Fredrik is waiting for his date, when a stranger sits down beside him.
Fredrik sat waiting at the central station. His pulse was a few beats higher than it usually was when he was sitting still. He was both excited and nervous.
His left leg bounced as he fiddled with the rose he had bought. His first real date with Josefin, a woman who he had met a few weeks earlier.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
Fredrik looked toward the voice and saw a man about his own age, with tousled dark hair, a crooked friendly smile, and bright, curious eyes.
“No, it’s free,” Fredrik replied.
“Waiting for your wife or girlfriend?” the man asked.
“No, actually I’m waiting for a date. Our first date, in fact, so I’m a little nervous.” Fredrik glanced around the waiting hall, looking for Josefin.
“You wouldn’t happen to be waiting for Josefin Haraldsson, would you?” The man looked at Fredrik with interest.
Fredrik was speechless and had no idea what to say.
“Sorry. My name is Jonas, and Josefin is an old childhood friend. I know she was going on a date today, and you’re the only person here sitting with a rose.” Jonas laughed warmly.
Fredrik relaxed and gave a short laugh.
“Yes, that’s right. She’s the one I’m meeting.”
“I know Josefin very well, and I’m going to give you a piece of advice. She has a birthday coming up in a few weeks, as you may know. What she would appreciate most isn’t an expensive gift. Something small, but something that truly means something.” Jonas paused and looked at Fredrik, as if checking that he understood. “Then take her to her favorite restaurant and a movie.”
Fredrik nodded thoughtfully. It sounded like very good advice.
“Thank you. I’ll remember that.”
Jonas looked around and saw Josefin entering through the main entrance. She shook the rain from her jacket and looked around. Fredrik thought she looked nervous too. Their eyes met, and she broke into a broad smile.
Fredrik and Josefin hugged, and he handed her the rose.
“Oh, thank you! It’s beautiful. Sorry I’m a little late. I missed the bus.”
“That’s okay. I was sitting here talking to an acquaintance of yours, Jonas.”
Josefin looked at Fredrik skeptically.
“I only know one Jonas, and he was an old childhood friend of mine. He died in a motorcycle accident four years ago.” She looked sad for a moment, but then her cheerful expression returned. “I have a picture of him on my phone. It was the last photo ever taken of him, just hours before the accident.”
Fredrik looked at the picture and felt his blood turn to ice.
In the photo stood Josefin and another woman around the same age, laughing, their hair blowing in the wind. Between them stood Jonas.
Jonas, the exact same person Fredrik had just been talking to.
He was even wearing the same clothes as in the picture.
Fredrik quickly looked back toward the bench, but Jonas was gone. He then looked back at the photo just as Josefin turned off the screen and slipped her phone back into her handbag.
“What is it? You look shocked.” Josefin looked at him with concern.
“It’s okay. I just find it so upsetting and sad when people die like that and are taken from us.”
“Yeah. But hey, let’s not dwell on it. Let’s go and have a good time instead. I’m starving. How about an early lunch?”
“That sounds like a very good idea. Do you have any suggestions?”
“Yes, there’s a food court in the mall by the market place. They have good food and lots of different options.”
“Yeah, that’s a good place. Some colleagues and I go there for lunch quite often. Their traditional Swedish dishes are really good.” As he said it, Fredrik’s stomach growled loudly, and they both burst out laughing.
They left the central station and headed toward the market place.
On the other side of the street, Fredrik saw Jonas standing there.
Jonas smiled kindly and raised a hand in a brief wave.
A work van drove past, blocking Fredrik’s view of him, and when the van had passed, the sidewalk was empty.
Fredrik quickly glanced at Josefin, but she was looking down at the ground in front of her as she walked.
“By the way, Josefin,” he said, “speaking of food, what’s your favorite restaurant in town?”
I'm confused. Was it really Fredrik's first date? Or just his first date with Josefin? First dates are usually for teenagers. A dinner and movie date are usually reserved for someone older that can afford dates like that. But I'm not in touch with what young people do these days.
And the ghost of Jason was cool. Making the story one to think about.
The discussion of the food court made me think about the all you could eat restaurant on the way to Minneapolis. What we would call a smorgasbord.
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Fredrik sat waiting at the central station. His pulse was a few beats higher than it usually was when he was sitting still. He was both excited and nervous.
