again and never misses a step.
When an aeroplane begins to fly, it does so against the wind. Not with it. – That’s my Erika.
