Winter Swan

Steaming hot chocolate, warm fireplace, cozy sofa, and people who cared for her.

In the quiet cafeteria, Silje sipped on her drink and smiled brightly to reassure them.

"Oh, it's so delicious. I love it. It's warming me up."

Tran and Niels looked at Silje in shock for a second, but Tran quickly started to laugh out loud.

"It's that good, eh?"

When Silje nodded, Tran laughed again.

"Then I will get you another one so have as much as you want. You are so strange, Silje. How can you be so calm in this situation?"

"I usually don't drink hot cocoa. I don't eat other sweets often either, but when I feel down, I eat sweet cake."

"Alright. I hope this makes you feel better."

"…Ok. Thank you."

Silje took another sip from her cup and said quietly, "Thank you for being with me like this. It… really helps."

Niels still looked worried when he replied, "Don't feel thankful for things like this. You work here with us, which means you are family. Like I told you before, this place will always be open for you. You can come and rest here whenever you want."

"I know. I will."

Silje looked much better as she smiled.

Niels acted gruff and Tran could be too honest, but both were always there for Silje.

Niels Hergeirsson.

In his late forties, Niels was over 190 centimeters and every time he smiled, beautiful wrinkles covered his entire face. He was sophisticated, kind, and loved to drink too much aquavit, which drove Tran crazy. Tran once told Silje that when Niels was young, he was a very famous model.

"Silje and Tran, if my wife didn't die so young, I would've adopted both of you."

This was what Niels often said to them. And he meant it.

Ha Thi Tran.

Dark tanned Tran was adopted from Vietnam and she enjoyed surfing and scuba diving. Silje and Tran had a lot in common.

Tran said to Silje, "Silje, you look tough on the outside, but I know how soft-hearted you are. And your family is strange. I know you told me not to say bad things about your adoptive parents, but if it was me, I would've never let them treat me like that. Physical abuse isn't the only kind of abuse."

Tran spoke harshly, but Silje knew how much Tran cared about her. She often packed Silje's lunches and gave her days off at the cafeteria.

Perhaps it was thanks to Niels, Tran, and this place that Silje was able to survive this long. This was the closest thing Silje had to a true home.

"I'm looking for a part-time job."

It seemed like yesterday when Silje entered the cafeteria for the first time. At the time, she was so tired of her life. Her vicious bullies and her adoptive parents who pretended nothing was happening to her at school… Her life seemed hopeless.

Silje instinctively knew she had to become independent as soon as possible. Until she graduated, she couldn't do much, but Silje planned on leaving home as soon as she finished school. And to do this, she needed money, so she started to look for a job.

Unfortunately, she was still in school, so it was very difficult for her to find a job. Then one rainy day, she was walking aimlessly when she saw a cafeteria that was located quite far away from her neighborhood.

[skog]

It was the name of the cafeteria and it meant forest in the Norwegian language. With a hopeful heart, Silje walked in and met Niels and Tran for the first time.

"Boss! I packed you lunch today, so why are you just drinking aquavit? It's going to ruin your stomach."

"I told you, I will eat my lunch later. Leave me alone."

"I took the time to pack you a lunch, yet here you are ignoring it. You are so annoying. I will never make you anything ever again."

They were arguing even then, but the way they acted so close with each other made the cafeteria feel cozy and friendly.

It immediately felt like home to Silje. When Tran brought her the hot cocoa she ordered, Silje hesitantly mentioned, "I-I'm looking for a part-time job…."

But she didn't specifically say she wanted to work there. She wasn't ready to be outright rejected by a place she had fallen in love with at first glance.

When Silje didn't leave even after she finished her drink, Niels and Tran kept glancing at her. They whispered to each other and Niels came to Silje and smiled kindly.

"If you like it here, you can stay as long as you want. My cafeteria is always open so you can come whenever you want."

Tran quickly interrupted, "It's not that! She probably fell in love with my fabulous hot cocoa. That must be why she can't leave, right?"

Was it because they realized she liked the place? Niels and Tran treated her kindly from the beginning and Silje never forgot that moment.

And just like that, Silje found a place where she could rest. Every time she felt hurt by her adoptive parents, her family at [skog] was there for her. They were her real family.

Niels' place was not far from Oslo's Frogner station. It had a farm feel to it, and it gave off a friendly and comfortable atmosphere. It was a perfect place to meet friends and chat or read a book and have a cup of tea.

[skog] offered great food like sandwiches, coffee, and salads.

Here, Silje learned that there could be places where she wouldn't get hurt.

In this place, she could be her true self. She could laugh and work without any fear and anxiety. Perhaps this job was what kept her going.

She saved all the money from this job in her desk. She kept it a secret and dreamt of the day when she could finally escape.

Silje owed so much to these two people, and today, she was again saved by Niels and Tran.

With her bandaged wrist, she said goodbye to them and left the one place she felt was safe.

"Thank you for your help today. I will never forget it."

"You are so stubborn, Silje! I will drive you home. Get in my car!"

Tran raised her voice, but Silje continued to walk. Watching her, who still looked very weak, Niels asked in frustration, "Are you going to tell your adoptive parents what happened today? Obviously, they need to know."

"No."

Silje had made her decision. She explained, "I won't tell them. Nothing will change even if I do."

"Oh my god. You aren't going to tell them anything even with your wrist? No matter how hard I try, I can't understand. It's just not right. What has this world come to?"

Niels sighed unhappily, but Silje just smiled.

"I'm ok, because I know I'm not alone. I gotta get going. Thank you again so much for today, Niels and Tran. Thank you for being there for me."